Rotary Cutter Scalping problem 72 bush hog, can i add front wheels?

[runwme]

LOL Yes, i agree! a finish mower would be exactly what i need.But when i was clearing land, i needed a bush hog and have always used it to mow the grass and just accepted the long divots, but now going to try to do something about it without spending 1000.00 plus dollars on a 72in finish mower...

OK... today went to agri supply and bought 2 finish mower yokes ( offset to help centering) and 2 finish mower pneumatic wheels. It will have 2 wheels in front and keep the one in back. I bought about 10 bushings in 1/4 in height differences and will use them to adjust the ride height on front. I will install grease fittings

Tomorrow will weld a plate to the bracket that drops down to deck ( that has the 3pt hitch mounts) from this, it will extend approx 10 inches forward of the deck to allow room for the wheel to swivel.

Its time to mow, soo tomorrow after installed, will play with height adjustments and mow the yard..... While doing all this, i sharpened my blade to point like lawn mower blades since i have no more clearing to do this summer.

cross fingers and wish me luck... will post pictures and give report..

2 swivels were 53.00 2 wheels 62.00 bushings , grease fittings about 12.00
with welding labor about 150.00 for conversion


You guys know much more about this then I do, there is no doubting that. You could most likely change settings on my tractor and deck and do a great job..... But i have spent no less then 10 hrs trying different adjustments , and to get height i am trying to get, with my bumpy yard, i still can't get it like i want. Its very possible i am spending 150, that should go towards saving up for a finish mower, however, nothing ventured nothing gained...... worst case is that i waisted 150.00 bucks to satisfy curiosity

 

[LoneCowboy]

What Greg G said

 

[IslandTractor]

What Greg G said

Now I have done the drill outlined by Greg but I cannot get a reliable "plow free" cut unless I limit the cut height to 5-6 inches. Anything less and there will be at least some plowing of the front corner during some of the turns. The mower I use, a Bush Hog 480, is rated to cut 2" to 12". How do you guys get even close to the lower limit of that range without ripping up the turf on turns?

 

[greg_g]

I just took a look at the Squealer manual, and the 480 is spec'd for 1.5", 3", 5", 8", and 10" cuts. Personally I think the 1.5" and 3" settings are just a scalping waiting to happen. But I suppose it's possible if you're operating on a pool table surface.

So since you're still having that problem with the front edges digging in on turns, I have to guess you're cutting at one of the two lowest heights. It then becomes imperative that your TPH sidelinks are adjusted as tight as possible to ensure minimum implement sway. Kioti calls them check chains

or stabilizers. Center the mower directly behind the tractor (at your desired cutting height), then adjust each sidelink to the shortest length possible. Assuming everything else is adjusted per the manual, that's the last thing I can think of to keep the edges from digging in on the turns.

Oh, one other thing; do you have the lift pins mounted on the inside or the outside of the A-frame? That is, are they pointing toward each other? or away? On the attachment below, they're mounted outside (away). Inside mounted pins will typically permit more sway.

//greg//

 

[PSDStu]

My 7510 doesn't have position control so I installed a set of check chains that works great for maintaining the same cutting height. As others have said, I just raise the deck when I have to turn around and lower it back down when I get ready to head straight again. My rotary cutter doesn't cut as well in turns anyway because the grass/weeds etc.. ends up getting pushed down by the mower deck edge so I have found it better to just lift the deck up. It takes a little time to find just the right deck setting if your trying to cut close.....may need to try and keep the deck a little more level for cutting closer.....I know if I have the deck to low then not only do I get divits....but also large clumps of pine needles and stuff....just have to fiddle with the right height settings.

 

[runwme]

Thanks Greg for the tips, I will adjust those stabilizers.

Take a look at the photo, my stabilizers have slide ( different from yours) and it does have sway on the deck.

My hitch pins face out, and its being pulled my 686 international diesel ( 70 hp ?)

I also included some photos of the land i mow. 12 acres cleared plus warehouse and home. ( use a honda 20hp riding mower for trim )

I really do appreciate tips on setting it up, since i have purchased all the wheels forks ect, will go ahead and install. Have meeting at welder at 10 am and have ground all rust and paint from areas to be welded. Will post again tonight after mow.

