Search results

OK, so I just sold my RC2072 I was using on my JD 3038E. Main issue is that the track width of the rear tires isn't as wide as the cutter and it leaves two strips of uncut grass! This means you have to do a big overlap to get a nice cut. Because of this a 5 footer actually works better. Anyone...

I currently run 7 brush hogs of different makes and models and not one manual calls for a grade 5. If grade 2 bolts are constantly being broken then my first thought is the cutter is not set up correctly, cutting too low for the terrain and/or frequently hitting or running over stuff it...

Well, since a "shear pin" is a grade 2 bolt was the issue the Harbor Freight bolt specifically?

Would be nice but as I said with all the rain we have had it just wasn't possible to mow without rutting up the whole area. We were lucky to get it to dry enough to get it tilled on schedule.

Yes, it was recently cut as we have had so much rain we had to let the ground dry enough for the equipment to not make ruts! I'll get one of those knives.

I am running a 5 foot King Kutter tiller behind my JD 3038E. Recently did a large till job. The area is does evey year. The owner cuts the grass down before I till. Issue is that at the ends of the tiller, grass and dirt are getting wound around the main axel tube between the outer most tines...

Longer bolt is holding up so far. Been busy so not much time to look at it!

Yes, longer bolt seems to be doing better. Going to pull it when I get time to see how it looks.

Yea, I was thinking a small bolt. Anyway, it was just an idea.

It was just a thought. Main idea is a constant diameter of the pin, no threads. When you're out doing a 15 acre field with no obstacles you get time to think of things!

I am sure on cost a bolt is cheaper. If I did try a pin I'd make sure to order one that is a specific grade such as 5. Haven't looked yet. I may try it just to see how it goes.

Nothing new to report as I have been very busy in between storms mowing. Idea: What do you guys think about using a "pin", something like you'd use on a toplink instead of a bolt to join the PTO shaft to the gearbox? This could give a uniform diameter all the way through. I know, just use a...

I think you are in for an exercise in futility with a 110v wire feed. First thing is to make sure you have the correct type of wire. I was doing small repairs on a brush hog welding cracks with my small wire feed and they'd just crack again in a matter of days. The welds were just...

Thanks for all of the suggestions and commentary. I haven't had a chance to look at things for a bit as I have been going sun-up to sundown with a break in the storms. Lots of mowing to do. I hope to get back to this on the weekend and see if I can eliminate some of the items suggested.

I have thought about this. Current bolts come from tractor supply.

Yes, always do. thing is I haven't hit anything. Just mowing flat fields that are done on a regular basis.

It's all good and sure can get confusing!

That it does!

The bolt simply holds/connects the PTO shaft onto the gearbox input shaft. The collar on the PTO shaft that goes over the input shaft is so thick that you'd break a bolt before ever getting it to "clamp" down on the input shaft. You can see in the picture, red arrow, how thick the collar is! The...

I use all metal lock nuts so I'd hope they are not backing off!! I would like to find that part though to see what it looks like.

Gearbox is good, spins freely and runs cool. No issues I am aware of and short of taking it apart. Stump jumper is good and tight. Reinstalled this spring with new nut and cottar pin. Also new blades and bolts.

There is a slot for it on the input shaft but it is a monster pain to get the snap ring on and off.

The bolt comes out also and is usually on the deck of the cutter. How long it stays in after breaking I don't know. Nut end is gone or I haven't found one yet. I've learned to tell when it breaks or when the bolt comes out. It starts to sound like you ran over some cable or wire and got it...

Here is a grade 5 on the left and grade 8 on the right.

I had put a longer bolt in it and it has about an hour or so on it. Going to take a look once the storms pass. Thing is though I use the 1/2 by 3 bolts on all of my cutters and this is the only one having issues! May also swap out the shaft and see what happens.

That is something I thought about. I could be inserting it the same direction each time simply because I'd have the nut/ratchet in one hand and wrench in the other so I could be always inserting from the left, so to speak.

You're probably right. Longer bolt in there now.

"The break is not at either of the two points of shear, but outside the collar under the nut." Actually it isn't. The break is just inside the input shaft hole. I made a rough sketch on another post. Here it is. Break is at the blue line in the sketch. Red is input shaft, green PTO collar...

