I'm going Bobcat..

[k0ua]

Here's a pic of the Mohawk brush cutter and the shaft. I was hoping to just extend the square shaft. However, the shafts I see at new implement dealers all look enclosed or something. Is this antique that unsafe?

4 inches of overlap is a little short.. What happens is they sometimes split when they get that short because all of the force is now on a small piece of metal instead of spread along more length..I can't tell if the square tube is welded or pressed in and pinned but if you take it to a driveline guy he might be able to help you.

Now is it dangerous?.. well if you or no one else ever gets near it, no, not at all.. if you ever mess around it while it is spinning it can wad you up like a Chinese kite in a typhoon. Lots of guys have had arms pulled off and worse by getting clothing caught in a spinning PTO shaft.. It ain't pretty.. Never ever get near that thing while it is running.

If it splits the tractor end will beat the he!! out of the rear end of your tractor as it spins around in a big arc before you can get the PTO shut off.. sooo.. yeah, probably ought to see what you can do about getting some more overlap.

 

[MoPops]

I've probably got less than 2" of overlap. There was a lot of side to side movement as it spun. I shut it down right away. I'm thinking I need to add six inches, or just find a shaft that's six inches longer. I knew I had a problem when I was hooking it up. It was hard to even keep it connected while I connected the top arm.

One other question, is a five foot brush hog too big for the 27 hp? Should I have gone with a 4'?
Just seemed to lug the engine pretty easily, but I may not have the RPMs up high enough?

 

[SSdoxie]

5' cutter should be just fine. I have 4' on mine only because that is what I had before on my little Kubota before getting the CT225. With the 4' my time spent cutting in less than it was because I can travel much faster, my ground speed is limited to the blade speed of the cutter. No power problem. I was thinking of swapping it for a 5' to equal the wheel width but decided not to.

 

[k0ua]

yep the 5 should be fine.. did you check gearbox on the mower for proper fluid level.?

 

[arnoldziffel]

MoPops, was this rotary cutter you bought a particularly good price?

I'm just wondering if you'd be better served by a NEW or like new 5' rotary cutter. I bought a new 5' Kodiak last fall for $995.

I'm not trying to blow your budget, I'm just concerned for safety and simplicity. (Keep in mind, I'm not very mechanically inclined so I feel I have to pay to get something that is hassle free).

 

[MoPops]

MoPops, was this rotary cutter you bought a particularly good price? I'm just wondering if you'd be better served by a NEW or like new 5' rotary cutter. I bought a new 5' Kodiak last fall for $995. I'm not trying to blow your budget, I'm just concerned for safety and simplicity. (Keep in mind, I'm not very mechanically inclined so I feel I have to pay to get something that is hassle free).

Yep.. It's in the $300 range. I don't have a huge need for it. But, I'll need to run it a few days this summer. I just couldn't make myself buy a new one and have it sit almost the entire tine. However if a can't get this one to work at all... Didn't really save too much.

 

[MoPops]

yep the 5 should be fine.. did you check gearbox on the mower for proper fluid level.?

Hmmm,, I'll take a look at it. The guy I bought it from said he had just gone thru it, and checked everything out. I've got a few too many irons in the fire right now. I need to slow up a bit and get some of the things I've started, completed.

 

[MoPops]

Hey, is it bad form to "wash" a tractor. It was so muddy the last several days.. I just had to do it.. Ha

 

[murphy1244]

Hey, is it bad form to "wash" a tractor. It was so muddy the last several days.. I just had to do it.. Ha

Only if you Towel dry it, must use a leaf Blower.

 

[MoPops]

Only if you Towel dry it, must use a leaf Blower.

I ran it up and down the black top as fast as it would go. (Got some of the mud off the tires too..)

 

[k0ua]

Just be careful not to get water in the electrics. There is the cruise module up under the left floorboard, and lots of electric things on the firewall, and of course the alternator. Use commons sense.. we have had several reports of pressure washer user spraying down the engine compartment causing harm. Tractors are rainproof/drip proof, not water proof.

 

[MoPops]

Just be careful not to get water in the electrics. There is the cruise module up under the left floorboard, and lots of electric things on the firewall, and of course the alternator. Use commons sense.. we have had several reports of pressure washer user spraying down the engine compartment causing harm. Tractors are rainproof/drip proof, not water proof.

