RCR1260 vs RCR1860 on a LX3310 maybe RCR 1548

[walkthesky]

The title says it all. Wondering what y’all recommend? Brush hog will be used for mowing fields and light brush removal like blackberries? Just wondering if anybody has attached the bigger models to an LX series Kabota and has had any issues? It sounds like it’s more of a limitation due to PTO power. Thanks in advance

 

[Elliott in GA]

I have run an RCR 1860 on my LX 2610 SU for just over a year, and it has performed very well. I wanted the additional ruggedness (construction and cut capacity) and a slip clutch PTO versus the RCR 1260.

I have not had any problems cutting up and down moderate hills. I do keep my FEL on at all times; my dealer suggested that was advisable to maintain a good weight balance. I have reclaimed three fields with it; each had a differing thick mixture throughout of briars (mostly blackberry), broom sage, misc. weeds and small privet around the perimeter. We have many rocks, and I have hit a few including some bedded in the ground - so far no damage beyond scuffs/dents on the blades. The rocks on the other hand look terrible.

 

[walkthesky]

Thanks! I think I may go with shear bolts since I’m a new tractor owner

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

Thanks! I think I may go with shear bolts since I’m a new tractor owner

Slip clutch is far superior

 

[PoTreeBoy]

The 18- series is a medium duty cutter while the 12- series is light duty. With Elliot's endorsement, I'd go with the RCR1860 if your budget can handle it. It'll be worth the difference long-term. And I'd prefer the slip clutch.

 

[PaulR]

If you're in the Northeast there is a like-new RCR 1860 on Craigslist for sale, Pine Bush NY to be exact.
NOT mine, found it while looking for a box blade.

 

[SDT]

The title says it all. Wondering what y’all recommend? Brush hog will be used for mowing fields and light brush removal like blackberries? Just wondering if anybody has attached the bigger models to an LX series Kabota and has had any issues? It sounds like it’s more of a limitation due to PTO power. Thanks in advance

Be advised that the maximum rough-cut mower weight recommended by Kubota is 500 Lbs. for the LX series. Most 5' rough-cut mowers will exceed this and you will need front weights even at 500 Lbs., unless all of your ground is level.

I agree with your opinion regarding shear bolts/slip clutches. Slip clutches require time consuming yearly maintenance whereas sheer bolts do not. I made the change to slip clutches for all of my rough cut mowers several years ago but have decided to go back to shear bolts for any new cutter purchases, obviously excepting mowers sized such that shear bolt protection is unavailable, e.g., BWs.

SDT

 

[B737]

I could not find RCR1860 for my LX. I went with RCF2060 which is essentially the same thing with the bracing under the deck rather than above the deck. 60" is a great size for the LX i think the 18 or 20 series will serve you well. No problem traversing all sorts of terrain with it.

I also owned a RCR1548 on my last machine and absolutely beat the bloody hell out of it, hit many immovable objects with its blades, cinder blocks, stumps, ect. It was a good fit for B2601. Before that one, I owned a RCR1242 for the BX and it was super light duty. I think 1548 is too small for LX, and 12 series too light duty.

+10 on slip clutch only

 

[Elliott in GA]

Thanks! I think I may go with shear bolts since I’m a new tractor owner

It is a personal choice with no right or wrong answer. FWIW, slipping a PTO clutch takes about an hour - total time (warming up tractor, loosening and marking the clutch pack, hooking up the mower, slipping the clutch, tightening the clutch pack, unhooking the mower and parking the tractor). I chose a cool, clear spring day to slip my PTO clutch when I did not have other work to complete. For me, I prefer this small yearly task to potentially having to replace a shear bolt on a hot summer or cold winter day in the middle of trying to get some work done.

You should choose what is better for you, but do not be intimidated by a slip clutch. It is not some highly precise adjustment requiring experience.