I'll see about pictures tomorrow weather permitting. Here is one thing I found though. Here is a rough sketch to illustrate. In the sketch, the green arrow is the PTO collar that goes over the input shaft. Red is the input shaft. Bolt going through with bolt head at the right and nut at the...

This one does not have springs on each bolt like some do. It has a spring plate called a Belleville spring. It does the same thing as the individual springs do, it applies the pressure to the clutch disks.

It is odd.

I looked at the u-joints and they are ok. In phase. After thinking about it, I don't know how you'd get them out of phase as some shaft halves can only go together one way. They are keyed, triangle type. Most probably don't realize they are keyed and that is why they fight with them trying...

All very good points and I have to agree that tightening the bolt more than bolt head and nut touching the shaft collar doesn't accomplish anything. You certainly are not clamping anything down. Going to be looking at hole size vs. bolt size at this point.

I'd agree on grade 8. That is what the manuals call for however. Drilling out the input shaft would be difficult as it is hardened. Without taking the shaft out so you can secure it in a drill press, mill or whatever works, I think you'd make it worse! The thing is, I don't have this issue...

It is a pretty standard setup. In the picture the bolt in question, green arrow, holds the PTO saft to the input shaft on the gearbox as you might assume! You can tighten this bolt as much as you want and it will not make the collar, red arrow, on the PTO shaft any tighter on the gearbox input...

On my Deere (Frontier) and other cutters they call for grade 8 1/2" by 3" with the slip clutch. I usually run a grade 5 as a safety for the slip clutch. I figure the clutch should slip but just in case!

You could tighten the bolt down to its max torque and it isn't going to tighten the PTO shaft collar around the input shaft. The collar is too thick. It isn't going to compress at all! However, tightening will keep the bolt from getting sloppy in its hole.

Could be but I do tighten so snug, no play, I just don't crank them down! I agree they are getting banged up some. Going to pull the one that is in there and see how it looks. It has about an hour on it.

That is the thing, they haven't as far as cutting goes. As mentioned, I am cutting field grass, maybe 2 feet high, on flat smooth land. It's just early spring growth, nothing even heavy. The cutter doesn't hit anything, it doesn't bog down. No indication of any big shear stress. That is what...

I agree it is odd that only one side is breaking. Probably a clue. When I used to run a shear pin style shaft on this cutter it would break both side just as you described. I could tighten the bolt to just before breaking and it would not compress the PTO shaft at all where it goes over the...

I understand all of that and understand preload. What I see though is the only "stretch" force on the bolt is centrifugal force of the spinning shaft which has to be pretty minimal. Bolt is tightened so there is no sliding movement of the bolt. Just snugged not torqued. Odd thing is that this...

Probably no more than that. How I ended up with it is this. Years back I had a John Deere 755, still have it, and wanted to see if it could run a 5 foot cutter. I knew I'd need a cutter with a low HP light duty gearbox and a light weight cutter. I found this Big Bee on Craigslist with a damaged...

It's an old Big Bee. However, I have rebuilt it some time back with new stump jumper, blades and blade bolts. Gearbox is tight and spins fine. All bolts on tail wheel and A-frame are good and proper sizes and everything is straight. Gearbox is a low HP one so it doesn't sap much power from...

This is something I have asked before and also researched but never got a good definitive answer. Mostly just speculative opinions! Some say "bolt" should be left loose and other say tighten up good. What I have been doing is to snug the bolt/nut down so the bolt doesn't slide in its hole. I am...

PTO shafts are stored inside and are serviced before first use in the spring and then at regular intervals throughout the season. Electric PTO. I engage/disengage at 1500 RPM's. PTO engages slow and smooth. To disengage I throttle down slowly and when cutter speed is stable, I disengage...

I am trying a longer bolt so we'll see. However, the interesting thing is the sheared spot is actually about a 1/4" short of the shear zone. It is shearing just inside of the gearbox input shaft. Maybe that is just how it is breaking off? I'm also going to try some grade 2 bolts to see if the...

Yes and gearbox spins freely and runs cool while working. Cutter runs very smooth, no vibrations to speak of. PTO shaft is straight.

For the first part, I'm only running on flat areas. Just pretty straight forward, flat with field grasses and just this year's spring growth. Running about a 4" cut height with the rear at about a 2" rise from the front of the cutter. PTO shaft has plenty of remaining collapse room. I...

