1st time at my new property & 1st time ever brush-hogging - some lessons learned

[5030]

I don't agree here, I frickin LOVE having my hydraulic top link installed for brush hogging.

My woods 5' cutter has it's own flexible top link linkage. But the hydraulic top link on my tractor allows me to instantly pull the cutter way up to adjust to big dips or gullies, etc. And when backing into a bush, it's so nice to be able to have a very high cutting height and attack angle before lowering down for the final pass.

That ain't a big tractor...lol

 

[ericm979]

I don't agree here, I frickin LOVE having my hydraulic top link installed for brush hogging.

My woods 5' cutter has it's own flexible top link linkage. But the hydraulic top link on my tractor allows me to instantly pull the cutter way up to adjust to big dips or gullies, etc. And when backing into a bush, it's so nice to be able to have a very high cutting height and attack angle before lowering down for the final pass.

Same with me. All mowers should have a flexible top linkage. Sometimes they do and the bolts are too tight for them to flex (mine came that way from the dealer). The hydraulic top link is useful too but the flexible link on the mower is key for uneven terrain.

 

[Santa Craig Cringle]

Never use a solid or hydraulic top link on a machine with a long wheelbase attachment. Supporting the tractor by the tailwheel and the front wheels (as in crossing a gulley) will eventually lead to some serious breakage (like tractor transmission case cracking, toplink mount broken, etc) . You should understand the mechanics of the inability of 3 supports unable to conform to local terrain. Use a chain or a rocker link assembly. This puts some slack in the 3 axle constraint (front wheels, rear wheels, tailwheel). Rear tractor axle weight usually wins. What are you you willing to sacrifice ?

Another vote for a chain between the top of the mower, and (in my case) the Quick Hitch.

The chain is barely visible in this photo. It is looped over the top of the QH.



Santa for your rough ground I recommend this solution.

So if I'm understanding correctly, you use a solid or hydraulic link to attach the quick hitch to the tractor, and then you connect the brush hog with the two lower arms to the QH and you use a short length of chain between the QH top link area and the brush hog? The only time the chain is taught is when you are lifting the hog?

I'd have to get my tail wheel working properly first to do it this way. I would imagine too that this is easier on your PTO.

 

[Santa Craig Cringle]

It would be great if some of you that are using chains or flexible top links could post up close and clear pictures of your connections next time you're out. Learning here...

 

[California]

So if I'm understanding correctly, you use a solid or hydraulic link to attach the quick hitch to the tractor, and then you connect the brush hog with the two lower arms to the QH and you use a short length of chain between the QH top link area and the brush hog? The only time the chain is taught is when you are lifting the hog?

Yes.

I happen to have a 3 ft piece of chain with a hook that originally stayed with my Farm Jack.

Now when the mower isn't in use I use this chain to suspend the mower's driveline clear of the ground.

Then for mowing, the chain is made into a loop just dropped over the top of the mower as well as looped around the top of the QH.

No need to duplicate this precisely. Just make some sort of flexible link back to the mower.

 

[California]

Another photo just for fun. Growing apples on terraces is a part of operating here.

If the attachment in this photo were the mower it would need plenty of chain slack to follow the ground.

 

[bcp]

Many of the "slashers" used in AU have chains and no tail wheel.

Millers Falls Medium Duty Slasher 3 Point Linkage PTO 1760mm Cut Adjustable Height #FIDSM180

This fantastic Millers Falls FIDSMSM180 3 Point Linkage PTO 1760mm Cut Adjustable Height. Recommended tractor power: 25-50HP 3 point linkage: Cat 1 PTO speed: 540RPM Gearbox: 50HP Weight: 280kg Deck thickness: 4mm Skid thickness: 6mm. All prices and freight quotes include GST.

mafframachinery.com.au

pto slasher au at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Some instructions:

https://www.silvan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MANSLASH.pdf

Bruce

 

[RayIN]

Many of the "slashers" used in AU have chains and no tail wheel.

View attachment 3498425

Millers Falls Medium Duty Slasher 3 Point Linkage PTO 1760mm Cut Adjustable Height #FIDSM180

This fantastic Millers Falls FIDSMSM180 3 Point Linkage PTO 1760mm Cut Adjustable Height. Recommended tractor power: 25-50HP 3 point linkage: Cat 1 PTO speed: 540RPM Gearbox: 50HP Weight: 280kg Deck thickness: 4mm Skid thickness: 6mm. All prices and freight quotes include GST.

mafframachinery.com.au

pto slasher au at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Some instructions:

https://www.silvan.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MANSLASH.pdf

Bruce

This mower has skid runners front to rear too, so it can ride on the ground without damage. The square deck increases tail-swing when mowing around things.

 

[Torvy]

I think a flail may be a bit better on uneven ground.

 

[California]

I think a flail may be a bit better on uneven ground.

I may need a flail mower for next year.

The apple processing plant here will close after this year's harvest. There will be no market for our 70 tons annual crop so the annual pruning, tilling, harvest won't be done by the contractor who has done this here for a half century. I'll be on my own to keep the place mowed.

I think I need an offset flail mower next year to reach under the trees that I can't mow right next to. My photo above illustrates this. I may need a bigger tractor to run it.

I've started reading the Let's talk flail mowers thread here for ideas. I would appreciate any relevant comments posted there. Santa, you might want to read the recent pages there.

