Rotary Cutter bush hog etc...

[RedNeckRacin]

Apparently you have never gotten stuck up against a fence or wall while pulling a bush hog, I mean rotary mower... In order to steer the front end away from a wall or fence, the bush hog has to go in the opposite direction and if there is an immovable wall or fence there then the bush hog just slams against it and you truely are stuck. You will find the same thing true with articulated mowers, such as a Steiner 525.
David from jax

Never had the displeasure but I'm willing to bet that by splitting the brakes I could get away from it unless I slid down into it it would be even easier with 4wd. My brushing sits atleast a foot outside my tire tracks so I have room to steer.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Apparently you have never gotten stuck up against a fence or wall while pulling a bush hog, I mean rotary mower... In order to steer the front end away from a wall or fence, the bush hog has to go in the opposite direction and if there is an immovable wall or fence there then the bush hog just slams against it and you truely are stuck. You will find the same thing true with articulated mowers, such as a Steiner 525.
David from jax

If bh is wider back up. If narrower go forward. If same you could be stuck.

 

[Fawken]

If bh is wider back up. If narrower go forward. If same you could be stuck.

Years ago I'd get stuck like that on a regular basis. A few times, making things even worse, the bottom strand of wire on the fence would get all wound up in the blades. Ended up cutting the front corners off the hog and welding a plate in the angled facing for safety. The angle helps bump the deck away from the fence.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Apparently you have never gotten stuck up against a fence or wall while pulling a bush hog, I mean rotary mower... In order to steer the front end away from a wall or fence, the bush hog has to go in the opposite direction and if there is an immovable wall or fence there then the bush hog just slams against it and you truely are stuck. You will find the same thing true with articulated mowers, such as a Steiner 525.
David from jax

The way out of that situation is to back up and very slightly turn your steering wheel to move the mower away from the fence without turning the front end of the tractor into the fence. Then straighten the wheel for a bit and then turn it slightly again. You can then get enough space between the mower and fence/building to turn normally.

 

[Xfaxman]

If I get up against a fence or a building, I set up crab steer and drive away! :thumbsup:

 

[farm boy00]

For me i can just turn my wheels and back out. But the secret is is that i have all narrow front (middle wheeled, tricycle,....) front end

 

[Baby Grand]

Getting stuck in that way is another reason to leave some side-to-side slop in the check-chains/sway-links when hitching up the bush hog.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Faxman, that's the cats ***.you got us all beat!

 

[Xfaxman]

Faxman, that's the cats ***.you got us all beat!

Thanks.

My wife bought the Toolcat so the cab would keep the poison ivy off of her while she helped with the mowing. She does let me use it some times. Sure is nice having the brush hog out front.

She won't mow the dam.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Show-off! :thumbsup:

 

[Xfaxman]

Show-off! :thumbsup:

Yep, thanks.

On the spillway, she won't mow this either.

 

[LD1]

I think about any cutter you find at an auction for $400 is gonna be way too light.

That tractor needs an 8 or 10' cutter. And in those sizes they don't really make a light duty cutter

 

[sandman2234]

Apparently you have never gotten stuck up against a fence or wall while pulling a bush hog, I mean rotary mower... In order to steer the front end away from a wall or fence, the bush hog has to go in the opposite direction and if there is an immovable wall or fence there then the bush hog just slams against it and you truely are stuck. You will find the same thing true with articulated mowers, such as a Steiner 525.
David from jax

The original poster did have a tractor, while I was thinking about the days of getting the Steiner 525 stuck up against something. It is four wheel drive, but steering the fronts away from the fence also turn the rears toward the fence, thereby causing the problem. Articulated mowers have their drawbacks, as most machines do,but they are great in most aspects.
David from jax

 

[SPYDERLK]

Hmmm. Never thought about this. On one hand you want the mower gearbox to be rated larger than the tractor to handle all the power the tractor can put through it when mowing. On the other hand, if your slip clutch or shear bolt fails to do it's job (i.e. holds) when you hit an obstacle, I'd want the mower gearbox to blow up rather than the tractor's rear end.
I guess if you're running a small mower with a big tractor you should slow down proportionately to limit the power you're putting through it.
I guess I agree with your statement that mower should be rated larger, with a note that it's really, really important that shear bolts are properly sized and slip clutches are exercised (freed) before operating each season so that the tractor isn't then the weak link.

The HP pulse on a shear bolt is huge. It has to be because its rotational action is so brief. They either abuse the gearbox with shock loading or shear frequently.

Gearbox hp rating is what the box will transmit all day. Due to the high extremely short term overloads seen in bushogging it is good to have a strong gearbox to put up with the shocks directly coupled to it from the blade. ... The tractor is somewhat insulated from these shocks due to some torsional give in the driveline and pto shaft - and hopefully a good slip clutch that will break loose at about 2x tractor hp. The clutch micro slips with the shocks [below the shearbolt threshold] and you never know unless you hit something bad that stops the hog. Then the tractor stalls gracefully.
larry