Broken Brush Mower

[koop]

Hit a rock today which caused on blade to cut into one of the reinforcing ribs under the deck. This is a one year old 6' Woods cutter that has a hard life. The property is very rocky and I am still finding new ones.

My first question is: how do I safely work on the cutter. A chain attached to my FEL allowed me to assess the damage but perhaps there are some simple ways to safely prop the attachment for work.

Second question is: Do I now have a good justification to buy a welder to make the repair? If so what kind? Will I be able to make a decent weld with some practice?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[RoyJackson]

Use your FEL to lift it and prop it against a tree, post or other object that is robust enough to take the weight.. Then use rope or chain around the cutter to ensure it cannot fall.
As far as buying a welder and repairing it yourself...that depends if you want to spend the money for something that may not be used too often...strictly your choice.
As far as you becoming proficient in welding...anyone can become a welder with enough practice.

Personally, I'd take the cutter out for repair...this time. But, since your field is full of rocks, you'll probably make this repair again...so buying a welder and learning how to weld might be a worthwhile goal.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hit a rock today which caused on blade to cut into one of the reinforcing ribs under the deck. This is a one year old 6' Woods cutter that has a hard life. The property is very rocky and I am still finding new ones.

My first question is: how do I safely work on the cutter. A chain attached to my FEL allowed me to assess the damage but perhaps there are some simple ways to safely prop the attachment for work.

Second question is: Do I now have a good justification to buy a welder to make the repair? If so what kind? Will I be able to make a decent weld with some practice?

Thanks in advance for your input.

In the event I need to work on the underside of a mower, I generally prefer to stand it on it's front edge, tailwheel in the air, supported with an A-frame hoist in my shop. Whatever you do, make certain it's adaquately supported before you start banging around on it.

If you have a valid reason to buy a welder and it's in your budget, I'd jump on that chance. A good welder and a oxy/acetylene torch are 2 of the handiest things you can own. Even if it's just an occasional use item, the convenience of having them at your beck and call is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

Most public school systems around here offer welding classes through their adult education programs. There's a lot to know about welding, but it's not impossible to learn. A local welding supply vendor here also offers "basic welding 101" type classes for their customers. That might be worth checking into also.

 

[sandman2234]

Although I don't have near the rocks that your area does, I have hit a few man made ones (concrete) and if the bush hog is in decent operating shape, things like that usually don't happen. I would check to see what is wrong that would allow the blade to come up against the reinforcement rib. I think you might find worn blade mounting bolts, loose stump jumper, loose gearbox mounting bolts, or something similar. Check it over good, and get that part fixed before moving to the next phase.
The welder you are considering buying will require you reading up on what welder to buy, and what accessories each welder requires to operate it safely. At the cost of the total package, you are approaching a good down payment on a new bush hog. Just as I would suggest you not to buy the cheapest bush hog you can find, I also wouldn't suggest you buying the cheapest welder you can. Do a lot of research before spending your money.
In my opinion, the best way to do it, is to find someone near you who welds, and beg, borrow, or steal their welder and instruction time for a couple of hours. Offer to pay their electric bill or something, but find someone willing to show you a few tricks. Put you hands on one before spending the money to buy one, as there are a lot of people that just don't enjoy doing it, and end up paying someone to do all their welding anyway. If it were as easy and fun as we make it seem for everyone, nobody would be able to make a living at welding, and we would have welding shops, not golf cources for Saturday morning entertainment.
David from jax

Farmwithjunk is right, and the only thing handier than a welder and torch is a shirt pocket. I would miss mine terribly if I had to get rid of them.

 

[SnowRidge]

Second question is: Do I now have a good justification to buy a welder to make the repair? If so what kind? Will I be able to make a decent weld with some practice?

Yeah, you need a welder, but the time to have bought it and learned how to use it was before you hit that rock.

You really don't want to practice on your cutter.

I also suggest welding school. That's what I did as soon as bought some farm equipment. I still don't make pretty welds, but they are getting better, and the stuff seems to be staying together these days.

Buy your welder and learn to use it, but get the cutter repaired by a pro in the mean time.

As far as a welder, I bought a Hobart Stickmate LX, which has worked out fine. I definitely recommend an AC/DC stick welder, rather than the more expensive MIG that a lot of people will tell you to buy. You will also need a cutting torch. I bought a used oxy-acetylene setup from a friend, but if I didn't already have it, I would look into oxy-propane instead.

 

[rbargeron]

Hit a rock today which caused on blade to cut into one of the reinforcing ribs under the deck.......

I inherited a 6 foot rotary that had whole chunks of under-deck reinforcing pieces missing, chopped out, bent - broken off. Also punctures up thru the deck and mangled apron pieces. It was ugly, but it worked fine that way for many years. We did some improvements to the side skirts so it didn't tear up the ground so much, but never fixed any of the under-deck pieces. There's a lot of steel there - maybe all you need to do is straighten or replace the blades and holders and put it back to work ?

 

[IslandTractor]

If you decide that this should not be your first welding project, you might look in your area for an independent welder with truck mounted equipment. It would only take an hour or so to make the sort of repair you are describing and you should be able to get that done for $100 or so. Lots more convenient to have the welder come to you. These independent guys do a lot of work on construction equipment etc so this would be duck soup for them.

 

[ore540]

In the event I need to work on the underside of a mower, I generally prefer to stand it on it's front edge, tailwheel in the air, supported with an A-frame hoist in my shop. Whatever you do, make certain it's adaquately supported before you start banging around on it.

