Rotary Cutter How to "carry" a rotary cutter?

[Bird]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

I agree with JMIII that all the ones I'm familiar with have a vertical A-frame, but I don't see any other bolt holes to move the rear straps forward to get it up straight. I might be tempted to drill another hole on either side. Of course I think the fact that the driveshaft is so close to the deck is simply because the 3-point is raised and the top link is lengthened to let the rear of the mower angle down when the pictures were made.

Now I can tell you what the instructions showed to do with my Howse rotary cutter, and it worked just fine for me. First adjust the rear wheels on the cutter to the height you want (maybe you already have). Then disconnect the top link from the mower, and with the lower links hooked up, raise or lower the front of the mower to the height you want (either level, or front slightly lower than rear for faster cutting, rear slightly lower than front for "mulching"). Then adjust the length of the top link to hook it up to the U-shaped piece with that U-shaped piece hanging down with the bottom (open) end tilted about 30 degrees to the front. That does not give as much flexibility as using a chain for a top link, but provided all the flexibility that I needed. On really uneven terrain, it may not be as much as you want.

 

[JohnMiller3]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

<font color="blue">...Another question - I have these adjusters on the inside of my hitch arms adjusted so they are just a little loose. Is this right? ...</font>

Usually, you’ll adjust the anti-sway links (turn-buckles) when the implement is in the UP or transport position (and centered between rears)… then slowly lower the implement back to the ground making sure you have free unrestricted movement (not binding or going into tension).

On many 3-pt hitches, if you adjust the turn-buckles in the DOWN position… and then Raise the implement, it will “tighten” going into tension and something has to give, bend or Break…

 

[JerryG]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

John is right about the upright on your cutter. It should be perpendicular to the mower deck. If that part of the frame is the kind that is made to pivot from the 90 degree position back toward the gear box as you go over bumps, then the third arm is definitely to long and needs to be adjusted shorter. If it is not that type, it is not put together right.

P.S. disregard the pivot part of this /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif, I just found your other pictures /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. I does appear that it has been assembled wrong.

 

[JerryG]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

I can't find the XB series on the King Kutter site. But here is a standard cutter. Look at the way the upright is attached.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

<font color="blue"> On those without position control, the lever is centered; move it forward and the 3-point lowers and continues to lower until the lever is centered again or it is all the way down. Move it to the rear and the 3-point raises and continues to rise until the lever is centered again or it's all the way up. The distance you move the lever only increases the speed with which it raises or lowers; no stop possible like tractors with position control. </font>

My IH2500b has one lever that controls the up and down of the lift and a seperate lever that controls the speed of the lift. The up down lever has adjustable stoppers that can be set to control the depth or height of the lift. And if I'm not mistaken, you could push the lever out and go around the down stopper to get it lower if needed without changing the stopper. I guess I never realized that some tractors don't have postition controll as you describe and assumed they were all like mine. So my next question is, What the heck good is that? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

But seriously, on a tractor without position control how do you control the depth of the implement on repetative tasks?

 

[prosperity]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

JerryG - my set up is like Bird describes.
Bird - my u-shaped swivel joint is like you say:

This shows the u-shaped swivel joint.

just another view of the swivel to explain what part moves.

Here shows the mower all the way down. Notice the swivel link is straight up.

Here is the deck all the way up. The swivel joint is almost 90deg front. When I try to shorten the top link anymore, when you lower it the swivel wants to go down under instead of going up and over like it should.

And finally, I have the deck level. The swivel is at about 30deg as Bird stated (I hope this is what you meant Bird).

I double checked the assembly. IT shows the frame offset to the rear in the instructions and literature. After looking it over there is not anyway to assemble it differently. Also, when the deck is all the way up, the drive shaft is not touching the deck as it might look in the photos.

Well, This is as close as I can get it for now. If anything still looks wrong, please let me know. I sure appreciate everyone's help with this!

 

[MossRoad]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

<font color="blue"> no draft control here. </font>

Do you mean position control? As I underestand it, Draft Control automatically raises an implement(such as a plow) when it senses that the implement is dragging down the tractor. So if you are pulling a plow through easy dirt and the dirt gets a little tougher, the top link pulls on the rockshaft. The draft control senses this pull and tells the 3pt to lift the implement out of the soil until the rockshaft starts to return to its normal position. Then it starts to lower the implement back to its original depth. Most smaller tractors that I've seen don't have draft control.

 

[prosperity]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

Sorry - I did mean position control. I've turned my valve down so my mower lowers slowly. When it's where I want it, I put the lever back in the neutral position and the arms stop and stay there. My control has up, neutral, and down (3 definite lever positions).

 

[JerryG]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

prosperity,
Yes, I how those swivels work, but I have never seen one that had a non-perpendicular upright. My neighbor has a mower with a swivel like your, well, or, he did. He didn't like it either or the way that it worked. He now uses a chain, like I do.

 

[prosperity]

Re: How to \"carry\" a rotary cutter?

When you use a chain, do you eliminate the swivel or attach the chain to the swivel?