Rotary Cutter for Grand L4060

[mcmxi]

SDT & BigG, I didn't intend to take this thread over but thanks very much for your candid responses. The collective knowledge and experience here is really something. I don't plan on cutting the field every few weeks, just three or four times a year at most and hopefully less. This is another consideration that makes a rotary cutter a better choice.

I'll call the dealer in the morning and ask them to hold the RCR1884 for me since they only have one in stock. They have lots of the RCR1272 units.

Do you think the 1884 is too much cutter for the MX? It's rated from 45-90 HP but Land Pride doesn't include it when using the "Kubota matched" feature on their website. It's a much more robust unit compared to the 1272 with a better warranty on the gear box, plus other upgrades. It's shown as being B, L and M matched so I see no reason why it wouldn't be a good fit on the MX. It's heavy at over 850lb without the driveline compared to the 1272 which weighs a mere 564lb all in.

 

[kubotafreak]

I would advise against the rcr12 series, its too light. The 18 series is fine, but 84 may be too wide unless you plan on cutting very slow. It is not the tall weeds that bog the brush cutters its the thick grass.

 

[mcmxi]

I would advise against the rcr12 series, its too light. The 18 series is fine, but 84 may be too wide unless you plan on cutting very slow. It is not the tall weeds that bog the brush cutters its the thick grass.

At this stage I only have two choices for a rotary cutter ... the RCR1272 or RCR1884. These things are hard to find at the moment and even harder to find in Montana. I spoke with the dealer this morning and am changing my order from the grooming mower to the 1884. Looking at the specs, it has a faster tip speed (17,113 fpm) than any of the 12 series rotary cutters and both the 1860 and 1872 models. Is the 1884 more likely to bog down than models with slower tip speeds and less blade mass?

 

[kubotafreak]

Has a higher tip speed simply bc of blade length. Yes a foot would make a large difference in thick grass. I would get the 84" over the 12 series. If you want width with that 60 hp you might look into a dual spindle. They have smaller blade carriers, and tend to operate somewhat in-between a large single spindle vs a multispindle finish cutter.

 

[mcmxi]

Has a higher tip speed simply bc of blade length. Yes a foot would make a large difference in thick grass. I would get the 84" over the 12 series. If you want width with that 60 hp you might look into a dual spindle. They have smaller blade carriers, and tend to operate somewhat in-between a large single spindle vs a multispindle finish cutter.

Is it "simply bc of blade length"? Both the RCR1272 and RCR1872 have slower tip speeds than the RCR1260 and RCR1860 respectively. In both of those examples, tip speed is reduced as the model gets larger.

Regardless, I've paid for the RCR1884 and it's a done deal so thanks for allowing me to work this out in public. I appreciate the help and look forward to hearing which model the OP settles on and why.

Here's the RCR1884 that I bought and that won't be going back. I'm hoping that I can get an area south of the new barn nice enough and smooth enough that I'll enjoy mowing it with the BX. I plan on beating everything else into submission with this beast. My neighbors have about 3 acres of their 22 acres that is very overgrown and they've already indicated that they'd happily pay me to get it back under control.

You can see the RCR1272s in the background that are dwarfed by the 1884.

 

[UpNorthMI]

I think this is a better overall decision than the finish mower. Your MX6000 will handle this well.

I use a Woods BB720X on my MX5800, I believe the cutter weighs 1,100 lbs and only has one rear wheel. I feel that I have plenty of HP even when cutting waist high grass.

Your RCR 1884 weighs around 850lbs and had 2 rear wheels which is a nice feature for the wider cutter. I think you will have no HP issues and you just have to match your cutting speed to the material you are cutting.

Once you have had 10 minutes with it you will figure out the best travel speed. It looks a nice cutter, I like the chain guards front and back. It will work well over your bumpy ground that you have described. Good luck with it, give us some feedback after you have had some time with it.

 

[mcmxi]

I think this is a better overall decision than the finish mower. Your MX6000 will handle this well.

I use a Woods BB720X on my MX5800, I believe the cutter weighs 1,100 lbs and only has one rear wheel. I feel that I have plenty of HP even when cutting waist high grass.

Your RCR 1884 weighs around 850lbs and had 2 rear wheels which is a nice feature for the wider cutter. I think you will have no HP issues and you just have to match your cutting speed to the material you are cutting.

Once you have had 10 minutes with it you will figure out the best travel speed. It looks a nice cutter, I like the chain guards front and back. It will work well over your bumpy ground that you have described. Good luck with it, give us some feedback after you have had some time with it.

Thanks UpNorthMI. This forum has set me straight a number of times and I appreciate all the advice. I will certainly give an update once I've used it a bit. It's good to hear that you have no issues running your similarly sized cutter with a similarly sized tractor.

