front-mount brush cutter

[J_J]

Just find an old Gravely two wheeler and pick up the saw attachment.

That saw is gear driven, but he could add a hyd motor.

 

[jimgerken]

I am wondering about the "mission" you are trying to accomplish with a front mower (or a mower of any kind for small trees). In my experience, you will leave little "pungie sticks" behind, which will puncture a tire. If not that day, then surely a month later once they dry and get stiff.

 

[IslandTractor]

His tractor only has 8.4 GPM's. That just might be enough to run a 3 to 5 cu in hyd motor to turn a 20 in blade and do some serious work.

The 60 in deck from Power-Trac, needs about 12 GPM.

On relection I wonder if the 8GPM might be adequate. The 30hp PT runs this 60" mower and runs the drive wheels and steering off the rated 12GPM. The Branson's 8GPM is just what is available to the remotes I believe. Isn't the Branson a 38hp machine?

 

[RobertN]

I have cut brush on my property. Most times the roatary cutter not only cuts thru sappling(in my case manzanita and buckbrush mostly), it shatter the remaining stub.

I have seen rotary mowers in action on skidsteer/ compact-track loaders. They work nice.

Biggest issue I see, is a lot of weight hangining off the loader arms, and need of a high flow pump. My buddies Bobcat S185 flows almost 30GPM if memory serves me right.

I am wondering about the "mission" you are trying to accomplish with a front mower (or a mower of any kind for small trees). In my experience, you will leave little "pungie sticks" behind, which will puncture a tire. If not that day, then surely a month later once they dry and get stiff.

 

[J_J]

On relection I wonder if the 8GPM might be adequate. The 30hp PT runs this 60" mower and runs the drive wheels and steering off the rated 12GPM. The Branson's 8GPM is just what is available to the remotes I believe. Isn't the Branson a 38hp machine?

The 12 GPM pump on the 30 HP series PT's is just for the PTO.

The specs on the Branson is 8.4 GPM total flow.

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/006/5/2/6524-branson-3820i.html

8.4 GPM would turn the 60 mower, but mower speed would be less.

 

[J_J]

Here is a Brown bush hog tree cutter designed to cut sown trees.

Brown Tree Cutter

Will cut up to a 6 in tree.

 

[Aguanga]

Could you modify a rear mount rotary cutter such that it is setup to cut best while moving backwards/in reverse? Think of the 3pth mounted snow blowers that are operated by driving in reverse. you'd just have to take the 3pt mounting linkage and move it from the front of the deck to the back, move the wheel from back to front (or keep it off and put some skid ski's on the front), and spin the gearbox around 180 degrees. It could make for a sore neck after a while, but you'll have the power advantage of keeping the attachment driven by the rear pto and you'd be cutting the brush before driving over it.

 

[IslandTractor]

Could you modify a rear mount rotary cutter such that it is setup to cut best while moving backwards/in reverse? Think of the 3pth mounted snow blowers that are operated by driving in reverse. you'd just have to take the 3pt mounting linkage and move it from the front of the deck to the back, move the wheel from back to front (or keep it off and put some skid ski's on the front), and spin the gearbox around 180 degrees. It could make for a sore neck after a while, but you'll have the power advantage of keeping the attachment driven by the rear pto and you'd be cutting the brush before driving over it.

That is pretty much how standard rotary cutter (bush hogs) work without any modification isn't it? Especially if you remove any rear chain guard I don't believe blade direction has much impact. I cut going backward when in deep brush even with chain guard in place and don't really note much difference (actually cuts cleaner as in thick brush I usually back in then drive out the same path cutting twice).

 

[Ford tractor]

It's a lot of work to rig up a cutter on on the front. How about modifying the rear cutter to expose the back 1/3 of the stump jumper and blades. Then you can back over stuff and cut without having to bend it over to get it under the deck first.

Naturally, you want to be able to cover that back up or just make it a special purpose cutter.

 

[SPYDERLK]

What I would worry about with a FEL mounted cutter is the extreme danger posed from losing a blade. The FEL allows you to vary the angle and also to run significantly lifted. You could easily get a combination where a loosed blade would take out the operator.
larry