adjusting brush hog

[Freds]

After the advice given in another post, I went with a 4 ft. brush hog for my B7500HST. I bought a KK at the new TSC and it cuts through 4 ft. high field grass like butter. My question is, how do you adjust the cutting height? It seems like all the rear wheel is good for is to adjust the angle of the deck. I lowered the front of the deck down to where it was a couple inches off the ground and due to the irregular terrain, did quite a bit of scalping with the blades, plus it was digging in occasionally. Why don't they make brush hogs with wheels on the front like a RFM?

Still learning, but having fun,
Fred

Almost forgot, I have the three point adjusted to lift as high as it can and the BH still drags through the creek I have to cross. I didn't have that problem with my RFM. It lifted up much higher even in the original holes. Is this normal when switching implements or implement brand?

 

[RobS]

Fred, your tractor tires act as the front tires on a brush hog. Use your TPH to set the cutting height you want then level the deck with the tailwheel. Lower rear will cut finer but use more hp, higher rear will allow you to go faster but not as smooth a cut. Hope this helps /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Spencer]

<font color=blue>Almost forgot, I have the three point adjusted to lift as high as it can and the BH still drags through the creek I have to cross</font color=blue>

I'm sure that you already know this but shortening the length of the toplink makes a dramatic difference.

 

[Mosey]

Fred – I have the same problem and have not come up with a good solution either. I have a 5’ KK bush hog and it works great on fairly even terrain. But, if the rear tires of the tractor drop down into a hole or ditch or the front of the tractor goes up on a hump, the front of the mower drops down and leaves gouges if I don’t lift it up some. The same thing happens if I come out at the bottom of a steep hill onto level ground. When I crest over the top of a steep hill, the mower lifts way up in the air and doesn’t cut, so I have to lower it, then be ready to raise it again when the tractor levels off or it will gouge. I guess they don’t put caster wheels on them because they wouldn’t hold up to the abuse of cutting through heavy brush or small trees.

Position control on the 3pt hitch is adequate for level terrain, but just doesn’t do the job on uneven terrain. What we really need is draft control, like they had on the older tractors (Ford 8N, Ferguson, Oliver 550 etc all had this), which was developed primarily for plowing. Draft control automatically adjusts the 3pt hitch to compensate for the angle of the tractor. When the front of the tractor goes up, the 3pt arms go up to keep the plow from digging in deeper. When the front of the tractor goes down, the 3pt arms go down to keep the plow from coming up. When you consider what we pay for these compact diesels, it seems to me like draft control should be standard. I don’t know if any new compact diesels have it or not, but I know my NH TC29D doesn’t. However, I’ll take my hydrostat with live PTO and live hydraulics over the Ford 8N any day!

 

[Freds]

I don't understand how the tractor tires act as the front tires of the BH. When the tractor tires travel into a lower grade than the BH is at, what keeps the front of the BH from dropping down? Do I have too much play in something maybe?
The lifting rods and top link were moved to a different set of holes according to the manual to achieve a greater lifting height (with reduced lifting force). The top link is practically screwed in all the way, also. Maybe the 1/2" or so of exposed threads will make the difference of getting it to raise up a few inches higher. I just didn't expect to make these kind of adjustments when swiching similar attachments (although different makes).

 

[Freds]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about Danny. I thought I was doing something wrong. It's good to read I'm not alone.

 

[rdln]

one thing I think you guys need to realize is that brushhogs are for rough mowing and they mean "rough". And I just looked at KK's webpage and the swaying toplink piece may not be long enough, that feature takes up some slack when the tractor angle changes. But if the tractor is smaller a longer toplink mount may not allow cutter to lift at all. I remember somebody complaining about lift clearance not too long ago and it was suggested to relocate bottom pins to a lower location for more lift.

Also you might try removing swaying feature of toplink and replacing diagonal steel straps to rear of mower with chains but then you also must allow bottom of the bhog's 3pt structure to pivot. That would eleviate the scalping when the tractor's front tires go up but will still lift cutter when tires go down.

 

[Mosey]

Steve - The swaying top link piece is long enough and provides plenty of slack and replacing the diagonal steel straps to rear of mower with chains won’t help because the 2 bottom 3pt arms are what control the height of the front of the mower. All the swaying top link piece or chains do is to allow it to flex so it doesn’t bind up and break something. You made a good point about the bush hog being designed for rough cutting, so that’s why they don’t have the same design as a finish mower. They work much better at higher cutting heights because then the front of the mower has farther to travel down before it bottoms out.

 

[TresCrows]

I am going to weld on some anti scalping rollers like I saw on an estate mower deck. An estate mower is similar to a hog but it has scalping rollers and a higher blade speed. They are kinda rare. Yep, you need to relocate your bottom pins--that will help. Here is a situation also when the Position control is handy--but---now that I have the KK cutter dialed in I leave the PC lever full down--no sacalping except on rough spots. The fellow is right--these things are for "rough" cutting and they will occasionally dig in. I think dual tail wheels would also help.
Drop your pins to the bottom bolt holes, set your tailwheel to the cutting height you want, adjust the top link length to get the front approx level, raise the front for a mulching action, lower the front for easier cutting--level for normal use.
When I get the opportunity this winter I am converting mine to an estate mower--dual tail wheels, front scalping rollers and some nice chains, sharp (er) blades and stuff liem that and might even spray it orange. J

 

[Freds]

JR,
Do you operate the BH with the 3 pt. hooked up to the lower pins, I noticed you still have the upper pins in place? I can see that would solve my lifting problems and allow an easier crossing of my creek. Great advice.
As far as rough cutting, it's not the gouging that concerns me, it's the loss of forward movement and obvious dulling of blades when they bottom out. Not to mention the flying gravel.
I think I'll add an anti-scalp roller, also. It sure couldn't hurt.
Hopefully I'll have less problems with the PHD I bought /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Fred