Bush Hog Technique

[Glowplug]

Just got home from mowing 6-1/2 hours. SIL mowed all day. (12 hours) We probably got a little more than 1/2 of the 71 acres cut. Some of the paddocks were as small as 1/2 acre. There must be 1000 miles of board fence on this place. Cutting against it wasn't fun, but just imagine PAINTING all of it! (I'm trying to imagine knocking it all down!)

OWner is in a nursing home with no hope of getting out. No known heirs. As soon as his life savings runs out, the conservator sells the property. In all likelyhood, fences go away and streets go in followed by houses. Until then, we mow and weed- eat.

Arrgghhh!! There goes the Bluegrass!! Where is that property? Sounds like it would be nice if it didn't have all that fencing dividing it up. Probably will turn into another Hamburg shopping center.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Arrgghhh!! There goes the Bluegrass!! Where is that property? Sounds like it would be nice if it didn't have all that fencing dividing it up. Probably will turn into another Hamburg shopping center.

The property is west of Taylorsville. (just off hwy 44) Spencer County is the fastest growing county in Kentucky. (# of new homes/population increase) Everywhere you look, subdivisions packed with $500,000 houses.

This place was a mega-buck horse farm with barns and house built in the early '50's. It was a glorious place in it's day. Now the fences are falling down, barn roof is partially blown off, house needs lots of work. I don't get to learn much about the owners of these places we mow, other than they're "lifers" in a nursing home and their assets are controlled by a conservator who hires us.

We finished up tonight and moved the equipment to the next job. 49 acres of overgrown pastures. As we unloaded, we saw 2 coyotes, 4 turkeys, and one rather large black snake. It's fun seeing new country, but there's an underlying sadness because of why we're there.

 

[patrick_g]

Never heard of counter clockwise or clockwise either. Not sure why one is better then the other.

Eddie

Most brush hogging folk in the US are also on-highway motor vehicle operators. Since in the US we sit on the left side of the vehicle we can see much better on the left side than the right. Watch people maneuvering sometime, especially less skilled drivers, as they are much more confident making left turns than right turns. In fact most drivers will make left turns faster than right turns, visibility being the main ingredient.

This preference caries over into other steered equipment even though the seating may be on the midline of the equipment.

I was told that in WW II for a period of time the US losses in air combat were worsened due to this left turn bias. When jumped, an American pilot (probably an automobile driver) was much more likely to break left. The German pilots noted this and could anticipate the Americans evasive action. When the US figured it out this bias was addressed in training.

Pat

 

[JoeinTX]

Yeah, I'm not sure what these 270 degree loops do for you when you are cuttiing a sizeable area. I do that toward the end of the cut when you are down to a narrow swath remaining when it's easier to just swing out and turn a circle then head back.

I cut my corners, but keep them tight, and when done it's usually a pass out to the corner's end and a pass back toward the center and I'm done with that corner. Not at all terribly time consuming and it also gives the driver another look at the field to see what's not looking right.


I'm not an old-timer by any stretch, but, the field ain't done until the corners are finished..........and that's when I feel relief.


Numerous loop-to-loo's at each field corner don't seem a good investment of time to me.

 

[JoeinTX]

I'll add, for nothing, that I learned field work with a hand clutch and turning brakes. I use turning brakes today and they are generally set for clockwise use......although hitting the left-hand brake pedal on anything pre-1980 will result in a lurch leftward.

Today's rigs with posi-track and such may not do the same, but, on older units you drove them based upon the break set-up and visibility, not necessarily your comfot zone.

 

[jinman]

Well DU-UH you seem to be doing OK as your left hand turn till you line up again IS a 270 degree turn!

Pat

Unless he is turning and going back down the line he just cut, in which case he would be making a 180º turn...right?

I have so many obstacles that I twist and turn and go back and forth so much that it makes me dizzy...then I just get my wife to do it while I'm at work.

Yeah...that's the ticket.

 

[MadDogDriver]

That's a two edged sword. Letting the CFO get used to operating ol Blue could end up back firing. It's a terrible dilemma, lose seat time or enjoy some time off.

...then I just get my wife to do it while I'm at work.