No, it actually starts up very smooth. Pull the PTO switch, electric, and after a second or so it is a kind of a gradual spin up. Like engaging a clutch with a smooth action. When turning off the PTO I first slowly throttle down to about 1500, wait a minute, then switch off. The cutter and...

I have a 3.5 inch one in there now so we'll see on that part. I tighten them until the head of the bolt and the nut make contact with the PTO shaft sides. So, no play but not tight at all. I have wondered what would be better, tighten or leave a little loose?

I understand all of that but I run slip clutches on my shafts and normally the manuals call for grade 8. I normally use grade 5 for a little extra protection if the blades get stopped dead so I don't burn up the clutches. The bolts fit tight but am going to take a closer look.

Yes, but the thing is on this one it is never under any real stress or shock loads. These are just snapping while going along in a straight line just mowing grass. Also not mowing close to the ground. When I check the bolts on my other brush hogs, they also show a little bit of that, but they...

Both PTO shafts are identical. They use a spring plate instead of individual springs. Both are properly adjusted and if anything adjusted slightly on the loose side. Thing is that this cutter is never under any extreme shock loads like you might see running over 2 inch saplings or getting a...

Here are the last three that broke. 2 grade 8 and 1 grade 5. This is a lighter duty cutter and I don't push it hard. I engage and disengage the cutter with engine RPM at about 1500. I use it mainly for doing fields that are in good shape and just cutting the field grasses. Most of the time it...

Yes, it is in good condition.

The bolts seem to fit tight when installing but I will look at this further.

Using the standard 1/2" X 3" bolt which is what I use in other cutters.

PTO shaft and everything else spin very smooth.

I run a 5 foot brush hog on my JD 3032E. I have used this cutter for years for lighter duty work. Mostly just cutting field grasses on nice flat areas. I do run a slip clutch PTO shaft. Clutch is adjusted correctly and is in good shape. I usually run grade 5 or grade 8 bolts where the PTO...

Interesting idea and very well could be.

Actually have the chain so should be ok there! Here is the interesting thing to think on. The larger and smaller "tube" section look a lot like pipe that was cut down and used. The two circular sections with all the holes look just like pipe flange we would weld to the end of a pipe. All of the...

We were given this flail. Name on it says Eggers-Bilt but looks like stick on letters. Anyone seen one like this and can help identify? I have a sneaking suspicion it is home made.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with this. I had a Woodland Mills WG24 on a JD 3038E and never once was I able to just creep forward at a constant speed. It's move a tiny bit, stop, move a little , stop. You have to vary the forward movement based on the current cut and the wood etc. You...

Yea, been watching some videos and use correctly it seems to do ok. I had a 3-point stump grinder but sold it as I can do it just as quick or quicker with my Toro commercial hand operated one. Also gets into the tight area good!

Hi all, Considering a stump bucket for my JD 3038E. Cleaning up a lot of wooded areas which will have smaller tree stumps. Mostly under 10 inches down to a few inches. Any suggestions on a decent and functional but affordable stump bucket for the JD quick attach on the 3038E loader? Thanks for...

I have a Tar River TXG-050. I started out by running it on a JD X585. It is a fairly light weight tiller compared to others of the same size. I do have to use weights on the front of the X585 though. This tractor ran it well but you do want to just use some restraint so as to not beat up the...

They are aware of this happening and blame slip clutch adjustment.

No, the tiller has 5-6 hours on it. It was purchased new, locally, last fall and I have the paperwork. Seller showed me where he tilled with it this spring. I put about 30 minutes on it before it broke.

I just sold one of these. One thing I found was that despite torquing the cutter nuts to spec they loosen up quickly so watch them. I suspect the lock nuts are not doing the job.

I didn't hit anything with it. A few bumps and bangs like you'd expect in hard soil but that was all and it stopped working about 30 minutes after I started using it. Previous owner said he hit a little sandstone but said it barely even "flinched". I am glad I only had to fix the tiller and not...

Splined part is welded into the main rotor tube. Just a poor weld they let go.

Yea, my friend is a professional welder with decades of experience (oil & gas sector mainly) and he wasn't surprised by the crap weld. His friend who is a weld inspector was at the shop and said he was surprised it lasted that long (6 hours or so)! We got it back together best we could but the...

