Thinking about buying a skid steer mounted rotary mower

[tmc_31]

I am considering purchasing a rotary mower to attach to my skid steer. I have watched the videos and looked at some specs, I would appreciate opinions from any of you that have experience with this attachment. I have a side business doing mowing/shredding and brush control. There places that I just don't want to take my tractor/shredder because of the chance of destroying the tires. I have turned down a few jobs in the past few weeks because of this.

My skid is a NH L190 with an enclosed cab. If I do this I will most likely be foaming my tires. My NH dealer told me that he was expecting a Rhino SM72 to come in on trade with in the next month or so. Has anybody got one of these? I saw a 72" Wildkat Brush Cutter on the web that has the blades exposed on the front. Looks like a good idea for the rough areas.

Tim

[Bobcatdan]

Our (bobcat) brushcat is one of our most popular rentals. It is rated for 3" diameter, basicly what you can push over. They work awesome for most things. One guy complained about tring to cut buckthrone, but nothing makes him happy. I would say, rent one and go out and try it.

[tmc_31]

Bobcatdan,

I am quite intrigued by these machines. Last night a guy called and wanted me to mow a small plot that is too rolling to mow with my tractor. I called my local rental yard and they said that they had a 60" Rhino brush cutter that I could rent for $100/day. I think I will rent it and give it a try.

[CM1995]

The only experience I have is using a skid with a Brushcat. It's an impressive attachment and I have mowed many an acre with it. From my experience it performs well with typical overgrowth - grass, saplings, etc but doesn't do well with thick tall grass as it tends to bog down and knock the grass down instead of cutting it. This is easily remedied by going back over it with another pass.

It will cut 3-4" trees efficiently depending on the species, pine is easier to cut than hardwoods. One thing to keep in mind when pricing mowing work with a skid and brush cutter is you will use approx. 20% more fuel.

[k45]

I have Brush Monster. It does a good job for what it does.

[ironjunkie]

I have an older "Ambusher" rotary mower and it is handy for lowering down onto the heavy type brush, trees, etc. From looking at the newer models it seems like they have some type of safety shut off device that is activated when the mower is lifted off of the ground. If this safety device is not easily disconnected or disabled, I'd stay away and find a model that either does not have this feature of one that is simple to defeat. Obviously operators have been hurt and this lawyer or govt. "safety device" was warranted, but stupid people will always be able to do stupid things! I'll raise my mower 4'-5' with it rolled back to near vertical and lower it down to where it is below the danger zone or flinging tuff off the blades then level it out to grind it down to the ground. Get your rental and see what you think.

[willie59]

Always check the radiator on your machine when you frequently use a brush cutter. We rent Bobcat machines with brush cutters, and more than once I've had to clean radiators clogged with cuttings flying in the air, manages to find it's way to the radiator.

[k45]

I have an older "Ambusher" rotary mower and it is handy for lowering down onto the heavy type brush, trees, etc. From looking at the newer models it seems like they have some type of safety shut off device that is activated when the mower is lifted off of the ground. If this safety device is not easily disconnected or disabled, I'd stay away and find a model that either does not have this feature of one that is simple to defeat. Obviously operators have been hurt and this lawyer or govt. "safety device" was warranted, but stupid people will always be able to do stupid things! I'll raise my mower 4'-5' with it rolled back to near vertical and lower it down to where it is below the danger zone or flinging tuff off the blades then level it out to grind it down to the ground. Get your rental and see what you think.

I agree with your points. From what I've heard, they should be used with "demolition doors" on the cab for protection. I don't have a door but I am very careful when I raise my mower, keeping the back of it angled down low. But I can see somebody not thinking and trying to trim a hedge with one 4' high!

[DGMM]

I've got a 72" "Blue diamond" (American built I think) which I run in front of my standard flow S300. WHAT A MACHINE!!! I can only imagine what it would be like with high flow. This was the heaviest duty slasher I could find here in OZ as I knew I would push it to the extreme. Make sure you get a wire stopper kit as fencing wire is a killer on seals and bearings, only takes a second to wind itself around the main shaft about a thousand times.
I use mine on everything from grass through to 4" trees. even bigger trees, push them over and slash the tops so you are just left with a log and stump. Prior to clearing bush blocks i run mine trough the understory to reduce the volume needed to be trucked away.
you also have to keep in mind what comes out the front, I've thrown bricks and football sized stumps 50 meters and more!!!

