Homebrew Guard for Rotary Cutting

[Bob_Skurka]

Hey, on a serious note, did you dig the pond that is in the backround of the the last picture?

If YES, how big is it, how deep is it, how long did it take?

 

[Henro]

No, that pond was dug by a tracked loader a while back.

But I have done a lot of work around it with the backhoe, digging the slope away and tapering the banks on the outside of the flat area between the slope and the water. I used the backhoe to finish a job I had a guy attemp with a skid loader, but who could not finish cause the ground turned to shale and he could not handle it...

The pond is 50x80, about 5' deep at one end, tapering to about 3' at the shallow end. We stopped digging as it looked like the clay was running out and were afraid that if we hit shale the pond might not hold water...it is spring fed, by the way...

Better get outside now and do something...I mean me, naturally... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[khd]

Henro:

Your tractor is looking a little Mad Max'ish. Just don't shave a mohawk and start wearing leather chaps without pants.

Great idea though. I need somthing like that to keep trees from swatting me while mowing.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[SPIKER]

Henro: those look great!

How many you got left????

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I know I could use one or two for the same thing!

my rops is a bit wider but would work well enough...

Mark M
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Henro]

Spiker,

If you PM me I can give you the email address of the guy I bought them off of...I bought five, even though the ebay auction was for two...I think he has lots of them...

Shipping for five was almost the same as for two, so it made sense to me to get the raw materials for future projects...the extras were $12 each...I think five is about the max for FedEx ground...they weigh about 14 pounds each, and are close to 20 gage from what I can see....

 

[SPIKER]

Henro: I sent you a PM:

thanks
Mark M

 

[Mogombus]

So Henro, is a rear guard while brush hogging really a big concern or are you just naturally over-cautious (nothing wrong with that)? Myself being new to tractors, and having only used my rotary cutter once, don't see the need for protection here. How often do you get stuff flying at you while cutting?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> So Henro, is a rear guard while brush hogging really a big concern or are you just naturally over-cautious... </font>

Mogombus,

I think I am unnaturally overcautious....from a couple decades of working in an industrial environment....

No, I have not really been hit by anything. But others have reported they have been. So I decided to be proactive and try to reduce the potential hurt...having hurt a bit in my time I know how the I "coulda...shoulda...mighta..." works... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

A while back gatorboy posted a pic of his rear guard. I know he and his father brush cut more in a day than I will in a lifetime...they use guards....

For ten hours per year of rotary cutting is it worth it? If you get hit and seriously injured by something yes...until that happens not at all.

The guy that fortunately lived to tell about the stick that went in his back and came out the front of his chest, apparently now has a lexan shield on the back of his tractor...

As someone's sig somewhere says...."let other's learn by their own mistakes...I prefer to learn by the experiences of others..." /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ... and save myself the personal grief... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

When are you going to paint it orange? Nice job though, if you do any amount of cutting in heavy brush you will get sticks thrown thru the operators platform. Some hit you, some just wake you up.

 

[Skitch]

Mogombus - As Henro said, there are plenty of posts about guys getting hit with stuff or having something chucked past their head. Personally, I don't think it's a matter of if, but when. For me, it was an errant softball. Let me tell you, a brush cutter can really zing a softball!

Henro - smart idea.