I watched a Messicks video last night where Neil was using an MX5200 with an RCR1872 and I had to laugh when he commented on the racket coming from the cutter. I have zero experience running a rotary cutter so I have no idea what to expect, but the video was helpful and made me realize that it's kind of like having a wood chipper hanging off the back of the tractor!

I had wondered how people "mow" one to two inch saplings but now I know. You back over them!

The RCR1884 is a heavy duty cutter and I like the fully welded supports as compared to the stitched welded supports on the lighter cutters. The gear box is huge too and has a 5-year warranty. It seems to be a very well made and capable cutter.

 

[mcmxi]

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!

Have you decided on a cutter yet? Are there lots of choices where you are?

 

[UpNorthMI]

You have a slip clutch on the pto shaft of your new cutter, I strongly recommend that you reset it at the start of every cutting season, make sure you learn how to avoid it rusting or seizing up. My son destroyed the 75hp gearbox and pto shaft on our Woods cutter when the old used slip clutch did not slip!!! Luckily no damage to the MX5800. It did cost a new gearbox and pto shaft.

I now reset and slip run all slip clutches as I first use an attachment each year. I also remove shear bolts and clean and lubricate the surfaces that the shear bolt connect. I would recommend these actions to all tractor owners, things get destroyed real fast when connected to a pto shaft.

I’d also check to make sure the dealer put the correct amount of oil in the gearbox, strange things happen these days and no one cares about your equipment like you do.

when it comes to mowing saplings you can also just drive straight over them, if you do field edges or trail edges your cutter will be wider than the tractor and will make things easier to cut fully to the edge.

 

[SDT]

Is it "simply bc of blade length"? Both the RCR1272 and RCR1872 have slower tip speeds than the RCR1260 and RCR1860 respectively. In both of those examples, tip speed is reduced as the model gets larger.

Regardless, I've paid for the RCR1884 and it's a done deal so thanks for allowing me to work this out in public. I appreciate the help and look forward to hearing which model the OP settles on and why.

Here's the RCR1884 that I bought and that won't be going back. I'm hoping that I can get an area south of the new barn nice enough and smooth enough that I'll enjoy mowing it with the BX. I plan on beating everything else into submission with this beast. My neighbors have about 3 acres of their 22 acres that is very overgrown and they've already indicated that they'd happily pay me to get it back under control.

You can see the RCR1272s in the background that are dwarfed by the 1884.

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The 7' light weight rough cut mower is a much better fit for your ground than is the finish mower and should hold up well, and at only 850 Lbs., you may not need front weights even though the 7' cutters are long.

Though 7' is a large rough cut mower for a 53 PTO HP tractor, your HST transmission allows you to mow at whatever speed you desire. Mowing speed will be determined by what it is that you are cutting. Weeds/brush cut easily, whereas, thick grass sucks HP. If you keep the blades sharp, the mower will cut better and require less HP and fuel.

Very good advise above regarding the slip clutch.

SDT

 

[mcmxi]

You have a slip clutch on the pto shaft of your new cutter, I strongly recommend that you reset it at the start of every cutting season, make sure you learn how to avoid it rusting or seizing up. My son destroyed the 75hp gearbox and pto shaft on our Woods cutter when the old used slip clutch did not slip!!! Luckily no damage to the MX5800. It did cost a new gearbox and pto shaft.

I now reset and slip run all slip clutches as I first use an attachment each year. I also remove shear bolts and clean and lubricate the surfaces that the shear bolt connect. I would recommend these actions to all tractor owners, things get destroyed real fast when connected to a pto shaft.

I’d also check to make sure the dealer put the correct amount of oil in the gearbox, strange things happen these days and no one cares about your equipment like you do.

when it comes to mowing saplings you can also just drive straight over them, if you do field edges or trail edges your cutter will be wider than the tractor and will make things easier to cut fully to the edge.

Thanks for the excellent advice. I was certainly going to check the oil but slip clutch maintenance is something I'm sure I would have overlooked. Should I put a good cutting edge on the blades since I'm not going to be getting into 1" or larger stuff? The dealer has some 1272s standing up and there's no edge on the blades at all. I've read about the risks associated with leaving a sharp point on saplings but I don't think this applies to my use.

 

[mcmxi]

The 7' light weight rough cut mower is a much better fit for your ground than is the finish mower and should hold up well, and at only 850 Lbs., you may not need front weights even though the 7' cutters are long.

Though 7' is a large rough cut mower for a 53 PTO HP tractor, your HST transmission allows you to mow at whatever speed you desire. Mowing speed will be determined by what it is that you are cutting. Weeds/brush cut easily, whereas, thick grass sucks HP. If you keep the blades sharp, the mower will cut better and require less HP and fuel.

Very good advise above regarding the slip clutch.

SDT

SDT, thanks for your help. You were instrumental in my changing from the grooming mower to the rotary cutter. I took some photos this afternoon to provide a better idea of where I'll be using the cutter. As I mentioned, I'll probably end up taking care of 12 to 15 acres of this sort of stuff. The pictures don't capture the elevation changes but there are many along with ground squirrel and badger holes, some as much as 10" in diameter!

