Rotary Cutter for Grand L4060

[hunterguy]

Hello!

It’s that time of year again when future summer chores start to come to mind, and I’m in need of a rotary cutter. I’ve looked at a few brands and models, but was wondering what everyone was happy with.
Flat deck? Medium duty? Heavy duty?

I’ve been comparing Land Pride’s RCR1872 vs RCR2672 and wanted to hear from those that have them or other models that they’re happy with.

Appreciate the advice!

 

[SDT]

Hello!

It’s that time of year again when future summer chores start to come to mind, and I’m in need of a rotary cutter. I’ve looked at a few brands and models, but was wondering what everyone was happy with.
Flat deck? Medium duty? Heavy duty?

I’ve been comparing Land Pride’s RCR1872 vs RCR2672 and wanted to hear from those that have them or other models that they’re happy with.

Appreciate the advice!

I use a Woods BB720X medium duty 6' cutter with my GL6060.

It's a bit heavy and I do need front weights on my some places steep ground but the mower is rugged and cuts well.

Do not exceed the recommended weight limitation in the Operator's Manual unless you want hitch parts to fail.

SDT

 

[kubotafreak]

rcr1872 slip clutch is very popular... I personally like flat deck if available(rcf2072). I can tell you 6' is all your going to want on that machine.

 

[papajoe]

I have a Landpride RCR1860 that I have been very pleased with.
It has done a lot of cutting in fields with many 1 to 2 inch saplings, without any problems. Keep the blades sharp and it leaves a very smooth cut. Be sure to blow or wash it off after each use.

 

[SDT]

I have a Landpride RCR1860 that I have been very pleased with.
It has done a lot of cutting in fields with many 1 to 2 inch saplings, without any problems. Keep the blades sharp and it leaves a very smooth cut. Be sure to blow or wash it off after each use.

Be careful cutting saplings with sharp blades. The sharp stems are hazardous to your tires on the following rounds.

I, too keep the blades sharp on all of my rough cut mowers in order to improve cut quality and reduce required power and fuel usage, but cutting saplings is one time when you want dull blades-the more dull, the better.

SDT

 

[mcfarmall]

Sharp is a relative term, especially when it comes to brush hog blades! I consider a bush hog blade with less than ⅛ radius on the edge to be "sharp" and it pretty much makes a sapling explode into whiskers.

 

[papajoe]

I usually "sharpen" my blades to about 1/8 inch.

 

[SDT]

Sharp is a relative term, especially when it comes to brush hog blades! I consider a bush hog blade with less than ⅛ radius on the edge to be "sharp" and it pretty much makes a sapling explode into whiskers.

I keep the blades sharp (almost like a finish mower) on all of my rough cut mowers because I no longer hit much of anything and use them as HD finish mowers. Indeed, I dress them with an angle grinder after nearly every use.

Of course, I do not cut saplings with sharp blades. I keep an old set of dull blades for the Woods BB720X for the rare occasions when I need to cut saplings.

SDT

 

[Russell King]

A company in Texas called Modern Ag makes galvanized cutters in larger sizes see this link https://www.modernagproducts.com/catalog-download

 

[DVR]

I have the landpride RCR1860 and RCR2672.
While the 18 series is a great cutter. The 26 series is a significant upgrade.
I would buy the 26 series. That said, the 18 series has held up well and will easily stand up to above average use.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Woods BB720X, very robust unit, slip clutch pto.

 

[SDT]

Woods BB720X, very robust unit, slip clutch pto.

I have a BB720X.

Though I use it with my GK6060 (with front weights), with optional F & R chains it exceeds the maximum weight recommendation in the Operator's Manual. Not certain, but I believe it exceeds the weight recommendation without the chains.

It's a hoss and all that the 6060 wants in many conditions.

