need advice on 4' bushhog

[sirgknight]

I bought a generic 4' bushhog for my yanmar 1700. the cutter is completely open in the front which allows the blades to sling just about anything into the back of my legs. the cutter is also open in the back, so I'm thinking about welding a steel plate across the front opening to prevent anything front being slung out towards the driver. will this modification adversely affect the operation of the cutter? I'm assuming that the cutter is open on the front side to allow the brush to slide under the cutter more easily, but it is quite dangerous to have the blades slinging everything everywhere. most of my cutting is very small saplings, weeds and grass.....nothing very heavy. any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Rubber..






Or chains...

 

[dusty3030]

Old piece of conveyer belt works great.

 

[oldnslo]

I used a piece of belting from a round baler. Local dealer had some short pieces/roll ends that they gave me while I purchasing some other parts. I put pieces across both the front and back to reduce the throw out area.

NOTE: What ever type of guard you use make sure it does not tip back into the blades.

 

[sirgknight]

I used a piece of belting from a round baler. Local dealer had some short pieces/roll ends that they gave me while I purchasing some other parts. I put pieces across both the front and back to reduce the throw out area.

NOTE: What ever type of guard you use make sure it does not tip back into the blades.

The reason I asked about welding a steel plate across the mower is because there is virtually no space between the circular pattern of the blades and the front of the mower housing. Placing anything flexible will most likely cause the blades to strike anything like a belt, chains, etc. The only choice is to use something that is completely stationery that will not interfere with the rotation of the blades or not use anything at all.

 

[clemsonfor]

If you weld a plate over it it will possibly hang you up on those sapplings as they wont be allowed to bend to go under it. It may rip the trunk of them may pull them out of the ground or may just hang your tractor up as you may not have enough traction to move once hung. I have a ym2000 and unless you ballest them there not very heavy tractors and thus they lack good traction, the mower will hand you up sometimes if it high centers!!

I would not weld a plate personally. I have cut some heavy stuff befroe with my Jbar economy cutter, nothing really hits you?? It throws some stuff foward right of the tractor but you havve to thing its under the deck as your moving foward, not only does it have to go out foward but up to get to you, now it can counce off the arms and stuff to hit you but i dont think i was ever hit with anything other than small swig size stuff.

What i would do if you want something is i would weld an extention of the top of the deck onto it, say a piece of angle iron like 2x2 and then drill the face of that and put on something flexible like the conveyor belt or old truck mud flaps or what ever you have that will get you even farther from the rotating blades. If you need more space i would get something longer but i would not want something that hangs to low like a 2x3 angle would be better putting the 3" side on the top to extend you farther out but not going to much farther down than say 2"s as it will hinder the ability of brush to be pulled under.

 

[sirgknight]

If you weld a plate over it it will possibly hang you up on those sapplings as they wont be allowed to bend to go under it. It may rip the trunk of them may pull them out of the ground or may just hang your tractor up as you may not have enough traction to move once hung. I have a ym2000 and unless you ballest them there not very heavy tractors and thus they lack good traction, the mower will hand you up sometimes if it high centers!!

I would not weld a plate personally. I have cut some heavy stuff befroe with my Jbar economy cutter, nothing really hits you?? It throws some stuff foward right of the tractor but you havve to thing its under the deck as your moving foward, not only does it have to go out foward but up to get to you, now it can counce off the arms and stuff to hit you but i dont think i was ever hit with anything other than small swig size stuff.

What i would do if you want something is i would weld an extention of the top of the deck onto it, say a piece of angle iron like 2x2 and then drill the face of that and put on something flexible like the conveyor belt or old truck mud flaps or what ever you have that will get you even farther from the rotating blades. If you need more space i would get something longer but i would not want something that hangs to low like a 2x3 angle would be better putting the 3" side on the top to extend you farther out but not going to much farther down than say 2"s as it will hinder the ability of brush to be pulled under.

I think that's good advice. Instead of welding the piece of iron across the face of the opening, I'm going to bolt it to the facing so that it can be removed. If I find that it will not operate efficiently it can then be removed. Plan B will then involve extending the deck like you say and then use something flexible across the new facing. The shrapnel from the blades hurts like h_ _ _, whether it bounces or not. If you've ever cut over dead pine limbs you know what kind of missiles they can present,

 

[Soundguy]

a semi truck mudflap cut in half longways will cover a 5' cutter. use zip ties and that perfed angle iron to fab a frame BTDT..

 

[clemsonfor]

I have a semi flap i picked up somewhere that i plan on doing that to one day. I will drill it and bolt with like 1/4 short bolts, if i dont have enough lip i will do like i described with some angle. I have just not go to it yet. Its been in the back of my work truck for years. Its like a small piece of bed liner in there now.

 

[Soundguy]

i use a large one as an anti fatigue mat at my workbench.