Afraid of the Rotary Mower

[MicroPilot]

If the cutting is easy, then it's lots of time for reflection and thought sorting. If the cutting is difficult it's a day of tension and swearing!!!

Here hoping it's the former for you.

 

[ScottAR]

This may be obivous or not, after you shut it down at the end of the day stay away from it till it stops spinning which could be 1-2 minutes...

And watch out for tree limbs... They hurt. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Mind the exhaust stack if your tractor has one. I broke mine off once with a limb...

Try to have fun... 'hogging an area is one of the more satisfying bits of seat time one can have.

 

[Jackrabbit_Slim]

And being as it's your first outing, you might have "spectators" wanting to watch the action. Make sure they're well away from your working area. It's amazing what can fly where. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Slim

 

[Golfgar4]

Do you know if the cutter has a slip clutch, or does it have a shear pin? If it has a slip clutch, you don't have too much to worry about. But if it has a shear pin, you'd better make sure you have a few extra with you just in case. You implied that the field to be mowed has been taken care of before, so maybe it won't be too rough or hide any surprises. But it only takes 1 rock to bust a shear pin and you're out of commission until you get a new one. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Hope it goes well and you have fun. I remember the first time I mowed with a rotary cutter. I got "volunteered" to mow a Boy Scout Camp! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Talk about work. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I had to mow around tents, down paths, in open fields, in ditches, on the archery and rifle ranges.... You name it, I think I had to mow around it. I was using a straight gear, JD tractor in the 25 hp range (don't recall the model /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif). I mowed everday for a week, and at the end of each day, you couldn't tell what color T-shirt I was wearing! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Never busted a shear pin. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

And boy, did I have a BLAST!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Joe1]

The mower should have some type of safety chanins or "rubber skirts" to deflect rocks, etc. These should be in good shape to be effective. Mowing with the front down will help to keep flying objects from going forward.

I also want to emphasise keeping spectators out from around the tractor, particularly the rear if you do mow lower in the front.

Engage at or near idle speed, then bring it up to speed, otherwise it's aload on the PTO and cutter gearbox.

Since this is apparantly a used cutter, make sure the blades swivel freely and all bolts, etc are tight. You should also have a non rotating plastic cover over the rotating shaft so clothes, etc do not get entangled.

Also, mowing in extremely dry, hot conditions can cause a fire hazard if you strike rocks in extremely tinder dry brush or grasses. Try to mow when conditions are right, early morning or when it cools down in the pm.

Good luck

Joe

 

[755inNY]

The others have all given excellent advice. I can only add you should have some type of hearing protection. The tractor and cutter will be loud and you will be in the seat for several hours. Make sure you have the tools with you that you might need to make adjustments, etc.

Enjoy the weekend. Hopefully it will stop raining!

Jeff

 

[have_blue]

Mowing should be relaxing, not stressful and dangerous.
If you don't know what's in that field, don't mow. It's that simple. Walk the field and mark or remove all hazards. Get 2 or 3 helpers and double check everything, then mow in conficence.

A rotary mower is dangerous, but no more dangerous than your riding mower. Both will mangle a limb or throw a spilke through your skull. Safety is a state of mind. Most aspects of safety are controlled by you, only a scarce few are inherent in the machinery these days. Use common sense. Those who do not use common sense could be killed by almost any tool.

Being apprehensive is a GOOD thing. When you lose your fear is when you usually get hurt. Always be wary and respectul of machinery. It's undiscriminating, unforgiving, and does its job on grass or on you all the same.

The coupler works great if snapped on properly. The forces trying to pull it off of the shaft are very light, and I have never seen one fail yet.

Good luck, but don't count on luck.

 

[pennwalk]

There sure is a lot of good advice in this thread. Someone who is starting out bushhoging could do a lot worse than reading these posts carefully. I love my little 4 foot king kutter but there is no doubt that it scares my sometimes. If you are uncomfortable with yours you could think about a flail mower. Here in PA the guys who mow the sides of the roads have almost all switched over to flails. They are supposed to be much safer so there is less to worry about. Keeping the blade bolts tight is good advice. You can get an inexpensive chinese 3/4 inch socket set at TCS or Northern tool. Seems accidents and mistakes happen when you are tired so break the job up and wear your hearing protection. Good luck

Chris

 

[To20Chris]

And of course, sun tan loation - cause they don't make rain tan loation yet, but at this rate...........

 

[mundamanu]

(This is a long post, sorry.)

So, I survived! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I was able to hook-up and operate the mower with confidence thanks to all of your great advice. Thank you.

However, the first small rock that was picked up and thrown against the mower deck before being spit out the back scared the holy bajeezes out of me. Loud! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

While I survived, I wish I could say the same thing about the equipment. Just as I was about to finish the 10 acre pasture (it took 4 hours), I glanced over at a row that I had just come down and I noticed that my nice tailwheel track had become a line of ripped and torn earth. Uh oh. I quickly looked back at the mower. The tailwheel was all cockeyed and being dragged almost sideways behind the mower and it wasn't just that the pivot had gotten jammed.

I shut everthing down and took a look. The metal of the hub had somehow given way around the bolt/bearing and was all mangled. So, I unbolted the wheel and took it to the tractor repair shop down the road. On the way to the shop, I had decided that it was my fault because I had been turning too sharply. But, the guy at the repair shop said that he didn't think turning too sharply would have done it. He thought there must have been some weakness in the wheel before I started.

Tail wheels are expensive! $120 for a new one, and it won't be in for a week.

Now, on top of busted tail wheel, I discovered that the front left loader arm bracket where it bolts to the tractor frame had cracked in half! I took a close look where the steel had come apart and noticed that the crack followed the line of a previous repair weld. I missed that one when I looked the tractor over before buying it. By the way, that would explain why the loader arm and the controls were wobbling after I was driving for a while. Oops for not having it register that that was a big problem! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Idiot me didn't realize that the bracket was bolted to the loader arm (I knew it was bolted to the tractor frame) and not welded to it until after the repair shop had closed for the day (12PM on Saturday). And I had to leave town soon after I unbolted the bracket. So there my tractor sits, with the loader arm blocked up on 4x4s and the broken bracket in the garage waiting to be taken to the repair shop so that they can fab up a new bracket, with five acres of overgrown pasture still to mow. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Now for the question. Friday was the first time that I used these two pieces of equipment after buying them from the previous owner of the property. The loader arm bracket was definitely a previously existing problem. If the repair guy at the shop is correct, then the tail wheel was also. I feel that the previous owner should pay for the repairs. However, as the buyer, it was my responsibility to carefully look over the equipment and make sure that it was ok, so I think maybe we should split the cost of the repairs. What do you all (any of you who have made it this far!) think about who should pay for the repais?