Bush hog maintenance

[czechsonofagun]

Our hunting club was donated used bush hog and I need to do some work on it. After greasing stuff that was frozen solid I took it for a spin and it worked fine till it dropped the blade.

Now, how do you work on bush hog? Do you flip it over with the front loader? Or just lift it and prompt it? Put it on concrete blocks bubba style? It is an old, long and heavy beast and I need to get it ready for the spring.

Thanks in advance.

 

[cglaser104]

It really depends on the work you're doing. For me, routine cleaning and maintenance means shortening my toplink all the way, lifting the brush hog up, locking the parking break in the tractor and using a block (usually a piece of timber) to make sure the unit doesn't say/fall on me. Then I climb under to inspect and service, add/remove/sharpen a blade, etc.

If there's something wrong and I have to tear things apart then I use a 2x4 table frame I built in my garage and set it on there with the FEL to crank on it.

In the end, brush hogs are designed to be serviced while strapped to your machine. It's repairs that would supercede that scenario.

 

[MF243RedTop]

Whatever you're comfortable with and is safe.
Proping on its side would be better than flipping over, since you have to remove the nuts from the top.

Picking up with 3ph is fine, but Block it up for safety.

I had mine recently stood up on the 3ph end and doubled chained off to cab of tractor. Welded up some cracks on the jumper.

 

[bearthebruce]

I had to get fence wire out of my blades. Tractor brakes fully locked and on flat hard ground. Lifted the hog with the 3ph, put 4 blocks under it at each corner, set it down gently on the blocks, and then climbed on top and did a dance. 250 lbs of fat old man dancing made sure it was going no where.

Then and only then, did I feel safe crawling part way under to look and then eventually repair.

 

[John0829]

If the need to do work under it comes up I flip it up on the 3 point hitch and then chained it to the tractor with the boom pole, it gives a little more distance between the hog and the tractor so I can get to the top more easily if I need to. Plus with the tractor hitch all the way down I am not depending on hydraulics to hold up the pole or FEL bucket while working on it.

 

[CoyPatton]

To get more accurate responses, describe the work you need to do.

Regardless, safety should be your too priority.

I assume you will need to work on the top and bottom sides. What means do you have to lift with?
I personally never want to work under a FEL with the hydraulics being the only thing holding the weight.
A length of angle iron placed along the cylinder ram and then lower to take the weight is a simple safety measure for a FEL.
The 3ph frame on the brush cutter is designed to support the weight, so that is the preferred weight bearer when access is wanted to top and bottom at same time. Personally I like to have mine strapped or chained from 3 points in both directions to prevent it from falling. Easy is tail wheel assembly both directions. The lift pins are good for one direction. They provide a reasonable place to wrap a chain to prevent the chain from slipping high or low. The low points on the other direction are more tricky to figure out and are often different for each cutter.
One caution, if using straps, be aware the sharp metal edges can quickly compromise a strap. Semi mud flaps can be cut to provide protection, another great one if you can get them is fire hose slid over the straps.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Thank you, guys. I located some pallets I can use to prop it. I will use the front loader to lift one side and it can stay like that through the winter. I expect just cleaning and lubing the shaft is all thats needed - and new pin, of course.

 

[RalphVa]

I raise the bushhog and place jack stands underneath two sides of the rear of it and a floor jack underneath the front middle.

Do this after initially removing the tail wheel to get at the blade nuts and remove them. On the Frontier I sometimes have to rap the end of a black bolt to get it out, as it sometimes locks on the anti-rotation stub on the bolt.

Ralph

 

[Tinhack]

I lift mine by the tail wheel assembly and stand it up on the 3PH. I have a dozer with a crane so lifting is a piece of cake. The cable spools self lock but I throw a chain around the crane boom and mower deck anyway.

It's been over three years since the last tip up. Both my dozer and rotary mower need a going over. But, I'm still working on the Ford.

 

[czechsonofagun]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

 

[cglaser104]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

Blunted edges at best. They aren't a fine finish type mower so you shouldn't put a sharp edge them

 

[Ford850]

Sharp blades cut more efficiently, and will produce a better looking cut. But, I leave mine dull for cutting brush/weeds/grass fields so the brush and trees are shattered rather than cut clean. That leaves 'dull' stumps rather than a field full of punji sticks to puncture tires. If/when I cut more often and won't have larger brush and trees, I'll probably keep my blades in a little better shape than I do now.

 

[Tinhack]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

I can run my finger down the edge and it doesn't cut me. It's not a knife edge. The sharper the edge, the more frequently you'll be under it sharpening the blades. And replacing the blades.

You choice of edge finish is dependent on your use of the mower. If all you do is cut grass and a few twigs, go sharper.

 

[FastEddieR]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

They shouldn't be super sharp, that actually weakens the edge and allows it to chip when it hits a rock, a post, etc. Using an angle grinder with a flap wheel is usually sufficient if the blade isn't too bad. Usually no need to remove the blades, just secure the unit on blocks or stands and crawl underneath it. A bench grinder should be used for more damaged blades, obviously you'll have to remove them. Youtube has lots of videos, most brush hogs are similar so the concept will work on most. Be aware that you may need to balance them if you take too much off of one and not the other. Unbalanced blades can damage your gearbox at minimum, or even tear up your mower and kill you or your livestock or other bystanders.

 

[big bubba]

if you decide to block the bh, i'd go w/6x6 or larger timber blocks as previously stated. personally i stay away from cinder blocks that can fail, or don't like jack stands that can be unstable esp in soft ground good luck....assume you have impact wrench for blade removal.

 

[riptides]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

Blunt, you want to pulverize stuff not clean cut it.

As a previous poster said, I had a barbed wire episode too, I blocked it off in the field, told the wife to look the other way, and crawled under it.

And I was still not comfy.

 

[bearthebruce]

... As a previous poster said, I had a barbed wire episode too, I blocked it off in the field, told the wife to look the other way, and crawled under it.

And I was still not comfy.

I think I was the barbed wire guy you mention. I took the unit back to the shop. To get the wire out, I had to disassemble the blade from the stump jumper pan. That took a bit of effort without an impact wrench. I got it off, touched up the blades on the bench grinder, leaving a blunt edge as you mentioned so it would continue to pulverize rather than clean cut, and then put it all back. An entire afternoon killed fixing the hog once I had all the tools I needed.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Thanks guys, makes sense to keep it dulllish. On my own Kubota MMM I sharpen blades once a year, never had problems with it since i dont live on a golf course

 

[MickeyDBC]

How sharp should bush hog blade be?

If I am just cutting grass and weeds in a "clean" field (no rocks or other junk to hit) I keep them as sharp as I can because they cut cleaner and faster. Cutting in a rough field or heavy brush I just make sure the front of the blade is a little sharper than the back.