Any brush hogging tips?

[80sDweeb]

Because our house burned on Nov. 1, 2014, we're building a new home farther back on our 5 acre property - the old farmhouse was RIGHT by the road. The new house will now have no back yard, until I can clear out the overgrowth back there, so I've been looking at (old to very old) tractors and brush hogs, and thinking about what I'd like, and what I can afford (which isn't much - but will have to do.) I ended up buying a '72 MF 135 diesel, which has 38 pto HP. My question is more about technique than equipment, but any advice would be welcome.

I was watching a couple YouTube videos about brush hogging in overgrown areas (lots of saplings, vines and stickers, etc.) I saw that one guy was "Ow, ow!" -ing a lot, as he want along, getting scratches on his hands from stickers as he leaned away to try to avoid the worst of it (but his hand on the steering wheel was very exposed.) Watching another video, the operator had his leather roper gloves on, and as soon as he came upon sticker branches across his path, he reached back into his toolbox, and came out with a small pair of pruners, which he used to clip the branches and keep going at one point, and at another point he got off and clipped them before passing through (he was maintaining trails, rather than just clearing all the brush away.) I've also heard that with the really old tractors, a rotary cutter can "push" the mower if you don't have an overrun clutch, on a manual pto (aka transmission pto) machine, and that can create some wild rides! (Maybe through a fence, or over an embankment.)

This got me thinking, there must be a LOT of good brush hogging experience and ideas out there (like "wear gloves", have a dust/pollen mask with you, keep a pruner in the toolbox, etc.) I'd much rather be tutored in bush hogging here, than try to figure it out myself, and get hurt or worse in the process. So please, don't be shy - share what you know. I'm old and I learn slow, but "somebody" will have to clear this land once my new house gets built where the old barn was (and "somebody" is probably not my wife...)

Scott in Brighton NY

 

[PHPaul]

When I was running my open station JD750 and opening up a new field, I wore a logging helmet. Ear protection and eye protection built in.

An overrun clutch is ABSOLUTELY necessary if the tractor doesn't have live PTO or have one built in (mine did) . Thinking particularly of Ford N-series tractors. A poor choice all around for mowing in heavy cover IMO, 1st gear at rated PTO RPM is much too fast.

Some sort of screen or shield between you and the 'hog is a good idea as they will occasionally toss something forward instead of to the side or rear. This is particularly true if backing while mowing. Simple solution: DON'T DO THAT! If you choose a tractor new enough to have a ROPS (which you should) you can fasten something to it to protect yourself from debris.

Walk the area first. You don't want to find holes, stumps or rocks the hard way.

Keep spectators away. A rotary mower running at full speed will throw a softball-sized rock 100 feet or more at some pretty impressive velocities.

 

[LD1]

First and foremost, set the cutter up right. Do it on a level slab of concrete. If your toplink has more than one place to hook on the tractor, use the bottom. This will cause the tailwheel to lift higher when raises to clear ditches or backing into thick brush. Set the heigh of the front of the blades at your desired height. The set the back 1-2" higher with the tailwheel.

Run the blades with a dull 1/8" or so blunt edge. This splinters up sapplings instead of making spears that will puncture tires. If you are only cutting grass, its okay to sharpen like a mower blade though.

Keep the radiator clean.

Your tractor likely has a 2-stage clutch. In which case the wild rides ain't gonna happen.

When briars and brush get thick and start encroaching on your hands, torn around and raise the cutter. Back over the brush while lowering the cutter.

Go slow tilnyou learn the property, where any obsticals are, bumps, holes, etc. You don't what to be thrown off a machine of that vintage. It is going to keep on cutting.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Consider simply contracting out that initial cut, allowing you more flexibility on what to buy for maintenance.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I know that it is hot but I wear long sleeved lightweight cotton shirts, gloves, and long pants. The heat is miserable but the briars are worse.

 

[houser52]

Lots of good info so far. Remember to watch out for hornet nests if mowing where there are low hanging limbs and bushes. Also watch for yellow jackets. When you run over the nest they will get you on the next pass.
If you get into a nest, don't panic and don't jump off the tractor while it's moving. I had a good friend get killed when this happened and he jumped off and the rear tire caught his leg and the bush hog ran over him.

If you run into either one of these stinging devils, leave and go back in the winter when they're gone.

 

[TripleR]

Good advice, if you can't mount an expanded metal or similar guard to protect you, get some chain guards, I've been hit in the back and head by flying debris with open cutters, but never one with chain guards.

We have also done controlled burns to remove brush and briars as well as renting a cabbed, tracked skid steer. A quick search will show how to safely do a controlled burn.

Try to fabricate or have someone make a radiator guard.

If you have a ROPS, you can run cable or rod from the front to the top to deflect brush, I have this on one of my cab tractors.

 

[Code54]

I been clearing a lot of trails and reclaiming some land recently and not had many problems getting tore up and no eqpt issues. If there is a lot of brush handing down I sometimes push it over and back with the front end loader if it high enough to be a problem. Other times I just back the cutter over the item so it gets pushed down and chopped up before I get there. We are clearing a lot of briers, small trees (1 inch to 2) and when there are a row of 10-20 small sapling I back over them also so I don't have all the stuff smashing into the underside of the tractor. I normally take a chain saw on the tractor in case I have a larger tree down or need to take out a 4-5" tree to continue the trail.

 

[txdon]

Wolfsnout® OFF ROAD #1 MOTOCROSS/ATV/UTV DUST MASK/FILTER/OFFROAD

Comfortable if a lot of dust.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I mow for a living and run into a lot of different stuff. My first piece of advice would be to go slow the first time and if you question if you should mow a spot or not, skip it. Turning over the tractor is my biggest fear.Be super careful around streams. The banks can collapse. Mow what you can the first time and allow some time to learn before working on the tough stuff. Eye protection and gloves are a good idea. Long sleeves can be a good idea if you have briars or thorns, but I rarely find it necessary. I mow with a compact tractor so the cutter is close to the tractor ,so I never have problems with debris. A utility tractor usually moves the cutter back a bit so you may have a problem. Pay attention and don't push your luck and you will be fine. It is a lot like using a push mower, just on a lot bigger scale.