Bush Hog 3308R2 problems - breaking pan/ “weldment”

[theburren]

Longtime member but this is my first post.
I have been maintaining briars, grass, and up to 1.5 - 2 inch scrub pine on a 50+ acre tract with a 1-2 year old Bush Hog brand 3308 and twice now in 6 months the pan “weldment” has failed. Tractor is a Kubota 8540.

Bush Hog begrudgingly covered the pan at the end of last season as “Goodwill”, but I had to pay labor. With less than 30 hours on the new pan it completely failed again a couple weeks ago. Bush Hog in Alabama told me that they ship out 300 pans like this per week. Holy crap! At $700.00/ per that’s a nice $10 mil yearly side hustle..

They are attributing it to improper slip clutch maintenance which I think is absurd. Last year their recommendation was to slip the clutch before each season. This year the recommendation is every 30 days. To me it looks like crappy steel.

This cutter cost us $10k new.

Q: is there an alternative replacement part that can be had and can a decent welder make the repair hisself?

 

[theburren]

** the last picture is from the first break in July 2024

 

[mrmikey]

Is that the blade that's broke? If so, I'd say there's no where near enough material around that hole.

 

[theburren]

Negative. Blades are on the flip side. That is the bar that holds them.
FYI The pan + bar + hub = the “Weldment”

 

[Rustyiron]

That is the "up" side of the stump pan correct?
I'd have a welder weld it back together and reinforce both thin sides at the spindle hole. He'll know what to do. Fix both of them even if you have to remove the other one. That's BS on Bush Hog's part.
I have endless trouble with their blades curling upward on my same unit.

 

[mrmikey]

I think I get it.
As Rusty said above, repair it and reinforce.

 

[theburren]

Correct, that’s the up side. Yes, Bush Hog was no good. They are not the great American company they were 10 years ago. That’s the last time I trust their products.
Thanks for the replies. I’m hoping to find a good welder so that it stays balanced. I would still rather a shear pin than their slip clutch

 

[Rustyiron]

Balancing this close to the center of rotation shouldn't be an issue as long as his added steel is the same dimension, length and position.

 

[sandman2234]

I also have that same mower, and it appears that they have narrowed that bar down to lower costs.
If that is the case, I bet they also have reduced the thickness of the pan, which would allow that bar to flex. Between the two, you are suffering the results!
I doubt it is a good idea to fix it. I only say that because I think that is a tapered fit hole, that goes on a tapered shaft. I am trying to remember where the splines fall into play with those also! Can a good welder/machinist fix it, absolutely. However, it might cost you more than your expecting.
As bad as I hate to say this...bite the bullet and buy a new one, and reinforce it with some serious additions!
Rustyiron has the right idea, balance that near to the center won't be nearly as crucial as further out, but still try to make it equal in steel and welds.
If that hole isn't tapered, (pretty sure mine is) spending the time to fit it exactly on the shaft so that it doesn't wallow it out and at the same time ruin your gearbox shaft is going to be a chore. I would almost rather replace the bar on the pan in it's entirety rather than trying to fix that hole.
Good luck with it, keep us informed with your decisions and how it progresses!
I also need to be nicer to my 3008, as I am not looking forward to replacing it anytime soon!
David from jax

 

[Hay Dude]

Hey bush hog guys just as a side note:
I was a former Woods bush hog owner and didn’t like the BW 15’ mower I had.
I have had (2) Deere Bush hogs and they are some of the most rugged-built, well engineered, reliable long lasting pieces of equipment I own. I have pushed them beyond their stated limits in the owners manuals and they have not failed.
If you replace or buy another, try a Deere.

Now there’s a small group out there who have banished & trashed the entire Deere bush hog lineup because 20 years ago a smaller unti they sold had a failed output shaft. Everyone knows the bigger units are built completely differently. So that would be like saying a family of 10 people are all bad because one brother was a bad person.

Try a Deere next time around. Awesome mowers. They work real hard and look really good even after years of hard use.