SDT

 

[mcmxi]

hunterguy, I'm in a similar spot to you i.e. trying to make the best decision. I've been cutting 5 or so acres for the past 5 years using the BX with a 54" mid-mount mower and there are so many holes and ruts in the field that both the BX and I get beaten up and it's not a whole lot of fun to be honest. I don't cut the grass as much as I should because it's a real chore to do it. It not the time it takes as much as the discomfort. I should be cutting more than 5 acres, closer to 15 acres really, but there's no way I'm doing that with the BX.

I was picking up parts this past Saturday and the manager at the local Kubota dealership told me that I'd be much better off using the MX with a rotary cutter for the 5 acres and suggested the RCR1272 of which they have 12 in stock, and it's their most popular model by far. Obviously the dealer would rather move the inventory they have so they're pushing me in that direction. The MX is way softer riding than the BX and 72" beats 54", not to mention the ground speed of the MX compared to the BX. This got me looking at rotary cutters and comparing the RCR1272 to the RCR1872 and RCR2072. The dealer has a 2072 in stock but it's $4,400 so not really my first choice. The 1272 is $1,981 and the 1872 is $2,916. I would rather buy once and cry once and with the heavier duty gearbox the 1872 makes the most sense to me. I don't plan on cutting any saplings since I don't have any. It's mostly grass with some knapweed and gorse thrown in.

With a good rotary mower behind the MX I think I'll be able to regularly cut a lot more acreage. I've asked the dealer to look into the availability of an 1872. I was thinking about selling the 54" mid-mount mower deck but realized that I can use the BX on many of the smoother sections around the house that I'm currently mowing with a Honda walk behind.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[SDT]

hunterguy, I'm in a similar spot to you i.e. trying to make the best decision. I've been cutting 5 or so acres for the past 5 years using the BX with a 54" mid-mount mower and there are so many holes and ruts in the field that both the BX and I get beaten up and it's not a whole lot of fun to be honest. I don't cut the grass as much as I should because it's a real chore to do it. It not the time it takes as much as the discomfort. I should be cutting more than 5 acres, closer to 15 acres really, but there's no way I'm doing that with the BX.

I was picking up parts this past Saturday and the manager at the local Kubota dealership told me that I'd be much better off using the MX with a rotary cutter for the 5 acres and suggested the RCR1272 of which they have 12 in stock, and it's their most popular model by far. Obviously the dealer would rather move the inventory they have so they're pushing me in that direction. The MX is way softer riding than the BX and 72" beats 54", not to mention the ground speed of the MX compared to the BX. This got me looking at rotary cutters and comparing the RCR1272 to the RCR1872 and RCR2072. The dealer has a 2072 in stock but it's $4,400 so not really my first choice. The 1272 is $1,981 and the 1872 is $2,916. I would rather buy once and cry once and with the heavier duty gearbox the 1872 makes the most sense to me. I don't plan on cutting any saplings since I don't have any. It's mostly grass with some knapweed and gorse thrown in.

With a good rotary mower behind the MX I think I'll be able to regularly cut a lot more acreage. I've asked the dealer to look into the availability of an 1872. I was thinking about selling the 54" mid-mount mower deck but realized that I can use the BX on many of the smoother sections around the house that I'm currently mowing with a Honda walk behind.

Decisions, decisions.

Check the parts diagram of the tail wheel.

Low cost rotary cutters use bushings in the tail wheel, whereas, better quality units use roller bearings. A bushing equipped tail wheel will be a continuous maintenance item, whereas, a roller bearing will last the lifetime of the unit absent abuse.

SDT

 

[JimmyJazz]

I have a County Line 6 ft light duty brush hog type mower. Bought it probably seven years ago. I have never sharpened the blades or even looked under the thing. Works great. I probably use it 5-10 hours per year on established trails. I state this to demonstrate the robustness of the thing not as a snub to the many maintenance focused forum members. My grandfather was a mechanical engineer and when I was a boy he was always changing oil and filters and sharpening blades and whatnot. He kept books where he recorded all this . He would roll over in his grave probably laughing at my feeble attempts to "properly maintain" my equipment. There are others like me out there but few willing to admit it. There ,I have cleansed my soul. Thanks for listening.

