Brush hog incident.

John_Odom · Apr 23, 2004

One of the things I like about a flail mower is that they don'y throw stuff as bad as a bush-hog. When I was teaching in Illinois a kid was mowing the lawn while we had faculty meeting. He was using a big Woods mower, and the main arm holding the blades broke. It came through the 8" block wall, through the group, hitting no one, and burried itself in the opposite wall, half way through the block! I've been a little scared of bush-hogs since then. We found the piece had been partialy cracked for a long time. I now turn my bush-hog over for inspection at the beginning of each season.

I am rehabing a ford 917 flail mower, and have completed everything except the rear guard. I will make either a chain guard or use a piece of conveyor belt if I fan find one. I finished building the PTO shaft guard and it stops with gentlest hand pressure.

John Odom

Currmudgeon · Apr 23, 2004

( How do you plan to get rid of all the unwanted stuff? )

The real junk, like bedsprings get cut up and put out for the trashman. We have trash pickup, and they will thate the equivalent of a refrigerator in junk at any time.

The "good" stuff I'm keeping. I'm about to get a welder and am considering building a forge, so I'll have plenty of raw material.

KiotiJohn · Apr 24, 2004

( I don't have any closeup shots of it, but here is a shot of some before I cut it down with my mower. )
Thanks Gatorboy. No need to post a close up as this gives me a very good idea of what you're up against. Those things sure get tall! I can almost feel those thorns reaching out to grab me now. I'd rather deal with my blackberries! Thanks for the pics, John

jinman · Apr 27, 2004

I've said this so many times to people who wander up while I am using my rotary cutter:

Brush hogging IS NOT a spectator sport!

One time I had to stop my brother and sister-in-law who were setting up lawn chairs to watch me up close. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

deere_x475guy · May 5, 2004

Ok..now I am concerned. I am suppose to pick up my rotary mower next weekend. The property we are buying has a lot of saplings and tall weeds mixed with some rock. I thought the blade on the rotary were suppose to kick away from things rather than throw them. What does the highway crew use to mow the median? I always thought those were rotary mowers but I am just learning.

Gatorboy · May 5, 2004

( What does the highway crew use to mow the median? )

Some use rotary mowers some use flail mowers. Even your small push mower will throw a rock/golf ball, etc. if you hit one. If you maintain your property you should be able to SEE any rocks before you hit them. Medians get maintained as well, and the guys cutting them can see objects and raise the mower decks as needed. I think alot of these flying objects are coming when one is cutting brush, pasture that is highly overgrown and objects can't be seen.

Soundguy · May 5, 2004

Yes and no. ( and gatorboy explained it pretty good.. )

Yes your cutter blades will pivot on the stump jumper.. and if you did say.. hit a stump.. technically the blade can delect and clear it.. most likely shearing a pin in the process.. and the stump jumper is just what it says it is.

Mostly though.. if your big 540rpm rotary cutter hits a rock.. half of the rock will turn to dust.. and some may be ejected from under the mower. Don't look for those big blades to deflect and fold back under anything but the most extreme circumstances. ( Irrestible force hitting immovable object.. )

Soundguy

Currmudgeon · May 5, 2004

( Don't look for those big blades to deflect and fold back under anything but the most extreme circumstances. ( Irrestible force hitting immovable object.. ) )

Right. The pivot is there to prevent the machine's self destructing when you hit something big. For small rocks, the blade will barely notice it, but the rock sure will. Think of how pool balls behave.

