Is anyone else having lots of problems with an 1850?

[RegL]

I thought the brush hog and rough cut mower were the same.

The brush hog has one set of blades like a one for a regular tractor. I think the rough cut mowers have 3 sets of blades.

 

[Bob999]

I mow with the 1430 and have not had much problem with engine overheating. Not sure why because engine design is the same. It could be that I'm mowing with the 5' brush hog where I think the other guys with 18xx tractors are using rough cut mowers. Maybe they cause more turbulance and throw out more chaff. I have only cleand out my oil cooler once this summer and the highest eng. temp.I have registered was about 205 deg. I have never gotten an alarm.
It would be interesting for someone with an 1845 to try the brush hog and see if it still heats up.

I use a finish mower with my 1845. It will overheat when the oil cooler radiator get dirty.

 

[IrTxRx]

Sedgewood,

Thanks for the links to you site. Very informative!!!

 

[AltavistaLawn]

Sedgewood,

Thanks for the links to you site. Very informative!!!

Absolutely, there are some great ideas there, I'll have to steal.
I bookmarked it, thank Sedge.

BTW, how hard is it to drill out those big holes for the blades.

 

[BobRip]

The brush hog has one set of blades like a one for a regular tractor. I think the rough cut mowers have 3 sets of blades.

I thought the mower with three blades was their finished mower.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

The rough-cut mower has three spindles with stump jumpers and 2 hinged blades per spindle. There are two additional holes in which you could mount additional blades or stops. It is the same deck, I believe, as the finish mower. When I got my rough-cut mower, I also bought a set of finish blades. They consisted of a ring with four blades welded to it, for each spindle. The cloud of chaff from those blades gave me my first experience with overheating. It was vastly more than the stock rough-cut blades, which only lad modest lift bends on their trailing edge.
Sedgewood and I experimented with thinner, higher lift blades for better quality cut. Those throw a larger cloud of chaff than the stock rough-cut blades, but leave fewer stripes.
The factory finish blades for mine went on the shelf when I hit a high spot--- in my lawn -- and tore a blade off the ring. It only flew about 10 feet, but got my attention. PT sent a new blade, and we welded it on, but I've not used those blades since. The hinged ones work too well.

 

[BobRip]

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

 

[Sedgewood]

The cloud of chaff from those blades gave me my first experience with overheating.

I experimented with putting 4 blades on each spindle and got the same results. It takes more power to spin 4 than 2 hence more heat.

Sedgewood and I experimented with thinner, higher lift blades for better quality cut. Those throw a larger cloud of chaff than the stock rough-cut blades, but leave fewer stripes.

Charlie, did you see the blades I finally settled on? Cheap. Easy to fabricate. Hard and strong. Moderate lift. A set lasts me two years.

PT-1845 Rough cut mower

BTW, how hard is it to drill out those big holes for the blades.

Those blades are hardened so I soften them up with a propane torch directed at the spot where the hole goes then drill them with a 1 inch hole saw. It take me about an hour to make the six blades.

Sedgewood

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Charlie, did you see the blades I finally settled on? Cheap. Easy to fabricate. Hard and strong. Moderate lift. A set lasts me two years.
John: I did see those, but I'm still using the first 2 sets I made from Gravely blades, by similar process to yours. Yours do a little nicer cut than mine, but so far the horses haven't complained. When mine wear out, I'll do a set like yours.

 

[AltavistaLawn]

10/25/06.
Well the saga continues. The Alternator is now burnt up. The PT will sut off after a few minutes.

We were able to get it on the trailer and home.

This machine will bankrupt me yet.