I'm a little embarrassed asking this, but my I've got a stand of nasty sumac and dogwood that I plan on cutting with a brush/bush hog. So I don't mess up my tractor: (1) is the blade on a bush hog sharpened on both sides? If it isn't sharpened on both sides, with the power take off turning in reverse if you back into the brush, it wouldn't be cutting it with the sharp edge of the blade, correct? I just don't want to mess up my tractor by having to drive through the sumac in a forward gear to cut it with a rear mounted rotary mower. It would be nice if somebody made a smaller front mounted hydraulic rotary mower to exchange with your bucket on a FEL similar to what bobcat and other skidsteers have but then it would probably run about half the price of the tractor alone.
brush hog cutting question
- Thread starter kubota4me
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scott_vt
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Mornin Kubota4me,
Your PTO only turns in one direction, no matter if going forward or reverse. Your bushog blades are only sharpened on one side. Hope this helps!
Your PTO only turns in one direction, no matter if going forward or reverse. Your bushog blades are only sharpened on one side. Hope this helps!
thatguy
Elite Member
The bushhog blades are only sharpened on one side (an actually not sharp, but blunted to pulverize the stuff instead of cuttign smoothly)..
If you dont want to drive into the brush, you can lift the mower - back into the stuff.. lower the mower and then pull forward.. Rinse, Lather, and repeat (LOL).... It will take longer but that way you wont take risk of abusing the tractor.. BUT you do fun the risk of hitting something hidden with the mower..
Some pple will lower the FEL to almost ground height so it pushes the brush down and that way the tractor doesnt take the brunt of the brush.. This way also allows the FEL to locate hidden object instead of the mower..
good luck
Brian
If you dont want to drive into the brush, you can lift the mower - back into the stuff.. lower the mower and then pull forward.. Rinse, Lather, and repeat (LOL).... It will take longer but that way you wont take risk of abusing the tractor.. BUT you do fun the risk of hitting something hidden with the mower..
Some pple will lower the FEL to almost ground height so it pushes the brush down and that way the tractor doesnt take the brunt of the brush.. This way also allows the FEL to locate hidden object instead of the mower..
good luck
Brian
lopezian
Silver Member
Don't be. I have learned so much from questions like this.kubota4me said:
No, not on my bush hog, it is not. Both blades are sharperned, or course, but each is only sharp on one edge.
PTO turns in reverse when you back up the tractor? My tractor doesn't do that, does yours? My PTO turns the same way whether I am going forward or backward. It would be a heckuva PTO that could stop those blades and start turning them in the opposite direction that quickly.
I back in to brush or uncut grass all the time. Just make SURE there are no unseen obstructionsin there (rocks, fence posts, old barbed wire) before you do that.
There is a guy on here who posted pictures of exactly such a project. As I recall it involved powering a seperate hydraulic pump with the PTO and running lines all the way up to the FEL where a rotary cutter was mounted. Looked very cool and very destructive.
RoyJackson
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I normally try to drive over that kind of stuff first. This is a good 1st gear, low range, real slow job.
If I cannot drive over it, I'll back into it...slowly...let the cutter work it's way through.
Slow means you can change direction with no or minimal damage if you hit something the cutter can't digest.
Personally, I do not recommend raising that cutter when those blades are turning. To me, that's not safe...
Don't be in a rush when you're brush cutting...not that thick nasty stuff anyway.
If I cannot drive over it, I'll back into it...slowly...let the cutter work it's way through.
Slow means you can change direction with no or minimal damage if you hit something the cutter can't digest.
Personally, I do not recommend raising that cutter when those blades are turning. To me, that's not safe...
Don't be in a rush when you're brush cutting...not that thick nasty stuff anyway.
Bird
Rest in Peace
Don't give it a second thought. The blades are only sharpened on one side and your PTO always turns the same direction regardless of the gear you are in or the direction you're traveling. And I too have backed into brush, sometimes even raised the brush hog (be especially careful if you do that) backed over brush, then slowly lowered the brush hog into the brush.
