DieselBound
Elite Member
Tail wheel bracket on the Bush Hog 286 that I recently picked up has broken from the tail wheel tube. There were signs of cracking at the weld when I bought it, but the weld, apparently, was a lot weaker than I'd figured it was and it failed within a reasonably short period of time. The connection is/was just a butt-weld against the tube, which I'm thinking is an inferior design.
I'd need to have someone else weld this thing as I don't have a welder. What I'm wondering is whether it would be of any benefit to have the welding shop reinforce that connection to the tail wheel tube; thinking perhaps wrapping strap iron around and welding to the back side of the tube and then back on the original strapping. This assumes, of course, that any welding repairs here would tend to hold up: if a new replacement was improved/strengthened I'd think about going with a new piece. A new piece/bracket would run me around $340 (w/shipping). I'm guessing that a repair + revamp might be in the $150 range.
I'd need to have someone else weld this thing as I don't have a welder. What I'm wondering is whether it would be of any benefit to have the welding shop reinforce that connection to the tail wheel tube; thinking perhaps wrapping strap iron around and welding to the back side of the tube and then back on the original strapping. This assumes, of course, that any welding repairs here would tend to hold up: if a new replacement was improved/strengthened I'd think about going with a new piece. A new piece/bracket would run me around $340 (w/shipping). I'm guessing that a repair + revamp might be in the $150 range.
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If I looked closer I wouldn't be surprised to find that the PO had repaired this weld (and didn't get a good re-weld). Figured that I was still coming out ahead with this used one (used heavier duty cutters, though this is only Medium Duty, don't come up for sale around here but once in a blue moon); shelling out $3,500 for a new cutter had me puckering!
