Which Bush Hog to get?

nh8260

Member
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly. I have a Deere 609 now and that thing is a beast!!!! All of the ones below have their pros and cons, the bush hog is new, the deere is cheaper and a few years old, and the Ironcraft is bigger but not as heavy duty. What do you guys think?

A new 7' Bush Hog brand BH317-2. I can get it with the dual tail wheels and front & rear chains for about $7K

A used 7' John Deere HX7. Single tail wheel and a few years old. Around $5k

A new 8' Ironcraft multi gearbox and dual tail wheel, cutting diameter is only 2 inches though. They run about $5,500
 
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly. I have a Deere 609 now and that thing is a beast!!!! All of the ones below have their pros and cons, the bush hog is new, the deere is cheaper and a few years old, and the Ironcraft is bigger but not as heavy duty. What do you guys think?

A new 7' Bush Hog brand BH317-2. I can get it with the dual tail wheels and front & rear chains for about $7K

A used 7' John Deere HX7. Single tail wheel and a few years old. Around $5k

A new 8' Ironcraft multi gearbox and dual tail wheel, cutting diameter is only 2 inches though. They run about $5,500
What kind of shape is the JD in? Does it have the chains? I've never heard of Ironcraft.
 
I'm not sure how much money you have to spend, and you probably don't want people chiming in with other options. But if you're consistently cutting 3" and 4" stuff, you're likely going to beat the heck out of any standard bush hog/rotary mower. Have you checked out the Brown tree cutters (I think Baumalight makes similar ones too)? They're like very, very heavy duty bush hogs with 4 blades and built like a tank. They're built to handle up to 8" material. If you buy one of them, it'll be the last rotary mower you ever have to buy.

If you're limited to the ones you mentioned, I'd probably go with the Deere because the Deere rotary mowers I've been around have all been built very heavy. Do you have the power to run a 7'? Power requirements go up exponentially with diameter, especially when you get into heavier brush.
 
Between the 3, if the hx7 is built anything like the 609 (I have one) I think I'd get the Deere. You know what it's capable of and how heavily built. You can always add tail wheels and a skirt.
 
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly. I have a Deere 609 now and that thing is a beast!!!! All of the ones below have their pros and cons, the bush hog is new, the deere is cheaper and a few years old, and the Ironcraft is bigger but not as heavy duty. What do you guys think?

A new 7' Bush Hog brand BH317-2. I can get it with the dual tail wheels and front & rear chains for about $7K

A used 7' John Deere HX7. Single tail wheel and a few years old. Around $5k

A new 8' Ironcraft multi gearbox and dual tail wheel, cutting diameter is only 2 inches though. They run about $5,500
If cutting 3-4" trees regularly I'd get a David Brown tree cutter. And if that's routine you need to go past heavy duty units to severe duty or get a 3pt mounted mulcher, not stump grinder, mulcher land clearing tool. Common to skid steer.
 
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly. I have a Deere 609 now and that thing is a beast!!!! All of the ones below have their pros and cons, the bush hog is new, the deere is cheaper and a few years old, and the Ironcraft is bigger but not as heavy duty. What do you guys think?

A new 7' Bush Hog brand BH317-2. I can get it with the dual tail wheels and front & rear chains for about $7K

A used 7' John Deere HX7. Single tail wheel and a few years old. Around $5k

A new 8' Ironcraft multi gearbox and dual tail wheel, cutting diameter is only 2 inches though. They run about $5,500
Unless you are speaking of Sumac or Buckeye, 4" is a lot to ask of most tractors, let alone rotary cutters.

I consider Bush Hog and Woods top shelf cutters and Titan/Ironcraft a shelf or so below.

Woods, Bush Hog and some others make three lines of cutters, light duty/lower cost, medium duty (most consider these to be heavy duty, and heavy duty, which are very heavy duty and designed for commercial use.

If I planned to cut 4" trees (or 2" Hedge) routinely, I would use a top-of-the-line Woods or Bush Hog. I would also keep my slip clutch properly adjusted and serviced to protect my tractor.
 
