Folding rotary cutters, flex wings and bat wings.

[mcmxi]

This is a piece of equipment I could make use of on my hilly, uneven property, but they're not cheap. Land Pride appears to make a dizzying selection of models and perhaps there are much better options or at least better value options out there.

So who owns or runs a folding rotary cutter, flex wing or bat wing? Are there other names for these beasts? Which make, model do you have? What do you like, what do you dislike, would you buy the same model again? The usual questions.

Thanks.

 

[Like Tractors]

This is a piece of equipment I could make use of on my hilly, uneven property, but they're not cheap. Land Pride appears to make a dizzying selection of models and perhaps there are much better options or at least better value options out there.

So who owns or runs a folding rotary cutter, flex wing or bat wing? Are there other names for these beasts? Which make, model do you have? What do you like, what do you dislike, would you buy the same model again? The usual questions.

Thanks.

I decided on a Land Pride RC3712 I believe I have had it since 2019. It works well in corn stalks, cutting waterways, tall grass, fence lines, even mowing off the garden. It is built pretty heavy.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

I don’t have one myself (yet), so I am probably not very helpful to your questions…but I check in on this site regular…they have some helpful articles/hints that are applicable regardless of machine size. Maybe you are already familiar with that site? They are generally geared towards bigger ag….Personally I’d be looking at ease of maintenance and parts. At that purchase price…Id maybe either want to offer a neighbor farmer a free driver for a day, or demo one, or rent one (I am not sure if that is really an option to demo or rent though).

Buyers' Guide: Flex-Wing Rotary Cutters

A flex-wing rotary cutter, often called a Batwing mower or a Bush Hog, cleans up weeds, tall grass, and brush with ease.

www.agriculture.com

 

[Foxrunfarms]

You got the names pretty down pat. I was a county worker for 5 years (yes the stereotype stories you hear are accurate) they switched from using the flail choppers on arms to batwings for the hills and ditches I believe theirs was a woods brand. I borrowed a neighbors a few times to cut my marsh, sun flowers and corn stalks before I got my own stuff. Much faster than a brush hog.

 

[SDT]

This is a piece of equipment I could make use of on my hilly, uneven property, but they're not cheap. Land Pride appears to make a dizzying selection of models and perhaps there are much better options or at least better value options out there.

So who owns or runs a folding rotary cutter, flex wing or bat wing? Are there other names for these beasts? Which make, model do you have? What do you like, what do you dislike, would you buy the same model again? The usual questions.

Thanks.

I used a Woods BW15.50, 15' bat wing cutter with my M9960 for several years before selling the BW in December and the tractor last week in preparation for relocation.

After working with it for a couple of seasons to achieve proper set-up (do not expect proper set-up as delivered), my BW 15.50 cut MUCH better than any mounted mower that I have ever owned, and I have owned many. A BW follows the ground better and distributes clippings better.

Being trailers, bat wing mowers are most effective in wide open parcels with few obstacles. They are cumbersome on irregular parcels and parcels with many obstacles.

I used my L6060 with Woods BB720X HD mounted 6' cutter as my "first round" tractor, making a couple of rounds to open up irregular parcels before finishing off with the M9960 and BW 15.50. Usually, I spent more time with the 6060 than with the 9960.

Check the folded width of any BW that you are considering if you have gates and/or doorways through which it must pass. Also verify that there is sufficient spacing between the tractor PTO shaft and swinging drawbar for the so-called "self-leveling" hitches used on many BWs.

Be advised that you should have one float valve for the wing cylinders unless you buy one of the newer Bush Hog models with float built into the wing lift mechanisms.

Prices of implements have skyrocketed recently, even more so than tractors. I bought my BW 15.50 with 8 aircraft tires and a light kit in May of 2019 for $14.9K. I sold it in December for $18.5K, but a new identical one is close to $30K.

In my opinion, Woods and Bush Hog are still the industry leaders. I consider Land Pride Tier 2+/Tier 1-. There are a plethors of others following.

 

[Flintknapper]

I've been using this BushHog 15' Batwing for almost 20 yrs. now.

It has held up well. Mostly open pasture and the native grasses/weeds but I've cut stands of Giant Ragweed that were 12' feet high.