Yea, KK got back to me and said they see this and it is usually related to an improperly adjusted slip clutch. Can't deny that logic but I think this would have broke over time anyway. What tiller to you like for a 5 footer?

I can get a better picture. It is likely a machine weld or not welded by a human! Saw a couple videos also about changing the grease seal there and those tillers were welded also so seems to be how KK does it.

Yea, I'm just an amateur welder and I can see it is poor. No penetration into the splined shaft. We'll see how she does after a repair tomorrow!

Just got this tiller yesterday and started tilling with it today and it broke. Rotor stopped turning. Tiller had about 5-6 hours on it so very little use. After pulling it apart I find that the splined shaft that is inserted and welded to the rotor shaft broke at the weld. Inspecting it shows...

Yes, it works somewhat but doesn't really cut down the high spots. My goal was to try to "shave" off the high areas and get it to distribute the dirt to low areas with multiple passes.

Back drag won't work. There are mounds and ridges of hard packed, untouched ground and general uneven areas I want to try to level out. That's why I wanted to raise the blades so I could more "shave" the areas and work the problem areas down with multiple passes. As it is set now it is making...

That's exactly it. Digs in a lot and loads/clogs up so no dirt really goes over the blades it just piles up like a box blade.

So I have a 6 foot ABI land plane. Got it hooked up recently to do some grading on an area where I removed a mobile home. Just basic dirt! I thought the blades were set to be "flush" with the side skids. When I ran it I found it was taking quite a big cut out of the ground. I went back to...

Cheaper? I think I paid $35 each for TSC blades for a 5 footer and something like $120 for 2 JD blades for 5 footer.

Nothing t this point. Just using the JD blades. Curios to see if a Tractor Supply blade will fit ok. I used a set on my 5 foot Big Bee and they work well and have been tough.

I also had similar issues with my Betstco flail. It would do a less than desirable job when compared to my John Deere flail. One thing I found is that the Betstco flail spins "backwards" or against the direction of travel. Opposite of wheel rotation when going forward. I thought this would be...

Yes.

It appears the standard duty one is $1500.

And hey, I got it with a tractor I purchased so why not try to get every penny out of it and reduce overall cost on the tractor!! Buyers know what they want to pay so we'll see!

I understand and thanks for the input. In my "area" 4 foot ones are scarce as are 4 foot brush hogs. I was actually thinking to start at $750 or so and see. No hurry to sell so it can sit!

Going to be listing a JD BB1048L box blade I don't need. It is in great shape with little use and is complete with no damage. What do you think is the upper end for an asking price? I intend to start high and see what happens. Don't need to sell. I see used, good condition BB2048L's going...

It is Cat 1 and it is also very heavy. It was suggested it was cut down from a larger one but it really doesn't look like it. Very odd one.

Nope, worn smooth.

Hi all, A friend has these and is going to sell so I'd like to try to identify the brand, etc. and maybe a value. One is what looks like a 3 foot box blade. Quite heavy duty and in good shape. The other is a small disc, maybe a few feet wide, and also seems in decent shape. Thanks.

Looks similar to a BigBee Agri-Five. Tough little cutter with a lighter duty gearbox so it doesn't sap a lot of HP.

Thanks but a land plane isn't going to help. I have one. I'm more looking to "comb" through the already loose gravel kind of like you might run a drag harrow over a garden that has just been tilled.

Thanks for the ideas so far. Here is what I basically want to do or use it for. My driveway is an example. I want the spike harrow to just rough up or agitate the gravel so dirt and things will filter down. Also to help loosen up weeds and grasses. It doesn't need to dig deep but rather just...

Hi all, Looking for an economical spike harrow like in the picture. The one in the picture may be as good a deal as I can get! Max 5 foot wide. It will be for lighter duty use. I have a chain drag harrow but I'd like one for the three point so I can lift and move. Thanks for any opinions or...

Aha! Will post more when I can but for now we are keeping it quiet!

Yes, my John Deere quick Hitch is also that way. I think they use the same hooks for CAT 1&2 quick hitches.

So far it seems Harbor Freight is the cheapest at $139.

Hi all, Odd one I know but am looking for a cheap CAT1 quick hitch. It is not going to be used to actually run equipment behind a tractor but is for a project I am going to build. I am keeping an eye out for used ones and also searching for low cost new ones. Thanks for any thoughts on this.