 

[greg_g]

I really do appreciate tips on setting it up, since i have purchased all the wheels forks ect, will go ahead and install. Have meeting at welder at 10 am and have ground all rust and paint from areas to be welded. Will post again tonight after mow.

I'd ask the welder's opinion of the comparative strength of those gauge wheel assemblies. They look awful light duty compared to what I can see of the rotary cutter. I'm afraid you'll end up with a welding bill followed by $150 worth of twisted hardware.

Finish mower wheels support 25% of the mower weight on each of four corners, and finish mowers are typically lighter in weight than equivalent sized rotary cutters. Your configuration will put ~33% of the rotary cutter weight on each just for straight line mowing. When you make your turns, expect one wheel to support up to 50% of the weight.

//greg//

 

[IslandTractor]

I just took a look at the Squealer manual, and the 480 is spec'd for 1.5", 3", 5", 8", and 10" cuts. Personally I think the 1.5" and 3" settings are just a scalping waiting to happen. But I suppose it's possible if you're operating on a pool table surface.

So since you're still having that problem with the front edges digging in on turns, I have to guess you're cutting at one of the two lowest heights. It then becomes imperative that your TPH sidelinks are adjusted as tight as possible to ensure minimum implement sway.
//greg//

Thanks Greg. I have already been that route and keep my Kioti check chains bar tight. Attachment pins face outwards too. You use the term scalp but again, this problem I am having is not caused by the blades but rather by the front edge of the cutter housing that tilts and then starts to plow the turf when I turn.

I don't try to cut at the very lowest level but rather between 3-4 inches or the equivalent of a high finish cut. That's the range I have trouble in. If I go higher than 5" there is no problem. The desired setting results in the side skids of the mower being about 1.5-2 inches off the ground and the position control set at mid range. With these settings and the mower chains all snugged up it does fine in a straight line but manages to intermittently plow on the inside corner of a turn.

I tried adding additional check chains but the only convenient attachment points (without welding additional metal to the cutter) were actually inside the area of the 3pt connections so it did not provide any additional lateral support to prevent the tipping/plowing during turns so I took them off.

I had the same thoughts about putting in some front gauge wheels but gave up when I became concerned about the ability to install wheels/braces of sufficient strength without turning the mower into a Rube Goldberg device. I also figured that there was some reason, presumably based on hard earned experience, that I'd never seen front mounted gauge wheels on a rotary cutter.

I do manage the problem using the position control to lift and lower during turns but that is rather inefficient given that I am mowing irregular areas and turning every 30 seconds or so. My final solution was simply to stop using the rotary cutter and get a rear finish mower that I set for a high cut. That works but means I have to change out the mower/cutter all the time as there are still areas that need the Bush Hog to clear land.

I've come close to buying a Caroni flail mower as that seems to be able to handle moderate Bush Hog duties and still have the height control that comes with a four wheeled finish mower. Haven't done that yet but it does seem a reasonable solution for someone who doesn't already own the rotary and finish cutters.

 

[Flywheel]

I have never seen this - but I do pastures at 6" - so I have never tried the lower settings.

If I understnad correctly, the ground is flat, deck height is about 2" rear deck is at 3" and top link is adjusted to allow for proper contouring and as soon as you make a turn, the front edge of the cutter drags.

i would say that in this case, your tractor is actually lifting in the front. I would try a couple of things:

1) either slow down to make the turn, resome once straightened out.
2) add rear tire pressure
3) add front weights

the wheels you are adding to the cutter - will be acting like wheelie bars on a dragster.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I too am perplexed. I have never seen this presented as a characteristic of a bushog dragging on the inside when turning. The times I see it, it is due to ground contour combined with the turn. If not in your case, it sounds as if there is some malfunction or excessive up/down play between the two arms of the 3ph. On a narrow tractor I will see a wide bushog drag fairly frequently on the outside of a turn or the downside on a sidehill, but thats just tractor lean. Your tractor and mower seem well matched and so one wouldnt expect this.
larry