Mowing Bushhog question.... rear or front discharge?

[Elviscaretaker]

You'd have to see it to understand. But, you are more than welcome to come to Idaho and show me how to plow rock and iron ore where in areas a 46" cut rider gets stuck between rocks. Your equipment of-coarse.

 

[Flogger]

I used to mow with my Massey MF 40 and a 6' mower. Sandbur season here us usually dry and the mower loves to launch the evil little things. I went to a 10' mower and mounted it on my old 730 so I was approximately twice as high on the seat. Problem solved. LOL

 

[kenhar]

There's a world of difference in mowers and rotary cutters, just like the difference in how and what they are used for. Mowers are for grass, cutters are for brush and everything else. Rotary cutters (bushhogs) are mostly rear mounted. The front is usually open while the sides and rear are enclosed (solid or chains). Thats to keep what is being cut under the cutter until it is cut up and also to prevent the debris from being thrown or scattered. The front is open, not for discharge, but to not ride down what is being cut. If the material to be cut is mashed to the ground, the blades are over it and not cut. A lot of action takes place under that cutter and a lot of debris is being tossed around while being cut and chopped up. Some of that debris is thrown forward out from under the cutter. That's not designed to happen but it does. It's not a front discharge. A rotary cutter (bushhog) is one of the most dangerous implements that can be mounted on a tractor, especially a small tractor. It's a bad place for a "new" farmer to learn how to farm. LOL

 

[Hermio]

No issues with mine after 350 hours of all kinds of stuff thrown to it. It does need to be some good sized chain. I often see very thin chains and too much space in between, that won't work very well. Mine uses 5/16" chain.

View attachment 880187

I am pretty sure mine were 5/16 or 3/8". The chains did not break, but the mounting to the bush hog got torn off and bent.

 

[Gord Baker]

Good accurate advice. Most people operate them set too Low. This impedes chopping and is hard on expensive parts.