What do you like in a rotary cutter?

[Pupdaddy]

I'm in the market for a flex wing rotary mower, 15'...probably 540 rpm PTO, hopefully heavy enough to chop a few stalks..clip wheat stubble, and mow some old pastures and lanes. Want to know if the gearboxes on the 540 rpm models are heavy enough to put 120 horsepower on them. I only want the 540 drive..because the old pastures have to be mowed with a utility tractor because of the gullies and hillsides in them. I buried my grandfather because he decided to try to mow them with an old tricycle 560 and a sickle bar mower, and rolled it down a hillside. I have 2 tractors that would clip wheat stubble or cornstalks..and they both are bigger..but I believe I can get a kit to put an "economy mode" option on the one tractor..so the engine only has to run about 1600 RPM. That would be the cat's meow for clipping stubble...

..What do you guys suggest?

[Buc10]

Any discbine will do the job you want. I think they will are be 1000 RPM though.

[Texastornado]

Your best bet is either a Woods, Rhino or Bush Hog 15' cutter.  I would check with the nearest dealer to see which one they stock and actively support.  Either of these units should be in warranty up to 125 HP and should do a good job for you. 

A 540 RPM unit will work just fine for mowing operations.  However, if you reduce the engine speed from the indicated 540 engine speed setting, which is usually around 1,750 engine RPMs, you will reduce the speed on the cutting blade and that will give you a more ragged cut.  Since speed and torque have an inverse relationship, the higher the tractor RPM, the lower the torque.  The 1000 RPM units were designed to reduce the torque in the tractor transmission, so the cutter gear boxes were designed to absorb the torque transmitted from the tractor, regardless of PTO speeds.  Many of these units have as much as a five year warranty on the gear boxes.   

[lewisroop]

We just purchased an HX15. So far so good. Very easy to maintain and operate.  We have a 540 rpm machine but wish we would have gotten the 1000. Big hp and 540 don't mix well ( lots of torque). Like someone else stated most machines have a 3-5 year limited gearbox warranty. Most of the better machines have the domed or smooth deck for easy cleanoff such as Deere, Bushog, and Landpride.We just traded a 15' Landpride on the Deere. The Deere is in my opinion the better of the all the machines listed (not much price difference if you compare like models. Based on dealer experience the Bushog is not what it used to be. Since they were bought out the quality has suffered. I would not get anything but the laminated tires. Those aircraft tires are great on the road but not in the thorns and briars.

I would not suggest using a discbine or equivalent machine for mowing pastures, farm roads, and road ditches. Those machines are for cutting/conditioning hay, not brush and rough terrain friendly. You are talking a knife 1' wide vs.. a 4-6"wide blade. JMO

[nwobcw]

    I have an older Deere, 14'.  I like it over the Woods as it doesn't windrow so bad.  The others I know nothing about.