What have you done to your Branson today?

[Branson Bob]

:thumbsup:

 

[ptsg]

Today's work for the Branson was clearing around 2 Ha or about 5 acres of brush around 20 to 30 inches high and really dense stuff. However I could still use the 540E gear on the PTO. I use a 4 foot mower with chains instead of blades.

I had to clean the radiator screen on every two or three passes as it would clog up really fast with that cotton type stuff.

This engine's cooling system seems pretty efficient and didn't really bother to much being clogged up, but that's not good running like that.

A couple of pictures:

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Nice. Thanks for the pics.

I too was finally able to start mowing today. Had to track down a replacement retaining clip for my brush hog's input shaft. Don't know if my original one was missing, or came off when the shear pin bolt let go. But when it broke (the shear pin), the pto shaft came off the gear box and was laying on top of the deck.

I consider myself very lucky, as that could have ended up quite badly.

But all is back together now, and made some headway on some waist high grass and weeds today. I usually stop every 30 min or so and blow the chaff out of the radiator, hyd cooler and AC condensor. They do like to collect the chaff, don't they?

 

[Branson Bob]

Today's work for the Branson was clearing around 2 Ha or about 5 acres of brush around 20 to 30 inches high and really dense stuff.

I use a 4 foot mower with chains instead of blades.

Hi Pedro.

I don't quite understand what you're saying about your mower and I can't really see it from the pictures.

Could you take a picture of the mower and/or try to describe in more detail?

Is it a flail mower?

Thanks!

 

[ptsg]

Thanks.

Sorry, it was a long day. I meant to explain it a bit better but totally forgot to do it.

So, here in Portugal, is quite common to use big chains (I think it's 3/4" chain) on the mowers instead of regular blades. This will last a lot longer when working in places that might have rocks or boulders hidden in the bush where the blades would break.

It will also do a better job in the forest environment, which we have a lot, as it will shred pretty much everything. This will take use more horsepower than the blades but can also handle cutting canes a lot better. That's why we buy the mowers a bit smaller than the tractor.

Here a couple of pictures of what I'm trying to explain. It's a bit harder to see as they have painted everything on the first picture. You can see the chains hanging down in the second picture.

 

[Branson Bob]

Thanks.

Sorry, it was a long day. I meant to explain it a bit better but totally forgot to do it.

So, here in Portugal, is quite common to use big chains (I think it's 3/4" chain) on the mowers instead of regular blades. This will last a lot longer when working in places that might have rocks or boulders hidden in the bush where the blades would break.

It will also do a better job in the forest environment, which we have a lot, as it will shred pretty much everything. This will take use more horsepower than the blades but can also handle cutting canes a lot better. That's why we buy the mowers a bit smaller than the tractor.

No need to apologize... thanks Pedro.

I'm not the most tractor experienced guy out there but I've never seen a mower like that. I'd be really curious to see video on how they cut brush and grass... basically how they work compared to a rotary cutter or a flail mower.

Thanks for the picture and the explanation.

Bob

 

[ptsg]

There is a video of this mower on my Youtube channel. I was going easy and slow as it was my first time with the tractor and mower. The link is in my signature.

The rotary cutter with the blades leaves a cleaner cut. The chains are pretty much when you have to deal with rocks or you really want to shred stuff.

Flail mower for tractors is something I'm not really into. I've built an hydraulic one for my homemade backhoe but I use it mainly for really high bush and when it's hard and dangerous to reach with the tractor as in embankments.

 

[Branson Bob]

There is a video of this mower on my Youtube channel. I was going easy and slow as it was my first time with the tractor and mower. The link is in my signature.

The rotary cutter with the blades leaves a cleaner cut. The chains are pretty much when you have to deal with rocks or you really want to shred stuff.

Flail mower for tractors is something I'm not really into. I've built an hydraulic one for my homemade backhoe but I use it mainly for really high bush and when it's hard and dangerous to reach with the tractor as in embankments.

Good stuff Pedro. I subscribed to your channel. It's interesting that you've built some equipment for yourself.

Bob

 

[ptsg]

Thanks Bob!

Yes, I've built a few things myself. I'm only 24. Started my backhoe at 13 years old, with the help of my dad and finished it at 18 years old. To be honest, I've never finished it as I keep improving and adding things.

I'm now in the process of designing and building a loader for my tractor. I've build one for a Kubota B7000 a few years back that came out pretty good at the time. I will build pretty much everything, including the cylinders.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Ok, that is pretty impressive!