Bush Hog or Sickle Mower?

BlackWillowFarm · #1 09/20/10, 09:32 PM

I have a three small pastures about 4 acres each that I need to keep mowed for weed control. It's too late for this year, but I'm planning ahead for next season.

I have a John Deere compact tractor and figure I can run either a 5 foot bush hog or a 5 foot sickle mower. Which would be the better choice to keep my fields mowed?

springvalley · #2 09/20/10, 09:38 PM

Bush hog for sure, can mow alot more stuff with them without plugging them up. >Thanks Marc

oldmanriver · #3 09/20/10, 09:45 PM

Have to agree on the bushhog however a field cut with a sickle bar sure is pretty . unless you want the hay, hog it .

Bearfootfarm · #4 09/20/10, 10:24 PM

Quote:

unless you want the hay, hog it

There's your answer ^^^

rambler · #5 09/20/10, 11:37 PM

Brush hog = get er done.

Sickle mower = slower, making hay.

I vote brush hog.

--->Paul

HoosierHog · #6 09/20/10, 11:40 PM

BUSHHOG

much faster and wont plug up and you can mow down good sized sapplings and bushes

Micheal · #7 09/21/10, 06:23 AM

I'd say - depends - depends on whether or not you have plans on doing something else with the equipment.
I own both and have used both for clearing stuff in fields. But I used the "hog" for clearing unknown or rough type fields and the "mower" for more level and weedy fields.
In turn, I also had the mower because I put in hay......

Windy in Kansas · #8 09/21/10, 07:26 AM

While both mowers will do the job the rotary mower will have a lot less maintenance costs associated with it. Purchase one of quality and have even less. The gearbox would have a high replacement cost if the unit is of poor quality or too high of horsepower tractor is used on too small of a unit.

Old Swampgirl · #9 09/21/10, 07:35 AM

Bush hog. Quicker & easier. Less problems. A 5 ft should work well on a sm. tractor. I use one on a 25 hp Lenar & it does great. The tractor is a P.O.S. however.

Ramblin Wreck · #10 09/21/10, 07:41 AM

Bush hog, and unless you are very wet, why not go ahead and mow it this Fall?

Darren · #11 09/21/10, 07:44 AM

I agree in general with using a brush hog with one exception. A double action sickle bar will not plug like the older single action sickle bars. In a single action only the knives move. In a double action both the guards and knives move. The only thing that limits my speed with a double action sickle bar is the uneveness of the ground.

A sickle bar is also faster in taller growth.

BlackWillowFarm · #12 09/21/10, 08:10 AM

Lots of good advice and info. We have about 12 acres of old hayfield that has gone to weeds. It's flat in some parts and gently rolling on others. There aren't any trees or saplings since it's been hayed for years and years before we bought it. I've been using it for pasture but wrecked it with the horses before I really understood what I was doing. Now I have dairy cows and feeder steers. The horses are gone. I'm hoping to keep it mowed so the grass and alfalfa can make a come back.

Since I can only make a 5 foot path, I'm interested in speed. It takes me several hours per field to mow - so fast is good. DH thinks the sickle mower would be easier on the tractor, a John Deere 4100 compact. We also have a Ford 8N to use, but I prefer the JD.

I'm still undecided about the sickle mower or the hog. Leaning towards the hog, but also thinking if I had the sickle and wanted to cut hay someday, well.....

Txrider · #13 09/21/10, 08:24 AM

So get a hog now, and keep your eyes out for a little sickle mower later and pick one up used for a good price on craigslist, check you local auctioneers, many have monthly equipment auctions, put word out your looking for one to friends...

I'm in about the same situation. The place I bought has been good pasture for 50 years, but it has been left vacant and abandoned the last 6 years since the last owner died and has a good amount of weeds in it now and is about waist high now.

I have a 6-7ft sickle mower for my old farmall, was on it when an old guy gave me the tractor years back. But I was planning on picking up a brushhog next week and mowing it...

I have about an acre and a half with some pine saplings coming up, some of them too big for a brushhog, I want most of them out but may leave 3-4 pretty spaced out just for some shade in the back of the pasture and I don't know what all I might find while mowing it first time.

Speed isn't my main concern for mowing though, mowing takes time.. Getting in a hurry on a tractor is not good for the tractor or operator.

Anyway I plan to have both sickle and hog, but I'll be buying a hog to mow for now, I'll use my sickle if I want to hay it later.

Windy in Kansas · #14 09/21/10, 10:12 AM

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-trac...eere-4100.html

That shows a 4100 as having 16 hp power at the P.T.O. Now sure just how large of any style mower your tractor can handle.

Since you want to go for speed you might check into a flail mower. More money and more to go wrong, but that is just a guess as I've not been around them. Someone else can probably provide more and advise better.

Granny Sue · #15 09/21/10, 10:32 AM

The mower will help your field return to hay if that is your desired end result. The brush hog will keep it mowed and it can end up as grass although not hay quality.

Txrider · #16 09/21/10, 11:55 AM

Heh, this thread has me thinking now that maybe I should just save my cash and use the sickle mower to keep the place mowed....

fantasymaker · #17 09/21/10, 01:40 PM

Either use what ya got!
Actually in grass a bush hog will make pretty good hay.
A disc type sicle mower will do a great job on saplings up to about 3 inches.

HoosierHog · #18 09/21/10, 04:50 PM

your 8n will run a 5 foot bush hog very well and you can pick one up on craigslist for about the same price as a good sicle mower. but if you use the 8n make sure you get a slip clutch/over runing clutch for the pto shaft so the momentom of the mower blades wont be as apt to push the tractor when your trying to stop. this is only a problem if the tractor doesnt have a live pto. If you use the john deere i would think you might be pushing it with even a 4ft bush hog. around this part of the country the rule is 5hp per foot and at 16pto hp i dont know if it will handle it. the other option if you want to use the john deere is to get a finish mower i would think it would handle at least a 5ft if not a 6ft and since its mostly grass if you keep it mowed or just raise the mower up i dont see why it wouldnt work and it would be just as fast as a bush hog and you could use it around your house and yard and such.

Bearfootfarm · #19 09/21/10, 05:02 PM

Quote:

make sure you get a slip clutch / over runing clutch for the pto shaft so the momentom of the mower blades wont be as apt to push the tractor when your trying to stop

Those are two different things

A Slip Clutch fits in the driveline of the implement, usually just ahead of the input shaft, and SLIPS if it hits something solid, to keep it from breaking the equipment.

An Over Running Clutch fits on the PTO of the tractor, and keeps the momentum of the implement from pushing the tractor whenever the blades are turning

You don't need an Over Running Clutch if you have a "live" PTO

If your implement doesn't have a Slip Clutch, it will most likely use a Shear Bolt to accomplish the same thing.

The downside is you have to stop and shut everything off to replace a broken Shear Bolt, whereas with a Slip Clutch, you just keep going

HoosierHog · #20 09/21/10, 05:07 PM

hence the reffrence to the 8n they don't have a live pto

i couldn't remember if it was slip clutch or the over running clutch i have a horrible memory.
so maybe it is better to use the John Deere just for that reason.