J_J
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The blades turn in the same direction all the time. You are slicing or cutting material in the front side of the blade. Yes, there are some bush hog blades that are sharpen on both sides. That is so you can just unbolt and turn the blade over for a sharper edge. I back into stuff all the time when it is not practical to just drive over it. Extra sharp is not required on a bush hog blade. Some people carry an extra set and carry a big socket and wrench to change out in the field.
Perhaps the hydraulic bush hogs can turn in reverse. I see no reason to, except if you have a double edge sharpened blade. With the correct hydraulic valve, you could cut in either direction.
Perhaps the hydraulic bush hogs can turn in reverse. I see no reason to, except if you have a double edge sharpened blade. With the correct hydraulic valve, you could cut in either direction.
Erik Graham
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I've bush hogged a fair amount of small cedars and other small bushes and found that raising the hog,backing in and lowering the mower to work fairly well. Check a few things first though. Is your pto shaft free and clear when your mower is raised? Make sure it is well clear of any tensioner/lift chains. Do a careful check (on foot) of the area you want to hog. The one and only time I didn't do this I bush hogged a sizable length of fencing that the previous owner had tossed aside. Took me a couple of aggravating hours to unwind it from the main shaft of the hog.
Be Smart and Be Safe,
Cheers, Erik
Be Smart and Be Safe,
Cheers, Erik
btolle
Platinum Member
Bush hog blades are not supposed to be "sharp". They are tapered to a "cutting" edge that is about 1/8" wide. They "cut" by shredding rather than actually shearing like a mower does.
Unless you are using a bush hog several hours a week all year long I doubt you will ever have to replace the blades. They are about 1/2 or 3/4" thick and should last for more years than you will use them.
There should be a bolt in the gear box shaft on the hog that acts as a shear pin in case you hit something solid. I have a 4' bush hog and have hit concrete with it and not broken the shear pin. The shear pin is just a standard grade 5 bolt so you can use any grade 5 bolt of the same size if you break it. Some more expensive bush hogs have a built in slip clutch instead of the shear pin.
There are a couple of safety rules I obey religiously: I never get off the tractor until the PTO shaft has stopped turning. I never work on the bush hog while the engine is running. I never allow anyone to be within 100 feet of me, rocks can come flying out of a bush hog at about 150 MPH and can be deadly.
In case you don't think the rules above apply to you spend some time on the safety forum and you will see enough blood and guts to change your mind.
Happy hogging!
Bill Tolle
Unless you are using a bush hog several hours a week all year long I doubt you will ever have to replace the blades. They are about 1/2 or 3/4" thick and should last for more years than you will use them.
There should be a bolt in the gear box shaft on the hog that acts as a shear pin in case you hit something solid. I have a 4' bush hog and have hit concrete with it and not broken the shear pin. The shear pin is just a standard grade 5 bolt so you can use any grade 5 bolt of the same size if you break it. Some more expensive bush hogs have a built in slip clutch instead of the shear pin.
There are a couple of safety rules I obey religiously: I never get off the tractor until the PTO shaft has stopped turning. I never work on the bush hog while the engine is running. I never allow anyone to be within 100 feet of me, rocks can come flying out of a bush hog at about 150 MPH and can be deadly.
In case you don't think the rules above apply to you spend some time on the safety forum and you will see enough blood and guts to change your mind.
Happy hogging!
Bill Tolle
hill
Gold Member
If you have your loader mounted you can drive into the stuff with the loader raised and squish it down. Then drive right over it in forward and let the brushhog pulverize it once. If needed then back over it and let the cutter at it again. By the time your done with all that it should be disintegrated into submission. Attack, Attack, Attack!!
edit for Bill, above: Bill, a slipclutch can be added to most any pto driven device. they're sold fairly reasonably in agriSupply outlets. Besides adding a margin of safety a slipclutch can fix the problem of a little bit too short supplied driveline with an implement. They add 2-3 inches.
edit for Bill, above: Bill, a slipclutch can be added to most any pto driven device. they're sold fairly reasonably in agriSupply outlets. Besides adding a margin of safety a slipclutch can fix the problem of a little bit too short supplied driveline with an implement. They add 2-3 inches.
