New Bushhog Question

[Rollcenter]

Purchased a new 6' Rotary Cutter from Tractor Supply This week, Think I got a pretty good deal, $899+Tax. Will be used VERY little, just a few deer plots so I did not need a super high quality one.

I installed it on my Bobcat CT335 with the electronic PTO engagement.

I noticed that when I engage the PTO to run the Bush hog (engine at idle of course) that it REALLY seems to put the shear bolt/ gear case in a MAJOR bind for a split second, I suspect that it because it's "slinging" the blades into the correct mowing condition, but MAN it sounds tricky for a second!!

Any Tips?

 

[beppington]

Have you made sure the PTO shaft is not too long (which would cause it to be jammed against your tractor's PTO)?

Have you confirmed there's oil in the bushhog gearbox?

Those 2 said, bushhog's have a pretty good amount of weight in the blades & stump jumper, a lot for a PTO to get started quickly, so my experience is that it sounds like it might stall for just a split second, & then off it goes, up to full speed with no problems.

 

[acme97]

Sounds like just normal spin up. I'm sure you checked the fluid in gearbox first. You're already engaging at idle speed, so after a few seconds when blades get spinning, just increase rpm's to your 540 mark then get to work. I'm assuming you have all the linkages adjusted for proper cutting and lifting of bushhog.

 

[leonz]

Purchased a new 6' Rotary Cutter from Tractor Supply This week, Think I got a pretty good deal, $899+Tax. Will be used VERY little, just a few deer plots so I did not need a super high quality one.

I installed it on my Bobcat CT335 with the electronic PTO engagement.

I noticed that when I engage the PTO to run the Bush hog (engine at idle of course) that it REALLY seems to put the shear bolt/ gear case in a MAJOR bind for a split second, I suspect that it because it's "slinging" the blades into the correct mowing condition, but MAN it sounds tricky for a second!!

Any Tips?

Short of crawling under the brush mower or lowering it on blocks before you even start the rotary cutter (WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND KEY IN YOUR POCKET) to assure that the cutter blades are not stuck and are fully extended NO.

The thing your dealing with is "delivered torque" and the spindle of the gear box is where it ends and the centrifugal force required to spin the blades is what is creating all the noise and shuddering through the weldments and skin of the rotary cutter.

If the gearbox had a fluid coupler or torque arresting arm (which would not work well with a rotary cutter as the gearbox is bolted to the shell of the rotary cutter you would not experience this phenominon.

Your machine is throwing a lot of mass and if the blades are stuck "IN" and slightly bound up it will do all the things you are experiencing.


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Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[Marveltone]

Swinging blades and the resulting shakes at engagement seem to be the nature of the beast. Mine rarely goes through that, as it has such a long slow down time after disengaging the PTO, that the blades rarely fold, but mine is also a mechanical PTO. The result is, the blades are already at full extension at engagement. My question is, do the electronic types have some sort of braking in them to stop equipment faster after disengagement? If so, that could cause the blades to start from a folded position all the time. Like I said, I really have no clue, but it's something I've always wondered.

Thoughts?

Joe

 

[RandyT]

I have a 2005 Kioti DK45S with the electric engagement and when starting the bush hog at idle you just push the button and then cringe. sheared the shear bolt when I accidently hit the button while mowing and just kicked it back in before the blades stopped turning and it went pow.

 

[Rollcenter]

Yep, Driveshaft proper length.

Gearcase filled.

I agree, I think it's just the large amount of weight to get swinging!!

Just wanted someone else's opinion to make me feel better!!

 

[leonz]

About your mower,

Does your rotary cutter have safety chains over the inlet or outlet?

In my past example- years ago with my brothers rotary cutter-setting the mower on the ground and allowing the side rails to drag along the ground minimises the chances of ejecting a rock or another object as the mower shell will hold it in place if it impacts the object. It simply scuffs the paint on the side plates but it minimises the chance of throwing something by impacting an object.




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Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[Rollcenter]

My unit DOES NOT have any chains on the rear discharge.

 

[TripleR]

There is a pretty good thread on here somewhere with a lot of good info on operating a bush hog/shredder/rotary cutter.

We have several tractors and several bush hogs from 4' to 10' and the only way to get one to "smoothly" engage is with a clutch or lever type PTO and even then smooth is a relative term.

I don't engage at idle, but pretty low RPM and drop the RPM prior to disengaging.

I really like chains on one, but can live with rubber shields as those thing will send debris out at pretty high velocity.

 

[leonz]

My unit DOES NOT have any chains on the rear discharge.

Ouch!!!!,

You could or should have layered sections of a free stall cow mat bolted to the back or a curtain of chains installed using bolts tack welded to the top of the deck and sandwiching the chains between the bolt head and a second piece of strap iron and using nylock nuts and washers to hold the strap and chains in place.

By bolting a wide layered flap of rubber free stall mat over the discharge would stop practically everything from being shot out of the rotary cutter like a missle and slow it way down if you have an impact strike.

As long as you keep the deck on the ground it will reduce the chance of ejecting a rock or bolt or whatever to a minimum-just be sure the rear wheel is level with the bottom of the deck when or if you adjust it to allow the mower to skid on the ground.

 

[Heavyduty]

You can try bumping the pto lever like we do with our Brown tree cutter. Bring the tractor rpms to around 1000 rpm and slowly engage (bump)the pto so the blades just start turning, then disengage pto lever. Repeat until the mower is up to speed. We have to bump the pto 4-5 times on tree cutters and 15ft bushhogs.:thumbsup:

This way of engaging the pto is alot easier on the tractor and pto shafts.

 

[Rollcenter]

I had already planned on installing chains on the back, being associated with the coal industry, heavy duty chain is easy to find!:thumbsup:

I guess not putting anything on the rear discharge is a way of saving a few dollars!!

 

[leonz]

AH!, Your a long waller EH? or do they have a lot of broken Stamler chains?:thumbsup:


_________________________________________________________________
Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[leonz]

I had already planned on installing chains on the back, being associated with the coal industry, heavy duty chain is easy to find!:thumbsup:

I guess not putting anything on the rear discharge is a way of saving a few dollars!!

Yup!!! the nice thing about the European regulations is that thier mowers whether rotary or flail have hinged steel doors that float with the machine as it mows if it is a front mount which is something very common over there with the very small bi-directional tractors on their side of the pond.

 

[Rollcenter]

AH!, Your a long waller EH? or do they have a lot of broken Stamler chains?:thumbsup:


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Once you go flail you never go back:thumbsup::licking::drool:

I've seen a Stamler (now Joy) Chain or two!!

Actually in my area, the coal seams are MUCH to small for a longwall system, we use Room and Pillar method mostly!!!

 

[kebo]

Yep, Driveshaft proper length.

Gearcase filled.

I agree, I think it's just the large amount of weight to get swinging!!

Just wanted someone else's opinion to make me feel better!!

Maybe you could consider changing it over to a slipclutch and have it set just stiff enough that it wouldn't slip under normal use, but would slip on a "hard" engagement with the PTO? Not sure if that would be possible though??

 

[leonz]

I've seen a Stamler (now Joy) Chain or two!!

Actually in my area, the coal seams are MUCH to small for a longwall system, we use Room and Pillar method mostly!!!

I mined halite(rock salt) for 22 years. we had fletcher bolters, drills, and Joy 15RU bottom cutters.

 

[Rollcenter]

I mined halite(rock salt) for 22 years. we had fletcher bolters, drills, and Joy 15RU bottom cutters.

The company I work for manufactures cylinders for Fletcher and Joy, small world!!

 

[leonz]

Yup small world,

does your firm make the differential telescoping cylinders too?