Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter offset mount

   / Rotary cutter offset mount #1  

DMF

Platinum Member
Joined
May 16, 2005
Messages
651
Location
Mass
Tractor
Massey Ferguson 1552 Cab Model
I bush-hog the edges of my hay fields to keep all the brush back but I have lost some ground over the years. I've always thought that it would be great to have my cutter offset a foot or so beyond the edge of my tire. This would be great for me in two ways:
1. it would allow me and my tractor to stay out of the pickers/branches yet still cut further off the edge of the field.
2. I have some drainage ditches along my driveway and in other various locations on the property. Offsetting the cutter would allow me to drive along the ditch edge and the cutter could overhang the ditch allowing me to cut the weeds right up the the edge.

So, I found that several rotary cutter manufacturers offer an offset mount as an option and that has gotten me to thinking about one for mysel but I have some questions:

1. Does anyone here use an offset mount? If so, what brand(s)?
2. How much offset can you get out of it?
3. Can you easily switch betwenn offset and regular mounting?

Thanks for the help!
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Anyone...? Anyone at all...?
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #3  
Why not just slide the mower to the side and lock it in with the link chains. I can get 4 or 5 inches of overhang on my rig doing this.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I thought of that as well, but I have two problems I'm looking to solve. I just upgraded my tractor (delivery today!) and it's a foot wider than my old tractor. My rotary cutter is 5' wide so I'd be using 6" of lower link adjustment just to get it even with one side of the tractor. That's why I was wondering how much offset you can gain with the offset mounts. I may not be able to do what I want with the 5' cutter anyway, but ideally I'd like to have a cutter offset to a good fott from the edge of the tractor. This would get me under the brush along the fields and allow me to mow off the edge of the ditches without having to get too close.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #5  
Anyone...? Anyone at all...?


Sounds like a useful idea but the nerd in me would check it out a little more.

You don't want a universal joint to operate at too severe of an angle because the stresses in it go up after a certain angle. So whether you just offset the cutter with the rear links or use a special mount, you still have that angle limit to deal with. It might be worth contacting your pto shaft engineering dept to see what max angle they recommend.

This is a stretch for my memory but I THINK the maximum recommended angle for a universal joint in general is 11 degrees. If so, then an approximate side shift at that angle would be about 20% of the (u-joint to u-joint) pto shaft length when the cutter is straight back. For example, if the shaft measures 40 inches, side shift would be less than 8 inches. Worse, if you have much vertical angle due to height differences between the gear box and pto stub, then the max side shift angle component is reduced.

Does that a special offset mount use a modified drive train?

John
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #6  
...I just upgraded my tractor (delivery today!) and it's a foot wider than my old tractor. My rotary cutter is 5' wide so I'd be using 6" of lower link adjustment just to get it even with one side of the tractor. ...

Time for a new implement as well!

How about a sicklebar mower, or a flail mower? The flails usually have an offset adjustment ability, and of course the sickle mower is always cutting off to one side of the tractor. Both of these are rather expensive though.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Does that a special offset mount use a modified drive train?

John

John,

It doesn't appear to which was why I was questioning it. The only picture(s) I can find are in parts manual like this one (see pg. 27) and not actual photos of one on a tractor or in use.

http://www.servis-rhino.com/RhinoManuals/parts/00757419P--- CY60 CY72 PUB 08-05 Rev 05-07.pdf

The only advantage I can see by this diagram is that you could use a quick-hitch style adapter on the back and get the offset from this without having to play with the lower link arm adjustments...?

Time for a new implement as well!

How about a sicklebar mower, or a flail mower? The flails usually have an offset adjustment ability, and of course the sickle mower is always cutting off to one side of the tractor. Both of these are rather expensive though.

Most of the newer sicklebars aren't made for brush, just for cutting hay as I've been told. I have an older Massey Ferguson sickle bar that's 7' long. That would work for cutting over my ditches OK but not so good for cutting around my feild edges I'm thinking because the brush is thicker and there may be some hidden obstacles that wouldn't phase a rotary cutter but may do some damage to a sicklebar.

I know nothing about flail mowers at all except they appear to be pricey... I guess I should do some homework on these...there is a long-running thread here on them that I haven't really paid any attention to.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #8  
I bush-hog the edges of my hay fields to keep all the brush back ...<snip>... but I have some questions:

1. Does anyone here use an offset mount? If so, what brand(s)?
2. How much offset can you get out of it?
3. Can you easily switch betwenn offset and regular mounting?

Thanks for the help!

I have a Brushog 7' rotary cutter that offsets about a foot. I don't know if it is still made, but here's a link to the BH 8' model that offsets . . .
Bush Hog&reg - Performance You Can Count On

This model is a heavier and wider version of mine - weighs more, requires more hp etc.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #9  
I thought of that as well, but I have two problems I'm looking to solve. I just upgraded my tractor (delivery today!) and it's a foot wider than my old tractor. My rotary cutter is 5' wide so I'd be using 6" of lower link adjustment just to get it even with one side of the tractor. That's why I was wondering how much offset you can gain with the offset mounts. I may not be able to do what I want with the 5' cutter anyway, but ideally I'd like to have a cutter offset to a good fott from the edge of the tractor. This would get me under the brush along the fields and allow me to mow off the edge of the ditches without having to get too close.
My idea is to hang a mower off to the side that would extend up to 4 to 6 feet off to the right and left side and the end of the tractor.
It could be used on both the front and the rear of the tractor.
With a 2 wheel dolly it could be towed behind any tractor or ATV.
 
   / Rotary cutter offset mount #10  
I bush-hog the edges of my hay fields to keep all the brush back but I have lost some ground over the years. I've always thought that it would be great to have my cutter offset a foot or so beyond the edge of my tire. This would be great for me in two ways:
1. it would allow me and my tractor to stay out of the pickers/branches yet still cut further off the edge of the field.
2. I have some drainage ditches along my driveway and in other various locations on the property. Offsetting the cutter would allow me to drive along the ditch edge and the cutter could overhang the ditch allowing me to cut the weeds right up the the edge.

So, I found that several rotary cutter manufacturers offer an offset mount as an option and that has gotten me to thinking about one for mysel but I have some questions:

1. Does anyone here use an offset mount? If so, what brand(s)?
2. How much offset can you get out of it?
3. Can you easily switch betwenn offset and regular mounting?

Thanks for the help!

The Fence Mower: Fence Mowing Made Easy!
 
 
 
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