Overriding Couplers and Slip Clutches

[PineRidge]

Most finish mowers are belt driven. I would think the belt and tensioning arm would have enough give to act somewhat like a shock absorber of sorts if you knick a stump or rock while mowing. I have never heard anyone damaging their tractor by using a finish mower. I suppose most anything is possible though.

A rotary cutter is a completely different story in itself. You are spinning a large mass of steel with no belts to give should you contact an immovable object. I replace shear pins on a regular basis when I'm using mine. I'm probably a bit rough on my cutter too.

 

[DK35vince]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do I need an overiding clutch for my finish mower? I have some ground level stumps that I nick a bit. I'd hate to think that it could somehow mess up my tractor )</font>

I'd have to say NO
I've never seen a finish mower with a slip clutch.
Finish mower blades are belt driven, the belt can slip before you do gearbox or tractor damage if you hit something solid

 

[HayDR]

This is a Ratchet Pawl Clutch commonly used on hay tedders, round balers, tillers and stump cutters. NEVER Grease this style clutch if so you will cause it to fail. The grease fitting you see is for the initial factory grease. There needs only to be enough grease in the clutch to ****** the metal from corrosion.

Do not confuse the Ratchet Pawl Clutch with the Over-run or free-wheel clutch pictured below.

 

[Tim_in_IA]

Is your finish mower belt driven under the shield? I would think that a belt would squeal before the tractor was damaged. Also in this case you would want the slip clutch, not the override. I think that generally if a device doesn't come with a clutch of some sort there is generally a shear bolt if there is a danger such as this. If you hit an immovable object the bolt should snap before the pto. It is worth investigating though. Check your manual for something like this.


woops, sorry, after I posted this I saw it had already been mentioned.