how do I get the blades of a Howse 5 ft bush hog?

[corvettefarmer]

Trying to get the blades off an older Howse bush hog. Unlike my Ford New Holland hog, there is no access panel on top of the cutter. I've taken the nut off the center pan thinking the pan would come off and expose the blade nuts - that didn't work. Are the blades removed with everything intact using a special open end wrench? Thanks in advance - Jim

 

[mustangsallysdad]

Trying to get the blades off an older Howse bush hog. Unlike my Ford New Holland hog, there is no access panel on top of the cutter. I've taken the nut off the center pan thinking the pan would come off and expose the blade nuts - that didn't work. Are the blades removed with everything intact using a special open end wrench? Thanks in advance - Jim

Mine is about 10 years old and has a hole on top of the left side deck (facing 3PH) to access the blade nuts.

 

[Jimbrown]

Cut a hole!

 

[rus_geek]

I just picked one of these up yesterday and am trying to strip it down to the deck in order to make some sheet metal repairs. I'm at the same stage you are. The castle nut is off but I think I'll need a big puller to get the stump jumper (with blades attached) off the beast. Then I should be able to remove the gear box as well.

Howse has parts diagrams online for the newest models, but I don't know how much they've changed over the years.

-r-

 

[Bird]

I backed off the castle nut but left it on enough that the pan, blades, and all couldn't fall, then improvised a puller with two 6" C-clamps and a short piece of 4" wide channel iron I had laying around. But assuming yours is the same design as the one I bought in 1999, the output shaft is splined and you do need some kind of puller to take the whole thing off.

My Bush Hog Squealer rotary cutter had an access hole in the deck, but my Howse 500 did not.

 

[corvettefarmer]

Thanks all for the info. I think I'll try making a puller and if that doesn't work, out comes the plasma cutter. Jim

 

[whistlepig]

I would just go ahead and cut the hole. Removing the pan with the blades attached is for those who enjoy pain and profuse bleeding. Cut the hole, stick a 1/2" impact socket with an extension through the hole, and blip the impact wrench a couple of times. The blades will fall on the floor.

 

[Skyco]

1/2 " socket? hah! My 4' KingKutter has something like 2" nuts or maybe even bigger

 

[Bird]

1/2 " socket? hah! My 4' KingKutter has something like 2" nuts or maybe even bigger

I think he meant a half inch drive socket, and even at that, none in my set of half inch impact sockets was big enough. I had to buy the one extra big socket just for that job on my Bush Hog.

 

[whistlepig]

Correction. 1/2' drive socket and 1/2" drive extension. The impact wrench is a 1/2" drive Ingersoll-Rand IR2131. The size of the socket used to remove the blade nuts is 1 3/4". The diameter of the hole required in the top of the rotary cutter housing to access the blade nuts is 3". For those that detail is most important.