 

[SDT]

SDT, thanks for your help. You were instrumental in my changing from the grooming mower to the rotary cutter. I took some photos this afternoon to provide a better idea of where I'll be using the cutter. As I mentioned, I'll probably end up taking care of 12 to 15 acres of this sort of stuff. The pictures don't capture the elevation changes but there are many along with ground squirrel and badger holes, some as much as 10" in diameter!

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The finish mower would not have held up to that work.

I do not recommend a sharp edge if you plan to cut any saplings.

You can always add the edge in two or three years.

SDT

 

[mcmxi]

The finish mower would not have held up to that work.

I do not recommend a sharp edge if you plan to cut any saplings.

You can always add the edge in two or three years.

SDT

I'm grateful for this thread and the fact that you steered me in the right direction and away from making a $4,700 mistake.

I don't think I'll be cutting any saplings on my own property since there aren't any, but I'll take a look at my neighbor's field to see what I might be dealing with. I have a few hundred fir and pine trees but only six or seven Aspens at the lowest point of the property. I have something like a 250' elevation change on my 20 acres. Aesthetically pleasing but it's a maintenance headache since there's probably 5 acres or more that I'd like to spray or cut but can't because it's too steep.

 

[Russell King]

MCMXI,
You may also need to add weight to the front of the tractor to counterbalance the weight of the mower.

Also pay attention to your top link, it should always have a lot of slack on it so the mower will follow the ground better. I can’t tell in your pictures but most newer mowers will have an additional link at the top to allow for this.

Basically the rear wheels and the lower arms hold the mower off the ground.

The instruction manual will probably cover this in good detail

 

[mcmxi]

MCMXI,
You may also need to add weight to the front of the tractor to counterbalance the weight of the mower.

Also pay attention to your top link, it should always have a lot of slack on it so the mower will follow the ground better. I can’t tell in your pictures but most newer mowers will have an additional link at the top to allow for this.

Basically the rear wheels and the lower arms hold the mower off the ground.

The instruction manual will probably cover this in good detail

Yes, there's a link that allows the deck to articulate somewhat. Hopefully it's more obvious from these photos. If the cutter is sitting on the rear wheels will I need front weights since a lot of the weight is being supported at the rear? I have top-n-tilt with a Quick Hitch and will probably have to mess around a fair bit to figure out the best set up. I'm looking forward to trying this thing out.

 

[SDT]

Yes, there's a link that allows the deck to articulate somewhat. Hopefully it's more obvious from these photos. If the cutter is sitting on the rear wheels will I need front weights since a lot of the weight is being supported at the rear? I have top-n-tilt with a Quick Hitch and will probably have to mess around a fair bit to figure out the best set up. I'm looking forward to trying this thing out.

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Perhaps the greatest disadvantage of 7' rotary cutters is the length which means that considerable weight is well behind the lift arms, especially when rear chains are installed. Your quick hitch compounds this problem by extending the mower even farther behind.

Though 850 Lbs. is quite light for a 7' cutter, you may need front weights to insure adequate steering control when cresting slopes with the mower lifted or lifting.

SDT

 

[mcmxi]

Perhaps the greatest disadvantage of 7' rotary cutters is the length which means that considerable weight is well behind the lift arms, especially when rear chains are installed. Your quick hitch compounds this problem by extending the mower even farther behind.

Though 850 Lbs. is quite light for a 7' cutter, you may need front weights to insure adequate steering control when cresting slopes with the mower lifted or lifting.

SDT

The Quick Hitch will move the cutter about 4" further rearward. I have the rear blade on the tractor at the moment as shown below. The 850 lb weight of the cutter is supposedly without the driveline, so if the driveline includes the gear box then this thing could easily be over 900 lb. I'll have to pay attention to the handling and will add weights if necessary.

Thanks.

 

[Russell King]

You may get into a situation where you need to raise the mower off the ground (hitting a rock/stump/...) and need to steer. The weight of the mower will make the front light and steering difficult. You can use brake steering if your tractor has that feature. But I know I felt more secure when I got enough weight on front.

You can try it in controlled process and see how it feels and steers then decide what to do.

 

[SDT]

The Quick Hitch will move the cutter about 4" further rearward. I have the rear blade on the tractor at the moment as shown below. The 850 lb weight of the cutter is supposedly without the driveline, so if the driveline includes the gear box then this thing could easily be over 900 lb. I'll have to pay attention to the handling and will add weights if necessary.

Thanks.

View attachment 56868

4" is a lot, and you will notice it. I am not a fan of quick hitches for this very reason.

No, the driveline does not include the gearbox but the advertised weight will not include optional chains which will probably add 150 Lbs.

I expect that you will need front weights.

SDT