Stainless King Kutter, Brush hog

[RIDETOEAT]

I sold my brush mower 15-20 years ago with my old Massey 1250 and as mentioned starting all over with a new property and a New kubota and all the new toys over the next couple of years. I am looking at the King Kutter with an all stainless 60" deck, I am thinking I could not put it indoors w/o it rusting away to nothing in a few short years. Price is the hardest thing as it is almost double for the stainless but still around $1950 when Rural king runs sales. I am disappointed they still only give you the 40hp gear box at this price, when they have a 60"-60hp version in steel. Has anyone else tried or even seen one in person. what do you think.

 

[D2Cat]

You must have severe weather conditions with salt in the air 100% of the time if this is what happens to your equipment, "w/o it rusting away to nothing in a few short years."

I've got mowers (not SS) that I bought used and since I've had them have set outside for 15 years! Still function just fine.

It's your hard earned money, spend it where you wish, but it's not medical equipment.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

We are in the mid west rust belt. In a "few years" is a bit of an over reach trying to justify I guess but all you have to do is look at used cutters on our local craigslist to find nothing but rust balls. I have saw one good looking unit in a couple of months and it was sold instantly at $950

Most truly rust from the bottom first since they are so thin these days. Sitting outside faded with the beginnings of rust is just not my style either though. I was just thinking for this one piece that takes up so much room inside and is available in stainless it might make since to leave behind the barn outside. The stainless is really more of a rust preventive from underneath. Keep a little easy to do paint on the gearbox and arms and it would look and stay great for ever. I think is is about a $5-600 upgrade when you compare apples to apples as it has King Kutters Flex hitch which appeares to be a nice setup too.

 

[Bluegill]

Salt use on the roads isn't going to have any effect on a brush hog, unless you are driving it on salt treated roads. We have salt on the roads here and have 3-4 old brush hogs that are 20-35 years old and are not rusted out. They are left outside all the time.

I would not pay double for stainless steel unless I lived right on the salt water coast.

I also don't like the King Kutter brand.

 

[OldeEnglish]

A little preventive maintenance always goes a long way. Cleaning the underneath and wiping some used motor oil on it after every use will keep the deck from ever rusting out. Store it under some sort of rain/snow shelter on top of a few pallets will keep the moisture off of it. Throw a few layers of a heavy mil poly plastic under the pallets to block the moisture rising out of the ground. Most old farms around me always have some sort of shelter to park their equipment under, equipment costs too much money not to protect and take care of it.

Covering anything with a tarp out in the weather just creates a tropical greenhouse of moisture, the air never gets inside to dry it out. I agree with the other guys that a stainless hog is not worth the money unless you really like shiney things .

 

[RIDETOEAT]

unless you really like shiney things .

I do, .... at least $500 worth ,for stainless anyway. I believe I will get one unless I decide on a 72" which they don't do... I guess I was hoping somebody else had bought one or liked the idea as well as me. I like the flex hitch option for where I will use it on my property and if I bought that in steel then they are only $600 ish extra for stainless, I think it is worth it. I'm lazy I guess cause I am not about to lift flip and rub it down with oil each time I use it, more likely to just drop and drive away with a stainless deck. I guess that makes me a lazy stainless mower kind of guy...

Mine !!

Someone else's a few years down the road...

 

[gpreuss]

If I had an L4600 I'd get at least a 72" mower; probably an 84". They will really cut down on your mowing time and fuel consumption. As you mentioned, I'd also rather have an over-rated gear box than something right at my tractor PTO hp.
Like virtually everyone else, I'd not be concerned with rust. Just store it on a pallet or blocks to allow the underside to dry out. I've had a cheap Montgomery Wards brush hog for over 35 years and the deck plate is still fine. Side plates have a couple of holes punched by rocks, but no serious rust. As for the fancy top link attachment, I use a chain for my top link most of the time, allowing the implement to follow the contour of the field, but still pick up when I want it to.

Before I spent $$ for that SS deck, I'd check the gauge of the plate. If it is lighter duty than the regular steel you could be asking for trouble down the road.

 

[Russell King]

There is at least one manufacturer that hot dip galvanizes the complete mower deck in its larger sizes. May be what you want - corrosion resistant and large enough.

Look at ModernUSA - see link below.

http://www.modernusa.com/modernAG/modernAttachments/

 

[RIDETOEAT]

There is at least one manufacturer that hot dip galvanizes the complete mower deck in its larger sizes. May be what you want - corrosion resistant and large enough.

Look at ModernUSA - see link below.

http://www.modernusa.com/modernAG/modernAttachments/

Thanks, I'll check em out. I was about to let these guys talk me into a ruster and i went and looked at them at the farm store today and last years stock was sitting there beside this years and they were already rusting around all the edges and welds.

Look at it next to a fresh one, faded out and rusting in the seems and along edges. .... Is this a King Kutter deal ?? It looks like really cheap paint and not powder coat, that's for sure...