Bush hog

[TerryR]

Can someone tell me what the chain may have been used for?

The chain allows the mower to follow the terrain. You adjust the top link so the chain is a little slack on level ground. Then as you go over dips the rear wheel stays on the ground and lets the mower stay close to the ground as the front of the tractor drops.

 

[1930]

The chain allows the mower to follow the terrain. You adjust the top link so the chain is a little slack on level ground. Then as you go over dips the rear wheel stays on the ground and lets the mower stay close to the ground as the front of the tractor drops.

Thanks, so where does chain attach?

 

[ptsg]

Similar to this:

 

[old and tired]

So I don't even hook up the top link, the one or two places that I know that I'll hit rocks, just raising up the 3 point hitch will clear the rocks. If you need to clear cattle guards or areas with lots of rocks, hook the chain to where the toplink attaches to...

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[RayIN]

Slide a length of old pipe about 8" shorter than that chain over it before attaching it to the mower frame at the top link part.
This will prevent the mower from flipping up so much a universal joint breaks if you happen to back up on a bank when mowing.
That cutter appears in good condition, just missing the stump-jumper.

 

[1930]

The chain allows the mower to follow the terrain. You adjust the top link so the chain is a little slack on level ground. Then as you go over dips the rear wheel stays on the ground and lets the mower stay close to the ground as the front of the tractor drops.

It’s hard to do it one handed but does the chain attach to the back of the tractor typically or to the three point?

I don’t know what this is but it was in a bolt just flopping around

 

[TerryR]

It is supposed to attach at the top of the frame on the mower for the top link connection, where you are holding the little bracket in the third photo. I'm not sure exactly how it is supposed to attach there. Looks like a bolt or something is missing.

 

[1930]

Slide a length of old pipe about 8" shorter than that chain over it before attaching it to the mower frame at the top link part.
This will prevent the mower from flipping up so much a universal joint breaks if you happen to back up on a bank when mowing.
That cutter appears in good condition, just missing the stump-jumper.
View attachment 3268534

Thanks

 

[John_Mc]

It’s hard to do it one handed but does the chain attach to the back of the tractor typically or to the three point?

In your case, it appears the chain would attach to the top of the (sort of) triangular yoke at the front of the deck, near where the toplink attaches to the mower. The intent would be that that triangular yoke can pivot fore and aft where it is bolted to the deck. With this set up that yoke is free to pivot, your PTO shaft (and tractor TPO output) is not in danger of damage from being compressed beyond the range of its telescoping. The toplink should prevent that.

Other brush hogs use a different system: the yoke is rigidly mounted to the deck (often braced by a solid bar running more or less where your chain would run). Those get the flex to allow the deck to follow terrain by replacing the toplink with a chain, or as in the case of my Wood Brushbull, there is a piece of metal between the mower end of the toplink and the yoke which is free to swing where it attached to the yoke and where it attaches to the toplink, allowing some swing, but limiting the amount. (Woods has changed their design since I bought mine 20+ years ago. They now put that flexible part behind the yoke, and the rigid brace bars going to the back are attached to that. So the flex comes more like what happens with your chain, but happens by means of a joint in the brace bar.)

People who are operating on terrain that is not too rough, and who do not need to lift the brush cutter entirely off the ground sometimes run with the toplink or chain completely disconnected.