[KSSS]

I have a Diamond brand mower, similiar to a Davco type. Its a high flow only mower. Pretty impressive.

[tmc_31]

Hey Guys,

I rented a Rhino SM60 from my local equipment rental stores yesterday. This was mostly for a test, but I also had some paying work to do with it. I mounted it on the front of my NH L190 (low flow). I mowed about 2 acres at home that hadn't been mowed for a year. This machine was awesome. It took me a while to figure out how to get the best cut so the yard looked a little ragged but not too bad. The mower was excellent for getting under and around trees, I got underbrush that hadn't been cut in years.

Then I took it over to my customers place. He had about 300' of drainage ditch that I was afraid to try with my tractor and shredder. I am not sure if this is more of a testament to the skid loader or the mower but the combination handled the slopes with ease.

Overall I was pleased with the outcome. I think a wider mower would work better with my skid loader and I am intrigued by the cutters that are open front with part of the blade exposed. The open front cutters seem to be heavier built and would cut heavier brush. They are manufactured as low flow and as hi flow machines. Now I have to determine if there is a market for this type of work in my area or if I could develop a market here. My rental guy said he had had the machine for about a year and that it had only been out twice before I rented it. At $123.00/day including tax and LDW it is a toss up as to weather it it better to rent or own.

All the best,


Tim

[k45]

One of the really nice things about a skid steer mower is that you can mow things going forward that you would not drive a tractor over before the mower gets to it.

When I got my first tractor and cutter, a friend at work told me that it would cut anything I could drive over. He was partially wrong: there were things I would not drive over, but would back up to mow. The ss cutter does a much better job of that!

Yes, the blade out in front allows you to attack stuff withing bending it over first.

Ken

[spitzair]

I demoed a Bobcat brushcat on my 873 some time ago, it worked amazingly well. My 873 doesn't have the high flow hydraulics but it still did a great job. WE used it at the airport to cut back alder trees and were very impressed with the work it did. There were some big rocks mixed in with the brush and we found them all, but the mower held up with no problems at all. The only thing I didn't really like about it was that safety valve that would shut the blades down when lifted off the ground because in some places the terrain was very uneven and the mower would be up off the ground as the loader drove over an obstacle or came up to a drop off and the blades would stop... Not a huge issue, just more annoying than anything else. But I really did like how it followed the ground independent of the loader. We managed to gnar through about 2 acres in 3 or 4 hours, and it was very thick stuff! If I had more use for it I would have definitely bought it!

[leftyokie]

I run a Blue Diamond Extreme duty 72" on a NH L185. I love this deck, i can easily take down the 4" size trees and bigger if i work into them slower. when im clearing pasture this is my first and last attachment i run. i cut everything down i can with it and then shear the larger trees. once im done i go back over if it needs it and cut mulch up more or tree limbs. this just eats brush, its just gone! now i havent ran any other mow deck but for the money i dont think u can beat this. i have app 40hrs behind it, im using the original blades still as well. the blades are double bladed meaning you can cut either direction of rotation, they recommened i cut trees on direction and mowed the other. it does as good as any brushhog mower i have ran also. the extreme duty has the wire guard standard. i have a hi flow maching but i run this on standard flow. below is the guy i talked to when i bought mine. tell him jason cales sent ya!! good luck. oh, i didnt foam fill my tires, i did fill them with slime and havent had any problems since. i have had them in lots of honey locust and other thorns.
CHUCK KENNEDY | SALES MANAGER |BLUE DIAMOND ATTACHMENTS

6325 Central Ave Pike | Knoxville, TN 37912 Ph: 888-376-7027 | Fax 865-246-2007

[RTSmith]

Just be aware of the size. Somewhere up in the thread I saw where someone wished their mower was bigger. I have a CAT 242, which I normally use a 72" bucket on. It is ROC of 2,000#. I have a 72" CID with the open front deck and push bar. It cuts great, but the Cat machine just isn't heavy enough. Any type of ground unevenness and I am doing a nosedive until the deck hits ground. I haven't checking into counterweighting, but need to go there if I'm going to use it much. For general brushcutting and such I wish I had a 60". At least until I can trade for a larger skid....!