Bat wing bush hog with 966

[GBell966]

In the market for a new 15 ft bushhog hog as mine is long in the tooth. Currently running an 1000 PTO and was going to replace it with another, however i cant find a single dealer anywhere close to me in columbia TN (bush hog, woods, john deere) that stocks 1000 prm, only 540. Wood a 540 pto be a bad move with the 966?

[snoshoe]

If you are mowing ditches, waterways and clipping pastures. You will be fine. If you are chopping up anything that you can push over. Better service can be expected from the thousand.

[Matt Kirsch]

Unless you have the tractor turboed, fuel turned way up, and you're charging through the brush at 7MPH, 540RPM is fine. The design limit for 540 is like 85HP or something like that but way more than that has been pushed through 540RPM drivelines since they've made tractors with >85HP.

So you're saying the dealers won't get you a mower that's 1000RPM or swap the gearbox to seal the deal? I find that hard to believe on a new machine. That said, if the mower comes with a 540RPM it's designed to handle the HP.

[HydroTek]

if you are chopping brush -- there are mulchers for that job

wont get those tire poking stickups with a mulcher 

[GBell966]

Cutting about 65-70 acres of pastures with thick grass and brush here and there. I guess the big thing for me is efficiency and strain on the tractor. Would an 1000 pto be a more viable option in terms of efficiency? Resale value doesnt matter to me, keeping the machine until its done

[GBell966]

40 minutes ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Unless you have the tractor turboed, fuel turned way up, and you're charging through the brush at 7MPH, 540RPM is fine. The design limit for 540 is like 85HP or something like that but way more than that has been pushed through 540RPM drivelines since they've made tractors with >85HP.

So you're saying the dealers won't get you a mower that's 1000RPM or swap the gearbox to seal the deal? I find that hard to believe on a new machine. That said, if the mower comes with a 540RPM it's designed to handle the HP.

Okay, and yeah i thought the same thing. One bush hog dealer said hed have to ask bush hog if they would allow for a 1000 pto gearbox conversion and never got back to me. Every bush hog dealer around is waiting for inventory orders from october. Apparently Bush Hogs factory is backed up. Either way every single dealer of rotary mowers said they just dont stock em with 1000 

[whweldit]

Plenty of bat wings around here being pulled with 110-120 ish hp at 540.   I pull one with a 90 pto. Never been a problem. I am sure the 966 would be harder to stall but just for grassland I see no problem. The dealer I bought from also sold bush hog (I bought a woods).  Was there one day and he had the heaviest bush hog brand batwing I ever saw.  Said it was special ordered and sold. Waiting for guy to get it.  He said it would cut 3 inch plus. I said something like wow what does his tractor look like.  He replied that it was rough and on his opinion he needed a dozer not a mower. 

[snoshoe]

56 minutes ago, whweldit said:

Plenty of bat wings around here being pulled with 110-120 ish hp at 540.   I pull one with a 90 pto. Never been a problem. I am sure the 966 would be harder to stall but just for grassland I see no problem. The dealer I bought from also sold bush hog (I bought a woods).  Was there one day and he had the heaviest bush hog brand batwing I ever saw.  Said it was special ordered and sold. Waiting for guy to get it.  He said it would cut 3 inch plus. I said something like wow what does his tractor look like.  He replied that it was rough and on his opinion he needed a dozer not a mower. 

It's all in how it is used. I have cut down and chewed up a 4" walnut with a hand built 38" bush hog on the front of a 127 12hp cub cadet.

[whweldit]

26 minutes ago, snoshoe said:

It's all in how it is used. I have cut down and chewed up a 4" walnut with a hand built 38" bush hog on the front of a 127 12hp cub cadet.

Agree.  But if i had to buy a mower to chew thru 3 to 4 inch trees I think I would look for another way. The snags and stumps would be enough deterrent to go another way.  

[GBell966]

26 minutes ago, whweldit said:

Agree.  But if i had to buy a mower to chew thru 3 to 4 inch trees I think I would look for another way. The snags and stumps would be enough deterrent to go another way.  

Im mowing 70 acres of pastures with the occasional brush, just want to ensure im getting the right unit to run as efficiently as possible with my 966, being as expensive as they are, thats all. 

