Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter question

   / Rotary cutter question #1  

rims421

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2004
Messages
108
Location
Eastern CT
Tractor
new holland tc- 35
I have a howse 5' medium duty cutter with a slip clutch.
It seems that the blade tends to slip to easily when cutting heavy brush (clumps 3/4" to 1"). Is this normal? How easily should the clutch slip? Is there an adjustment on the slip clutch and if so how do you adjust it. I did not recieve an owners manual with the cutter. Any help from the "Tractor Gods" would be great.
 
   / Rotary cutter question #2  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is there an adjustment on the slip clutch and if so how do you adjust it. )</font>

Yes, it's adjustabe. I'd suggest you go to http://www.bushhog.com, click on the downloadable manuals, go to the manual for the Squealer series rotary cutters, page 12, for the illustrated instructions. Other brands and models may not be exactly the same, but the basic adjustment procedure should be.
 
   / Rotary cutter question #3  
I used the Search function, and found this previous thread on slip clutch adjustment.
 
   / Rotary cutter question #4  
That's even better, Bill; color pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
   / Rotary cutter question #5  
Sounds like you are slipping a bit too easilly... I would want a slip to start in a situation the cutter was going to have problems with.. like slipping at 2" and up.

Not sure what kind of slip clutch you have.. but there should be a ring of spring loaded bolts around the circumference.. these controll the slip friction.

Too much slip and you will burn the clutch up.. Also.. you need to watch out for the plates sticking. Many people remove thier clutch from the implement and bring it in the barn so it doesn't rust up. There are also slip compunds available to treat the plates.. TSC and such places sell it.

Soundguy
 
   / Rotary cutter question #6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( color pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif )</font>

I miss JohnMiller3's picture gallery. Does anyone know why he quit participating in the forum? I notice that he's still listed as a Moderator, but his last post was over 6 months ago. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
   / Rotary cutter question #7  
Well.. since he's 'ascended'* why would he want to muddle in our 'mortal' affairs unless he has to. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Soundguy

* in reference to Stargate SG-1 tv series re: Daniel Jackson..etc
 
   / Rotary cutter question
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks for all your help .
When this snowstorm ends I will play around with the adjustment a bit. Do you guys think the slip clutch is the way to go instead of a shearpin? I think I might have smoked the clutch pretty good. How long do they normally last? I have used it for approx. 3-4 hours. I had to constantly raise the deck up to get the blade spinning then lower it back down onto the heavier brush.
 
   / Rotary cutter question #9  
The only way to go. Just think of the time you would have spent changing bolts. Shear bolt drives should be limited, or an option and slip clutches standard. Maintenance is limited to once a year, for about 20 minutes.
 
   / Rotary cutter question #10  
It seems to me that the majority of the forum members prefer the slip clutch, and I suppose if you have a lot of rocks it's the best way to go, but I never had one myself. All my implements had shear bolts, I kept spares on hand, and never sheared one. The only shear bolt I ever had break was on a neighbor's round hay baler. It seemed to me that all the implement dealers in my area priced slip clutches about the same; about a $100 option. I know a farmer neighbor with big tractors hired me to till his garden. He had rented a tiller once and it wouldn't work so he returned it and got his money back. And when I asked and he described what it did, I know that it had a slip clutch that was either worn out or adjusted so loose that it couldn't turn the tines in the ground.
 
 
 
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