Just to let you guys know. I reached out to "IronCraft" by email with a couple questions. They responded quickly and even asked me to call to relay some good info. These guys will definitely be on the top of my list the next time I am looking for equipment.

Did the trade. The finish mower is less than 6 months old and used twice. It's a little dirty from being in a barn. I can tell you it is a solid piece of equipment and weighs in at about 550 pounds so it is all there. It seems very well made.

Always good to make sure on these things. I was looking at Titan Implements which has now changed its name!

It is not Titan Attachments.

Hi all, Been a while. I have someone wanting to trade a 2022 Titan Implements 6 foot finish mower for a big flail I have. This finish mower seems to retail for about $3000. He "said" it was used a couple times. I still have to go check it out. I'm asking $2495 for my flail. What do you guys...

The countdown begins. Shipping notice!

Hi all, A friend is looking at 6 foot brush hogs and we found a heavy duty 6 foot Bad Boy at our local Tractor Supply for $2300 I think it is. What do you guys think about this brand? They seem to be popular out here. It also seems to be pretty well built.

Went ahead and bought it. Better deal I think. Thanks for the info.

The one I am looking at is new and the asking price is $2900, reg is like $3500. Looks exactly like the Woodland at $2399. Why wouldn't I go with the Woodland? The green color is good also!!

Hi all, Considering a 3 point stump grinder to run on my Deere 3038E. Not looking to tackle redwoods but something for the smaller stuff. One I am looking at is a Baumalight 1P24 PTO Driven Stump Grinder. One for sale here new for a good price. Are there others I should consider? Is this...

The ones I bought for my flail a few months ago look to be available on ebay still. https://www.ebay.com/itm/362572750737

Can't you use the Titan hammers?

Tractor is bouncing around too much. Things like that or a box blade won't stay on the ground for a second! Surface is too uneven.

Draw bar is a good ide. Didn't think of that but tractor bouncing around is part of the problem.

Hi all, I have a brush hog customer with a newly purchased 3 acre "lot". I mowed it the other day and it is extremely rough with large ruts and dirt piles from a forestry mulcher that was apparently in there when the ground was very soft. Really tore it up. I am wondering what a good...

Thank you. He bought it used and the manual he got was for another series!

Exactly as I though.

First off is that all the hammers were identical and all new. We did inspect the hammers to be sure. After it was suggested it was tires causing the issue, and we suspected the same, I looked closer and there is a second ridge. However it is more cut down due to the overlapping cut from the...

I don't know. only used it a few times just testing it out last fall. Had to wait for a new gear box since it was damaged when it arrived. First real use was in February on a vacant lot so it was mostly just dead weeds and crap. That's where I got into some unknown rocks and cement and broke...

A friends asked for help adjusting the clutch on his 4550. Don't know the exact issue yet, he's going to bring it over, but been looking around for a description of the process and have not found anything yet. Could anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks!

Flaps are all intact and functional. I can even see it trying to create some suction if I look back at it while mowing but it just doesn't cut the grass where the tires ran. I think one issue is that it is a counterrotating flail so I think that the blades are more apt to lay the grass that is...

I will try this later today after I get more oil. Reservoir is low. One note is that the previous owner reported they got the mower stuck and were going back and forth trying to move it when it quite moving.

I did try a bit with them open but then closed them and still nothing. Only did it briefly though. I will lift it and try it with them open and then closed to see what happens. Got to get more oil also. Since neither side tried to do anything that I could tell it would seem it is a come...

I see this on the pumps which are indicated as the method to release for moving the machine when not powered. Are there additional valves or something else on the actual drive motors? I can't see someone climbing under the thing to release something in order to move it. Drive belt is in good...

Yes, Kholer, and it runs great.

Hi all, Was gifted a Dixon Kodiak 52 that won't move. Looking for help or more specifically a forum for Dixon Z turn machines. Thanks for any info!

That certainly is a good option! May just turn that strip upside down and see how it does first.

You're probably right. I'm pretty careful also. This mower is only going to be doing flat open fields with you average field grasses so it isn't going to be abused! The other thing I was thinking to try is to flip that adjustment bar upside down so all the holes are lower. I appreciate the...

