I would like to know what you people think of Wallace Brush Cutters, sold by Tractor Supply?
Most of Post for Howser have not been very good!!
I looked at a KingKutter at a sale, the owner had bent a blade and it went threw the top.
I do not want to spend the big money for JD or Brush Hog.
Thank You Tom.

I am very happy with the use of the "Southern"
brand rotary cutter. I bought a 6' medium duty for 1100 bucks. I use it behind the 450 farmall. I break shear bolts now and then. That's what is supposed to happen if you hit something tough.
The shear bolts on that is 1/2 inch bolts. The gearbox is rated for 65 horses.
good luck
sod

I disagree with Redstick on the shear bolt. Get a mower that has a slip clutch. Those mowers are usually a little better quality and the shear bolt is a pain! I've got a 6 foot cutter with a shear bolt and if you use the recommended grade two bolt, you can only do very light cutting. I've had to go to grade 5 bolts or you spend all your time changing the bolt. It will even shear in high grass without hitting an obstruction if you use a grade two bolt. I've considered spending the money to add the slip clutch to mine.

Hello Haas.
I won't argue the valid point you made about the slip clutches vs shear bolts. I've just completed mowing 35 acres with a Woods 6' XT172 rotary cutter. The grass was so high in some spots that my H started to bog down so I finished with the 730 diesel. I didn't bust a single grade 2 shear bolt using a 60 hp tractor driving a 40 hp pto gearbox. This guy is looking for a nice, affordable, apparently light duty rotary cutter. I recommended a Woods cutter and relayed my experience. My neigbor was using a rotary cutter with a slip clutch (I can't recall the brand name) and he was too lazy to get off the tractor to investigate why his clutch was slipping. Turns out he had inadvertently sucked up some wire into the mower and it was binding up. The slip clutch overheated, melted the plastic clutch shield and ignited the brush clippings and residue on top of the mower deck. Cost him a gob of money to get the mower fixed, and nearly burned up his field. May not have happened with a shear bolt.

I know that sometimes the shear bolt can be a pain but if I have to do that much heavy cutting, I'll use a mower that is big enough to do the job. The bigger mowers with heavier gearboxes use harder shear bolts and can subsequently withstand greater shocks when cutting heavier material.

I don't have anything against slip clutches, but it's going to cost that much more for the mower. I certainly don't recommend using shear bolts with greater hardness grades than what's recommended by the manufacturer to avoid damaging the costly-to-replace gearbox or my tractors. In the end, you'll get what you pay for. It all depends on what you're going to cut with it and how you cut with it.

Thanks for your input on your experience with mowers Haas. This guy will hopefully read these posts and come to an informed decision on what he needs for whatever mowing jobs he wants to do.

Yes, if you ignored the slip clutch, it would certainly overheat. Wonder what size shear bolt your cutter uses. Mine uses a 1/2 inch bolt. I have a 50 HP tractor and can't even go one round with it in heavy grass if I use the grade two bolt.

Haas, I use a 1/2" grade 2 shearbolt in mine as well, and I don't have much trouble until I get into stuff over 1" thick, trying to take a full cut.

i wonder if it makes a diff on how tight the nut is on the shear bolt. i always crank mine TIGHT. On the southern brand i don't break it till i get into the 3 inch poplar/aspens
good luck
sod

don't think the tightness of the bolt would make a difference. However, the shaft diameter would. The larger the shaft size, the less shear stress would be on the bolt.

It kinda depends on how often and what kind of terrain you'll be mowing. Woods probably makes the best models of "cheap" mowers, but they sure aren't free. If the ground you're mowing is relatively flat and you'll only be mowing a few times every summer, one of the Tractor Supply models will last many years.

Tom,
I've had the best use of rotary mowers from "Woods". You can pull a 6' rotary mower behind your M and it won't even know it's there. My personal opinion is that you should get a mower equipped with a shear bolt (using grade 2 bolts) instead of a slip clutch. The slip clutches are OK, but will eventually need adjusting and parts. A grade 2 shear bolt costs about .75 cents.

I have looked at the King Kutter mowers. They are a light duty mower and they have a poor set up of angle iron used as a "stump jumper". You'll get what you pay for. I know nothing of the "Wallace Brush Cutter" brand. Try to go with a good brand of rotary mower if you're going to be using it often. If you are cutting light grass on a clean field with no hidden obstructions (rocks) or woody growth, you may get by with a lower quality and cheaper mower. Personally, if you're going to use a rotary mower, get the best you can afford for your needs. It'll save you in the long run. Whatever mower you decide to get, make sure you get a "stump-jumper" with it, and guards for the rear of the deck. Just my opinion.