Posted: 9/2/2025 2:55:46 PM EDT
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I'm thinking this would be the ticket for creek banks, pond banks, and getting the low overhanging branches that encroach the driveway at our farm. https://rutmfg.com/shop/mini-excavator-attachments/mini-excavator-brush-mower/ Mini-ex is a 7,000# Kato. Anyone care to share their experiences with similar mowers? I really think for my use this is better than a flail mower- but I'm all ears. |
| A friend of mine has one of those, not necessarily that exact one, and it does all that advertised. We had some big Cedar trees damaged at the very tops from ice & wind and he topped them off no problems. If I buy a mini excavator that will be the first attachment I will buy |
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these are two of the last 3 pics i have on my cabin build thread in this forum. kx-040. I have been using it for 3 years now i think. primary use is keeping the rhododendron out of my roads. it grows so fast i have to cut it back about 2x a year. it's also good for making the occasional trail or clearing out a bit of space in the woods, and will mulch trees up to 4" or so effortlessly. I paid $5k for the bush hog (42" i think) and haven't had a minute's trouble from it despite accidentally hitting large rocks with the blades every time i use it.  the bucket/thumb comes in handy when storms knock trees across the road. it's a lot safer than chainsawing in the rain on the side of a mountain, especially when two trees come down together. 
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Great info. Thanks. That's exactly what I'm looking to do with it. Your farm in TN looks like it's eastern TN- which lays similar to mine in South Eastern-centralish KY. Your machine weighs about 2K more than mine, but I'm looking at a 34" cutter, instead of your 42", so that's likely similar too. |
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One caution is to make sure you have a full cab and real protection. Stuff flies everywhere. Using an excavator boom means you can tilt the deck almost any angle including down to the point the blades are facing you and you can watch them spin. When doing stuff on banks or even flat ground it’s pretty easy to put yourself in the line of fire so if you hit a rock or whatever it could come back at your cab. It might have to bounce off the ground or something but you hit a piece of metal like a bolt laying on the ground or something and it could easily be deadly. When operating, I am very careful to keep from pointing it at my cab and I wouldn’t work around anyone or let them be even within 100 yards. It would be worse than shooting steel at 10 yards with no eyepro. |