Bush hogging is best without front loaders on

[Flexwing man]

Many say they bush hog with their front loaders on. Sometimes they will use the bucket to push brush down in front of the tractor as they cut.

The first time with my new 1626, I bush hogged half of my 10 acre field where the brush was about 4' tall, I left the front bucket on. It was just getting dark and I cut into the night. After dark I could see a lot of dust and dirty air rolling over the bucket into the front grill of the tractor. The next morning I looked under the hood and the engine was covered in pollen and dust. The air filter was also really dirty and filled with dust. I cleaned the entire tractor up including the air filter.
I then remove the front loader bucket and frame. I went out and cut the other half of the same 10 acre field. When I was finished, I could plainly see that the tractor had very little dust on the outside of it and under the hood, the engine was still clean. I looked at the air filter and it was completely clean.
After bush hogging for 35 years with old 8Ns with no front loaders on them and seeing how much dust and pollen is kicked up by having the front loader on a tractor, I'd say for sure it's better not to cut with the front bucket on. I guess one could raise it up high enough to keep the bucket out of the weeds, but who needs the weight up that high. The 1526/1626 handles the 5' Mahindra bush hog just fine and certainly doesn't need the added weight up front.
Just my experience.......

 

[Hay Dude]

Many say they bush hog with their front loaders on. Sometimes they will use the bucket to push brush down in front of the tractor as they cut.

The first time with my new 1626, I bush hogged half of my 10 acre field where the brush was about 4' tall, I left the front bucket on. It was just getting dark and I cut into the night. After dark I could see a lot of dust and dirty air rolling over the bucket into the front grill of the tractor. The next morning I looked under the hood and the engine was covered in pollen and dust. The air filter was also really dirty and filled with dust. I cleaned the entire tractor up including the air filter.
I then remove the front loader bucket and frame. I went out and cut the other half of the same 10 acre field. When I was finished, I could plainly see that the tractor had very little dust on the outside of it and under the hood, the engine was still clean. I looked at the air filter and it was completely clean.
After bush hogging for 35 years with old 8Ns with no front loaders on them and seeing how much dust and pollen is kicked up by having the front loader on a tractor, I'd say for sure it's better not to cut with the front bucket on. I guess one could raise it up high enough to keep the bucket out of the weeds, but who needs the weight up that high. The 1526/1626 handles the 5' Mahindra bush hog just fine and certainly doesn't need the added weight up front.
Just my experience.......

I dont know and I wasnt there, but it sounds like you had your bucket set at a height where it was pushing the weeds over and shaking the dust and pollen loose. That material found its way to the engine compartment via the fan and intake.
I like having a loader on while bush hoggin. Its great for pushing fallen trees into the woods or hacking off a semi-fallen low limb, flattening a ground hog mound, etc. I actually like my old single round bale spear more than the bucket
To avoid what happened to you, I run with the loader up about 8 and look between that arms. Im used to it.
I would not want to remove my loaders as they are fairly large and useful in the fields.
If Im in a new field and its rough, I will run it low with bucket curled all the way back to sense for stumps or rocks.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I prefer to bushog with my loader on because in unknown area with high weeds, I can drop my bucket and drive along and sort of "use the braille method" for finding rocks. When the bucket bangs against a rock, I can stop!

But for the same reason you hate having a bucket on, is also the same reason I like it on.

I am frugal, and so I found, since bushog season in Maine is between July 3rd and Labor Day, I can drop my bucket to the right height, and with the cutting edge of the bucket scraping along the weeds and grass, it strips some of the seeds off the sward and into my bucket. In a bushogging season, I can get 10-15 pounds of free grass seed. It has weeds in it, so it is not the best grass seed, but free is gooder for most grass seeding needs.:cool2:

 

[s219]

Some tractors are better at dealing with this. While I get chaff on my radiator screen I don't get any in the air filter. Past tractors I have mowed with would end up with a lot in the air filter.

 

[fried1765]

I prefer to bushog with my loader on because in unknown area with high weeds, I can drop my bucket and drive along and sort of "use the braille method" for finding rocks. When the bucket bangs against a rock, I can stop!

But for the same reason you hate having a bucket on, is also the same reason I like it on.

I am frugal, and so I found, since bushog season in Maine is between July 3rd and Labor Day, I can drop my bucket to the right height, and with the cutting edge of the bucket scraping along the weeds and grass, it strips some of the seeds off the sward and into my bucket. In a bushogging season, I can get 10-15 pounds of free grass seed. It has weeds in it, so it is not the best grass seed, but free is gooder for most grass seeding needs.:cool2:

^^^^^ I like it !!!!!

 

[CobyRupert]

Like others, I prefer having the bucket on so I can find hidden objects using Helen Keller techniques of bush hogging.

It’s also doubles as a anti-wheelie counterweight to the 1100 lbs of mower hanging way off the back.

Theres pro/cons to most things. One con is it really lengthens the whole rig. Easy to take out fence posts and other things when moving in tight spaces.

