Cutters & Shredders in The Woodlands, TX

Narrower is usually easier on a wooded lot. A wide cutter or a flex-wing covers more ground per pass in open pasture. Between pines, fence posts and a house, that width works against you. A narrower rotary cutter turns tighter and slips through gaps a wide deck won't. It's easier to back into corners too. The trade-off is more passes on open ground. Look at your place before you pick. Mostly trees and tight spots? Go narrow. A big open stretch as well? A wider cutter is at its best there. Either way, size it to the tractor you run. Browse our implements on j5tractors.com to compare widths.

Step up when the growth is thicker than a standard cutter is built for. Around here, a heavy-duty rotary cutter often goes by "shredder." It has a heavier deck, a stouter gearbox and heavier blades. That's what you want for thick brush, small saplings and growth that's gotten away from you for a season or two. Light weeds and fresh pasture edges? A standard cutter handles those without trouble. Both bolt onto a tractor's three-point hitch and run off the PTO. Either way, match the cutter to the ground you're covering.

Yes. Rotary cutters are built for rough ground. Ruts, stumps and uneven pasture edges are normal on Montgomery County land, and a cutter's deck is made to take some punishment. Walk unfamiliar ground before you cut it the first time. Flag stumps, holes and old wire you find. Slow down over the rough spots so the tractor and deck don't bounce. A grade is where you slow down. The operator's manual for your tractor and cutter is what to go by there, not a guess. Stay well back from ditch banks and drop-offs while you're cutting.

Cut before the weeds set seed. Ragweed and most pasture weeds put on seed heads from mid-summer on. A pass before that knocks back next year's crop as well as this year's. Coastal bermuda that's gone to seed and brush creeping into pasture edges respond the same way. Timing beats horsepower. Once the growth is tall and woody, it's harder on the cutter and slower going for you. A light cut on schedule is easier than a heavy cut late. If brush has already gotten ahead of you, start with a heavier pass, then keep up with lighter ones.

Set it higher than you think for the first pass. Tall growth hides stumps, rocks and old fence wire. A higher cut keeps the blades clear of what you can't see. On pasture you keep mowed, you can drop it lower for a cleaner look. Don't scalp the ground, though. Height is usually set with the tailwheel and the top link, so the deck rides about level. Check your cutter's manual for the exact setup. Once you know the ground, adjust a notch at a time. We carry Mahindra, IronCraft and Modern Ag Products implements, so come by our Conroe store and look.