Bush Hog Troubleshooting

[Master Deluxe]

I use a Taylor-Way bush hog that is driving me sane. Last spring it stopped cutting and went to just bashing grass and weeds. That was useles.

During the summer I pulled the blades. They were beat up and dull; no big surprise after a dozen years of bush hogging about 18 acres twice a year. We (my buddy Ray and me) built up the cutting edge with some nice hard MIG weld bead. Then we ground that down until it was reasonably (but not razor) sharp. Put it back together without trouble.

Since my wife doesn't much want me doing that kind of work any more (I'm past 70), we hired a (inexperienced) guy to do the bush hogging. After a little while he brought it in with the same complaint I had last spring. I guessed he might be doing something wrong, so today I took it out into the same field and made a few passes. I tried two different tach speeds and two different drive gears. It mostly just bashes stuff still.

Does anybody have an idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm feeling pretty clueless!

 

[brin]

I am just guessing since I am not there and have not seen it but my suspicion is the gear box...it seems power is not being transferred to the blades...either the gear box or pto...just my guess..

 

[LD1]

Well, if its making you sane, dont change a thing

For starters, check the blades again, see if they are dull. And odds are, the mig weld you used to build them up, wasnt as hard as the blades. The blades arent just mild steel to begin with. They are pretty hard.

Aside from that, make sure the cutter is set-up right. The blades should be 2" lower in the front than at the rear.

And even all that, a bushhog doesnt leave it looking like a finished lawn. They arent called rough cutters for no reason.

And for average weeds/grass, you should be in a gear that will give you about 4MPG ground speed, and you should be running the RPM at whatever gives you 540 @ the PTO.

Regardless, I am just betting the blades need sharpened again. I sharpen my about once every 10-20 acres depending on conditions. and since you haven sharpened them since last spring, and you do 18 acres 2x's per year...........

 

[bullbreaker]

Real solid advice given before me,but I'am going to throw this in :
Could you be running a slip clutch and its too loose ?

Boone

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Is the shear bolt sheared? Are the blades even turning? Could you have mounted the blades upside down? Why not just buy a new pair for $40 or so?
Blades can be totally dull and still cut somewhat.

 

[hrcarver]

Usually if the clutch is slipping you will lay the weeds over not bash them to death, and you will probably smell the clutch burning after a few seconds.

Bashing to death is dull blades. Buy new ones, if you got a dozen years out of the old ones (miraculous to me) then you are due. I usually swap bush hog blades every year, and sharpen them a few times with a grinder in between replacing them. I have a lot of rocks and terraces, which translates into a hard life for a bush hog.

 

[Short Game]

Slip clutch was my first thought. My 48 incher has a shear bolt, so I really have no idea about slip clutches. I've broken my share of bolts. I calculated the blade end speed on my JD hog at around 70 MPH. That alone should whack just about anything that gets in the way. Since when the blades came on the new implement, they didn't have anything like a fine edge (in fact they were somewhat rounded and painted green), I have never sharpened them.

 

[300UGUY]

I'd suspect you aren't getting the power to the blade:

Check shearpins

Check slipclutch if so equipped

Check the pto - is it turning? I had a International with a internal clutch that went bad. The pto went to speed, but as soon as it went to work, it slowed way down and didn't cut. I had to remove the pto to fix it.

 

[Master Deluxe]

The PTO is turning and the clutch does not appear to be slipping. When I raise the bush hog to the max I can peek under the deck. The blades are merilly spinning but then of course they are resisted only by air.

 

[Master Deluxe]

Is the shear bolt sheared? Are the blades even turning? Could you have mounted the blades upside down? Why not just buy a new pair for $40 or so?
Blades can be totally dull and still cut somewhat.

As for replacing the blades, I'm a victim of Catch 22. The dealer tells me that they are no longer available but there are shorter ones that could work. The parts guy ordered them for me and said he would call when they came in. That was maybe 6 weeks ago. I plan to drop in on him Monday and see what's up.