Rotary Cutter Bush Hog Safety Guards

[RalphVa]

You need some guards in the front just to protect you and the tractor tires. Chains or very heavy, reinforced rubbery material is what is used by many. My bush hog has hanging chains.

You only need protection in the back if you're using it around the public, a house, a car, etc. because stuff can be slung quite a long ways a high force. I don't have any at the back because I only use it in down the hill from my house. I'd NEVER take it to do the sides of the road where I saw a neighbor doing so (and stopped to tell him that he could kill someone).

I once had about a 50 caliber hole made in the door of my Benz while crossing alligator alley in Florida. The hole was only about a foot below the window. Turned out the bush hogs they were using in the median were missing some chains and even had a pretty good sized hole in the top of the deck. Highway patrol sent both rigs back to the shop.

Someone was mowing in the front yard of a church building where we were working one day. That mowing machine slung something through the side window of a passing pickup trunk simply because the lawn was sloping away from the road. The trajectory of anything slung was above the roadway. Rotary machines are VERY dangerous.

Ralph

 

[NIdaho]

I have a small (48") LandPride that I used to use behind my B7100. One of the first times I used it I got nailed in the back with a couple of small stones -- they were large enough and sharp enough that they drew blood thru my tee-Shirt. I made a gaurd out of rubber belting before the next use.

Similar note -- about 20 years ago I was mowing the back yard with a push behind Snapper mower with a side chute. I wasn't bagging as it was the hot time of year when the grass grows alot slower and I was just sort of evening it up. Anyway the backyard sloped down away from the house. When I finished mowing I kept hearing this tinkling sound and couldn't figure out what it was. When I got over by the sliding glass door into the dining room the outer pane of glass was dropping into about 1/8" cubes (the tinkling sound I was hearing). The mower had picked up a rock and spilt it out the chute. With the slope of the yard, the trajectory was to the sliding glass door. Tempered Glass in sliding glass doors is pretty strong but if you hit it just right it goes to 1/8" cubes!

Ask a fireman or EMT what a small spring loaded center punch does to a car windshield.

 

[3RRL]

I used my Howse rotary cutter one season without chain guards or other type of guard.
I was mowing the meadow in front of our camp when my wife told me a big rock came flying by her. She was about 100 yards away (yes, approx 300 feet). The rock was about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. I couldn't believe it until she showed me the rock where it hit a bank near her.

After that incident. I decided to buy chain guards for the cutter.
The guards were reasonably priced, but the shipping was almost as much as the guards! I ended up making my own with remnant chain and other scrap metals I had lying around the garage. I turned out a lot less expensive than purchasing them from the dealer. They are still on the rotary cutter and I have lost only one string which I have replaced.
Here is a thread about it if you are considering making your own.
Adding Chain Guards to Rotary Cutter
There are lots of other ways and good ideas shared by other posters in the thread. Lots of photos too.

 

[Dead Horse]

I took the chain guards off my two JD bush hogs. they were nothing but a pain in the *** and cause me more trouble than thay were worth.... same thing with the shutes on the mid mount mowers..........

I just pay attention and don't mow around people or vehicles. Sometimes some funny stuff happens though...........

INCOMMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Soundguy]

I added rubber belt guards to mine after I sold my nice CUT diesel and high back seat and started using old fords with pan seats and open backs, and started getting pelted with debri now and then..

soundguy

 

[SPYDERLK]

I took the chain guards off my two JD bush hogs. they were nothing but a pain in the *** and cause me more trouble than thay were worth.... same thing with the shutes on the mid mount mowers..........

I just pay attention and don't mow around people or vehicles. Sometimes some funny stuff happens though...........

INCOMMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The knives on my JD cutter swing close to the front and back edges of the mower and only about an inch up from the bottom of the side skirts. This ensures good entry and exit of cuttings. Guards get in the way of this, particularly stiff rubber ones. I dont favor the rubber ones at all, but chains hanging down to just above the swing plane seem applicable. I am curious as to the trouble they caused. Was the setup fragile in ruf going or did they get in the way otherwise?
larry