Anyone built a front bush hog for their CUT?

[RonR]

Looking at photos of a DR brush cuttering mower and thinking that it would be a good tool for me.

But, can I build something like that for the front of my BX2200, using the mid PTO for power? Would save the cost/hassle of another power plant. Would limit the terrain I could go on, but most of what I would do is fairly flat.

I see a lot of advantages of having it out front. Biggest is not having to drive over the stuff before you cut it.

The downside is I might now want to scratch up my tractor, and if I had a DR, I could just dive into the brush and go crazy!

Thoughts, my friends?

Ron

 

[Havoctec]

Sound doable but it will not be easy. I think you will have to have a gear reduction from the front pto because the rpms will be to high.

Are you thinking of taking a regular three point brush hog and modifying it to mount on the front?

 

[RonR]

This is still in the dreaming stage, but I think I would probably build something LIKE a rear mower, but I wouldn't make it lift like a 3PT. I would likely have it lift similar to a snowblower.

If I used a separate power plant, I could mount it to the FEL by taking the bucket off.

Understand about the gear reduction needed--good point!

THKS.
ron

 

[MossRoad]

See my little animated tractor in my signature? Is that what you're after? You could power it hydraulically with a PTO hydraulic pump and mount it on your FEL arms in place of the bucket.

You can also click on my little animated tractor and that will take you to my webpage with pictures and videos of our Power Trac PT425. It has everything mounted out front, and might give you some ideas for your project. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[RonR]

Thks Moss,

Yes, that's the general idea, but my BX only has about a 5GPM pump, and it uses that for hydro (same one maybe, I don't know?), so I don't have enough hydraulic power, unless I use a separate PTO pump. That would be a clean setup, but pretty pricey I guess.

I've never seen a PT up close, but I sure like the concept!

Ron

 

[SnowRidge]

I have both front and rear bush hogs -- front on my PT and rear on my Branson. FWIW, I much prefer the rear bush hog for general use.

All kind of stuff comes flying out of a bush hog. With a water cooled machine, you run the risk of perforating your radiator if the hog is in front. PT's, which use front mounted implements, have an air or oil cooled engine in the rear, and their chassis and front body work is plate steel, not sheet metal or plastic.

I think trying to fabricate mounts for a front bush hog for a CUT or SCUT would be quite an undertaking. Take look at Moss's photos and notice the front arms on the PT. You would have to come up with something like that for it to work. Of course, if you have a loader with a removable bucket, you might be able to fabricate a mount for a bush hog using the loader arms.

 

[DDT]

Ron,
If you are in need I do have a extra gear box (new) for a Landpride rotary mower.
DDT

 

[kossetx]

I've never had anything on the front, but with what I have cut down with my cutter, I'd kinda be worried about what my tires were going to be running over after I've shredded in front of me.

 

[RalphVa]

Surely would like to have one that would just chunk in place where the FEL bucket goes on my 4010. You're less likely to chunk up rocks and set them up for your rear brush hog if it's out front. This is what I discovered regarding my Gravely with its hog out front vs. the 4010 with it out back. The Gravely hog would often just go over the top of a rock, which the tires would churn up to the surface after the hog passed over it unhit.

Would really rather have it out front when sticking it underneath trees. You can keep limbs out of your way a lot easier with it out front.

Think they make them out front for European tractors, but silly people over here have traditionally had them out back.

Same for trucks: rear wheel drive with big chunky drive shafts and differentials and unloaded probably 95% of the time. Makes more sense for most of them to be front wheel drive. My most-liked truck was a FrtWD Dodge Rampage. The big trucks plain don't make sense, too. You gotta be 7-8' tall to load and unload the things from the side, which I could easily do on my Rampage and on my 2wd Toyota Tacoma.

Ralph

 

[Taylortractornut]

Im mounting an old abused flail mower on the front of dads 90 Deere to mow the woods back on one of our jobs we do every year. Im gonna make a 3point adapter for the loader and mount a hydraulic motor to the front of the mower and run the pump off the back.