allen in texas
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 916
- Location
- Levelland, TX
- Tractor
- Kubota Grand L 5740, loaded R1's w/640 lbs cast weight, 854 loader
It's been awhile since I've posted here, I've been working, playing and generally enjoying life. These links are to the 5 year old threads about my Bush Hog 1812 flexwing mower that I bought to make a few bucks with. I thought some of you might like to hear a real life experience review of the machine.
www.tractorbynet.com
www.tractorbynet.com
www.tractorbynet.com
First off, this mower has paid for itself several time over and that's a good thing. It has saved a lot of time on the jobs I do. I have a few random jobs with it but I mostly have 4 regular jobs. One is the mentioned 176 acre rail park, another is a 12 acre private home pasture, and the other two are businesses that are about 25 acres each. On yeah, I have one 2 acre spot that I do for free. I generally do each spot 3 times a season, depending on rain. less for no rain, more for more rain but I am here to talk about my mower.
It broke in half! Not completely the fault of the machine but a good bit of it, or perhaps quality control at Bush hog. The first problem I noticed was that I was having trouble keeping the wings mowing even with the center blade. but I kept adjusting them and trying to make it mow nicely until one day, the tractor just bogged down and I started mowing dirt. Seems as though the tongue had broken and I was dragging the mower on the ground.
Well I picked that up (long story as to how) and got it home and repaired it. It broke where the different pieces that made up the tongue were welded together, or in this case, not welded. I looked it over, found spots that were supposed to be welded but weren't it was just tack welded to hold it together until it could be fully welded but I guess they forgot to go back and finish up. I welded all the spots, fish plated a few and I thought I was good to go.
Before the tongue broke ,I had a bit of trouble getting it to clear the tail of the trailer when I was loading it so I modified my ramps. once again, good to go, I thought.
The next mowing job I had, the right hand side of the center blade and the left hand side of the right wing were scalping so I shut down and loaded it to go home to see what was wrong. Rather I tried to load it. I couldn't get it to clear the tail of the trailer again. I looked under it and the main chassis, a 2x2 square tubing, was broken through and through and it was sagging in the middle about 4 inches.
Long story but I finally got it home, turned it up on its sided, had the bottom sand blasted clean and I found 4 more breaks. Each of them in a piddly weld. 3/8 or thicker metal with a 1/16 inch or less weld bead. No wonder it broke. The only thing not broken in a weld was the 2x2 main chassis and it broke because of all the other parts that let go.
Bush hog is aware of what happened, basically told me good luck with it but I wasn't expecting them to warrant a 5 year old machine, I just wanted them to be aware of the terrible quality control on my machine. It's back together now and still working and probably stronger now than it would have been had the welding been up to snuff.
This was the major problems I've had, I've had a couple of minor troubles that I fixed and they all required welding and beefing up the part that broke. I thinks it's a good machine but I really think Bush Hog should look into the quality control and I believe there is one or two parts that could be slightly redesigned to increase the reliability without increasing the cost of the machine.
Cost??? A new one today costs about 30% more that I gave for mine 5 years ago.
Hope everyone enjoyed this ramble...
Rotary Cutter - So I just bought a bush hog 1812
And I have a question about the hydraulics. This thing came with a pair of hoses that work off of one of my remotes on my tractor. One lever lowers the entire shredder and lowers the wings...sorta. they are all interconnected, one direction of the lever will lower the deck but at the same time...
www.tractorbynet.com
Rotary Cutter - I used the new 1812 bush hog today, a few thoughts
This job is 5.5 acres of grass and weeds averaging about 3.5 feet tall. I have cut this for several years with my rears spf 6 ft flail. No matter the conditions, it has always taken me 2 hours, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. Today i cut it in 55 minutes. I was surprised because i...
www.tractorbynet.com
Rotary Cutter - Update on the bush hog 1812
Finished my first big job today. It is a rail park, 176 acres. The first half i did with my 6 foot flail. Took me 38 hours for 89 acres, 2.34 acres per hour. The second half, i did with the 12 footer. Took 16 hours for 87 acres, 5.43 acres per hour. Im happy but a bit confused. Took more...
www.tractorbynet.com
First off, this mower has paid for itself several time over and that's a good thing. It has saved a lot of time on the jobs I do. I have a few random jobs with it but I mostly have 4 regular jobs. One is the mentioned 176 acre rail park, another is a 12 acre private home pasture, and the other two are businesses that are about 25 acres each. On yeah, I have one 2 acre spot that I do for free. I generally do each spot 3 times a season, depending on rain. less for no rain, more for more rain but I am here to talk about my mower.
It broke in half! Not completely the fault of the machine but a good bit of it, or perhaps quality control at Bush hog. The first problem I noticed was that I was having trouble keeping the wings mowing even with the center blade. but I kept adjusting them and trying to make it mow nicely until one day, the tractor just bogged down and I started mowing dirt. Seems as though the tongue had broken and I was dragging the mower on the ground.
Well I picked that up (long story as to how) and got it home and repaired it. It broke where the different pieces that made up the tongue were welded together, or in this case, not welded. I looked it over, found spots that were supposed to be welded but weren't it was just tack welded to hold it together until it could be fully welded but I guess they forgot to go back and finish up. I welded all the spots, fish plated a few and I thought I was good to go.
Before the tongue broke ,I had a bit of trouble getting it to clear the tail of the trailer when I was loading it so I modified my ramps. once again, good to go, I thought.
The next mowing job I had, the right hand side of the center blade and the left hand side of the right wing were scalping so I shut down and loaded it to go home to see what was wrong. Rather I tried to load it. I couldn't get it to clear the tail of the trailer again. I looked under it and the main chassis, a 2x2 square tubing, was broken through and through and it was sagging in the middle about 4 inches.
Long story but I finally got it home, turned it up on its sided, had the bottom sand blasted clean and I found 4 more breaks. Each of them in a piddly weld. 3/8 or thicker metal with a 1/16 inch or less weld bead. No wonder it broke. The only thing not broken in a weld was the 2x2 main chassis and it broke because of all the other parts that let go.
Bush hog is aware of what happened, basically told me good luck with it but I wasn't expecting them to warrant a 5 year old machine, I just wanted them to be aware of the terrible quality control on my machine. It's back together now and still working and probably stronger now than it would have been had the welding been up to snuff.
This was the major problems I've had, I've had a couple of minor troubles that I fixed and they all required welding and beefing up the part that broke. I thinks it's a good machine but I really think Bush Hog should look into the quality control and I believe there is one or two parts that could be slightly redesigned to increase the reliability without increasing the cost of the machine.
Cost??? A new one today costs about 30% more that I gave for mine 5 years ago.
Hope everyone enjoyed this ramble...
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