Bush Hog for Sale: Match a Rotary Cutter to Your Tractor

Start with the tractor model, available PTO horsepower, hitch category and lift capacity. Then find the manual for the exact cutter, including its model suffix. Bush Hog’s BH210-3 table lists minimum tractor PTO power of 25 hp for the BH215-3, 30 hp for the BH216-3 and 50 hp for the BH217-3. Engine horsepower on the tractor hood does not answer this question.

Measure the narrowest entrance to your mowing jobs, too. A wider cutter may save passes in open fields and still cost time on fenced properties. Ask the seller for overall width as well as cutting width. Confirm tractor compatibility, ballast and setup with the manufacturer or dealer.

Atlantic Tractor advertised a used 2011 BH216-2 at $3,500 in Oxford, Pennsylvania. Southern Star Tractor and Turf showed a new six-foot BH216-3 at $4,350 in Alvarado, Texas. Those are two different model revisions in two different markets. The $850 sticker difference is useful only after freight, missing parts and condition are on the table.

Ask whether the drive shaft, guards, front and rear protection and hitch hardware pictured are included with the sale. Get a parts quote for anything missing. On a remote deal, ask the seller to show the deck, gearbox area and tailwheel assembly in close-up, including wear or repairs they would disclose to a local customer.

For an overgrown field or recurring lot maintenance contract, ask about vegetation type, the largest material commonly present and the finish the customer expects. Bush Hog lists a two-inch cutting capacity for its BH210-3 series. Use the manufacturer’s rating for the actual model. A machine chosen to mow down regrowth may not do the work of a forestry mulcher on larger woody material.

A skid-steer brush cutter is another distinct purchase. The carrier, mounting system and hydraulic requirements differ from a tractor PTO cutter. When a seller has both styles in inventory, send the carrier model with your inquiry. That one detail can prevent a trip to see the wrong attachment.

A stand-alone attachment can be a small purchase relative to the tractor. If you are already shopping for both, get the tractor and implement broken out on the same written quote. Ask for a separate cash price, freight and any dealer installation. A package is easier to compare when you know what each part costs.

Suppose the used cutter needs $500 in repairs and $300 in freight. Its example $3,500 price becomes $4,300 before tax. That is only $50 below the new asking price, before the new unit’s freight. Enter your own figures below. Ask about commercial equipment financing if the amount and transaction fit, especially if you are financing the tractor and attachments together.