Poppa · May 5, 2004

( Ok..now I am concerned. )

Yeah, that is exactly how I felt when I started following this thread. My first question was, was that an aberration? After seeing all the different posts I realized the answer to that question was a resounding no. My next question was then, Well, should I still get one? Aftet careful consideration I have decided yes. Maybe a flail mower would be better maybe not, but for the money I have, the Rotary cutter is the best option. So then the final question, How should I deal with this potential killer? Same way I deal with the lawnmower I have. I don't just run the thing through a rock field or over junk, I walk around the lawn first, picking up toys and cursing at the kids. When the rotary cutter arrives I will walk the property again. I have done this numerous times over the last five years and I am 99.9% sure there is nothing out there but I will walk it again anyway, especially the frontage portion. I will then cut very slowly. I am not in a hurry to die or kill anyone, I just want the weeds and brush cut down. And of course it will all add up to Seat Time. You can bet I have also checked my insurance policies as well.

The funny thing about this thread is that it has actually made me safer with my little Costco lawnmower. Who Knew?

One more time in unison, Thanks TBN

Mike

chucko · May 5, 2004

So let's say I was cutting an area I was unsure of...Would it be better to run the cutter at a lower than 540 speed?

Soundguy · May 5, 2004

No.. run it at its designed speed.. just drive slower, and try to be carefull.. it's all you can really do. If you have a front blade for snow, or a front end loader.. keep the bucket low to help detech big items.. like tires, big rocks.. and stumps.

If you don't have either of those two.. just 'try' to be careful.

Soundguy

deere_x475guy · May 6, 2004

I guess that will be my plan. I will just leave my fell skimming the top of the ground and go from there. I have some dips and stuff from tire ruts but the fell will just clip that. I am also thinking about going over it with my LS rake first to see what I find.

Gatorboy · May 6, 2004

( So let's say I was cutting an area I was unsure of...Would it be better to run the cutter at a lower than 540 speed? )

Yes. If you have some spot that you are not sure of, raise the mower deck, lower the RPM's and lower the deck slowly (if you have that ability with your mower). If there is a large rock or something, you will hear it as you are lowering it and will save your mower with the lower RPM's and if you do hit something, it won't fly out as fast/far.

Soundguy · May 6, 2004

With a fel.. you are good to go.. besides.. if you find a big mound of dirt.. say from an ant or mole.. the fel will skim it off... Big ant mound dirt piles are responsible for the deaths of lots of shear pins.. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Soundguy

Bird · May 6, 2004

( Big ant mound dirt piles are responsible for the deaths of lots of shear pins )

I levelled more fire ant mounds with a brush hog than I could count, but never sheared a pin. Of course I tried to go into them slow and sometimes bogged the engine a big. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Soundguy · May 7, 2004

I found the bulk of my ant mounds this year at the first cutting of brush.. some of the brush was 3' high.. and surprisingly so was one fire ant mound.. was being the applicable term... actually I htink my front bumper knocked of fthe top foot anyway... mower took out the rest.. at the expense of 15 minutes of changing the shear pin..

Mound was not so wide.. but was real tall.. reminded me of those neat termite mounds inthe midwest.... but was only ants...

Soundguy

LarryD · May 9, 2004

That sure was an auful looking tangleof vines. We get blackberry brambles around here big enough to conceal a house. I tried one year (pre NH days) to go at them with a good weed whacker and made very little progress. Poison was out of the question cause of all the little critters around so we added a couple of goats to the mix. It was amazing how quickly they ate the stuff. Even when they came across the tongue from the mobile home, I never felt in any danger. they do through things out the rear end but the velocity is very low.

ryanwharton · May 10, 2004

I had a similar incident with my brush hog. Fortunately no one was injured. I contacted the manufacturer several times via email and phone and they were not interested in dealing with the matter. I never even received a phone call or reply email. Oh well, eventually it will injure someone and they will be liable. They scare the hell out of me now.

Soundguy · May 10, 2004

Strangely enough.. I found a part missing on my 5' KK brush hog after owning it about a year... there was a small cir-clip that holds the pto shaft onto the gearbox stub when the pin shears... mine was !gone! I emailed them asking for price and order info, and got an email 3 days later saying they would send me one.. It came inthe mail that day... free... Now I call that customer service.. and from an economy manufacturer.. that is awesome!

Soundguy