I wondered about that and if spacing it down would put any excessive forces on it.

Getting my 6 footer out and set up. I have set the cut height to about 3 1/2 inches at the front. I set the tail wheel in the lowest position or the position that should give the most lift at the rear but all I get is about 1 inch more height than the front. If I set the RC for a 4 inch cut the...

I'm sure you are correct and maybe the overall flail is a factor also.

My 5 footer works surprising well on my JD756. You do have to listen to your machine and respond. Another thing you can do in heavy stuff is raise the rear a little, should already be 1-2 inches higher than the front, and it will reduce the HP demands some.

I am the Lawn service! I mostly do brush hogging and stuff like that though. This stables has been a good customer and this area of service has kind of developed over time. I'm just trying to figure out a method that will get the desired results and be somewhat reasonable on costs and time.

Ideally that is the best solution. Good for me because I make the cash! Mowing a total of 16 acres is costly though. I am trying to help the owner with an efficient solution but it may simply be frequent cutting.

Would that even begin to rake up clippings like your riding mower would make?

Agreed, the amount of time is crazy! A flail will not give a good enough cut. Tried it and ruled it out.

Yes there is. It makes the surface very slippery and can be dangerous for horse and rider.

Anyone have or know of a large and rugged lawn type sweeper? I'm working on the best way to get clippings off of a large, 10 acre, field! I know, it's a field, but these are polo practice fields we try to cut on a shoestring budget! Clippings cannot be left on the field. Basically if you can...

I'm in contact with my favorite person at Flai-Master. They are looking to see if they can source a "Y" style flail for the Betstco but she said in the past they have had a hard time getting blades that are good for a Betstco. We'll see if they come up with something.

That is one reason I am staying away from the Z turn. Too rough. I'd go 7 foot but it won't fit on my trailer!

Yea, that norther tool one has the same chute mine Muratori has. Nice but if the grass is not pretty short it does clump some. The chains make it worse. Good mower but for this I am looking for a different rear discharge.

Nice if I could afford it!

Yea, diesel is out of control. Cost me more to fill two gas cans yesterday than it used to cost to fill my Tahoe!

I considered a large Z turn but first thing is I won't use it anywhere else. I also tried one out on one of these areas and it was a rough ride. I'll look at Agri. 7 is too big since I can't trailer it! But a 6 is good.

Is it Brush hog or Bush hog? Model number by chance? Not finding much yet but like the sound of it.

Ok, so Betstco wants $6.50 a blade for the "Y" blades. 48 blades and that makes them more expensive than the hammers! Add shipping and you are at $7.50 a blade. I don't think I can justify that cost just to test my flail to see if it cuts better than with hammers. I made another post about how...

Ok, I'll clarify a little. Considering replacing my 6 foot finish mower. The main thing I would like is not only a rear discharge but one with a good discharge pattern. Not one that discharges in clumps like mine does. Mine has a "chute" type discharge at the rear so it restricts the discharge...

Wondering if anyone got the "Y" blades for their Betstco flail. I have the efgc155 and cutting field grass with new hammers basically sucks! See my other post about it. The old Ford 917 I redid recently which is using stock rough cut side slicers does a far superior job to my new Betstco with...

You wouldn't necessarily need to cut each tube "exactly" the same length but remember that the overall shaft will only collapse or go as short as the longer tube section allows. And as mentioned equal length tubes will give the largest range of short to long while maintaining a safe amount of...

I think it starts with what you need to do. I ran a rebuilt Big Bee 5 footer last summer and it did a good job. I put a heavy duty stump jumper on it and Tractor supply blades. I replaced the main bolts on the A frame and added lock nuts. Probably have $500 in it total including purchase...

Not an apples to apples but I have a John Deere 756 (755) I have run a 5 foot big Bee on. The JD is rated at 20 HP and estimated at 15-18 PTO HP. It does a surprisingly good job with the Big Bee. I set it for about a 4 inch cut height at the front and set the rear to be 2-3 inches higher than...

Nice! I hope to get mine installed today or tomorrow weather permitting!

I tried overlapping enough to hit the strip left from the last pass but by doing that I loose almost 2 feet of cut. It still didn't do a great job recutting but more is the issue of loosing so much width for each cut. I appreciate the suggestion. Once the rain stops and things dry a bit I am...

