How to set up a brush hog

[Anonymous Poster]

finally got my Iseki rewired and running......now to get the brush hog that came with it workin.......hooked it up yesterday and seems to have missing parts or something......PLEASE bear with me.......starting at the top a long rod with eyes on both ends hooks to the tractor ......lots of play here.....is there a spacer or something to take up the side to side play on the tractor and the brush hog?.......more later......thanks

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Dennis,

A standard three point hitch has three parts which connects the tractor to the implement.

They are two long bars which connect to your tractor on the sides where the drawbar would be and to the sides of the implement. These bars have swivel eyes on both ends to make connecting eaiser.

Also there should be two shorter bars connected to these side bars and the tractor. These shorter bars are called sway bars. They keep the implement from swaying to much.

The third connection is know as the third arm. It connect to the tractor above the PTO and connects to the implement on top. If you look at your bush hop from the front unhooked the connections should resemble a triangle. The two long bars connect to the bottom and the third arm connects to the top.

Now your third arm should have eyes which screw in and out so you and adjust the distance from your implement and the tractor.

Hope you now understand the parts. Please from what I have described tell me what part you are having a problem/question with/about.

Don Worrell

I might not understand rewiring but I understand operating a bush hog.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Don.......thanks sooo much for your informative information......just got back from tractor supply where I looked at parts and picked up one of their catalogs.......the part I am referring to right now is to them called a "top link".....found out that there are spacers to stop the side play where it connects to the tractor with the top link pin......I need to measure this distance, the with of the ball joint of my top link, and get the appropriate spacers..........ok.....I understand this part so far......

you mention a sway bar to keep the implement from swaying......as does the tractor supply catalog.....ts calls this an adjustable stabilizer arm........I DO NOT HAVE THESE......are they mandatory.....seems that my rig uses a check chain to the lift arms themselves.......also tractor supply indicates stay straps that connect to the implement/drawbar and up to where the top link attaches to the tractor..........I DONT HAVE these either.....again are they mandatory......NO wonder when the couple of times I have hooked up the brush hog it sways over and tries to eat the lugs of the tires..........
I tried out the PTO yesterday with my limited setup and experience........the wheel bearing is missing and just flops around as is the bearing that the shaft that carries the wheel assembly .............so adjusting the height of the brush hog is kind of a waste.......yes.....am replacing the wheel axle bearing....in fact the whole wheel assembly.........the tsc guy said that the bearing for the shaft that attaches the wheel assembly to the implement comes with the wheel assembly....is this right?........is this a universal size or should I measure this shaft and the hole that it fits in a try to work with that...........
When I fired up the pto it TURNED........seems something is out of balance possibly as it "felt" like it was wobbling.....but ........it worked......
anyway.....I know that this is a lot all at once......BUT......THANKS

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I get a kick out of "helpful" people".........brag on wise purchases or how stupid somebody else is.......the string will be forever long........give some REAL help to someone in need......rotflmao.....TOOOO much to ask....better shut up before I get kicked out of this so friendly helpful bunch

 

[Anonymous Poster]

okkkkk......and I helped myself.....seems there are many old threads about implement setup.......learned a lot......and so have to thank MANY of YOU.....not especially for helpin ME.....but wasnt that hard to search and research...........a question that I didnt really get answered is:
Stabilizer bars........a couple of guys refered to them as a straight piece of flat metal while others refered to them being adjustable..........
my tractor has been using check chains to stop the sway....it really is kind of hard to keep the arms out of the tires.....anyway....will stabilizer bars help ?........was down at a local dealer today lookin at setups of stabilizers.......one had a turnbuckle for adjustment with a chain length to attach to the arm...........is this effective?.......THANKS

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hello,all you should need to keep your lower lift arms from hitting your fear tires is those chains with the turnbuckle in them,one end attaches to a connection point on the rear of your tractor and the other end connects through a hole on your lift arms,for a brushog you don't want much side to side movement,mine is adjusted so it only has about a 1/2" slack in each dirrection.You probably don't need much else as far as stablizer bars etc.. The only thing else you should need is a chain to use as top link,just so you can pick up the cutter,top link will do also,but wont give you any[much]up and down on your rear in order to follow ground contour.I have started taking the chain off when I mow and reconnecting it for transport.Set your mower up level[side to side] by using the turn buckle that is on top of your lift arms that go to your hydrolic lift on the back of your tractor.I got my mower set up so the front is about 4" high and the back is about 4 and1/2"high,I'm just cutting grass and light brush.The rear wheel on your mower adjusts up and down.Once you get the height where you want it,you can set your lift control handle [mine has a little block and screw] to where it stops at the same spot every time you lower it.This may help you some,RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[Anonymous Poster]

thanks Richard...........been working all day on adjusting and findin parts over the last few days.........I am using turnbuckles as you described attached to the tractor and the lift arms...........AND......I am using chains as a back up.....for the anti sway......perhaps it is overkill and later if and when all works out some of this redundancy will be eliminated..........right now I am pondering what to do about my top link.........in my research here some people use it and some use a chain....wish I could get some straight poop........my top link has been welded on both ends......I mounted it in the bottom hole on the tractor.......without it the bush hog will sit on the ground.......with it in it goes down to about 4 or so inches in the front and have adjusted the wheel so it is a bit higher..........
SOOOOO.....the question is.......do I go with what I have.....the top link takes the weight off the arms.......do I go to a chain........or as YOU do without anything when mowing.......thanks for the reply ......Dennis

 

[Anonymous Poster]

There is only one thing for sure that the top link does on your kutter,and that is enable you to pick up your mower when transporting someplace.One other thing it might do is hinder a back flip.You don't want to use it with out that u link that goes on your mower,if you do use it,the reason being is if you go through a deep enough dip,your top link and attaching points will get in severe compression and something will bend or break.It does not support,or isn't supposed to,your top arms or anything else.Like every thing,you will just have to use it a little and than things will make morebetter sense to you,it took me several deep thoughts to figure this 3 pt. hook up deal out[how every thing works and what every thing is for],one way I think about it is there are three points on your implement that hook to your tractor.The two bottom ones pull or push it and raise the part closest to the tractor up and lower it down.The top point holds the part farthest from your tractor up or lowers it down. RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Richard...........just got up the hill from finishin my pasture.....3 acres in record time.........IT ALL WORKS......I dont have a u link on the top link/bush hog attachent point....but then again I dont have any ditches..........I just have a solid 15-20 incline slop all the way across the 3 acres......well the bottom does have about 50 feet of 5 degree.......but the deal is......IT WORKS.......got turnbuckles off the shelf at TSC.......not from the tractor department but the hardware.....rigged some ends and WALLAH.......the top link has no adjustment......but GOD is soooo good that HE blessed me with just the right amount of height at the front of the brush hog with adjustment at the rear..........
THEN the front end got light when goin up hill.......had to transport it with it down.......lolol.....scratch the head.....hey.....what about that ol 100 pound barbell weight layin over there.......it fit perfectly just behind the weight bracket on the front........30 feet of 3/8 chain added another 70-80 pounds............and I got me a MOWIN MACHINE........thanks to GOD.......and this forum.........

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Now you can really start tinkern with it and see what works for you.If your rear wheel on your mower wont stay on the ground try that chain idea for your top link,after you get the chain rigged[by using a couple of clevis connectors and a length of 3/8" chain],try taking it off and mowing a little with no top link at all.Leave your chain 4 or 5 links to long when you cut it . RICHARD GAUTHIER