 

[mcmxi]

Prices of implements have skyrocketed recently, even more so than tractors. I bought my BW 15.50 with 8 aircraft tires and a light kit in May of 2019 for $14.9K. I sold it in December for $18.5K, but a new identical one is close to $30K.

For sure! I was looking at Land Pride, Woods, Bush Hog and Rhino Ag last night and then checked out Good Works Tractor Co. to see if Courtney is still a dealer for Rhino Ag. The TS10 is over $24,000 when set up with the features I'd want! I'm going to keep my eyes open for something on the used market.

 

[hedgerow]

I have had some form of flex wing mowers for forty five years. Started with a old Alamo that I pickup on a state sale. Now days the state hires out all the road mowing. They are leasing JD tractors and JD flex wing mowers. Had a couple used Bush Hog brand. They were pretty beat up when I got them. I fixed them up and used them. Then in 2005 I suffered from heart failure. A big change happen in our farming operation. Sold our cattle put a bunch of ground in CRP for ten years. Our mowing when from hundred to two hundred hours a year to several hundred. Bought a new Bush- Whacker brand flex wing mower. No dealers in my area so I went down south to pickup. That mower is tough as nails. Bought it new in 2006 and have mowed thousand's of hours with it. The only parts I have put in it has been blades and a couple hyd hoses. I keep it greased. No u joints or gear boxes yet. It uses corn picker grease in the gear boxes. Take a look at Schulte flex wing mowers they build some heavy models also. I thing the last one a buddy of mine bought was fifty or sixty grand for a twenty foot model. He pulls it with FWA 300 HP JD tractor.

 

[SDT]

For sure! I was looking at Land Pride, Woods, Bush Hog and Rhino Ag last night and then checked out Good Works Tractor Co. to see if Courtney is still a dealer for Rhino Ag. The TS10 is over $24,000 when set up with the features I'd want! I'm going to keep my eyes open for something on the used market.

View attachment 122958

Land Pride makes both light and HD 12' BW mowers, unlike other manufacturers who offer only light duty 12' BWs. The HD version (3512?) is available with galvanized steel but very expensive.

The HD version is also available with an optional, built-in over-running clutch. It is the only BW that I know of that has an optional over-running clutch. The OR clutch is effective for saving PTO brakes for those operators who turn the PTO off without returning the engine to idle before doing so.

I wanted the HD 12' LP cutter but found it to be about $3K more (in 2019) than the Woods BW15.50, 15' cutter that I bought, even without galvanized metal.

 

[psdstu]

Land Pride makes both light and HD 12' BW mowers, unlike other manufacturers who offer only light duty 12' BWs. The HD version (3512?) is available with galvanized steel but very expensive.

The HD version is also available with an optional, built-in over-running clutch. It is the only BW that I know of that has an optional over-running clutch. The OR clutch is effective for saving PTO brakes for those operators who turn the PTO off without returning the engine to idle before doing so.

I wanted the HD 12' LP cutter but found it to be about $3K more (in 2019) than the Woods BW15.50, 15' cutter that I bought, even without galvanized metal.

The model you are referring to is the LP3712 which I bought in 2019 and I ordered it with the OR clutch, the LP Performance hitch, and 6 tires. I paid around $12K for it then and probably could not afford the same model now. Its a great Batwing!

 

[Russell King]

With two tractors it may be cheaper to hire someone to drive the second tractor with a single shredder on both tractors

Or get really creative and make some remote control for your second tractor that will follow alongside your first tractor!

 

[mcmxi]

So the local dealership got back to me today with prices on the following Land Pride folding rotary cutters. @psdstu, your investment of a mere $12k back in 2019 is looking really, really good.

Looking at Rhino Ag's TS12 model it appears to be comparable to the RC2512. The dealer has an RC2515 at his farm which he speaks highly of and he suggested that the RC3712 is overbuilt for what I'd need. I'm not about to pull the trigger on one of these, but if I did, I'd rather have too much cutter than too little. Given the difference in price, the RC3712 looks to be the better value.

RC2512 - $18,290
12’ rotary cutter – 540 rpm
Front & rear chain guards
4 aircraft tires
Approx weigtht 2575#

RC3712 - $22,980
12’ HD rotary cutter – 540 rpm
4 25.5” aircraft tires
Front & rear chain guards
Fixed clevis hitch
Approx weight 4194#

 

[psdstu]

So the local dealership got back to me today with prices on the following Land Pride folding rotary cutters. @psdstu, your investment of a mere $12k back in 2019 is looking really, really good.

