Rotary Cutter bush hog not cutting

[workmytractor]

How about the gear box...could it be striped out? Unlikely, but you never know. Do you have a slip clutch installed or just a shear pin. BTW I have seen where the bolt would shear, but the head and nut were still in place leaving what appears to be a solid shear pin. Might be worth looking at again.

 

[greenmule]

You mean to tell me you can't tell if blades are going round and round??

You can leave pto engaged with motor on idle,push brake and lock it,put gear in neutral,get off and look. But you should be able to see pto drive line turning,if drive line is turning but blades ain't than shear bolt.

Are you sure pto is engaged??

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Could the blades be locked together??

 

[Builder]

Maybe your prankster neighbor stole your blades to play a joke on you...

 

[radman1]

I am interested to hear the final outcome. A mower that rotates but doesn't cut and worked fine last year? Are the blades somehow locked or folded back? I have never sharpened mine and it will always at least beat the grass off.

 

[spruce Deere]

It's possible that your blades are in a collapsed position and frozen/rusted in place with rust due to setting up all winter. Make sure each blade is free to rotate on its pivot attached to the stump jumper. Normally, when this happens the cutter really shakes due to being out of balance, but if your blades are collapsed equally and frozen, then you might not notice.

I will second froze-up blades. I have also seen sheer bolts appear not "sheered" They bust anything but clean and a sliver will hold the bolt head and whats left of the bolt and nut on the yolk.

 

[way0utwest]

Thanks everyone for the advice, it's working!

everything was turning, and I thought the slip clutch was tight, but once I held onto the drive shaft and pulled on a blade, it slipped. So I re-tightened the slip clutch bolts and it's cutting.

I did touch up the blades with an angle grinder, not sharp to the touch, but about a 1/16"-1/8" rounded edge and no burrs.

 

[wedge40]

After spinning the slip clutch like that, will he need to resurface the face of the clutch?

Wedge

 

[Builder]

After spinning the slip clutch like that, will he need to resurface the face of the clutch?

Wedge

Yup, he will.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Yup, he will.

Why do you think so?

Just re-adjust to PROPER tension and go on with life. They're meant to slip. Never seen one yet that was in need of "resurfacing" after it slipped.