Brush Cutting Tire Hazards????

[shane]

I in know way know much of nothing when it comes to brush cutting. But, I do have a question that always comes to mind when reading post about brush cutting. I understand that many cutters can take out sapplings 2" to 4". Well, my question is what about the shredded stumps left behind? Will they not punture tires if you cut the field the next year or so?

 

[coffeeman]

I just cut about 50 acres, some last year and rest in Spring. Heavy brush and not real smooth ground. Cut again and tires ok. There is a lot of little stumps and I wondered about that too. I tried to avoid running over. So many stumps it's not possible. I consider myself lucky tires ok. The tires are tough though and they seem to be built to run over this stuff. I'm sure glad I cut the stuff. Tired of looking at weeds. Most of all, tired of hunters in fall who think weeds mean a free pass to hunt without permission.

Cheers...Coffeeman

 

[rickmacheske]

I haven't punctured a tire yet and I hogged about 300 2-3" trees when I cleared my field. I regularly cut the field now with now problems.

 

[HEC]

The 4 inch sapling would be a bit big for most of the folks on this site as you would need a pretty heavy duty cutter for that size .I have a 6 ft. med. duty cutter behind my 57hp tractor and would in no way try cutting a 3 or 4 inch sapling with it.As far as puncturing tires it can happen but usually the brush cutter will will do a little shredding of the stump so it it isn't all that sharp anymore.I did go for the r4 tires with this latest tractor so there isn't much worry of that problem. I never punctured ag tires but I did end up with a few cuts in them over a period of time ,some quite deep.We also have some briar bushes where I live that will go through an ag tire quite easily.

 

[jbrumberg]

Shane:
Welcome to TBN . I have been mowing/brush hogging 7A's+ of weeds, briars, many, many 1 - 1.5" saplings, and an ocassional 2+" tree without a puncture on R1 tires for 22 years. I have had deep cuts (probably from briars) but never a puncture. I did have a tire valve stem rip off (probaby briars) and had to retube and reCaCl the tire. Jay

 

[Highbeam]

I think that the stumps causing flats is an old wive's tale and an excuse to let the weeds grow. I have mowed and remowed brush from tiny stuff to saplings and never had a flat on my industrial tires. Maybe ag tires are more prone to piercings because they have less plys.

Be more concerned with the stumps that are too tall damaging your tractor's belly or flipping you over. Also some saplings get knocked over and then cut so the toppled stump is really a foot or more long and that little spear can flip up at just the wrong time to get revenge.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I in know way know much of nothing when it comes to brush cutting. But, I do have a question that always comes to mind when reading post about brush cutting. I understand that many cutters can take out sapplings 2" to 4". Well, my question is what about the shredded stumps left behind? Will they not punture tires if you cut the field the next year or so?

Bigger (3", 4" ect) staubs won't do so much but the smaller ones darn sure will punch a hole in the best of tires. (I've got an almost new GoodYear DynaTorque II 16.9" X 30" leaned up against my barn that's essentially garbage. 2" hole right smack in the middle.) They do as much, maybe MORE damage when green, than after a year or 2. The worst scenario is when you cut a sapling with a SHARP bush hog blade. That cuts it clean, leaving sharp edges. A slightly dull (or blunt, as they come O.E.M.) blade shatters the remnants of a sapling, making it less of a threat.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Truly shredded stumps are of little danger when green. Run over them a few days later when they are dry is a different story. The right angle of encounter will punch an Ag tire. I have a lot of experience cutting in woods and fields with a JD 2010R with Ags and a 127 Gyramor bushog. This does not have a stumpjumper and hence beats things up well if you dont go too fast. I cut things up to 6" going forward only. The only problem I have ever had in the wood is from stobs left by beavers around the lake. You have to see them before the tire does - - no contest. In the fields I have had one flat from a dried remnant of a previous cutting. I was cutting at night and a sliver about as big as a little finger poked thru. It went flat slowly, almost ruining the tire before it ripped the tube valve and the CaCl spout made it obvious. I wondered why I kept having to raise the mower height!
I believe your danger of flats in virgin brush will be very low. In second cutting of brush the danger may be higher unless you cut short and/or slowly the first time.
My only experience with a stumpjumper causes me to avoid them. They dont cut big stuff - anything larger than an inch or two - as well, and the jumpers tendency to skitter over things prevents the mower from bashing them to bits, leading to more risk of flats. A bushog with a 100HP gearbox on a 5' chassis having a rotating bar with 10" swinging knives hasnt seen an equal in my experience.
Larry

 

[dieselsmoke1]

Never had a bar type mower, can't speak to comparisons.

Can say that an old BH Stumpjumper will eat anything that a 135 can push over. My Dad, rest his soul, had no respect whatsoever for equipment but he did a heckuva job on clearing underbrush. A few nicks and gouges in the tires, along with wounded grills, cowls, headlights, mufflers, etc. but no flats.

 

[woodchuckie]

With only 20psi in rear filled tires and the front end seems to be light enough so I've never had any tire damage from all the stumps I've run over.