Setting Height on Brushhog

[Soundguy]

Simple.. You take your pin that holds the toplink an dthe chains.. slide it thru the first chain bracket.. then slide it thru the toplink rocker bottom hole, thru the toplink, out the other side of the toplink rocker, then thru the 2nd chain bracket.. then pin. ( Yes.. you have to use a 6" pin.. not a short 4" pin.. )

And DO use the bottom hole.. It all fits.. one after the other.. the chain brackets are on either side of the rocker, with the toplink in the middle of the rocker.

Soundguy

 

[8N_John]

Thanks Soundguy. Another question about the top hole of the rocker. Is it OK to put the stayrods in the top hole when hauling a trailer...or should they go in the bottom hole as well?

Also, my rocker doesn't seem to match up with the one in the manuals. I don't have a good picture offhand, but here is one that I cropped. Would I put the chains and toplink through the hole that right now has the small pin in it?

 

[DmansPadge]

If anyone has some input, I have posted a similar thread specific to my Kubota in the Kubota Owning/Operating forum titled "3ph lowering limit on a B7300." Just trying to generate some opinions!

Thanks!

 

[Phred]

I can see the value of the chains, but my place is so rough and rocky that I usually keep one hand on the 3 pt lift.
Sure the cut is uneven, but its not called a finish mower for a reason.

Also as you go through a ditch and up the other side the chains are not going to keep the cut level?
And what about those hidden rusty old pto shafts or rocks hidden in the tall grass or bursh. Setting it and not paying attention could get you in trouble.

One handy way I have found to level the mower side to side is just use a tape measure to keep the two three point arms the same length. This avoids the need for having a level surface to set the side to side level.

Fred

 

[djradz]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Also as you go through a ditch and up the other side the chains are not going to keep the cut level?
And what about those hidden rusty old pto shafts or rocks hidden in the tall grass or bursh. Setting it and not paying attention could get you in trouble. )</font>

Well, it depends. The chains actually work extremely well for just that very situation. However, remember, your top link assembly needs to be flexible, which means the deck has to have some type of mechanism to accomplish this or you've replaced your top link with a chain or other type of mechanism. A hydraulic cylinder (like in a TnT setup) if it was free to move (float), could also work. Also, there is only so much unevenness that can be accomadated, but it is quite a bit and I would tend to say that the chains will make for a better cut than without, even in this situation. In fact, my guess is, if you are comfortable taking your rig up and down the ditch, with a brush hog attached, the chains will adequately support it correctly. Keep thinking, the front of the deck will follow the rear wheels of the tractor only, not the lift arms. As you know, normally, when in a set position, the lift arms are subject to not only what the rear wheels do, but to maybe even a greater extent, what the front of the tractor does. Such that, if the front goes down, the arms go up, if the tractor front goes up, the lift arms go down, and so on. With the chains in place, think of the lift arms as just a support to keep the deck from coming too close to the tractor, for that's really all they do. They just sit out there, floating along and holding the deck out while it hangs from the chains.

I've said it before, EVERY brush hog (rotary cutter) and finish mower, with some sort of flexible top connection, unless it has front gage wheels, should have chains. The benefit of this inexpensive item is absolutely incredible.

If there's debris, rocks, PTO shafts, old tractors /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif etc, buried in the brush, I don't think anything is gonna help.

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> The benefit of this inexpensive item is absolutely incredible. </font>
I totally agree with you on replacing the top link with a chain. On my last tractor, I bent the top link three times. This was going across ditches and or the transition to steep banks. I have never had any problem what so ever with a chain. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[djradz]

Jerry, hope you didn't get the wrong impression from my post, although I HIGHLY advocate the use of check chains, I do so with the caviat that they have to be used with a flexible top link assembly. The BEST way to do this is to have some sort of flexible, swinging or pivoting or sliding mechanism, built into the rotary cutter or finish mower. Most have such, but not all. If that is not available, then use of check chains must go along with the use of some other type of flexible top link, such as the chain-type link (that you're mentioning) which replaces the turnbuckle or TnT setup most folks have either of. I've never used a chain for the top link, but can see the benefit. Others have even removed the top link alltogether and used their decks like an older (and still used in large ag situations) trailer type deck. At least with a chain top link, you have the ability to still lift the deck. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JerryG]

The way the swinging or movable link is made on most brush hogs, they do not allow enough movement. This is why the top link chain is so useful. You are right, the top chain does allow the BH to be lifted. There are some low priced BHs now that don't have any movable link, this creates a situation where if the equipment is used on anything other than smooth flat ground, the three point attachment on the equipment will buckle.

 

[Volfandt]

As easy as it is to remove the top link pin, you can remove the check chain brackets when you want to run the stayrods.

The Howse bush hog I ran had a slot cut in the top link connector that ran fore & aft approx 3 inches This allowed the bush hog to pivot enough to keep from gouging out the slight rise & fall of the terrain.
Once I've mounted the bush hog and got the height set via the check chains, I'd then adj the top link to where it was centered in the slot. This gave me the ability to pivot both up & down. I had very little problems with the bush hog gouging and it worked out better when I backed over creek beds etc in that it wouldn't let the bush hog drop too low.

Volfandt

 

[8N_John]

Now I'm really confused after looking at some other rocker pics. I just bought this 8n and #1) it doesn't look like it has a 3 hole rocker and #2) it doesn't have the "brackets" that are welded on the housing that the long rocker pin goes through in this pic that I found of another 8N.

My first question is - why doensn't my 8N have the welded outside brackets and will the lack of them cause damage if hauling heavy implements?

My second question is- can I attach a 3hole rocker to my current set up (similar to pic)...except for welded outside brackets?