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

[Williy]

My understanding is the brush hog on the back of tractor the front is lower that the back so the discharge is at the back

willy

 

[masseyrider]

I have been around these rotary cutters since I was around 10 years old. I am pretty sure that would not be characterized as a "front discharge" cutter. My uncle was on the Massey Ferguson 35 with a 6' Bush Hog behind clearing brush from an overgrown pasture back in the late 60's. A rock "discharged" from the front of the cutter and hit the back of his leg. It left a heck of a bad bruise.

Most manufacturers offer optional chain deflectors for the front of the machines nowadays.

Doug

Even with chains in front my mower has discharged a variety of things hitting my tractor.
The tractor I use for mowing has a variety of paint chips and scars around the rear axles.
One, a small fist size rock, hit the back of the seat. Luckily the tractor has a high back suspension seat. It left a good size dent right about where my kidneys are.
I have been hit in the back of the legs by smaller stuff after it has ricocheted off other parts.
It F'ng hurts. I never mow wearing shorts.
What I think you have mistaken for front discharge is a regular rear discharge machine.
The front is open so the grass can enter the cutting area without being flattened before cutting, doing a better job.
It is designed to be discharged in the back.
Sometimes the blades strike a heavier object that gets thrown out the front, hence the chains or other barriers used.
I'm guessing you are a rookie around equipment.
Side discharge, rear discharge I've heard of.
Front discharge where you would be recutting the same material over and over makes no sense.

 

[Dmz2540]

You need to adjust the tail wheel it needs to be 2 inches or so higher than the front of the cutter . The front part does the cutting.

 

[kenhar]

Never heard of a front discharge bush hog (rotary cutter). I've been hit by debris coming from under the bush hog that there is no explanation how it got high enough to reach the tractor seat much less my head. Have seen things thrown to the front of and past the tractor that could have been deadly. I have installed a shield type screen on the roll bar of the tractor to prevent being hit. Stay away from a front discharge anything unless it mounts on the front of your tractor.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

My BushHog brand cutter is front discharge and I wish it was rear. Mainly because of the crap that is thrown on you while mowing. But a rear discharge would be much better backing into brush to cut. Mine pushes the brush down and the blades never touch the brush.

When I cut down brush I often back up to it, and if it's too tall/thick I raise the brush hog, then lower it down over the brush. Using the hydraulic top link, too, if more lift is needed.

Never had anything shoot out the front end when going forwards in normal fashion, but the first year resulted in some good dents by the left front corner of the skirt as I kept finding rocks.

It might help that I run the front 2-4 inches lower than the rear.

 

[Jaygyver]

I grabbed a rear discharge 5' Sitrex finish cutter when I bought my JD-770, I had the choice of the side discharge but I didn't want the wind rows. The rear discharge --seems-- to spread the cut grass more. After 25 years of using it I would still go with the rear discharge.
I cut the shoulders of our shared roads and I do still get a smaller gravel type rock or two thrown forward so you'll still have that with whatever you get, but that's about the only time I ever noticed it.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

thanks all for your input.

 

[aesanders]

You need to adjust the tail wheel it needs to be 2 inches or so higher than the front of the cutter . The front part does the cutting.

This right here. When the rotary cutter is lowered to the cut position, it should be at an angle with the front of the cutter lower than the rear.

 

[dannyojudd]

View attachment 878852

I adjust my rotary cutter so the front is lower than the back. IMHO if it was intended to operate level it would have wheels on the front like a finish mower. Rotary cutters without front guards are "carried" by the tractor and the trailing wheel keeps the blade from hitting the dirt over humps. Lots (most) of people try to run with the deck level for "mulching" effect. The "bush hog" type when run with rear of deck higher by default "discharge" out the rear. The front edge of some mowers is higher to keep from bending over the vegetation and to get blade contact on the front.

Ashland Oil had Massey 4wd tractors that they used to mow pipe line right of ways. They mowed/chopped down anything the tractor could ride down. The tractors had a full roll cage that was vertical in the rear and sloped to the front of the tractor the rear was covered with expanded metal mesh to protect the operator from debris.

For smooth "yard" like result I use a finish mower which by design is rear discharge. I had a side discharge Woods finish mower for years and it left rows of chopped debris when mowing heavy vegetation. It was not made to do brush clearing but to mow pastures of grass.

Try adjusting so the rear is higher than the front. The drawback is if you operate too fast you can see where the blade makes its cut. Using a rotary cutter for mulching (chopping up debris) without positive front guard will result in some of the bigger debris being ejected out the front. It's the nature of the beast and physics like gravity is hard to fool...

 

[dkmc]

I have a 5ft Woods I bought used/abused around 1991. PO had it behind a 100hp tractor and I guess he pretty much never looked back. Oil in gearbox was gone, gears are worn but still work. Did a bunch of repairs on it and it's been good-enough ever since. Gearbox got new bearings, seals, and holds oil now. Once I ran over a grapefruit size-shaped rock in high grass. It launched out the left front of the deck and bounced along for 200ft. Got tired of it clogging and re-cutting, so I cut out part of the left rear of the side of the deck. Now it cuts much free-er and discharges a windrow which works well. No issues torching off pieces, it's a patch work of weld repairs anyway. These things are the hardest working implements and sometimes the most abused.