Looking at Rhino Ag's TS12 model it appears to be comparable to the RC2512. The dealer has an RC2515 at his farm which he speaks highly of and he suggested that the RC3712 is overbuilt for what I'd need. I'm not about to pull the trigger on one of these, but if I did, I'd rather have too much cutter than too little. Given the difference in price, the RC3712 looks to be the better value.

RC2512 - $18,290
12’ rotary cutter – 540 rpm
Front & rear chain guards
4 aircraft tires
Approx weigtht 2575#

RC3712 - $22,980
12’ HD rotary cutter – 540 rpm
4 25.5” aircraft tires
Front & rear chain guards
Fixed clevis hitch
Approx weight 4194#

I would suggest you add the ORC, Constant Velocity Driveline which allows turns up to 80 deg, much tighter than standard U joint, and swap the Fixed clevis Hitch to the LP performance hitch pivots both up/down and swivels about the drawbar. Also, unless you are going to do a lot of highway travel with the cutter I would change the aircraft tires to the laminate tires to save money. RC3712 is the way to go!

 

[mcmxi]

I would suggest you add the ORC, Constant Velocity Driveline which allows turns up to 80 deg, much tighter than standard U joint, and swap the Fixed clevis Hitch to the LP performance hitch pivots both up/down and swivels about the drawbar. Also, unless you are going to do a lot of highway travel with the cutter I would change the aircraft tires to the laminate tires to save money. RC3712 is the way to go!

Thanks for the advice. If I decide to go this route and buy a folding cutter I'll make sure that I add on or swap out the features you suggested.

I'm already scheming and thinking that I could sell the RCR1884 to cover some of the cost of a folding cutter. It would make cutting my place and my friends place go a lot faster and probably do a better job too. I have a Del Morino flail but it's only a little over 5ft in cutting width, but it's way more versatile than the RCR1884 so I wouldn't kick myself later for selling it.

I hope that the LP folding cutters are so back-ordered that it'll be 2025 before my dealer can get one, that way I won't be tempted to spend money that I don't have. If one is available this spring I might have to put an add back on Craigslist advertising a pasture cutting service.

 

[mcmxi]

@psdstu, if you get a chance, could you measure the distance from the axle of the transport wheels (inner two) to the pivot that connects to the drawbar? I'd like to know how long my M6060 and that RC3712 would be and whether or not the only way to move it around is towing it on the highway as opposed to putting it on a trailer.

 

[psdstu]

@psdstu, if you get a chance, could you measure the distance from the axle of the transport wheels (inner two) to the pivot that connects to the drawbar? I'd like to know how long my M6060 and that RC3712 would be and whether or not the only way to move it around is towing it on the highway as opposed to putting it on a trailer.

Your looking at around 15 feet.

 

[SDT]

Your looking at around 15 feet.

It can be trailered.

My BW 15.50 Woods was delivered about 75 miles via 1 ton truck with trailer.

I simply backed onto the trailer to hitch up in order to unload.

 

[mcmxi]

Your looking at around 15 feet.

I downloaded the spec sheets yesterday for the RC2512 and RC3712 but the schematics don't show the dimension I requested. I'm curious as to whether I could fit the M6060 and a folding cutter on my 22ft deckover trailer. The RC2512 shows 13-1/2 ft from the back of the rear wheel to the front of the hitch. If I knew the offset of the wheel axles and the tire size I could figure out where those two center transport wheels might get onto the trailer with the tractor all the way forward.

The RC3712 appears to have less offset between the wheel axles and is longer overall so it seems doubtful that I could pull it onto the trailer. I'm just looking at all angles in case I decided to buy one of these models.

I'll need to do some research and see if the transport wheels have any fore/aft adjustment.

 

[mcmxi]

It can be trailered.

My BW 15.50 Woods was delivered about 75 miles via 1 ton truck with trailer.

I simply backed onto the trailer to hitch up in order to unload.

I assumed it could, but I'm not sure if a 22ft trailer is long enough to accommodate. The MX is a smaller tractor and could pull one of these cutters around and that combination might work, but I'd much rather use the M6060.

 

[mcmxi]

I see a couple of used folding cutters for sale but nowhere near me!