Brush Hog

[have_blue]

I wonder why you say it's hard on the 3ph hydraulics? That is what it is desinged to do. Many implements rely on the 3ph for height adjustment.

It all depends on the tractor and the brush hog. If your brush hog is on the big side for your tractor, you sure don't want to carry it where the tail wheel is barely touching. With the length of the brush hog hanging off 6-8' back there, you have a lot of leverage working against the 3ph. Then there is a lot of bouncing, that probably adds 2x shock load to the 3ph. Brush hogs have front and rear adjustment just for the purpose of getting the desired cutting height while the 3ph is in the float position.

 

[3RRL]

The terrain I cut varies so much, I am constantly adjusting the 3pt to keep the brush hog from scalping and digging in. There's just no reason to cut dirt if you can avoid it.



I went to the extreme to make my tail wheels so I could adjust them on the fly too ... hydraulically. I back into a lot of those places and use the tail wheel adjustment to do so when I get into a gully or something. The combination worked great this last weekend.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Hydraulic tailwheels on a brushhog?! I'm impressed!

Though I wonder if there is such a thing as gratuitous fabrication of tractor parts

 

[3RRL]

Though I wonder if there is such a thing as gratuitous fabrication of tractor parts
LOL ... without a doubt!

 

[pitt_md]

It all depends on the tractor and the brush hog. If your brush hog is on the big side for your tractor, you sure don't want to carry it where the tail wheel is barely touching. With the length of the brush hog hanging off 6-8' back there, you have a lot of leverage working against the 3ph. Then there is a lot of bouncing, that probably adds 2x shock load to the 3ph. Brush hogs have front and rear adjustment just for the purpose of getting the desired cutting height while the 3ph is in the float position.

We must be thinking of different attachments. My Woods brush hog has a single tail wheel on the back and the front just mounts to the 3PH.
By Float position I assume you mean all the way down. The 3PH is THE only adjustment for height of the front of the brush hog.

 

[Texas Dodge]

Why would you have the hog in the float position? Aren't your skids on the hog gonna be dragging on the ground? I have a stop that I set at 3 and my skids are about 1 inch off the ground. It still floats up as the tractor goes down.

 

[3RRL]

It can always float up no matter where you have the 3pt set since there is no down pressure.
So you don't necessarily have to set the 3pt in "float".
Doing that would require you to set the sidelinks so the front doesn't drag in the dirt with the 3pt in float. Then that position does not allow you to lower it any further if (when) needed, since you are already in float, all the way down. At least that's how it is on mine.
Using the 3pt to set the front height allows you to:
On level ground
1) it floats up automatically (always) but no lower than where you set it.
On uneven ground
2) let's you raise the 3pt when needed.
3) lets you lower the 3pt when needed.

 

[have_blue]

We must be thinking of different attachments. My Woods brush hog has a single tail wheel on the back and the front just mounts to the 3PH.
By Float position I assume you mean all the way down. The 3PH is THE only adjustment for height of the front of the brush hog.

Just sold my Woods, but I thought it had height adjustment on both ends. If not, you're right of course. My point is, try to split the weight of the cutter between the tail wheel and the 3ph. If you carry it all jacked up (or with the top link tight) you're seriously stressing the 3ph when you hit a bump.