I'm curious what others use to handle a mower in a shop. It's too heavy for anything I have in my shop to move - other than the FEL - and I don't have a stand handy. After a mishap with field junk I ended up taking the mower to the dealer mostly because I couldn't handle it.

A regular metal A-frame looks great but likely a significant investment in $$ and shop space. Any other methods for equipment up to, say, 1000 lbs? (my mower is less than 1/2 that)

I've been picturing something out of 4x4 wood in an inverted double-T shape for a stand and using either the FEL or a come-along to lift & tip the deck.

 

[SnowRidge]

I'm curious what others use to handle a mower in a shop. It's too heavy for anything I have in my shop to move - other than the FEL - and I don't have a stand handy. After a mishap with field junk I ended up taking the mower to the dealer mostly because I couldn't handle it.

A regular metal A-frame looks great but likely a significant investment in $$ and shop space. Any other methods for equipment up to, say, 1000 lbs? (my mower is less than 1/2 that)

I've been picturing something out of 4x4 wood in an inverted double-T shape for a stand and using either the FEL or a come-along to lift & tip the deck.

I have used a come along hung from the FEL. I have also left it on the 3PH and jacked it up and put safety stands under it.

 

[koop]

Snowridge,

Indeed most people tell me that a MIG is the way to go. Easier to use and learn are some of the reasons they give. What is it you prefer about a stick welder?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[wushaw]

ore540; try a cherry picker/engine hoist thay will fold the legs up so you don't waste much shop space.

Koop; most here will recommend a stick due to the fact it will weld in the wind, through paint, rust and unclean surfaces.
A stick welder is a simple and rugged welder.

A mig is easy to learn but it comes at a cost, wire that rust that cause feeding problems, gas if you use solid core, welding surface must be clean, gun liner must be keep somewhat straight to keep from having feeding problems....there is more but the fact is a stick is just plain and simple and gets the job done.

A mig with feeding problems will drive you to drinking....not unless you already drink then you will drink more....I'm not saying drinking is a bad thing

I own both stick and mig and I use my mig more than the stick.... that's how I learned it can have so many more problems, if you don't weld much a stick is the simplest way to go.

If you get the welding bug then all bets are off you will be building more stuff than you can shake a stick at.

 

[2manyrocks]

Just a comment or two on welders. A decent mig will run $550 and up plus you'll probably end up buying or leasing a tank for shielding gas unless you stick with flux wire. The advantage of the mig is maybe an easier learning curve and with the right gas and wire, the ability to weld body panel material up to 1/4 material unless you want to spend more money to weld thicker material. But if you use shielding gas outside, the wind can blow it away.

You can usually find a good used stick welder for $100-$250. 1/4 material is no problem for it. Outdoor welding is no problem. Some people can even weld thin material, but I certainly haven't mastered it with a stick.

But for welding farm implements, the stick is more economical and the better choice for thick material.

It's normal for everyone's first welds to be terrible. So you may not want to start with repairing your cutter.

 

[SnowRidge]

I'l add to the other comments, which contain good points.

I did a lot of research before deciding which way to go and came away from it with these points.

With a stick welder, you will really learn to weld. With a MIG, you can make pretty welds without learning enough about welding. As a result, you can end up making welds that look good but are weak and ready to fail.

MIGs cost more. To be able to weld the same thickness, you will have to spend more money. Stick welders are very reliable. MIGs are more complicated, while a stick welder is basically a transformer and a couple of diodes. There is very little to fail in a stick welder.

MIGs are faster. If I was doing a lot of welding, such as building up a race car, or making a major hobby out of it, I would buy a MIG, but for the occasional repair and reinforcement work that I do, stick works fine.

Consider also that you need more than just the welder. You need

Welder
Cutting torch
Helmet -- auto darkening strongly recommended
Goggles
Weldor's coat or apron
Welding gloves
Basic welding tools -- chipping hammer, striker, wire brush, etc.
Supplies -- rod or wire, gas, markers, etc
Steel

It all adds up. It adds up faster with MIG.

 

[sandman2234]

Snowridge,
A quick look at your list immediately shows an item missing, a requirement for any beginner welder, and often one for more experienced ones. You left out a good grinder!!! With a mig, it might not be needed as much, but with a stick welder, a good grinder and a supply of replacement discs is a requirement if your going to take pictures of your welds for posting on TBN, which should be his first thoughts, right?
David from jax

 

[SnowRidge]

Snowridge,
A quick look at your list immediately shows an item missing, a requirement for any beginner welder, and often one for more experienced ones. You left out a good grinder!!! With a mig, it might not be needed as much, but with a stick welder, a good grinder and a supply of replacement discs is a requirement if your going to take pictures of your welds for posting on TBN, which should be his first thoughts, right?
David from jax

I assumed he already had basic shop tools, and I include a grinder in those. Of course, there's no harm in pointing out he will be grinding if he welds -- quite a bit, in fact.

 

[sandman2234]

Heck, I thought basic shop tools included a torch and welder also!!! I was spoiled by having a friend who worked for a welding supply company for years living across the street from me. His wife wanted nothing to do with welders and torches around the house, so he would come over to my house for all of our projects. What that meant was I got all the broken and bent boxes of welding rods right before they went into the dumpster. I have a Lincoln tombstone that was new and they plugged it into a 440 line instead of a 220 line. (Some people are dangerous!!!) So the local hospital told them to bring another one. He told them that it wasn't a problem to fix that one, but they wanted another new one. I got the old one(and still using it 20 years later)
David from jax

 

[2manyrocks]

If anybody hangs around here very long, they are going to get bitten by the welding bug anyway.