Why I wanted the cutter
I bought the 15-ft.-wide chopper to clip wheat stubble, CRP ground, grass waterways and pasture ground. I had rented one before I purchased one, so I knew it would work well. I was tired of picking up a rental and returning it — a 100-mile drive. I ordered mine with eight wheels and aircraft tires so it would float over tile washouts, groundhog holes and other rough ground. I told my salesman how well it works on rough ground; now he orders all his batwings equipped with eight tires.

Features I like
I like the sloped top deck a lot. The natural vibration of the machine and the bouncing over rough ground keeps the deck clean. That is an incredible advantage over my older chopper; I had to stop to clean it off every hour or two. I like the 13-in.-deep side frame; it is the deepest deck in the industry. It helps increase the chopping capacity of the machine.

It also has heavy skid plates on both sides that are easily replaceable. At times I clip stubble with the plates skidding on the ground to get the low cut that I want.

Dislikes
If I could change anything on this machine, I would build the deck with 7-gauge steel instead of the thinner 10-gauge that it has. The chopper only has a few hundred acres on it, and it already has dents in the deck from sticks and stones that I have hit. Also, paint is peeling off the top of the deck. Since I bought my chopper, the company has changed to a powder coating, which is a major improvement over the paint job on the one I have.

List price
$15,660, equipped with four wheel rims and standard rubber safety belting

Bottom line
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give the Woods BW180 Series 2 batwing rotary cutter a 4.

For more information
Woods Equipment Company
Dept. FIN
Box 1000
Oregon, IL 61061
800/319-6637
www.woodsequipment.com