 

[mcmxi]

Check the parts diagram of the tail wheel.

Low cost rotary cutters use bushings in the tail wheel, whereas, better quality units use roller bearings. A bushing equipped tail wheel will be a continuous maintenance item, whereas, a roller bearing will last the lifetime of the unit absent abuse.

SDT

I dropped by the dealer again today, and after doing a better job of explaining the terrain I'm dealing with and the type of vegetation I need to cut, it was decided that a grooming mower would be a much better implement for me and the MX. The only downside to all of this is that the grooming mower costs more than any of the rotary cutters I was considering.

I ended up buying an FDR2584, and with the exception of the cost I think this was a good purchase. The major feature that appealed to me is that unlike a rotary cutter the mower articulates off the Quick Hitch or 3-point which is really important given the ground conditions. This model weighs 812lb so not a lightweight by any means. The steel is 3/16" thick plate with a sturdy looking gearbox. I also like that it has blades that I can sharpen and balance easily since they have rotational symmetry. Another plus is that this mower throws cuttings out the back rather than out the side like the mower on the BX. I think I'll be doing a lot more mowing this year!

This is the actual unit that I bought. The dealer will either deliver it to me or install it on the back of the MX when it goes in for the third rear remote installation. It looks kind of small after looking at 72" and 84" rotary cutters!

 

[UpNorthMI]

Let us know how your grooming mower works out, the MX should be faster and more comfortable.

 

[mcmxi]

Let us know how your grooming mower works out, the MX should be faster and more comfortable.

Yeah, I can't stress enough the discomfort of mowing with the BX. It's like being kicked in the nuts for three or four hours while taking random body shots along with the occasional punch to the head! I should add that it's not the BX's fault, just the nature of the field I'm mowing. The first time I drove the MX I immediately noticed how much smoother and more comfortable it is. The seat in combination with the longer wheelbase and much larger tires makes all the difference. I think I'll finally get to enjoy cutting the grass.

 

[SDT]

Yeah, I can't stress enough the discomfort of mowing with the BX. It's like being kicked in the nuts for three or four hours while taking random body shots along with the occasional punch to the head! I should add that it's not the BX's fault, just the nature of the field I'm mowing. The first time I drove the MX I immediately noticed how much smoother and more comfortable it is. The seat in combination with the longer wheelbase and much larger tires makes all the difference. I think I'll finally get to enjoy cutting the grass.

Considering that your ground has "holes and ruts," finish mowers will not hold up. This is why they make rough cut (bush hog type) mowers.

The wheel spindles will be the first to fail, unless you hit things with the blades in which case it will likely be the blade spindles.

SDT

 

[BigG]

Considering that your ground has "holes and ruts," finish mowers will not hold up. This is why they make rough cut (bush hog type) mowers.

The wheel spindles will be the first to fail, unless you hit things with the blades in which case it will likely be the blade spindles.

SDT

I must agree with STD. The finish mower is not a good idea until the hole and ruts are smoothed out. If you can not run across the field on the BX at mowing speed without getting beat up then the finish mower on a larger tractor will not hold up. You will not be beaten up on the larger heavier tractor but the mower riding on the 4 casters will rock and roll. Also the 84 inch span of the mower will result in the mower scraping the ground pretty often.

Are you able to get on the areas that you want to mow yet? When you can, run the tractor over the area at the speed that you will mow at. Try towing a 2 wheel trailer that does not have springs on the axle. Or lacking a trailer maybe a log tied to the tractor so that it is dragged perpendicular to the direction of travel. Watch it bounce around at the speed of mowing. If it rides smoothly you might be OK. If it bounces around or swing back and forth behind the tractor the ground is to rough for a finish mower.

A flail mower might be a better fit for you.