Bush Hog GT42 trail mower

[@wkualum3194]

Do you like it? I can buy one for$400 with a 20 hp Honda on it. Is that a good deal?

[@cmvalentino]

I think so. I sold this one for almost that much w/ the smaller Briggs engine. Just make sure the spindle bearing & engine are in good shape. I had a lot of issues with the wheel bearings on mine too - odd size and replacement wheels were expensive because of the 3/4" axle size. The newer ones have improved side wheels, but not the older like mine. You NEVER want to jack-knife it backing up which is really easy to do since it's so short.

[@wkualum3194]

CMV did you use it as a mower or to do some bush hogging? like small trees?

[@cmvalentino]

Field mowing. Think waist high grass & weeds. Some smaller saplings, nothing over 1/2" diameter. No idea what it could handle but I occasionally missed picking up some rocks and hit some baseball to softball sized rocks. Mower won every time :) Violently shattered & flung the rocks FAR. Pretty much anything your ATV can knock down, it can cut. Like anything with a deck, real long stuff needs several passes. Not because it isn't powerful enough but you lay real long stuff down flat and it can't stand up to get hit with a blade, then springs back up a minute later.

[@cmvalentino]

For what it is, it is a good machine. For acres & acres of rough terrain a proper tractor and PTO bush hog is going to be a lot faster. For cutting a trail or initial clearing of heavily overgrown area it is great. To mow a large area for general upkeep, it will do it but 42" cut + 3-5mph speed will take a while. No faster than a small riding mower. But can handle rougher terrain that would destroy a basic riding mower. If in between needing a proper tractor but more than a basic Lowe's/HD riding mower this fits.

[@OTAlucard]

I pulled one of these behind a fast little 3 wheeler and pulled it at about 18 mph Hauling the mail then i decided if I Fell off it would run over me and kill me so i sold it BUT IT would cut grass faster than a zero turn if you had your pattern laid out It is cheaper than anything on fuel also I'll buy another one ONE DAY !!!

[@mitchellteeters4610]

looked like it was barely turning. might be the refresh rate. well this might be better than that POS husky.

[@cmvalentino]

It's spinning 1 42" long blade from the center. The tips are going really fast :)

[@williamajthompson9166]

Plus also you must realize. It has a centripetal clutch running it. So it takes time for it to pump up to speed. Like on a chipper shredder. If you set the idle low. It won't turn the drive clutch. On this he started it at high speed from off. If he started it and throttled it back down to 1/8th throttle it wouldn't have turned the clutch. Then as you slowly rev up the throttle. The clutch shoes will grip like crazy and really crank up that blade to 540 rpm. Probably also has a reducer for slower rpm speed.

[@Omegadoomship]

That little 3 HP engine won't do you any good when you mow through brush. At a minimum you should have at least 12.5 HP and up. You can take one off of any lawn tractor.

[@williamajthompson9166]

That has an 8 horse Briggs L Head. And they are tough. My 75 Amerind MackIssac Mighty Mac 12 PT tow behind semi professional rated chipper shredder has the 7 horse Briggs L Head. And it is a power house engine. The 5 horse was the first engine option. Then in 75 they crossed over to the 7 horse. By mid 80's the 8 horse took over until about 2000. So that 8 horse is plenty powerful. Also think of it like this the old Gravely 5.5/6.6/7.6 and Briggs and Kohler 7/8 horse power rated L series walking tractors could run and handle 30 inch bush hogs, 42 inch mower decks and sickle bars rated for 1 inch saplings. A chipper shredder. Stump grinder, trencher. And more.