Went out and did a 3.5 acre field. Nice an flat with 5-8 inch natural field grasses and weeds. Pretty tame stuff. Ran at a 2.5 inch cut and took my time. Then end result is terrible. Looks like it was done with a crappy, unleveled brush hog with bad blades. You get one nicer strip of cut...

I have dropped my cut from 3 inches to 2.5 and it didn't make much difference. Much lower and I'll hit the ground. Going slower seemed to help a little but really it is at a crawl so that is not efficient! I think wet, green grasses are part of the issue as they don't really spring back up...

Update: I am pretty convinced at this point that the tires are causing the initial problem. I think this being a flail that spins against the direction of travel doesn't help with this issue. I think if the grass is partially laying over and pointing in the direction of travel then the blades...

This may help with some of the questions. https://www.agrisupply.com/the-basics-of-pto-shafts-and-associated-parts/a/1031/

I agree that it is probably just frozen or jammed in there.

I haven't had much actually get thrown. A few stick out the front but usually they are low and don't go far. I am trying to control the dust and fine debris it is throwing out the front. It is an odd one. It all comes out the right/front side and normally that wouldn't be such a problem but...

Thank you everyone for all of the good suggestions. Metal part for mounting will be here next week so I'll get the front done and then test and report how it did. We'll see how long the rubber holds up.

I'll be interested to see how chains are, compared to nothing. I'm sure better. I have another JD cutter I am finishing up with new blades etc. Once ready I am going to test in the same field as the other to see how much the chains cut down this issue, if they do. I'll be doing the rubber...

I understand that. Been doing this a while. Cutter is not "digging" into the ground. It is set properly. The issue is that without any type of guard on the front, my JD brush hog shoots a huge amount of very fine cuttings and dust out the right front of the cutter (right side as sitting on the...

Looks like it is still in the catalogue but no response yet on price. However I don't know what unit it is for.

I am trying to get new belts for this flail. The part number I came up with at Messick's, (V-BELT 0.66'' W x 57.50'' L, 2 Ribs) or 137203, shows a banded belt but three bands/ribs and not two. Does any of this cross to a Gates or some other brand that might be available locally? Anyone with a...

There is a reportedly "new" which means unused FM-175 flail for sale locally for $1400. Apparently came with a tractor purchased from an elderly couple. Flail is supposedly unused. Other than paint fade it is unblemished, at least in pictures. It looks like it has been sitting for some years...

Good suggestion and a real possibility. I did check and these do have some room laterally on the mount. I did check for free swing though. Thanks!

The manual on my JD RC2048 specifies grade 2, along with my other cutters when using a shear as opposed to a slip clutch. I mentioned 1/2 inch only as a reference to the size my cutters use.

OK, thanks. I'll see what I can get for pictures tomorrow.

My first thought was I put a hammer on backwards but that's not it.

Picture from the rear of the flail or underneath?

Not sure what you mean?

All of my rotary cutters that use a shear pin/bolt use a grade 2. Mine are 1/2X3 inch. Found a deal on Grainger's site for that size, in a manufacturer they were discontinuing and got every one they had for pennies.

Who's flail is it? One I bought last year had a similar issue with the threads for the gearbox breather. All cross threaded in the hole in the gearbox. Gearbox is cast steel so unlikely the plug did it. They sent a new gearbox also.

Ok, so I have replaced all of the hammers with new ones. I used the Titan 3.5" ones since they are about 3-4 bucks cheaper per hammer than Betstco ones and look good. Tested on my test field which is about 5-6 inch grass. Overall the cut was ok, flail cut set at about 3 inches, but I...

And chain skirts are big dollars! Chains are definitely safe though and I do have chains on the rear of this one.

I'm agreeing on this. The neoprene was cheap and available so it was a starting point.

Back is about 2 inches higher. I generally run 1 to 2 inches higher in the back. I will check it though to make sure. The blow out is at the very right-front corner of the cutter. It seems to mainly be blowing out dust and fine particles. Another cutter I use doesn't do this but it is a...

Thanks, I'll check into this. My main goal is really to reduce the dust blowing out the front of the mower. One of my JD cutters blows out a huge amount from the right front and it all blows right upwards to the side of my face. It's the perfect storm!

