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Kermit, Looks like my first follow up never posted. I had just made some comments about the slip clutch and asked about the cost of the KK HD cutter. I see my reply from King Kutter was posted. I just got these comments from Woods: ""A properly maintained slip clutch is far more operator friendly than a shear bolt And is better protection for drive lines and gearboxes. However you are exactly right, dealers and customer do not protect or maintain them as they should. Woods has
taken steps to prevent rust and corrosion freeze up in our clutches but the bottom line is we still recommend to back off the springs and slip the clutch before the unit is used each season. Shear pins are not as critical to maintain but are a nuisance to replace every time they shear. Bottom line it comes down to application. If you
doing light grass and weed mowing then a shear bolt would be fine. Any heavier application you might want consider a slip clutch. Kirt Swanson
Woods Equipment.. "" To my original question: ""Hi, Several of the dealers in rotary cutters have said that the slip clutch makes it easier on the tractor PTO shaft and avoids the time spent replacing the shear bolt. Most cautioned you need to make sure the clutch plate doesn't rust up or it might not release the way it's designed. One suggested backing off on the springs when the unit is stored for the winter. Another mentioned keeping it under cover between uses - especially if they are infrequent. The few I checked don't have a shear pin as a back up. It makes me wonder if you could be worse off with a clutch unless you were very careful. Most people - including the dealers - seem to just leave them out exposed. Do you have any comments on this? Pete"" The response from Woods is much more detailed and enthusiastic about clutches but still points up the need for maintenance. Another option that seems to be important is a stump jumper. As near as I can tell, some manufacturers swing the cutting blades from a bar on the mower shaft. Others use an arangement that looks more like a disc shaped like a saucer. Unlike the blades, the bar or saucer don't pivot or move up and down so they are more vulnerable when striking rocks or stumps. The saucer shape is much more likely to ride up over a rock or stump then to whack it head on - so the chance for damage is
suposed to be less. These blade carriers go by various names and may be standard or optional on a particular model cutter Pete
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