Rotary Cutter New to bush hogging , safety question

[alagary]

I just put money on a used Covington. I plan to start working away on my 30 acres.
Don't worry I am looking at every safety site that I can find before I even think of hooking it up.
My question is about whether I should go to the trouble of fabricating chain or rubber covers for the front and rear openings? I will sometimes be using it around animals and outbuildings. Thanks

 

[jeff9366]

I pull a 48" King Kutter rotary cutter behind a Kubota B3300SU, which has 58" rear tire width.

I do not have deflectors on the small-ish, relatively low-velocity blade speed, King Kutter.

I do wear saftety glasses, hearing protection, a hard hat and steel toed shoes from Walmart/$30 at all times when 'hogging.

Well....... sometimes the hard hat changes into a wide-brim straw hat during Florida summer.

I choose my 'hogging time to be when people are unlikely to be around. Dogs do not like the noise and scram.

I mow a lot in the woods. Looking back over your shoulder is when a branch or other tree/vine debris will smack you in the head/face.

 

[sam5570]

at no time would i use a bush hog when there is the least chance of something flying out of it and harming a person or animal. like jeff said i always wear safty glases and i would put chain gards on front and rear of hog. just remember they are a very dangrous machine, more so when you are cutting small saplings or thick brush.

 

[IndyIan]

My cutter has no chains on the front but came with chains on the back. The front is much lower than the rear outlet so it makes sense. Around people you have to assume a rock can come out from any side. Around my animals I don't cut super low and most times they stay clear anyways.

 

[Coyote machine]

I just put money on a used Covington. I plan to start working away on my 30 acres.
Don't worry I am looking at every safety site that I can find before I even think of hooking it up.
My question is about whether I should go to the trouble of fabricating chain or rubber covers for the front and rear openings? I will sometimes be using it around animals and outbuildings. Thanks

Yes. Put rubber flaps to slow down the force of flying rocks/debris, etc. from exiting the rear section(s). The rear is usually slightly higher off the ground when operating. As stated already ANY area of the hog can fling deadly projectiles, so keep people, animals and anything you don't want dented, broken, smashed away from the hog. Common sense prevails when operating rotary implements.

 

[Ed of all trades]

They can also hit you with things, it is rare but it does happen. We bush hogged 125 to 150 ac a year and it only happened once. A piece of wood hit me between the shoulder blades and I had to just push in the clutch and lay over the steering wheel for a while, no real damage but don't want it to happen again. Ed

 

[leonz]

I just put money on a used Covington. I plan to start working away on my 30 acres.
Don't worry I am looking at every safety site that I can find before I even think of hooking it up.
My question is about whether I should go to the trouble of fabricating chain or rubber covers for the front and rear openings? I will sometimes be using it around animals and outbuildings. Thanks

Under NO circumstances should you be mowing with animals or people closer than 400 feet at any time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have a roll over guard you should at least buy a piece of plexiglass to Zip tie to the roll over guard to protect you while mowing(even with chains and or rubber flaps.

Using rubber up front as well as the rear will reduce the chance of flying objects being thrown to abare minimum.

Using chains always presents the opportunity for the chains to be pulled in when backing and the blades hitting andx breaking them and then the pieces become missiles.

I wouls see about borrowing a sickle bar mower or renting a disc mower from someone to do the first cutting as you have no idea what can be lurking in the brush that could also damage your tractor.

 

[MBTRAC]

IMO always use safety glasses, hearing protection & sturdy boots when operating a tractor - and especially when bush hogging (even a grass stalk can be flung out at high speed with the potential to damage eyes) - personally I prefer fitting front & rear chain bars (short lengths of chain welded to a steel bar then bolted to the brush hog as it makes for easier repairs/repalcement/removal) & fixing (even lighter guage) weldmesh guards to the the rear of the ROPS or rear window of the cab is also cheap insurance against damage by rocks, shape sticks & other fast moving debris ..etc.

Bush Hogging isn't a spectactor sport & is one of the highest risk activities you can undertake on a tractor, even operating on a "bowling green" lawn it only takes a blade to fracture or come loose & there's potential for deadly projecticle to travel 300yards or more......guards lessen some of the risk but don't eliminate it.....

 

[powerpace]

Guards all around. Be careful when backing into brush. Look into the brush before hogging. My dad backed into a Blackberry patch that had grown up around an old fence. No safety glasses with my dad!! Thought he got hit with debris in the eye. Three days later he heads to the doctor and finds out there is barb wire twist in his sinus. Went in the inner corner of his eye and lodged in the sinus. Missed his nose and eyeball. Injured a small muscle. Minor operation to retrieve the barb.
"WEAR THE SAFETY GOGGLES, DAD!!!!!!!"

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Go slow, listen to the mower and tractor, is suprising how much you can tell from just listening. I would also suggest walking the entire area thoroughly and use some orange ribbon to mark hazards. But most of all, have fun!