[whweldit]

Mowing grassland with occasional brush not bad.  I was referring to someone that bought a mower just to clear a bunch of small trees. No way I would do that. Others may.  Their equipment. Their choice.  As to original question I would think a 966 would not be overpowering a standard bat wing. 

[HydroTek]

Yup, that '9 will be fine on 540 for what you are doing 

[GBell966]

1 hour ago, HydroTek said:

Yup, that '9 will be fine on 540 for what you are doing 

Okay sounds good. If i could find a new 1000 PTO unit, would that be an all around better buy than a 540?

[billonthefarm]

This is an old 540 rpm woods batwing.  It doesn’t get a lot of use compared to my newer one but it has never given me a problem.  Just mowing roadsides and waterways.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

We had a 540 rotary mower years ago. We used it a lot. It had occasional driveline problems. When we traded many years ago we went to 1000 rpm and have only run those since. I think we have less problems, especially if encountering an unexpected obstacle. Lots of people run mowers to trim field edges here on tractors that are much too large for the job and are not equipped with a 540 shaft. I would want 1000 rpm if the tractor has one. But for 70 ac of ground you are familiar with, I doubt it would matter. 

[stronger800]

We’ve only had 540’s.  I believe our land pride was the heaviest model at the time, and they didn’t ask if I wanted 1000 rpm, and I didn’t think of it. I believe the gearboxes were called “300hp” and the cut capacity is 3 or 4”.  I don’t cut anything other than grass, weeds and maybe an occasional light brushy/scrubby tree that’s  1” or so, but everything disappears under it fast. With 120 hp, not as fast as with 150+

[Matt Kirsch]

8 hours ago, GBell966 said:

Okay sounds good. If i could find a new 1000 PTO unit, would that be an all around better buy than a 540?

Not necessarily unless you're planning on buying a much larger tractor. The main driveline will be stronger and will just move the failures down the line to the next weakest part.

[Coytee]

Guessing....  but I cut around 100 acres.  Don't cut it for hay, just mow it.  Wanted a 15'.  Ended up getting my 1066 simply because I found it and it was large enough (needed something to STOP the mower coming down some of the hills)

Stumbled onto a 'Terrain King' (now owned by Alamo as the Falcon

https://www.alamo-industrial.com/falcon-15/

 

Originally bought by McGhee Tyson airport, ended up with a local farmer.  I liked the idea of no rotating shafts and ability to raise wing higher to cut an embankment (turns out that's not as easy as I had presumed)

Mine was made in the late 80's I think.  Still does a nice job.  I've rebuilt all the hydraulic motors and the pump.  A bit of a downside....  you need to have a bracket mounted to your tractor and the speed increaser (more in a moment on this) mounts to the bracket then the hydraulic pump mounts to the increaser.  They make one speed increaser, takes the 540 PTO and multiplies it by 4 to get it to around 2160 to power the pump.  They ALSO make a different version of same increaser that hangs off your 1000 PTO to get (ostensibly) to the same speed for the pump.

I've had this for 7-8 years (??) now.  Interestingly, there was someone in (Greenville I think?) that had one listed for sale on facebook.  I almost bought it just so I could have a bit newer version of what I have (it was still old) AND have mine for parts if need be.  

It's loud but everything is loud.  Thing is, I don't think it's AS loud as having four shafts spinning at speed so compared to a shaft unit, I think it's likely going to be more quiet (I've never operated a shafted 15' version so don't know)

 

I use my 1066 as essentially, a dedicated mower with this behind it.  I would think it would take 2-3 times as long to mount verses a PTO version since with the PTO you hook up to drawbar, mate hoses & pto and you're done.  This isn't dissimilar but I've got four bolts to remove to separate pump from speed increaser.  If I need speed increaser off, that is ANOTHER four bolts to loosen then pull/tug off shaft.  

Yellow part is speed increaser.  It attaches to a red bracket that a local friend made for me and the pump is attached to the increaser.  Some pictures of the yard.

 

 

 

 

[1480x3]

I probly would not be to concerned about cutter noise with no muffler on my 1066

[MacAR]

Lot of guys around here using 15' 540 batwings on 1066's. The local dealer sells Bushwhacker brand hogs, and there are several of them running behind 66's and similar sized Ford and JD tractors. For what you're doing, you should be fine.