What shear bolt grade would you recommend?

[Henri88]

New to brush cutting. I have a new to me Howse 4' rotary cutter and a 2305 JD with 18hp pto. The Howse manual recommend grade 5 or lower so my choice is either 5 or 2. I am leaning more towards the grade 2 but I'm worry that the shear bolt would be prone to shear easily. Your thoughts.

I will be using it on a 1 1/2 acre with mostly grass, but we did cut some Hawthorn and apple trees. I also know all about the slip clutch but would like to stick with the shear bolt if possible.

Henri

 

[arlen4720]

New to brush cutting. I have a new to me Howse 4' rotary cutter and a 2305 JD with 18hp pto. The Howse manual recommend grade 5 or lower so my choice is either 5 or 2. I am leaning more towards the grade 2 but I'm worry that the shear bolt would be prone to shear easily. Your thoughts.

I will be using it on a 1 1/2 acre with mostly grass, but we did cut some Hawthorn and apple trees. I also know all about the slip clutch but would like to stick with the shear bolt if possible.

Henri

I would start with the safe bet, and use a grade 2. If it proves to be unworkable, then go to a grade 5.

 

[RickB]

I would start with the safe bet, and use a grade 2. If it proves to be unworkable, then go to a grade 5.

Good plan.

 

[Henri88]

Tx guys! Does shearing a bolt while bush cutting a common thing. Sorry but I am completely green to this activity.

 

[newbury]

I just faced that with my Agrisupply PHD. The manual says grade #5. I bought a handful of #2's. I figure break $5 worth of bolts is better than $100 of PTO or $300 of PHD.

 

[ARCKING]

I wouldn't be worried about running grade 5 bolts. At CNH (and I would assume Howse is the same) components are engineered based on grade 8 shear bolts with the assumption that someone will attempt it. I'm used to property where shearing bolts on plows and bush hogs is common, so I'd vote grade 5.

 

[catdozer]

What i have done also is if a grade 2 is to soft, get a grade 5 one size smaller.

 

[Henri88]

I'm not to worry about the implement, it is the pto on the tractor that worry's me the most. As mention above, I'm going with grade 2, but I just don't know how frequent a shear bolt will brake under normal (brush cutting) use. Maybe I'm over worrying here, but I was kind of hoping that someone with pretty much the same set-up would chime in. Maybe I should've ask my question on the JD forum since it is not the implement but mostly the tractor that I worry about.

Arcking, what size is your cutter and tractor? Tx

Henri

 

[ARCKING]

Arcking, what size is your cutter and tractor? Tx

I usually break things with a 55hp tractor and 10ft bushog...a little different scale than you're talking. I've never sheared a PTO bolt other than on a round baler though - usually it's the rough ground that shears other bolts. Not saying it isn't rough on the equipment, but if I were to use lower grade bolts I'd never get anything done.

 

[Henri88]

Tx Arcking!