And it gets even worse: Update on my Bushhog 286 repairs

[mmancuso13]

I agree with pmsmachanic! If you are concerned about the assembly holding together you can drill a hole through the bar and shaft and install a shear bolt.

JB well has fixed a lot of problems in its day...

Good luck!

 

[ruffdog]

Have a keyway cut into the blade holder and custom shape a key that fits in the spline.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Get on ebay and look for a replacement gearbox.

 

[FTG-05]

Not sure tire width plays much of a roll on brush cutter width unless you need to mow close to a fence with it. In that case option 1 is your answer.

If you can get the blade bar fairly square and center the weld option might work out for you but do you want to risk having all that mass in the event of kinetic release.

The best and easiest fix for the existing mower is a new gearbox and stump jumper.

$105 for a stump jumper with bar - best price I've seen all day.

Thanks!

When I originally bought my tractor 3ph implements, I foolishly (IMO) followed the recommendations in the Kubota User's Manual for my tractor. IMO, most of those recommendations are too light, too small and too narrow. One of the worst (and first) things I bought was this Bushhog 286 cutter. Then I started going up my hill and widened the rear tires. Now the cutter is inside or close to inside the rear tire width. And yes, cutting near a tree/fence line is an exercise in Blackberry attacks.

But finding a 7' or 8' cutter = $$$$.

 

[FTG-05]

Ho man!!! I said grind metal off between the splines. That's so the new blade bar fits into the existing splines properly. Otherwise the new blade bar won't seat into the splines properly and the same thing will happen all over again.

Can you find the part number for the blade bar? Once you have it Google it. It helps to search something along the lines of "xxxxxxxxx Bush Hog "

Duh! I blame the confusion on lack of coffee!

Yea, I have the part numbers for all the cutter and gearbox parts.

I heard back from Messicks: they don't sell a separate blade bar; stumpjumper + BB = $576. No thanks.

 

[FTG-05]

So I had a bit of time and searched for you. The part number is 98739. Messicks is $578.47 and German-Bliss is $572.74. Wish I had better news as these were the only two web sites that showed a specific part.

Edited to add... For that kind of money I would start getting creative. Count the splines on the shaft and measure the diameter. If it's a standard spline you should be able to find a hub that fits over the splines on the shaft. Have a machine shop machine the old splines off and weld the new hub on. A good fabrication shop should be able to help you out on this.

It appears to be a 15 spline shaft (see 3rd pic in the original post). However, for the $105 stumpjumper that JD855 linked to, it would probably be easier and cheaper to just buy another stumpjumper.

 

[FTG-05]

I would go with option 1 buy another cutter.

$500 for a Bush Hog 286 was cheap and you got several years of use out it. The cost to repair out weighs the result.

Plus you might sell it as a pile of parts and recoup a little.

$500 appears to be super cheap. I see them being sold by farm stores around here for $1200 and up.

 

[WranglerX]

Splines on output shaft look repairable, just clean them up so new parts seat properly, small flat file and some time is all that is invested there, new blade holder (stump jumper) and nut is a must, if it fits well and you can get it to torques to spec I thing you will be ok....

Splines on stump jumper should bottom out in grooves in output shaft and not allow stump jumper spline collar to contact gear box...

Dale

 

[sandman2234]

Do you have a picture of the top of the gearbox where it mounts to the deck?
David from jax

 

[FTG-05]

Do you have a picture of the top of the gearbox where it mounts to the deck?
David from jax

No, but I'll try to get one tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help guys!