 

[chim]

When I had a rotary cutter it was a 5 footer on a B7500. The loader served two purposes. It was a good counterweight for the front and I found several things with the bucket that I wouldn't have wanted to mow over. I suppose if it was my land and I was familiar with it, the finding things wouldn't be any issue.

When finish mowing I always remove the loader bucket AND arms.

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting. I don't have a loader on my tractor that I use to brush hog with and I've always thought that having one would reduce how much stuff I get in my radiator. My thought was that the bucket would push it all down and my front grill wouldn't be pushing through the tall stuff. I imagine it being like a sled that is gently bending it all over so I can run over it and then cut it all up with less of it breaking off and filling up my radiator screen.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I never liked the extra weight or length. As a compromise, sometimes I removed the bucket and then the whole mechanical self levelling members of our JD 640 loader would shake, rattle and roll without the weight of the bucket on it.

For a Ditch bank Mower, I keep the loader on for counterweight.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I kept the FEL up about 6" to keep from hitting stuff hidden like rocks and stumps. This was before the pollen season and ground was still damp. I had a lot of that and other trash in the 4 AC I was recovering right after buying the place. Some stuff I found would have played havoc with the tractor and/or the hog. Wound up 100' of loose barbed wire in the hog before it tripped the shear pin even at that, laying right down on the ground.

Ron

 

[kthompson]

Have tractor with fel but don't run rough cut mower on them as they are cab tractor. However do have a cab tractor with fel loader and have run it with off set flail mower. Like that much better then depending on the feel method of a bucket on fel. Able to watch the area a few feet in front of the offset mower for objects. Also saves the tractor of even tall grass wearing the paint off the bottom of the tractor.

 

[Ford850]

The thread title should be "Sometimes bush hogging is best without front loaders on".
I've cut with the loader on, with the bucket off, and with the loader removed. There are times that each of those scenarios is best.

 

[Thomas]

If your land somewhat flat and no object you need to remove also no counter balance needed sound good,I like front loader for counter balance objects need removing also if I come across ground beehive.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I much prefer to rotary cut without the loader on, same for running the tiller...

I really don't worry too much about the paint on the bottom of my tractor... lol

I push through and let the cutter do it's thing,

SR

 

[shovelmike]

I prefer to bushog with my loader on because in unknown area with high weeds, I can drop my bucket and drive along and sort of "use the braille method" for finding rocks. When the bucket bangs against a rock, I can stop!

But for the same reason you hate having a bucket on, is also the same reason I like it on.

I am frugal, and so I found, since bushog season in Maine is between July 3rd and Labor Day, I can drop my bucket to the right height, and with the cutting edge of the bucket scraping along the weeds and grass, it strips some of the seeds off the sward and into my bucket. In a bushogging season, I can get 10-15 pounds of free grass seed. It has weeds in it, so it is not the best grass seed, but free is gooder for most grass seeding needs.:cool2:

I like that way of thinking, free is good. The top of my bush hog collects a good amount of fescue seed.
I have used the TO35 for bush hogging for many years (no loader), and had no problem with chaff in the radiator, I used the Mahindra for the task (with loader) and coated the grille and radiator screen with chaff...none in air cleaner.

 

[Hay Dude]

If I ever bought another new tractor, Id equip it with one of the Cleanfix power reversing fans. I’m tired of blowing hay chaff and dirt out radiators. I’m doing it this afternoon after I cut hay and tomorrow after I cut a customers property and on and on and on.

Now as far as backing into brush and cutting in reverse, that’s fine for heavy brush, but ain’t no way in he!! I’m cutting all day in reverse....:laughing:

 

[CobyRupert]

I much prefer to rotary cut without the loader on, same for running the tiller...

I really don't worry too much about the paint on the bottom of my tractor... lol

I push through and let the cutter do it's thing,

SR

...but many have linkages, cables, and wires exposed on underside that the wooden hand of nature wants to grab hold of and yank apart.
Without armor, a loader can bend brush or a sapling much lower and earlier than the front axle or grill, increases chances of snapping it or uprooting it , when it would otherwise bend and scrape tractor. #2cents.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I am a little shocked that anyone would mow an area, not having scouted it first and relying on the loader to find stufff.

 

[Hay Dude]

I am a little shocked that anyone would mow an area, not having scouted it first and relying on the loader to find stufff.

I do some scouting, but when you have 20-30 acres of thick brush chock full of Lyme ticks, snakes, ground hog holes, blackberry stickers and poison ivy, it gets dangerous and old real fast

 

[Hay Dude]

...but many have linkages, cables, and wires exposed on underside that the wooden hand of nature wants to grab hold of and yank apart.
Without armor, a loader can bend brush or a sapling much lower and earlier than the front axle or grill, increases chances of snapping it or uprooting it , when it would otherwise bend and scrape tractor. #2cents.

From you lips to Gods ears!!! :salute:
I’ll never forget hogging some real heavy brush and a sapling ripped off my transmission neutral switch sensor wire and ruined the harness. There I was, dead in the water far from my truck. Took a day or 2 for the harness and fixed it with bugs crawling all over me.