First outing with cutter

[ABolt]

Just back from a day of bushogging - my first time. I was surprised at how much noise and vibration there was with the cutter when PTO was engaged. I know some noise is probably normal - this isn't a riding mower - but how do you know when something isn't right and you're getting too much vibration?

My terrain is pretty uneven and I 'cut dirt' a good deal of the time. I tried to lift the 3 pt but could not always keep it off the ground. I have a couple of questions about the setup of my cutter.

When completely lowered, the frame of the cutter was flat on the ground and the tail wheel was barely touching. Would I be better off moving the wheel so that it keeps the back of the frame a little of the ground. Would I offset this by keeping the front up a little - so that it's level - with the 3 pt?

When I have the 3 pt up as far as it will go, the cutter is only off the ground about 12 inches and it's level to the ground. It seems like I've seen them higher off the ground - especially in the rear. Is there an adjustment I need to look at to raise the cutter higher off the ground in rear? Should I try to keep it level when raised or should it be higher in back?

Thanks for the help with a beginner's questions...

 

[JerryG]

Abolt,
Your Bio doesn't tell what tractor or mower you have. If you let us all know we can give you more accurate information.

 

[ABolt]

Been meaning to do that. It's updated now. Thanks.

 

[flusher]

Just back from a day of bushogging - my first time. I was surprised at how much noise and vibration there was with the cutter when PTO was engaged. I know some noise is probably normal - this isn't a riding mower - but how do you know when something isn't right and you're getting too much vibration?

My terrain is pretty uneven and I 'cut dirt' a good deal of the time. I tried to lift the 3 pt but could not always keep it off the ground. I have a couple of questions about the setup of my cutter.

When completely lowered, the frame of the cutter was flat on the ground and the tail wheel was barely touching. Would I be better off moving the wheel so that it keeps the back of the frame a little of the ground. Would I offset this by keeping the front up a little - so that it's level - with the 3 pt?

When I have the 3 pt up as far as it will go, the cutter is only off the ground about 12 inches and it's level to the ground. It seems like I've seen them higher off the ground - especially in the rear. Is there an adjustment I need to look at to raise the cutter higher off the ground in rear? Should I try to keep it level when raised or should it be higher in back?

Thanks for the help with a beginner's questions...

I have a 4-ft KK brush hog that I use with my 21-hp Kubota B7510HST. It's quiet as a mouse when it's running at 540 rpm and there's no vibration to speak of. Check the gearbox on the mower to be sure it's filled properly with gear oil.

Also check that your PTO shaft is connected securely on both ends. The shaft that came with my KK mower has a shear pin (a bolt) on the mower end and a button-release quick connect on the tractor end. Be sure that you push the quick connect all the way onto the tractor's PTO shaft so the button snaps outward. Pull on the connection to make sure it's secure.

You need to adjust the top link so the rear of the mower is about 2" higher than the front. Just set the mower flat on the ground and use a large screwdriver as a handle to work the turnbuckle on the top link. Then I adjust the rear wheel on the mower so it just touches the ground.

When I mow, I keep the front of the mower about 2-3 inches off the ground. I close the hand valve on the 3pt hitch hydraulics to keep the lift arms from gradually bleeding down. Seems to work OK for me.

 

[Ford960]

You might check to see if the blades are free to swing. If they aren't then the mower will be out of balance and vibrate. As for the noise, the only noise that I hear from either of my Bush Hogs when not actually cutting is a whiring as the blades rotate and cut air. Both of my Hogs are very smooth if yours isn't then you need to find out what's wrong and correct it before using it too much.

Good Luck

 

[john_bud]

Abolt,

The wheel in the back sets the cutting height, it should be 1-2 inches higher than the front. That gives a pretty good cut and doesn't bog down the mower by recutting. You really don't want it level. Measure height of the bottom of the blades from the height of the side skids. Mark that height on the side of one skid. Then lower the wheel and raise the 3pt to put that mark at the cutting height you want. If I recall correctly, the KK decks have pretty low blades, so you may have been set to scalp as it were.

If it is a new deck, you usually have to fill it with oil yourself. 75W90 or 75W140. Also, make sure the blades are able to swing free. A real bad vibration is often caused by a blade that pinned a branch or some "stuff" against the stump jumper and is more in that the other blade. Don't forget to grease the PTO shaft and u-joints.


jb

 

[Slamfire]

Yes they are a bit noisy at startup, and the vibration only lasts until both blades are at their normal angle. I can hear when I start cutting grass, and my wife thinks I'm deaf as a post.

 

[sweettractors]

Just back from a day of bushogging - my first time. I was surprised at how much noise and vibration there was with the cutter when PTO was engaged. I know some noise is probably normal - this isn't a riding mower - but how do you know when something isn't right and you're getting too much vibration?

My terrain is pretty uneven and I 'cut dirt' a good deal of the time. I tried to lift the 3 pt but could not always keep it off the ground. I have a couple of questions about the setup of my cutter.

When completely lowered, the frame of the cutter was flat on the ground and the tail wheel was barely touching. Would I be better off moving the wheel so that it keeps the back of the frame a little of the ground. Would I offset this by keeping the front up a little - so that it's level - with the 3 pt?

When I have the 3 pt up as far as it will go, the cutter is only off the ground about 12 inches and it's level to the ground. It seems like I've seen them higher off the ground - especially in the rear. Is there an adjustment I need to look at to raise the cutter higher off the ground in rear? Should I try to keep it level when raised or should it be higher in back?

Thanks for the help with a beginner's questions...

I usually set my brush hog where the back is a little higher than the front. This helps keep the discharge going out the back and not kicking up under that tractor or toward the operator. The tailwheel should be riding on the ground. Most have an adjustment on the tailwheel hanger bracket?--Ken Sweet

Email sweet@scrtc.com
Website http://www.sweettractors.com

 

[JerryG]

When I have the 3 pt up as far as it will go, the cutter is only off the ground about 12 inches and it's level to the ground. It seems like I've seen them higher off the ground - especially in the rear. Is there an adjustment I need to look at to raise the cutter higher off the ground in rear? Should I try to keep it level when raised or should it be higher in back?

The others have hit on the adjustments, so I will address something else. On a lot of rotary cutters, the lift pins (actually the whole A-frame) are higher than they should be for compact tractors. If the mower is sitting on the ground and the lift arms are level with the ground or almost level, the pins are to high on the mower. If the pins/A-frame are lowered by several inches then the mower will lift a lot more level and will go up higher when lifted. I have relocated the pins and A-frame on more than one mower and they work a lot better.

 

[whodat90]

Another thing I do is use chains to hold the front of the hog at the height I want rather than the position control of the 3pt hitch. I set the tailwheel at the height it needs to be for the height I'm cutting (almost always as high as I can set the mower) and then use the 3pt hitch to adjust the front. Then I run chains from my rops down to the 3pt hitch arms and tighten, then let the pressure off the 3pt hitch. That way there's no variation from bumping the control, and it frees up a tiny bit of horsepower since the hydraulic pump isn't having to hold any pressure. Mostly I do it just because I know the front of the mower doesn't move due to leakdown, bumping the controls, etc.