Help with adjusting a bushhog on a L3830.

[willy1947]

I have a 6 King Kutter bushhog on my L3830. It seems no matter how I adjust my 3 point configuration, it just doesn't cut right. I borrowed a 5' from a friend and it worked perfectly.

I was wondering what position my top link should be in? It has three spots to put it in. It looks like if I use a lower spot, I might be able to pick it up higher. It also looks like if I use a lower spot, then the "pivot point" on the rotary cutter will work better.

Right now I use the uppermost link setting. I set my top link loose so it will pivot and not bind up my tractor.

Is there anything I am doing wrong here? Maybe I should have titled this post "What are the three top link positions for" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I have also tried adjusting the height of the rear wheel, but it made it worse. An especially bad problem is backing up. The cutter easily digs into the ground when turning.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[texbaylea]

willy1947

Check the manual. It has a table showing where to connect the top link. I have mine at one down from the top and it cuts OK.

Vernon

 

[tcb]

i agree, consult your manual, it gives details on all implements. i have mine set on the second pin which the manual approves of but i belive the top pin is preferred.

tim

 

[Freds]

Aside from my PHD, where I set the toplink at the lowest hole in order to lift it higher, all my attachments do fine on the top hole on the tractor.
You ARE adjusting the toplink length using the nut and turnbuckle type ends aren't you? Getting a good cut with a brush hog and being able to back up and turn without it digging in requires adjusting the toplink length, the rear wheel and how far down you lower it when cutting. It's a combnination of things.
Hook up your buddy's 5 footer again and pay attention to the position of the pivot point where the toplink attaches, how far you lower the three point and the angle of the brush hog... how far the bottom rails are off the ground.
It takes a little playing with if you don't want gouges, something that some people don't mind.

 

[willy1947]

Thanks for the help. I tried tweeking it a little last night. I'm not sure I helped it much though. I'm probably expecting too much. It's really not that bad.

I may try my friends again, but his top link attachement point is a little different design. Mine has a pivoting "U" piece, with a welded stop on it. His is just a long oval slot.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Freds]

long oval slot... interesting. I guess it would serve the same purpose.

 

[MMM]

The oval slot alows cutter to follow terrain a little better. Do you have chains from A-frame to rear of deck or solid brace? The solid brace will cause cutter to dig and scalp. You can use a length of chain with toplink shortened completely or replace solid brace with chain. I had a KK72-60 with same problem, among a lot of others.

 

[rdbrumfield]

shortening the top will cause the front of the mower to dig in.
I like to set mine up by setting the tail wheel first for height, then pick up the front of the mower to level, and lengthen the top link just enough to have some slack so the mower front is carried by the lift links. I find by doing it this way I can lift the front of the mower somewhat without lifting the back of the mower while still mowing, and still lower it in front if needed as I go over unlevel ground. Be careful not to lengthen the top link too much as when you pick the mower for transport the front of the deck will not come in contact with the driveshaft. As for the proper hole for the top link, it changes the geometry and the lower it is the more it will raise the back of the mower when lifted in theory, That can change too by the height of the top hole on the mower itself.

 

[djradz]

Is a revisiting of the "check chains" concept in order here? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Freds]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The oval slot alows cutter to follow terrain a little better )</font>
Better than what? Better than the pivoting "U" bracket?
Without ever having seen the slotted style, I thought they would work equally. Could you explain how the slots work better and maybe include a pic?
Thanks.

 

[HammerFour]

Other folks have covered how to adjust the cutting height, set the rear wheel and lift arm height to get the desired height off the ground, then adjust top link mechanism to give some slack so the mower can follow terrain a bit.

If the mower is digging in when backing and or turning, the rear wheel and lift arms need to be adjusted to raise the mower a bit or the top link needs to be adjusted to not be pushing down on the mower when backing/turning.


My question is how isn't the mower cutting properly? Is the grass not getting cut cleanly/evenly? If so, if your mower has a slip clutch, the clutch maybe be slipping more than it should causing the blade to slow down and the grass to not be cut properly. My father in laws rotary cutter had this problem, he couldn't get a decent cut at all with it. Once we tightened up the slip clutch, it worked like a charm.

 

[willy1947]

It's actually giving a pretty good cut. The 5' seemed to give a closer cut better. Part of it is the it's a 5' vs. 6' thing. By that I mean the 6' doesn't "float" as well as the 5' did. I notice my side rails digging in more. I'm sure that it is terrain related too.

It sounds as if I have it adjusted correctly. I've got some slack in the top link, it's level, and cuts pretty good. It may just be the terrain is more of an issue. The 5' just fit the ground better, especially in those tight places. Therefore it didn't dig in as much.

I was really wondering about those other toplink holes. I moved it down to the middle hole and it helped lift the back end better. I haul my tractor to other places to bushog and I have found it difficult to load because I couldn't raise the back enough. I now see some improvement in that

Thanks for all the advice! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Time to go bushog for 6 hours

Thanks,
Davev

 

[MMM]

The length of allowable travel is the determining factor on how a 3pt cutter will follow the terrain instead of follow the tractor. The slotted 3rd link allows more travel. I think a chain added to top link is better than either if cutter doesn't have any chains from Aframe to rear of deck. This can be a must have for loading onto higher trailers without a dovetail also.
Here's a thread that has in-depth discussion of using chain on cutters.
3 pt beating

I think there's another called check chains or something of the sort.

 

[have_blue]

Hi Willy,

I look for a few cues when setting up my cutter. In the "Down" cutting position, I like the rear of the deck to be 1" to 1-1/2" higher than the front. This ensures blade "relief" or clearence, and prevents re-cutting the grass which makes a general mess and robs horsepower. The top link should be quite slack in the "down" cutting position. The deck should be slightly angled, higher at the rear ,when in the "up" or carried position. Blades should be nice and sharp for grass, not as critical for big weeds and brush.

I suppose it's possible that this is peculiar to my last 2 cutters, but I would think it's universal.

 

[djradz]

The post eventually leads to this.

Check Chains

If you have a flexible, swinging, or otherwise moving top link connection at your deck, you are all set. Otherwise, as one photo in the post shows, you may need to replace your top link with a chain. I personally don't like that, but it sounds as if in this case, it won't be necessary anyway.

I've also attached a copy of a similar setup on my mower. I have the same on my brush hog, minus the turnbuckles, because adjustment is less critical.

I can tell you that with such a setup, I have virtually eliminated ANY digging of the side rails. The front of the the deck rides along very smoothly with the rear tractor wheels. It never goes any further up or down then they do. The lower arms just serve to keep it attached and sort of "trailer" it along.