Brush Hog damage

Alan L. · May 9, 2004

I spent the first 4 years of my Rhino 5-footer cutter's life dragging the front end of the thing in the ground. The angle was fairly close to what the manual recommended, but I could never figure out how to keep from gouging little ditches in the ground with the leading edge. About a year ago, I changed the height of my tailwheel, thus solving the gouging problem and now getting even better quality of cut.

However, as you can see, I have lost some steal off my deck. Most of the damage was done before, but yesterday I lost another 6" of that little 1" steal apron that is welded on the bottom of the deck sides, at a right angle to the sides. It got caught of something which bent it out, then I caught it on something during transport and it pulled completely off.

Does anyone feel it would be worth trying to get some steal and having it welded on there? I don't own a welder yet, myself.

DK35vince · May 9, 2004

( Does anyone feel it would be worth trying to get some steal and having it welded on there? )

Yes,
That is a very easy fix.

JerryG · May 10, 2004

Alan,
It is an easy job for a welder. Might as well have them, put new skids on both sides while your at it.

BB_TX · May 10, 2004

Sounds like time to tell the CEO you have to add a welder to your collection of necessary tools. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I had to weld a tear in the rear skirt on mine a couple months ago due to backing into heavy brush and repeatly bending it back and forth.

Bird · May 10, 2004

I agree with the other guys; I'd either fix it or get it fixed. Otherwise, eventually you'll either bend or wear off the side skirting.

Soundguy · May 10, 2004

( time to tell the CEO you have to add a welder to your collection of necessary tools )

Absolutely... I only have a little 115v buzzbox.. but don't know how I lived without it.. Great time to get a welder.

I remember an old timer telling me that the most used tools on a tractor were a big hammer, a prybar, and a smoke wrench.... followed by a big set of sockets or wrenches, and a welder...

Soundguy

Alan L. · May 11, 2004

Looks like a welder is in my future. Of course I'll need some way to cut some steel to weld on there......

chrisjbell · May 11, 2004

Of course I'll need some way to cut some steel to weld on there...... 

You can have it cut to size pretty inexpensively. It can be delivered cut to width in long strips really cheap and to have it cut to predetermined lengths won't cost much more. Steel supply companies do it all the time...especially the smaller ones (larger shops sell to metalworkers with more equipment, generally).

You can do this fix yourself, no problem. But if you haven't done much welding lately make sure you don't practice on your brush hog - much less expensive to buy some extra steel and use that until you are laying down a nice bead /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

rdbrumfield · May 11, 2004

I do some heavy brush mowing and the first thing I do is reinforce the deck, sides, and back of the mower. The left front corner, as you have taken a pic of takes the most wear of a mower as the blades are slamming the new cuttings into that area. Also I took some 3/8x2 angle along the sides for the mower to slide on. It has given much more life to the mower.

BB_TX · May 11, 2004

Of course I'll need some way to cut some steel to weld on there 
Alan I bought a metal cutoff (chop) saw for a little over a hundred dollars. You can buy small amounts of new steel fairly reasonably at a steel yard, or even small amounts at a higher price at HD.
I had not welded in over 30 years but bought a Lincoln buzz box at HD several years ago and have made several things plus doing routine repairs. Scrounged up some steel from the scrap pile here at work and practiced first. But did not take too long to get reasonably good results. They won't win any beauty contest, but they hold. Lots of fun as well as being practical. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Nasty135 · May 11, 2004

Alan L,The amount of steel for this particular repair could be considered scrap buy a steel fabricating shop..I have done business with a local steel fabricator several times to the point where he recognized me. I was looking for a few small pieces of steel for a small project and I used the word scrap and gave my demensions ,He was more than helpful in getting the steel(scrap) I was looking for..But you know I will continue to buy from him for all my future projects... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Mark S.
so many Mark's here I've noticed we have use last initials

normde2001 · May 12, 2004

Home Depot should have what you need , probably in 3' lengths. All you gotta do is cut to exact length and weld it on.

djradz · May 13, 2004

Alan, you can do a lot of beefing up of the runners, but I think you'd be even better served by the installation of "check chains" which will keep the front of you deck up and help is essentially ride with the rear wheels of your tractor. Not that you might not ever again 'gouge" the ground, but I can virtually gaurantee it will become a rare occasion. As long as your top link has the ability to toggle or somehow be flexible (some folks replace part of it with a chain and turnbuckle link sold at TSC) your deck will truly float along beautifully over rolling land. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Alan L. · Jun 5, 2004

Well I finally got around to fixing my brush hog. Here is the picture. I hadn't welded in 33 years and some of them aren't pretty, but hopefully it'll hold. I got a piece of 3/16 strips about 48" long at Tractor Supply and used 6013 1/8 rods on a Honda EW171 DC welder/generator that I rented for $60 a day.

My next problem is that I lost my tool for changing out wheels on my angle grinder and it wasn't doing a very good job grinding although I used it to cut the steel.

I replaced a 3" section on the other side of the 'hog also. We'll see how it goes.

Alan L. · Jun 5, 2004

Here is the welder I used. Boy did it run good! I used mostly about 110 amps, dropped down to 80 for a place where the runner has been worn down real thin.

txdon · Jun 5, 2004

"I changed the height of my tail-wheel, thus solving the gouging problem..." 

Alan, I noticed some gouging with my new Rino also during turns. I have not adjusted the tail wheel. Do you remember if you raised it or lowered it and how much? Did you also adjust the lowest draft limitation?

Alan L. · Jun 5, 2004

The only thing I changed was the position of the tail wheel. I believe I raised it thereby making the back end of the cutter lower. The only problem I have now is sometimes the rear end picks up on even ground, leaving the grass not cut well. Not really that often, but in a few spots.

beenthere · Jun 6, 2004

If the rear end picks up, then you need more slack in the top link so the rear wheel controls the height of the rear of the deck. But not enough slack that the rear of the deck can't be lifted with the 3pt arms, and not enough that the front of the deck hits the PTO shaft. Somewhere in between is the 'happy' place to be. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OkieG · Jun 6, 2004

The only problem I have now is sometimes the rear end picks up on even ground, leaving the grass not cut well. Not really that often, but in a few spots. ..... If the rear end picks up, then you need more slack in the top link so the rear wheel controls the height of the rear of the deck. But not enough slack that the rear of the deck can't be lifted with the 3pt arms, and not enough that the front of the deck hits the PTO shaft. Somewhere in between is the 'happy' place to be.


A recent thread, How Much Slack Do You Give Your BrushHog? tries to tackle this question. 3PH height and toplink length offer a large range of possible adjustments. The "right" adjustment for one stretch of terrain can be wrong moments later as terrain changes. Of course, the 3PH is easy to adjust "on the fly", but a manual toplink makes you choose an adjustment that is OK most the time, but lifts over grass sometimes (toplink too short) or risks deck-to-PTO shaft contact (toplink too long) sometimes.

Anyway, what I learned was the the right adjustment is a dynamic thing and that anywhere in the full range of 3PH and toplink motion can be useful and right in certain situations. An hydraulic toplink is marvelous, but requires you to be alert and keep the adjustment appropriate. A manual toplink adjusted so the deck can raise toward the PTO shaft, but will not contact will allow moderately good terrain following and not risk equipment damage.

I agree with beenthere. Good work on your welding project. Happy BrushHogging!

OkieG