Nit-Pick these 2 rotary cutters for me.

Ok I am in desperate need of a 6ft bush hog. Yes, here we call all rotary cutters a bush hog no matter the brand. Close by (1 hour drive) I can purchase either bush hog for relatively the same price $1,500. I normally cut the 10 acres at the house twice a year which consist of weeds a couple of feet high. Once a year I cut another property I own once a year which includes some saplings and taller weeds with lots of mature trees. I turn the cutter with a Kubota MX5200 hydrostatic with the front end loader removed. Which one of these is most desirable for my use?

Tennessee River Implements
I think I like the open back to discharge the cuttings and the 90 HP gearbox. I also like the beefy 3 point connection as I have twice backed my Howse cutter up near a tree and it has caught on roots and bent the poo out of the three point attachment.

Taylor Way
Looks like it is nicer and made with a higher standard in mind. Heavier metal, but only a 60HP gearbox. Round back which I do not know if this is a plus or not. The three point connection looks like it could be tweaked with a little abuse.

I’d want to look at the bottom, how big the stump jumper is, and the attachment for the blades. As far as I can see, the second one would fit me better, I’ve seen a lot of decks rusted out, few gearboxes bad.

Both look decent for the price. The only shortcoming on the taylor way is the gear box HP rating, it has a deck that sheds water or looks it, front guard which the Tennessee River Implements does not have.
The 3 pt mast, is heavier on the T.R.I. model, but the taylor way design is typical and honestly, you want something there to bend and not something on your tractor. I find the lift pin on the mast of the taylor way is/was a common design and on my old Rhino SE-6, the lift pins bend first. These really are not built to push on things, but I do find that if the deck was designed like that, in conditions around here you could lay down lots of shrubs, small trees and such, then raise up to just shred the smaller branches and hover over the trunk. I've done that quite a bit and at some point the deck side will bend in and rub on the blade.
Each has their own merit, for that price, I'd be happy with either, just that T.R.I. model would need to be kept under a roof, the water would rust it out over time, more so if you do not clean off the deck after each use.

Your tractor being 54 HP, close on the gear box rating on the T.W. model, but I would have to wonder if you would ever have any problem with it, given you are under by plenty.

6ft machine?

Well Pburchett. I have been Taylor Ways largest Tennessee dealer for years and the other cutter is made right here 60 miles from the shop. The Taylor Way is a good cutter. That is their mid weight cutter. For years they were made in Athens Tennessee but not King Kutter bought them and moved the plant. Probably the weakness of either or what will get tore up first is the hitch there where the black meets the red. I do not think the gear box will be an issue with the MX pulling it. You will not over power it. My take is probably which ever dealer you feel comfortable with might make the difference.

I like the first one with 90 hp gear box. If water is a big issue drill a couple of holes for drainage.

The MX5200 HST is rated for 44 PTO HP

We bought a new 6 foot Bush Hog brand about 5 years ago and we are very disapointed with it, I just got done doing
a lot of welding on it yesterday. Our land has a lot of rocks and stumps, but the previous King Kutter was a
better machine for the money, I wish we would of bought another one. What ever you buy make sure the stump
jumper/blade mount is round, not oval. And I believe it would be better to have all the frame on top, not half
underneath like ours. Our blades must of flexed enough to cut into the under frame and then it broke.

IF you keep it inside I would go with the TRI cutter. The 11 gauge will rust out fast if stored outside. The Taylor Way has a much lighter hitch. I have a light cutter with that style and I am always fixing it.

The 10ga is 0.4mm thicker metal than the 11ga.

What is the advantage of the round back cutter? Looks like it would allow for recirculation of materials for a finer cut. Does it allow for a even distribution of material. I know my old cutter throws the cut grass out the back to the right side of the cutter which does not bother me a bit.

I'm not crazy about either prefer the top one, given available information.

As previously mentioned, look for a round, not oval stump jumper and inspect the tail wheel bearing/bushing. A roller bearing will last the life of the cutter while a bushing will be a constant source of maintenance.

FWIW, the top cutter is quick hitch compatible while the bottom cutter is not.

Dean

Should have mentioned that the top cutter has no front shielding as pictured.

I much prefer belt shielding on the front as it is much more effective in keeping debris from the operator and back of the tractor.

Dean

Not really what you asked for but we have abused a 6 foot Taylor Way for about 20 years on an IH 484 and it has never failed us mowing overgrown and neglected properties. I mean we have abused that thing badly. By comparison we have a 5 foot Deere that looks like a disaster having done the same work on a smaller tractor. The taylor just looks like its sat in the weather for 20 years. Easily the best Bush hog Dad or I have ever had.

cant tell from the pictures but would swear they both have the same gear box. Neither look to be more than a 40 hp box if you compare the box sizes. The bottom cutter appears to be slightly better made. However with the light duty boxes, no slip clutches both will wear about the same. EIther will rust out pending of if you keep the deck washed off and painted or leave if covered with dirt and mud...

So other than the bottom one looking a bit better, and both lasting about the same in normal use, what are the prices??

boxes over 40hp generally have the bigger input shaft, larger bolt circle and use a slip clutch over a shear bolt. Output shafts generally have more splines on them also iirc... again both boxes dont look a bit over 40 hp to me.

Neither of them are a Bush Hog?.

Love to have one of those, but most people just don?t mow enough to justify $3-4,000 for a mower!

Either machine will last for years, I highly recommend getting one with a slip clutch changing shear bolts gets old in a hurry.

Called the dealer today to verify they still had the Taylor Way cutter. The price was $1850 as apparently the guy I talked to the other day was guestimating.

Good news was this dealer could get a 6 ft medium duty Tennessee River Cutter (90HP, Slip Clutch) for $1250. Only thing they said they didn’t like about that brand was the stump jumper. Apparently it is a round blade carrier/stump jumper in one.

Can anyone give reasons not to buy the Tennessee River Cutter for the cheaper price ($600 difference)?

I did find a photo of the underside of a TRI cutter for inspection.

I finally got my Tennessee River Implement rotary cutter/bush hog (6ft, 90 hp gear box, slip clutch) and got to use it a couple of times in grass.
Here is my thought after using it: Took over 3 months to get it as there was a problem with the China steel embargo so the blades took forever to get. Everything on it looks to be made in china. Blade tip speed is fairly fast. Will cut close to the ground. C-channel sides are just metal bent into c-channel, I had imagined true 6” c-channel. Didn’t have one in stock close for me to view. Paint has runs and easily flakes off. The blades do go round and they cut. Price was $1250 so all in all it was a fair deal.