INFORMATION ON HOOKING UP A BRUSHOG

Anonymous Poster · Jan 8, 2003

I HAVE BEEN READING THOSE TOPICS IN THIS WEB SITE RELATING TO HOW EVERY BODY HOOKS UP THERE BRUSHOG AND HAVE LEARNED SOME. I HAVE A NORTRAC 254 TRACTOR AND A KINGKUTTER 5 FT. CUTTER.TO BEGIN WITH I HAVE NO REAR TIRE CLEARENCE PROBLEMS AND CAN PICK IT [FRONT FROM GROUND OVER A FOOT IF I WANT,PINS ON OUTSIDE,LOWER ARMS ADJUSTED AS PER MY BLADE.MY QUESTION IS,IF I CAN EXPLAIN IT,HOW DO YOU ALL ADJUST YOUR HEIGHT?I HAVE HEARD MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. FIRST OFF THE BOOK FOR THE TRACTOR REALLY DID NOT ADDRESS THIS,SECOND THE KINGKUTTER BOOK DID NOT GO INTO MUCH DETAIL EITHER. I FIGURED YOU USE FLOAT ON YOUR ADJUSTMENT LEVER,PUSH IT ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND WAS CONFIRMED OF THIS BY A FARM IMPLEMENT DEALER WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. HE SAID HE JUST PUT HER ON FLOAT AND KEPT THE MOWER BASICALLY LEVEL WITH THE REAR WHEEL AND DROVE ON. HE SAID IT MIGHT LEAVE A COUPLE OF LITTLE RUTS HERE AND THERE WHERE THE SIDES OF THE CHANNEL RODE ALONG THE GROUND, BUT NO BIG DEAL ACCORDING TO HIM. I TRIED THIS TODAY AND THE GROUND IS A LITTLE WET, BUT BIG GOUGES AND THE SLIGHTEST RISE YOU SCALPED IT. SO MY NEXT THEORY WAS TO BASICALLY DO WHAT I'VE BEEN READING ON HERE: SET THE FRONT END 2-3 INCHES HIGH WITH THE POSITION CONTROL, MAKE THE REAR END A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT. I TRIED THAT WAY AND I DIDN'T DRAG THE GROUND, BUT MOST THE TIME THE REAR WHEEL (REAR WHEEL ON THE CUTTER) WAS OFF THE GROUND AND YOU HAD TO CONTINUALLY TRY, AND I'M SAYING TRY BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO, ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE BRUSH HOG WITH THE HEIGHT CONTROL LIFT, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. SO, AFTER ALL THIS, MY QUESTION IS: DO YOU THINK I'LL HURT ANYTHING BY DOING IT THE WAY I DID DO IT WHICH WORKED OUT BEAUTIFULLY? THIS WAS ON LIGHT BROOM SAGE GRASS, JUST PLAYING AROUND. I ADJUSTED IT BY PUTTING IT ON FLOAT AND IF YOU DO THIS THE FRONT END OF THE BRUSH HOG WILL HIT THE GROUND. I SOLVED THAT PROBLEM BY ADJUSTING THE TOP LINK OUT (LONGER) WHICH RAISES THE FRONT END OF THE BRUSH HOG WHEN IT IS ON FLOAT. I RAISED THE FRONT END OF THE BRUSH HOG IN THIS MANNER TO ABOUT 1 3/4 INCHES. THE TAIL WHEEL HOLDS THE REAR OF THE MOWER UP, IT'S BASICALLY LEVEL RIGHT NOW, REAR SLIGHTLY HIGHER. THIS WORKED GOOD. MY ONLY CONCERN IS, AFTER READING ABOUT PUTTING CHAINS ON INSTEAD OF USING THE TOP LINK, ETC., BREAKING SOMETHING, MAINLY THE TOP LINK OR TOP LINK CONNECTIONS. BUT AS ONE WAY WON'T WORK, UNLESS YOU WANT TO PLOW THE GROUND, AND ONE WAY FOR SHORT PASTURE GRASS AND WEEDS WOULD BE A PAIN IN THE [censored]. THANK YOU ALL FOR ANY HELP YOU MAY GIVE ME ON THIS, OR JUST OPINIONS.

rdbrumfield · Jan 8, 2003

I have had several different tractors and this float thing on the 3pt is something that I've never heard of.
To keep from tearing up the ground I use the lift arms to regulate height. I also welded on a 4 inch shoe on the front of either side so it wouldn't dig in so bad. If I weren't in rough ground so much I think I would put a wheel up front on both corners.
Does you mower have a link that swivels where it hooks up to the top link? See att. If not, using a chain for a top link is a good idea.
Without the swivel or chain, the tire of the mower is packing the weight of the mower and anytime the tractor goes into over a hump or hole it will affect the mower to a much greater degree.

BillyP · Jan 8, 2003

Adjust your tail wheel where you'll have plenty of ground clearance at the rear of the cutter. With the 3pth control, adjust the front of the cutter so it's about 1" lower than the rear. If you have an adjustable stop on your 3pth control, slide it up to the lever so when you raise and lower the cutter, it'll stop at the right place.

Billy

Anonymous Poster · Jan 8, 2003

thankyou for the picture,no my new kingkutter did not come with one of those top swivels but after reading some other related topics i am not sure if they work on some situations. i e-mailed kingkutter about thi and havn't heard from them.i may try and call them or a place that sells parts. thankyou richard

Anonymous Poster · Jan 8, 2003

that is my point, the raising and lowering by using postion control instead of float.now if you were cutting brush and not tall grass and weeds that would pobably be the best way to cut,or if your ground was very flat and even. i guess if you cut it very high you would be high enough tomiss some humps.

BillyP · Jan 8, 2003

The shorter you cut the grass, the better chance of the cutter dragging. You'll just have to play with the adjustments until you get a hiegth you can live with. If you have float control, you don't need to use it with a cutter. Float control is used with ground emplements like plows.

Anonymous Poster · Jan 8, 2003

thanks billy for the infomation,and you are pobably right but.......my main concern was by doing it the way i did today which was on pretty level ground,could i be doing something so wrong that i am lucky i did not break some thing today,if you have never done something before some times that happens.the way i did it worked very well[today],it was almost like that was what the top link was for,after all that is how you adjust the cutting angle of ablade when its on float or do i have that wrong also?also i have some steep hills and by using float all the weight [i think],is on the mower wheel which seems to me like a good idea when mowing up a hill? i am going to mow a trail[i think] on some heavier stuff soon that will tell me a few things and hopefully some things ididn't wan to hear.does anybody use it thi way?or has any body tried it this way? thanks again ,richard

BillyP · Jan 8, 2003

I'm sorry Richard. I got float and draft control mixed up. It's draft control you don't need to use with a cutter. Most CUTs don't have this option anyway

BillyP · Jan 8, 2003

I think I read where your cutter doesn't have the swivel connection where the top link attaches? That is most likely your problem. Try not hooking the top link up at all and see if it still drags. The only real purpose for the top link with a cutter is to raise the back for transport.

Anonymous Poster · Jan 8, 2003

BILLY,ITHINK IF YOU TOOK THE TOP LINK OFF THE BOTTOM FRONT WOULD DRAG BUT I'LL CHECK ON IT. TODAY THERE IS A POSTING CALLED CHECK CHAINS AND ON IT THERE IS AN ATTACHMENT PICTURE OF SOME CHAINS FROM TRACTOR TO PINS ON BRUSHOG WHICH COULD BE WHAT I NEED TO DO THAN I COULD LIFT IT ALSO.THANKS RICHARD