 

[deezler]

That ain't a big tractor...lol

And, so what? The OP has an even smaller machine than me, and the guy who said to never used a hydraulic top link for brush hogging has a small JD1070. Some times you bigger farm guys forget that most of us on this site are actually just homeowners.

 

[5030]

I see humor isn't your bag....lol again.

 

[airbiscuit]

The first thing I would say is Slow Your Roll You don't have to jam it to everything, break stuff, work till dehydration, etc. You don't have to buy new gadgets to hook things up.

• Use a pipe to help position the implement to your 3pt for hook up
• Installing the PTO shouldn't be difficult. It just takes practice and lubrication
• Make sure your PTO shaft isn't too long (look up PTO sizing)
• Take your time - especially with the first time mowing
• Replace the rear yoke and tail wheel
• Keep a look out for a 4' rough cut mower - that size is better suited to the size of your tractor
• Take plenty of water
• Fix the AC in your truck, you're in Alabama for Pete's sake

 

[airbiscuit]

...
For my first attempt, I attempted to clear some area in the woods and quickly discovered that rotary cutters are not meant for uneven terrain. Besides just the shear difficulty of maneuvering with it, I experienced a lot of issues with binding my top link. Only after I got home and watched some more brush hog videos, did I discover going on uneven terrain was kind of a no-no, especially going in and out of valleys/dips/etc.

Other issues I had is that my hydraulic top link quick connect kept popping loose. Not sure why that was happening.
And the other fittings on my top link kept loosening, causing me to loose hydraulic power. I'm assuming all this was because of the binding. I guess I'm pretty lucky I didn't do any major damage to the PTO but it didn't bind up. But you live and learn. Kind of a tractor rookie here. Have some seat time, but not at doing anything more than a little light gardening work for years.

Make sure your PTO shaft isn't too long. That could damage your tractor.

Also, most rotary cutters I've seen have kind of a swivel at the top link so it can give some slack on uneven ground. Please post a picture of yours. If you don't have that, or its travel is insufficient, you may have to rig up chains to the back.

 

[deezler]

I see humor isn't your bag....lol again.

Glad you are enjoying your personal inside joke.

 

[deezler]

The first thing I would say is Slow Your Roll You don't have to jam it to everything, work till dehydration, etc.

Good advice here! But seriously, working until you nearly have heat stroke is a good way to injure yourself. One mistake working around this kind of heavy machinery (even if the CK2510 is a pretty small tractor comparatively) can set you back months of rehab or affect the rest of your life. Always work carefully.

 

[ning]

Also, most rotary cutters I've seen have kind of a swivel at the top link so it can give some slack on uneven ground. Please post a picture of yours. If you don't have that, or its travel is insufficient, you may have to rig up chains to the back.
View attachment 3506206

Mine came without that (from auction - not new, but still "unused"), but I couldn't see a good spot to attach the top link, which was a good thing, as I would've probably wrecked my PTO first time out. Instead I went looking for how to connect it and realized that swivel was missing and ordered and installed one.

Generally once I get the cutter on the 3ph, I adjust the top link so that the swivel is in the middle of its travel, so that the back of the cutter can be pushed up by the terrain (if backing into a hill, or driving up a bank), or the back can drop down (if driving down a bank, or backing towards a bank, like my pond's dam).

I should replace the A-arms with chains as @ptsg recommends, which will give even more safety margin to the PTO. I'm not sure there's an actual downside to doing that?

 

[sandman2234]

I have seen the little bars or U shaped bars that are on some bush hogs, to help with mowing uneven terrain. While they do work, most of the time they are limited by just how far they will allow the terrain to change and still work. I always use them, and if I have to do any modifications to a bush hog, I tend to install chains going from the top of the 3 point and down to the deck. They make great insurance policies for when we miss judge exactly how much dip is in a low spot.
David from jax

 

[Santa Craig Cringle]

The first thing I would say is Slow Your Roll You don't have to jam it to everything, break stuff, work till dehydration, etc. You don't have to buy new gadgets to hook things up.

• Use a pipe to help position the implement to your 3pt for hook up
• Installing the PTO shouldn't be difficult. It just takes practice and lubrication
• Make sure your PTO shaft isn't too long (look up PTO sizing)
• Take your time - especially with the first time mowing
• Replace the rear yoke and tail wheel
• Keep a look out for a 4' rough cut mower - that size is better suited to the size of your tractor
• Take plenty of water
• Fix the AC in your truck, you're in Alabama for Pete's sake

You're probably right. I was anxious to get out on the property for the first time after 8 weeks of wet weekends and sitting at home.

 

[bearthebruce]

Slow Your Roll

This is advice that I have a hard time learning. I am not on the property full time - in fact, I am there perhaps 5 or 6 weeks a year. So, when I am there, there is much to do and too little day to do it. Add weather... and well, quickly we fall behind.

On too many occasions, close calls for injury and such has resulted from our trying to get more done in the time we have. Most recently, one of the guys who help me had a really close call when another guy nearly ran him over - all a mistake... all done in a rush.

It brings back an old Pennsylvania Dutch saying my dad would oft quote: "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!"

Safety and health cannot be replaced. We can cause real injury to ourselves and others when we turn off our brains and just do... trust me, I have learned the hard way to Slow My Roll!

Thanks @airbiscuit for the proper and good advice.