Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter cutting forward and backward

[gordon21]

I never used a rotary cutter. Can they be used going forward and backward? Going forward seems like a lot of saplings, dead brush etc would get caught up around the steering, brakes, radiator and the lower engine area with the potential to do damage and snag something. Going backward would let you see exactly where the mower was and keep all that stuff out of your face. The tractor would back over over the finished area and not bulldoze through the uncut stuff. Any really important differences between King Cutters, Bushhog brand and JD except for paint color and price? I have a 790 4WD

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue">( Can they be used going forward and backward? ) </font>

Yes.

 

[Highbeam]

The thing about backing into brush is that the brushhog may not be stout enough to "bulldoze" to the extend that your tractor is able to push it. I bent the 3ph linkage on the hog when I slowly backed into immovable material. Pulling is the strongest direction with the hog and least likely to damage the implement. Going forward over saplings is no big deal with a loader bucket up front set down at the level of your tractors undercarriage to bend over saplings and to locate rocks and stumps before the belly of your tractor or the hog itself.

When the going gets rough, a combination of forward and careful backing is the right approach. Also, you can raise the mower-back into brush-and lower the mower when you need to.

 

[gordon21]

I never thought about the FEL helping out up front. That certainly would knock over most trees under 1" in size and keep them low to the ground. Set the FEL at about 8" off the ground and that becomes my early warning system of bad stuff hidden in the weeds. Thanks.

Any comments on brands?

 

[RonMar]

I would be leary of busting brush if I didn't have a FEL on the tractor. As described, run the bucket down low as a "feeler" and move along at a slow speed. Even doing this, I tore out my rear light wiring on 2 occasions. It was kind of silly the way they ran it down alongside the transmission case so I have re-located it above the floor plates out of harms way. Also be aware of backing out of brush you have pushed your way into. All those branches, sapplings and bushes that have been pushed down with the loader will try and stand back up into the tractor works, steering and front axel so keep your eyes open. I had a piece of cedar escape my view and it found it's way up and into the alternator pully, straightining all the cooling fins on the pully and popping the belt off. With a slightly different path, it could have just as easilly found it's way to the back side of the cooling fan and radiator so beware.

I am not sure how large your tractor is but mine(28HP/2500#) easilly pushes over just about everything up to 4" and the 5' hog on the back shreds it all down nicely. I occasionally have to lift the mower to let it catch it's breath on the larger stuff and lower it down slowly to finish the shred. I don't especially like guards on the mower for working in the brush but I am also away from anything. If there is other property or people/livestock in the area, guards are a must as it WILL throw some pretty large stuff particularly while shredding sapplings and branches.

Because of terrain and the ammount of room I have to maneuver, I occasionally have to lead with the mower and back it into the brush. I have bent the 3PH mounting this way running into immoveable objects. I prefer to start with the deck up high, back it into the brush and lower it down slowly with my foot guarding the clutch and prepared to halt or raise the 3PH immediatly. Lowering it onto a stump or large rock can be pretty exciting

I have formed a few brushhog opinions over the years If you are in the market for a hog with plans on busting a lot of brush. Look for the one with the heaviest sidewalls/weight your 3PH will take. The sidewalls take a real beating when the shredded chunks of wood and occasional rock starts dancing around under the deck. If the sidewalls are thin, it won't look like a brushhog for long when busting brush. Make sure the sidewalls have skids. The skids welded along the bottom of the sidewalls will also help the sides keep their shape. There are some that look like they have "I" beams for sidewalls and that is good as if it is worked on rough terrain, the skids on the sidewalls will help to keep the blades up out of the dirt/rocks while passing over humps. A large "stump jumper"(disc that covers and protects spindle and blade carriers) is better than a smaller one. Also look for the deck lift linkage(the part of the lift framework that connects the rear of the deck up to the toplink) to be flexible. The mower I use has a piece of chain and flatstrap which allows the deck to tilt up as the tractor passes over dips and rises. If it dosn't have this, you will most likley bend that structure if opperating it over rough ground.

Good Luck and happy "busting"

 

[john_bud]

I basically ditto everything RonMar just said!

Also, when the brush gets thick and nasty it is a lot easier to get back out if you backed in. There have been times when the only way home was by using a chain saw to help cut a path back to civilization.

On technique: First off, I alway cut with my right hand on the 3pt lever an my reflexes set on hair trigger! But then again, we have a lot of rock! When shredding trees, it helps to go forward and back a bit to get it chopped up quicker and not leave as much to run back over on the way out. (HST is real nice for this trick!) Don't expect to have a park like path after 1 pass. Usually2-3 passes and going in both directions is needed. Dull blades kill the trees and brush where sharp blades allow them to grow back. If you are pushing into a dead or downed tree, be aware that they might not snap off. I have had 6-8" trees come flying over the top of the loader and try and whack me. It leaves a stain on the tractor seat... Finally, wear hearing protection, eye protection and if weather allows a thick coat.

jb

 

[Highbeam]

And don't forget about bees. You may not be able to get away quick enough on the tractor and might have to abandon ship.

I really enjoy brush hogging. Cant' wait for the ground to dry up.

 

[kossetx]

In the 14 years of pretty much just bushhogging nasty stuff, I've found that backing up is much more difficult. The shredder with a single wheel wants to go it's own way and is more susceptible to being pushed off by a small tree or something. When you go forward, everything gets pushed down in front and the shredder goes where you go. Get a grill guard and let er loose.

As Ron said before, get as heavy a shredder as your tractor will handle. JD makes a nice med wt but heavy duty looking shredder. MP

 

[sodamo]

I'd ditto all written before me. Basically, I'm still cutting much of my property for the first time. Feel like I passed Intro to Bushhogging and abount halfway into Bushhog 101 - still a lot to learn. Thankfully, not much in the way of stumps or even saplings, but I do have rock and uneven terrain. My property has been pasture for a number of years but its prior life was sugarcane. The last harvest, the workers weren't very particular how they left things. Add to that our wild hogs rooting around. When I go into an area for the first time, I'm barely crawling, but even so, I've found myself with 1 and even 2 wheels out of contact with the ground or the front wheel hit a mound it won't climb. So far, I've found backing into these type more effective because I can see where the rear wheels are going. I've also found backing to be safer on unknown slopes, usually backing up the slope, lifting the cutter, then dropping it back down when I go forward. I'm always telling people I'm at the hours per acre rate of progress.
I'm glad to see this topic posted. My manual actually talks against hogging in reverse - but I'd never get done if I didn't.
One other caution - the weight of the cutter can cuase your tractor to slip, especially if the ground is wet under what you are cutting.
Enjoy

David