My Bush Hogging experience

[RollTideRam]

I have been cutting grass at the small plant where my wife works. They asked me to bring my tractor and grapple one day to retrieve a few 55 gallon drums out in their field. A passerby saw my tractor and wanted me to price hogging 5 acres. I did, and waited to see if he wanted me or not before I bought a rotary cutter. A month later he called, and I got the last Deere lx5 my dealer had for cost. I cut his land and thought I learned alot for my first time. I learned I needed a suspension seat so I could mow faster than 3mph. Today I went to move some gravel for my wifes work, and they saw the bush hog and wanted me to cut some for them. This field looks to be 20 acres, way more than I want to cut. They said cut what you can in 4 hours just to make the place look better. I learned a whole lot more on my second outing.
1. You can kill the tractor engine going through deep ruts and cutting dirt.
2. Watch out for stray concrete chunks. I hit one when I looked at the train going by.
3. A tire and wheel can be hid in tall grass. This will kill the engine also. I thought I had my bucket low enough.
4. I don't know what flying beast stung me, but 5 hours later it still hurts.
5. Deep rut make you go real slow, and wearing seat belt real tight, helps.
6. Tall overgrowth can hide a deep hole very well.
7. Try to talk to the man that did this job last, since he works at said place, he might give better insight than the guy that is paying.
8. I need a bigger tractor
9. I can drink more water in four hours than I thought. Carry more water.
All this typing took my mind off of the "bee stings" JC

 

[thatguy]

WOW... You have probably learned more in that 4 or so hours of seat time than you would get in months of TBN reading.. LOL

Nothing quite like experience as a learning lesson..

Good luck and most of all - Remember to try and have fun...

brian

 

[jbrumberg]

RollTideRam:

Real seat time accelerates the learning curve ! "You did good" . Apparently you are operating safely and well . Good luck and stay on your seat. Keep the posts coming- Jay

 

[civesnedfield]

I have been cutting grass at the small plant where my wife works. They asked me to bring my tractor and grapple one day to retrieve a few 55 gallon drums out in their field. A passerby saw my tractor and wanted me to price hogging 5 acres. I did, and waited to see if he wanted me or not before I bought a rotary cutter. A month later he called, and I got the last Deere lx5 my dealer had for cost. I cut his land and thought I learned alot for my first time. I learned I needed a suspension seat so I could mow faster than 3mph. Today I went to move some gravel for my wifes work, and they saw the bush hog and wanted me to cut some for them. This field looks to be 20 acres, way more than I want to cut. They said cut what you can in 4 hours just to make the place look better. I learned a whole lot more on my second outing.
1. You can kill the tractor engine going through deep ruts and cutting dirt.
2. Watch out for stray concrete chunks. I hit one when I looked at the train going by.
3. A tire and wheel can be hid in tall grass. This will kill the engine also. I thought I had my bucket low enough.
4. I don't know what flying beast stung me, but 5 hours later it still hurts.
5. Deep rut make you go real slow, and wearing seat belt real tight, helps.
6. Tall overgrowth can hide a deep hole very well.
7. Try to talk to the man that did this job last, since he works at said place, he might give better insight than the guy that is paying.
8. I need a bigger tractor
9. I can drink more water in four hours than I thought. Carry more water.
All this typing took my mind off of the "bee stings" JC

Sounds like you had a bunch of fun. I did a new field this past weekend and I will tell you that a suspension seat does make a big diference.
About the bees. See them all the time, by the way the tractor will not out run them I have tried. I use to get stung every year when I did my brother in laws's field. Finally got smart after the third year. Marked the nest in the fall, stayed away from in the next year when I mowed. Did help a little but I still got stung.
You do have a distinct advantage living down south. That is once you cut a field and clear and debris or rocks you are kinda safe next time around. Up north we grow rocks. You can pick up every stray rock you can see and hit and the field will be clear when you leave. But next year be prepared there will be more. They just keep growing and growing.

 

[jsborn]

See Signature below and good luck with your new found jobs

 

[deerhunterf350]

1. You can kill the tractor engine going through deep ruts and cutting dirt.
2. Watch out for stray concrete chunks. I hit one when I looked at the train going by.
3. A tire and wheel can be hid in tall grass. This will kill the engine also. I thought I had my bucket low enough.
4. I don't know what flying beast stung me, but 5 hours later it still hurts.
5. Deep rut make you go real slow, and wearing seat belt real tight, helps.
6. Tall overgrowth can hide a deep hole very well.
7. Try to talk to the man that did this job last, since he works at said place, he might give better insight than the guy that is paying.
8. I need a bigger tractor
9. I can drink more water in four hours than I thought. Carry more water.
All this typing took my mind off of the "bee stings" JC

I am curious

Do you still have an operational Tractor and Cutter, or they both in the shop getting repaired after your learning experience ??

Dan

 

[Grrrr]

Did you break any shear bolts or slip the clutch on the cutter in your mowing experiences? Normally they break or slip before you stall the engine out?

 

[Tact]

I have been cutting grass at the small plant where my wife works. They asked me to bring my tractor and grapple one day to retrieve a few 55 gallon drums out in their field. A passerby saw my tractor and wanted me to price hogging 5 acres. I did, and waited to see if he wanted me or not before I bought a rotary cutter. A month later he called, and I got the last Deere lx5 my dealer had for cost. I cut his land and thought I learned alot for my first time. I learned I needed a suspension seat so I could mow faster than 3mph. Today I went to move some gravel for my wifes work, and they saw the bush hog and wanted me to cut some for them. This field looks to be 20 acres, way more than I want to cut. They said cut what you can in 4 hours just to make the place look better. I learned a whole lot more on my second outing.
1. You can kill the tractor engine going through deep ruts and cutting dirt.
2. Watch out for stray concrete chunks. I hit one when I looked at the train going by.
3. A tire and wheel can be hid in tall grass. This will kill the engine also. I thought I had my bucket low enough.
4. I don't know what flying beast stung me, but 5 hours later it still hurts.
5. Deep rut make you go real slow, and wearing seat belt real tight, helps.
6. Tall overgrowth can hide a deep hole very well.
7. Try to talk to the man that did this job last, since he works at said place, he might give better insight than the guy that is paying.
8. I need a bigger tractor
9. I can drink more water in four hours than I thought. Carry more water.
All this typing took my mind off of the "bee stings" JC

Those are the exact same reasons I quit mowing for $$$ years ago.

 

[3RRL]

JC,
True, true...
Great story and thanks for sharing. I really got a kick out of it.

 

[horse7]

8. I need a bigger tractor
JC

I was using an ancient (relatively speaking) MF with a 5' going through 10' bushes. Now using a TN70 with 8' going through 10' weeds and bushes (the suspension seat is much nicer than the previous mostly unsprung seat! Legs still get shaken up though). I'm starting to think 90hp+ with a batwing would be nice.... and here I thought it would be a at least a few years before the "futility" set in.

Don't think you can have too much horsepower.