Just used a hose with sprayer to get the big chunks of mud off the loader and arms, the front axle and wheels. The rears were to muddy. Most of the mud went splashing all over the tractor when I sprayed the rears. Ha
The run up and down the black top dried it off and cleaned the rears.

 

[k0ua]

Just used a hose with sprayer to get the big chunks of mud off the loader and arms, the front axle and wheels. The rears were to muddy. Most of the mud went splashing all over the tractor when I sprayed the rears. Ha
The run up and down the black top dried it off and cleaned the rears.

I think that is the safest way, a hose, and a bucket of suds with a rag. I have used pressure washer, and as long as you don't go crazy with it, I am sure it is ok, but the hose and bucket method seems less likely to get water where you don't want it.

 

[murphy1244]

I think that is the safest way, a hose, and a bucket of suds with a rag. I have used pressure washer, and as long as you don't go crazy with it, I am sure it is ok, but the hose and bucket method seems less likely to get water where you don't want it.

And don't use it for a Boat! as some of these posters have.

 

[MoPops]

And don't use it for a Boat! as some of these posters have.

I did that once with a dirt bike. Didn't get it shut off in time before it went "under". Made a very poor submarine.

 

[k0ua]

I did that once with a dirt bike. Didn't get it shut off in time before it went "under". Made a very poor submarine.

While we are telling submarine stories:

Many years ago, I was helping wifey and a friend build a little temporary rock dam across our creek to make a swimming hole with our old Long 2360 2wd Utility tractor. I was pushing rocks toward them as they built the dam. Needless to say toward the end of project I got the tractor stuck or "detained" if you want to use that term.. Well the water was rising fast, and when it was over the floorboards I started getting panicky. Remember this is pretty much a full size Utility tractor, not some little BX, so the water was getting pretty high. We got the dam torn apart before the water killed the engine, but I was getting anxious for a while. I managed to get the tractor out by its own power, so I guess it wasn't really "stuck" but I was running outta time.

 

[MoPops]

It's a pretty helpless feeling. I hydro locked the bike, had to pull a spark plug to pump water out. Then do two oil changes. Still have the bike, it runs great, but those were three long hours in the middle of nowhere..
I imagine there would be no way to move a tractor!! Tip it up to try and drain water out the exhaust.. Ha

 

[SSdoxie]

In 3 years I have washed mine twice and with pressure washer, but always with hood down and side cover in place. I never washed the engine, it is still clean. I spray the loader, hood & covers, top of operator floor, around the rear wheels and the rear of the tractor where some oil residue collects from remote couplers after connecting and disconnecting over time. I never pressure wash under the platform where wire harnesses run or directly on the dash/instrument panel. When all done, give it a good grease job to purge water out of any pivot points.

MoPops, Be careful about running down a blacktop road to fling the mud off, many states and/or counties have laws against that. You could get a fine for "littering".

 

[SSdoxie]

In 3 years I have washed mine twice and with pressure washer, but always with hood down and side cover in place. I never washed the engine, it is still clean. I spray the loader, hood & covers, top of operator floor, around the rear wheels and the rear of the tractor where some oil residue collects from remote couplers after connecting and disconnecting over time. I never pressure wash under the platform where wire harnesses run or directly on the dash/instrument panel. When all done, give it a good grease job to purge water out of any pivot points.

MoPops, Be careful about running down a blacktop road to fling the mud off, many states and/or counties have laws against that. You could get a fine for "littering".

 

[MoPops]

In 3 years I have washed mine twice and with pressure washer, but always with hood down and side cover in place. I never washed the engine, it is still clean. I spray the loader, hood & covers, top of operator floor, around the rear wheels and the rear of the tractor where some oil residue collects from remote couplers after connecting and disconnecting over time. I never pressure wash under the platform where wire harnesses run or directly on the dash/instrument panel. When all done, give it a good grease job to purge water out of any pivot points. MoPops, Be careful about running down a blacktop road to fling the mud off, many states and/or counties have laws against that. You could get a fine for "littering".

I had knocked the big chunks off already. It was difficult to tell I'd been through. Compared to the big tractors that were out prepping fields, I left about 1/100th the mud.
So far, we're having a pretty wet spring.
I've always dried my motorcycles off with a run up and down the road. It's more fun than the leaf blower.
It was actually the first time I'd had the CT225 in 3rd gear.