Cutters & Shredders in Magnolia, TX

On freshly cleared ground, it's worth having. A stump jumper is a round pan bolted under the blade carrier. When the cutter passes over a stump, the pan rides up and over it. That keeps the blades and the carrier from slamming into wood. Many heavier rotary cutters come with one. Lighter cutters built for routine mowing may not. Where pasture meets pine timber, old stumps hide in tall grass. A stump jumper won't make a cutter bulletproof, though. Set the deck high, slow down and knock down big stumps first. Ask at our Conroe store which cutters have one, or browse our implements on j5tractors.com.

A 3-point cutter attaches to the tractor's hitch and lifts and lowers with it, so you carry it right behind the tractor. A pull-type shredder trails behind on its own wheels and axle, which spreads the weight out and can make it easier to pull with a smaller tractor. It's less about one being better and more about what your tractor and your ground call for. A 3-point cutter turns tighter around fence corners and trees. A pull-type shredder tracks well over open, flat pasture. Both get the job done.

Yes, a rotary cutter is built for more than grass. Most handle brush and saplings, depending on the cutter's weight and the tractor behind it. Check the cutter's rated cutting capacity before you take on small trees. Size matters here. Around Magnolia, that means clearing fence lines, opening up grown-over pasture, and knocking back brush along pasture edges. A heavier cutter with a bigger gearbox takes on thicker growth. A lighter cutter suits routine mowing on ground you already keep clear. What a cutter can't do is grind stumps down to the dirt. It cuts what's standing, not what's buried.

Look the ground over first. One cutter maker's manual advises that you clearly see passersby, steep slopes, ditches, drop-offs, overhead obstructions, debris and foreign objects. If you can't see them clearly, it says to stop cutting. That's good sense on any cutter. Tall grass around Magnolia hides stumps and old wire. Walk new ground first. The same manual calls for a ROPS-equipped tractor with the seat belt fastened. Keep well back from ditch banks and drop-offs. Slow down on any grade, and go by the operator's manual for your tractor and cutter there. Ask our Conroe store which cutters fit your tractor.

Most rotary cutters run best at standard PTO speed, 540 or 1000 RPM depending on the gearbox. The tractor engine should hold a steady throttle rather than revving up and down. Check your cutter's manual for the exact number. Gearboxes are built for one speed, and running faster than rated wears things out sooner, not better. Ground speed is a different call. Slow down in heavy brush or tall, thick growth so the blades keep up, and you can speed up a bit on ground that's already kept mowed. Watch for wire, pipe and brush piles hidden in tall grass before you start. Speed isn't the goal. A slower first pass over new ground beats a fast one.