I have a few brush hogs which do not have the original shields on the front. To replace them can be a bit pricey for some. I have purchased a roll of 1/8 inch thick solid neoprene (10ft X 12 inch) should be able to get 4 to 6 out of the roll depending on size. I'm going to try this out and see...

Mine was a little tricky to get to due to where I have it stored but looks like 78-80 inches. Definitely under 7 feet.

What I do is put a white paint mark across the disks to indicate movement. If you hit some stuff and feel it should have slipped you can check it.

King Kutter? What size? I can measure my 5 foot one when the rain stops.

Slip clutch adjustment will depend on the type of slip clutch. If it is the type with springs on the bolts then in general you would tighten each bolt/nut until you can't turn the spring by hand then go another 1 1/2 turns. I have another type which is adjusted by a measurement between two...

So I am getting ready to order new blades for the Ford 917 (22-184) Flail Master has two style I am interested in. See picture, the ones with red arrows. I will be mowing a flat (10 acres) and maintained field. No rocks, or other debris. Probably mow at about 3 inches and it will be kept...

I think you are trying to create a one to one comparison of two different protection methods. I don't think that works. I think you need to see what the implement manufacturer recommends for driveline protection for that specific implement. Slip clutch is better suited for certain...

That is a decent method. Most slip clutch setup instructions will give you a basic setting such as, for spring type, turn the nuts until you can't turn the spring by hand then tight 1 to 1 1/2 turns. From there adjust tighter or looser as needed for your implement. Most implements will tell...

I would start by looking at the HP ratings for PTO shaft by series. Maybe this is a starting point. http://alinetrading.com.au/product-catalogue/pto-and-driveline-components/pto-shaft-technical-information/power-ratings-and-dimensions

I would reconsider weight in the bucket! Here is why. A friend out here does tractor repairs. Last fall he got a smaller Kubota, forget what model, but similar to yours. The owner split it in half! Had a heavy mower on the back and loaded up heavy in the bucket. Must have been running fast on...

If you want light and inexpensive look at a BigBee 4 or maybe 5 foot. I ran a 5 foot on my John Deere 756 which is 3 cyl, diesel 20 HP and about 15-18 PTO HP. The 5 foot did pretty good but can bog it down also. It is a surprisingly tough cutter. Also a John Deere RC2048 would be a nice one...

Agree, a Brush Bull is not a light duty, entry level cutter.

For me the first things to ask myself would be - What tractor am I going to run it on? How much do I intend to use it? What type of use? I think for a 4 foot cutter you can do equally as good and less than half the cost with something else. A couple near perfect John Deere RC2048's sold for...

What blades are you running on the 917?

So, the end result. Pulled the gearbox. Measured on the deck at the mounting holes and one side about 1/8 inch higher than the other. Beat on it with a 10Lbs sledge but it had little effect. The U channel underneath is just too thick and strong to really bend much. Got it better but still...

Interesting idea.

That is what I am thinking. Got her flipped back upright so now to remove the gear box and see what we have.

Yea, I really don't know what happened. The stump jumper did have a good, sharp bend on the outer edge in one spot. Maybe a hunk of wood or something got jammed between it and the main body? Bearing for the output shaft looks good and is tight. Output shaft spins true so it is ok.

Here are a couple pictures of the underside. In one you may be able to see how the output shaft is leaning slightly to the left. In the other picture, the two bolts circled which is the left side as in the other picture, are the area that has "cupped" down a bit. This is the area that needs to...

Hi all, I have a 6 foot brush bull similar to the one in the picture. While doing some repair work I find that the gearbox is leaning to one side. If you stand at the front or back you can see it leans a little, like the arrow in the picture. I can see where the deck is lifted slightly on one...

Update: So I have this blade now from Titam Attachments. Titan Blade eBay Here is a side by side of the original and the Titan. I think they are really close. The Titan is approximately 2.1 ounces heavier than my sample blade. Don't know if 2 ounces will throw it out of balance much! I...

It will depend on the blade type first off. I think in general a flail is better for lower grasses and brush, viney types of vegetation. I find it tends to lay over small saplings and stiff, hard stalk grasses so a few passes needed in areas. My large John Deere flail has the scoop or duck foot...

Yes, for sure. This rotor is three long sections which make up the round rotor and the mounting bars so it's not one solid round tube with the mounting bars added.