More brushhogging ????

[MossRoad]

When I use to use a 5' 3pt hitch brush hog on my IH2500B I would come up on saplings and put the bucket on 'em and push them over, then drive over them and send them under the brush hog. This worked OK, except for the occasional tough sapling that would pop up and, like the others have stated, poke the grill, hydraulic cooler, radiator, underside of the engine compartment and anything else that they could find. For really thick stuff, I would have to back into it over and over again. Very uncomfortalbe after a few hours.

Now that I have my Power Trac PT425, with the brush hog out front, I am convinced that this is a better way to go. I am amazed with the ease of use. I got more done in 1 hour with the Power Trac's 48" brush hog than I did in two hours with the 5' hog on the IH2500B. The IH2500B was rated at 50PTOHP and the Power Trac PT425 engine is rated at 25HP, so the hydraulic PTO is probably less than 15HP given the losses and such. I still can't believe what a great job it does. And all of the stuff is chopped up and gone before I have to drive over it. There is not much for the brush to poke under the PT425 anyway, becuse it is pretty much a solid steel skid plate from front to back.

Now I don't expect you to go out and buy a Power Trac as you mentioned purchasing an older tractor, but I thought you might apprectiate some thoughts from someone who has used both.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=powertrac&Number=182915&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=>Here's a link</A> to a thread on our PT425 brush hog. About 10 posts down there are 4 or 5 photos of some land that I brushhogged some trails on several weeks ago. Hope you enjoy them. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[s1120]

Mossroad,
I would love to get a Power Trac. I think it would do what ever I needed it to do on my land. I just don't have the cash at this time to spend a lot on a tractor. When, and if I do have the money to buy a new, or newer tractor, that will be first on my list to look at. But hay, a beat up old, taped together tractor, is better then none./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I completely agree with you. I bought my IH2500B used for the "take down weight" and the price. With the filled tires and heavy duty FEL it weighs close to 8000# and my primary jobs were to excavate, knock over big trees and finally brush hog. Now that I got that out of the way, and when I could afford it, I stepped over to the PT425. It can't do the really heavy stuff like the IH, but I don't need it to.

Also, I believe, if you are careful and find a good used machine, you can't beat it. The HP for the dollar in used tractors is hard to beat.

 

[tdenny]

s1120,

I have "mowed" over many alder saplings but they seem to be about half the size (diameter) of the ones in your picture. I found the most successful way for me to clear with the hog was to back up on to the saplings. This works well and then later on I go over the remains in the forward direction. So far I've cleared saplings completely off of about 2.5 acres. A couple of tips you've gotten so far include 1) Go slow, and 2) Watch out for hornet, wasp nests. Last weekend I was clearing around a nice cedar tree and almost ran into a huge bald faced hornets nest that was about my eye level. Scared the living #$%* out of me. Good luck.

 

[jtcweb]

I have alot of brush with vines (Oh how I hate those vines) grosing on them. I back into it with my Ford 9N with 5' brush mower. That way when I get booged down, I just drive out.

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>I back into it with my Ford 9N with 5' brush mower. That way when I get booged down, I just drive out. </font color=red>

Thats what I was planing to do. Seems to make sence to me.

 

[KYFARMER]

S!!20, I can not believe you are going to cut very big trees with a 9N. I have cleared about 40 acres with a 5000 series tractor and a 6' brushhog(Rhino TW72). It will cut anything this 67 HP tractor will ride over. It will not cut it well. It will leave sharp pointed stumps that caN CAUSE REAL TIRE PROBLEMS the next time over. I NEVER raise my mower up higher when I mow over a tree because I want that stump/stob to be as low as possible.
In this area we have some thorn trees and multaflora roses. Since they are death on tires, I tend to mow around them until I am done with that area then starting on side of field I back over them and work my way over to the other side thus avoiding driving over them with my tires.
It is also a must to have guards all the way around the mower to avoid throwing stuff out the sides.