 

[mcmxi]

The title says it all. Wondering what y’all recommend? Brush hog will be used for mowing fields and light brush removal like blackberries? Just wondering if anybody has attached the bigger models to an LX series Kabota and has had any issues? It sounds like it’s more of a limitation due to PTO power. Thanks in advance

I have an RCR1884 which is a very rugged and well made rotary cutter but recently ordered a Del Morino flail mower/mulcher. Have you looked at flail mowers? The Funny Top offset mower has up to 8" of offset, and is available in 5ft and 6ft wide models weighing 375lb and 432lb respectively. The RCR1860 is 600lb so quite a significant difference.

Flail mowers offer a lot of benefits over rotary cutters so maybe worth a look.

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www.delmorino.it

If you buy a rotary cutter, I do agree that slip clutches are the way to go over shear bolts.

 

[Elliott in GA]

There is no free lunch with mowers. Rotary cutters are the most rugged, and they have an acceptable cut. Flails have a better cut, but they have some significant limitations: their maximum cut height is often very limited (the one referenced above cannot go higher than 4 inches/ rotary cutters typically top out at 10 inches), they cannot be lowered into a thick area of bushes/briars to top it to reveal what is underneath before committing to a closer cut (briar patches on farm land often conceal stumps, a pile of rocks that were removed from the field or something that caused the area not to be mowed) and flails can suck up rocks and sticks that jam the mower (a multi-hour problem even if you have the parts/belts you need). Finish mowers have the best cut (on low height grass - not good on high grass), but they are the least capable of handling foreign objects and brush.

If I could have only one mower, it would be a rotary cutter. I have two mowers (rotary and finish), and I am happy with my choice. However, I might have been just as pleased with a rotary and flail combination if the land did not have so many rocks. In the first reclaimed field, I regularly mow at 5 inches with the finish mower to help the grass grow thick and avoid any remaining rocks.

Messick's has a good video about the pros and cons of a flail (complete with a jammed stick).

 

[SDT]

It is a personal choice with no right or wrong answer. FWIW, slipping a PTO clutch takes about an hour - total time (warming up tractor, loosening and marking the clutch pack, hooking up the mower, slipping the clutch, tightening the clutch pack, unhooking the mower and parking the tractor). I chose a cool, clear spring day to slip my PTO clutch when I did not have other work to complete. For me, I prefer this small yearly task to potentially having to replace a shear bolt on a hot summer or cold winter day in the middle of trying to get some work done.

You should choose what is better for you, but do not be intimidated by a slip clutch. It is not some highly precise adjustment requiring experience.

I can do mine in an hour or less but that's a real PITA when one has 6 or 7 to do.

No more slip clutches for me.

SDT

 

[mcmxi]

There is no free lunch with mowers. Rotary cutters are the most rugged, and they have an acceptable cut. Flails have a better cut, but they have some significant limitations: their maximum cut height is often very limited (the one referenced above cannot go higher than 4 inches/ rotary cutters typically top out at 10 inches), they cannot be lowered into a thick area of bushes/briars to top it to reveal what is underneath before committing to a closer cut (briar patches on farm land often conceal stumps, a pile of rocks that were removed from the field or something that caused the area not to be mowed) and flails can suck up rocks and sticks that jam the mower (a multi-hour problem even if you have the parts/belts you need). Finish mowers have the best cut (on low height grass - not good on high grass), but they are the least capable of handling foreign objects and brush.

If I could have only one mower, it would be a rotary cutter. I have two mowers (rotary and finish), and I am happy with my choice. However, I might have been just as pleased with a rotary and flail combination if the land did not have so many rocks. In the first reclaimed field, I regularly mow at 5 inches with the finish mower to help the grass grow thick and avoid any remaining rocks.

Messick's has a good video about the pros and cons of a flail (complete with a jammed stick).

You make a lot of valid points, but some of the benefits of flail mowers is their favorable cutting width to weight ratio, their cutting width to pto hp ratio, their improved weight distribution relative to the tractor, their increased cutting speed, the decrease in high centering on rough terrain, their improved mulching capabilities, their ability to offset and their relative ease of storage. Supposedly they handle rocks better than rotary cutters too which might be important to some. All of this is based on what I've read and seen in reviews but I'll know more shortly once the flail gets here. Just thought that the OP might want to compare the pros and cons since neither is cheap.