I'm not sure how much money you have to spend, and you probably don't want people chiming in with other options. But if you're consistently cutting 3" and 4" stuff, you're likely going to beat the heck out of any standard bush hog/rotary mower. Have you checked out the Brown tree cutters (I think Baumalight makes similar ones too)? They're like very, very heavy duty bush hogs with 4 blades and built like a tank. They're built to handle up to 8" material. If you buy one of them, it'll be the last rotary mower you ever have to buy.

If you're limited to the ones you mentioned, I'd probably go with the Deere because the Deere rotary mowers I've been around have all been built very heavy. Do you have the power to run a 7'? Power requirements go up exponentially with diameter, especially when you get into heavier brush.
I've had a 6.5' Brown Tree Cutter for over 20 yrs. and they are a beast. If you can't drive over it, the back is open so you can back it down. 165 hp. Borg-Warner gearbox.....
 
Agree with others that 4” is a lot to regularly ask of any brush cutter. Additionally, the remaining 4” (or even 2-3”) stumps can be future tire killers.

That being said, if you like your JD 609, I’d look for a good condition JD 709. Great mower. We have a JD 717 (which is a light weight 709). Really like it for mowing around trees and smaller pastures.
 
As others have said, buy the heaviest duty one you can find/afford. You will be hitting large tree branches, rocks and other obstacles that will tear up a light duty bush hog.
 
If you're doing 3-4" trees regularly, either you're clearing your land, or cutting commercially, because other wise they shouldn't re-grow to that size if regularly maintained. If the first, get or hire something meant for that purpose and if commercially it be more economical to get the right machine for the job that's meant for land clearing. We have a true heavy duty 14' Bush Hog, I believe 1", maybe 3/4" thick blades, 100hp up recommended and doing 3" saplings (primarily buckthorn) is tough on it and the tractor, even though it has a well adjusted slip clutch in the driveline.
 
What kind of shape is the JD in? Does it have the chains? I've never heard of Ironcraft.
JD is in good shape, i've found several. It does have chains front and back. Yeah Ironcraft used to be Titan, I have several rental fields and get new ones every few years and I usually have to mow around them and along the creek banks. I use the 609 several times a month, esp in the spring and summer, I try not to hit 4" diameter stuff all the time, the 609 handles 3" stuff very well. Thanks for all the info and replies.
 
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly.


How do you "regularly" drive over 4" trees without destroying the tractor, much less the mower??
 
How do you "regularly" drive over 4" trees without destroying the tractor, much less the mower??
I back up to them and with a hydraulic top link I can stand the mower up, cut the limbs it can reach and then very slowly i lower the lift down and it cuts the tree or brush down to ground level.
 
I am planning on purchasing another Bush Hog and honestly don't know which one to get between the ones listed below. I need a 7 or 8 foot and heavy duty, i cut 3-4" diameter trees and bushes regularly. I have a Deere 609 now and that thing is a beast!!!! All of the ones below have their pros and cons, the bush hog is new, the deere is cheaper and a few years old, and the Ironcraft is bigger but not as heavy duty. What do you guys think?

A new 7' Bush Hog brand BH317-2. I can get it with the dual tail wheels and front & rear chains for about $7K

A used 7' John Deere HX7. Single tail wheel and a few years old. Around $5k

A new 8' Ironcraft multi gearbox and dual tail wheel, cutting diameter is only 2 inches though. They run about $5,500
I like my Woods. One reason, it's easy to remove the blades for sharping less than 5 minutes to remove the blades from the top. Just a little more to reinstall. It is necessary to install the blade retaining pin from underneath, then install the retaining 1/2 inch tab lock bolt from the top. Woods is my choice. Stan
 
I like my Woods. One reason, it's easy to remove the blades for sharping less than 5 minutes to remove the blades from the top. Just a little more to reinstall. It is necessary to install the blade retaining pin from underneath, then install the retaining 1/2 inch tab lock bolt from the top. Woods is my choice. Stan
Bingo.

I've had 6', 7', 10.5', and 15' Woods cutters and found all to be well made and durable.

Yes, the blade change system is the cat's meow, especially if one gives the zerks a couple of shots once or twice per year.
 

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