Chain Guards

[Bird]

Has anyone tried making your own chain guards for a brush hog (rotary cutter)? If so, I'd be interested in a description of how you did it. 5 years ago, I had some old tire chains that came down from up north, and since they weren't needed in this part of the country, I cut them up and made chain guards for my brush hog. They served the purpose, but the twist links of tire chains didn't work very well (at least not the way I did it). Last Fall I bought a new brush hog and just made rubber guards, but the rear one got torn up and the front one is getting in bad shape, so I'm about halfway through making new chain guards (I'll tell you how I'm doing it later - maybe - after I see how they work).

Bird

 

[gordon]

Ok Bird you got me curious how are you making them? Using a piece of all thread rod with the links threaded through it. That's my guess on how your constructing them am I close?
Gordon

 

[W5FL]

They should be very easy to make. They are stronger if you take a 3 inch angle and bend it around the mower on the curved end and put it straight across the flat end. Burn holes every 1 1/2 for a link to go through and then stick a 1/4 inch rod through all of the links and secure on each end. I will be glad to make the measurements if you want to do it. My chain gurards are all made of 3/4 inch chain and I believe they hang down 3 or 4 links. The important thing is that they are spaced far enough not to get caught in the blaede! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The guards cost about $300 and couldn't possible have $60 worth of material in them.

 

[Bird]

Gordon, on the first chain guard I made a few years ago (and I had never even seen or looked at a real one), I just shaped angle iron to fit across the back of the mower (and a straight piece across the front) and when I cut the chain, then I just used half links and welded them flat to the edge of the angle iron with the other links hanging from that off the edge. They did serve a purpose, but those twist links from tire chains tended to get twisted into some odd shapes, I made the chains too long - or too close to the housing (the blades shortened them for me), and they tended to flip up and hang on top of the angle iron at times. In other words, an all round lousy job/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif, but it didn't cost me anything but a little time and some welding rod.

This time I'm using 3/16" chain, which is what my finish mower came with, (might should be using bigger, heavier chain for a brush hog), and on the rear I had to cut, bend, and re-enforce the angle iron, then put it under the drill press and drilled 7/64" holes one inch apart. When I cut the chain, I take the cut piece, with 3 links hanging below it, insert the open end into the holes in the angle iron, from the bottom of course, and spot weld them in place.

For the front one, I intend to drill larger holes 1" apart, but closer to the edge of the angle iron, and when I cut the chain, I'll cut the top, or end, of a link, open it a bit, and hook it to a hole in the angle iron, and spot weld that link back together.

In other words, I'm just experimenting with material on hand, except that I did buy some more chain, and the plan may change if someone gives me another idea that I like better. Unfortunately, there's been a small delay./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif I was almost through with the rear one when my little welder died. I don't think there's anything wrong except the range selector switch burned up, so I went to town, 7 different places, this morning and with my usual luck, couldn't find one and had to ask the dealer to order one. They're supposed to call when they find out how long it'll take to get it. However, my brother took a little gasless, wire feed welder in on trade on a new one he sold this past week, so we may just keep it and I'll try it next week.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Bird, that previous post should have read 3/8 chain! If you have a chance look at the 260 Bush Hog. They do a really good job on the chain guards. Rhino's method is cheaper, but bends easier and as you found out, the cutter shortens the chains to fit! The Land Pride and John Deere looked pretty good, but not sure of the exact techniques they used. Good Luck. There is very little welding in the Bush Hog and replacing a chain is very simple.

 

[Bird]

Wen, my Bush Hog finish mower doesn't have an "add on" chain guard, it's an integral part of the mower. The back edge of the deck has slots about an inch long, a little wider than the 3/16" chain, and spaced about an inch apart. Each chain is 4 links, with the top links sticking up through those slots and a steel rod run through them all. Nice arrangement, but I didn't have the proper tools to cut neat slots like that in angle iron (I'm a bit sloppy doing that kind of work with a cutting torch), so I decided to try some other methods.

And I assumed you didn't really mean 3/4" chain, even if you do have a bigger brush hog than mine./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

 

[JimBinMI]

Bird,

I finish mow with a Woods RD6000, 60" rear discharge 3 pt. mower. I purchased it with the tractor without a rear chain guard (the only place it needs one). The deck does slope down at the rear so as to deflect projectiles downward. Last week when I was mowing, I hit a rock and could not see where it went, no broken windows, no hurt individuals. That convinced me that I should invest in a guard! Wen's post here kinda scared me when he said they were about $300, I didn't know what to expect. I was at my dealer today and he looked it up, came to just over $100 and then he started playing with his calculator...he said since I bought a tractor from him, I could have it for $78! /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

He also has a 4' Woods rotary in stock whenever I'm ready, I looked it over and it appears that the front end is closed and doesn't need a guard, but the back is open and has holes to mount a guard.

Good Luck, JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bird]

JimBinMI, I'm not sure but I think Wen was talking about $300 for both front and rear chain guards for a brush hog, and it's a bigger one than mine or the one you may buy, so I think that's about the normal price. I know for the 4' and 5' brush hogs, I've heard prices of $100 to $150 each for front and rear. We'll see how what I'm making works out, but I'll have a total of less than $35 invested (and a good bit of time) for both front and rear. I haven't seen a new Woods brush hog (rotary cutter), but I can't recall ever seeing one enclosed on the front.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Bird,

I guess the reason for this is that you have to get the grass under the mower before you can cut it. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Bird]

Yeah Wen, my finish mower is enclosed on the front. I guess they figure lawn type grass will pop up all right, and I guess they have blades that are supposed to suck the grass back up, so I can't say I'm surprised that someone makes a brush hog that's enclosed on the front, but I just haven't seen one.

I just finished making and installing the chain guards on my brush hog. They look pretty good, but I don't have any of that kind of work to do right now, and if it doesn't rain, no telling when I will have./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird