chain guard?

[herbenus]

Yall have me convinced too. My JD brush hog does not have a guard up front. I've never had a problem but maybe just lucky. How far apart would you recommend welding chains? I figured to just weld right to mower.

 

[Bird]

Bill, perhaps you could weld directly to the mower, but I wouldn't recommend it. One thing to remember is that you want the chains long enough to touch, or nearly touch, the ground (or about the same length as the sides of the housing). AND remember that, as they drag over weeds and grass, that will push them back toward the blades. So I think you need to put the chains on a piece of angle iron that's wide enough to put the front chains farther forward and the rear chains farther back so they don't get into the blades. Some people make the links in the front center shorter than the ones on either side. On the first set I made, I didn't do that, but the blades trimmed them off to the right length. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif How far apart? Depends on what size chain you're using, but I'd say almost, but not quite, touching the links on either side.

 

[herbenus]

Thanks, I forgot about chains dragging underneath mower. I'd like to trim chain lengths with bolt cutter, not grass cutter. I have a wall on three sides so didn't feel like I needed to add chains to back. But I'll take a good look when I actually get get into it.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Bill, some of the designs may not need chains on the rear.

 

[stnickstoys]

I'll try to post some tonight. Its buried in snow right now. I welded on the lengths of chain right next to each other. Wasn't really worried about them touching, didn't want anything to get through. You either have to move them out from the mower in the front or run chains that just touch the ground. I moved mine out away from the front of the mower a little because after first mounting them close to the mower, the mower shortened a couple of the center chains for me. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Hadn't thought about the weeds dragging the chains into the cutter. Made a little racket but not for long.
Will try to post pics when I get home.

 

[BB_TX]

Bill - Here is a recent thread with pictures on home made chain guards.
Chain Guards
Bill

 

[stnickstoys]

Here's some pics of my chain guards /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
NIck

 

[stnickstoys]

one more

 

[stnickstoys]

front

 

[soarkrebel]

Thanks for the pictures. you gave me an idea of what to do. just alot of cutting and welding! is your cutter 5'?