John Deere 855 - Bush Hog Size

[Bergmann]

Hi All, I have a mid-90's John Deere 855, and I would like to buy a Bush Hog to cut canary grass on our pond during summer time and a 3 acre grass field. I am looking at both 4' and 5' sizes of bush hogs. Do you have any recommendations on size and/or whether I should buy a slip clutch or shear bolt version? Any insights shared are appreciated.

 

[JD Dave]

Your 855 is a decent little tractor but you've only got about 24 horsepower. That's not much more today than many zero-turn machines on the market with 50 to 60 mower decks. It depends
on what you're cutting. If it's light brush and tall grass a 48 rotary will kill your tractor. If it's finish mowing you could get away with the 60 inch rotary.

 

[Bergmann]

(quoted from post at 17:33:10 02/03/22) Your 855 is a decent little tractor but you've only got about 24 horsepower. That's not much more today than many zero-turn machines on the market with 50 to 60 mower decks. It depends
on what you're cutting. If it's light brush and tall grass a 48 rotary will kill your tractor. If it's finish mowing you could get away with the 60 inch rotary.

JD Dave,
Thanks for the quick response. That is very helpful. I was hoping to cut some tall thick grass. Is their a mower I can use on an 855 that could handle tall thick canary grass? Flail maybe?

 

[Dan in Ohio]

I use an older John Deere 513 with my 2520(27hp) and it handles it well but I don't cut anything tall, just use it to mow trails in
my woods. The 513 is 60 wide and has both a slip clutch and a shear pin.

 

[Dan in North Houston]

I have a JD 850 and have just about wore out a 5' JD LX5 bush hog type shredder with it, mostly grass but some heavy brush cutting and small saplings. I think
your 855 is about the same size, it should handle a 5' cutter from a HP perspective. The LX5 mower has a slip clutch, it works well but I store it inside and
adjust the slip clutch springs every few years to make sure they're not rusted up. If you are going to store it outside, and not planning on trying to cut much
heavy stuff, go with the shear bolt unless you intend to inspect and service the slip clutch regularly. One caution is you need to consider the weight of the
shredder. I initially bought a MX5 as the salesman said it would work fine, but found it was way too heavy for the 850 to handle. The tractor could pick it up,
but then you could pick the front of the tractor up with one hand! I had to take it back and swap for the much lighter LX5. The internet says that it weighs 520
pounds. My 850 handles it fine, but it has 4 front end weights and you would not want to mow without them. If you don't have or can't have any suitcase weights
on the front, you may have a problem with a 5' shredder.

 

[Bergmann]

(quoted from post at 20:19:02 02/03/22) I use an older John Deere 513 with my 2520(27hp) and it handles it well but I don't cut anything tall, just use it to mow trails in
my woods. The 513 is 60 wide and has both a slip clutch and a shear pin.


<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto116713.jpg>

Thanks, Dan in Ohio! That is a nice tractor and setup you have. I appreciate the reply and sharing.

 

[Bergmann]

Hi Dan in North Houston,
Excellent info, thank you very much for the reply! This gives me a boost of confidence and is very helpful!

 

[lfnel]

Remember, with the hydro you can go as slow as you want and you don't have to take a full width swath. Ability to lift and steer will be more limiting than power. I used 5' bush hog behind my 855 MFWD cutting brush and grass taller than the tractor. Shear bolt in pto will be OK 'cause with only 22 hp, you aren't going to shear it anyway.

 

[Bergmann]

Thanks for the info, Ifnel. That's a good point and it makes sense.

I should have listened to Dan in North Houston, as I picked up a used MX-5 brush hog (5 ft) on Craigslist. My 855 handled cutting well on level ground, but when on a hillside, one of the hydraulic arms was rubbing against one of my rear tires and pushed the tire right off the wheel. I suspect my air pressure was a bit low. I am going to look into adjusting the hydraulic arms so they don't swing so much. If I'm unable to do this, I will need to look for a different solution, as the hill does need to be mowed.