Problem: Brush vs Belt

[IndianaPaul]

Was bush-hogging this evening. Mostly multi-flora briars & some 1"-1 1/2" saplings. Using the FEL on tc45 to push down some of the larger bushes.

As I was doing this, I apparently ran a sapling up itno engine compartment & threw the belt. Has anyone else had this problem? Also, anyone know of a brush/skid plate for the NH series? I have them on my Suburban and wonder if they make them for the NHs? Or does anyone out there have any suggestions for home designed armor? Seems like it would be relatively easy to put a small shield under there, but am wondering if by doing so it would effect engine cooling or air flow.

Paul

 

[mikim]

I just started building my skid plate for my TC45 last night - just using 1/8" plate cause I have to cut it with a grinder - using 1/2" hook bolts to hook it onto the 4" loader mount bars that go to the rear axle. - I can't imagine the brush I run over will give that 1/8" plate any trouble - but I have had sticks poke into areas I don't want 'em poking into - cut the radiator drain line and jammed into the hyd lines at the fel quick disconnects - no damage thank goodness. Will let you know how I come out - probably won't get back to it for a few days.
mike

 

[IndianaPaul]

Mike: Sounds like a pretty good idea. I never even thought about the sticks/brush getting into things given the ground clearance on my Blue. I'll prbably end up doing soemthing similar to what you're doing as I know I have to finish what I started with the Brush at some point. Let me know how your's works out. Paul

 

[jinman]

If you are pushing down brush and then going over it with your cutter, why don't you just turn around and go in reverse. I always, always, always, go in reverse when going into brush. As a result, I have never had any undercarriage damage on any of my tractors...and I've done brush cutting I consider bordering on abuse.

JimI

 

[glennmac]

In the heavy brush on my property it was not possible to back in, even with the cutter raised to its highest position. Certain bushes were too strong to be bent under the weight of the cutter. These were multistemmed bushes, with maybe 10 to 15 one inch stems growing out of a central stem in the shape of bowl. If I tried to back in, either the the backward motion could not continue at all (as in hitting a wall), or the cutter would start to ride up the brush and was not heavy enough to push the brush down (as in the back of the cutter is now pointing at the sky).

The only way to cut was to go forward. The front of the tractor with the FEL was heavy enough to bend over the brush, which then scrapes under the tractor before reaching the cutter. Often, my tractor would be pointed up at an angle toward the sky with only the rear wheels on the ground, but I could get enough traction to keep powering forward until the cutter was finally over the brush in a raised position. Then I could raise and lower the cutter up an down until the bush was finally cut up.

Similarly, with impenetrable thorny brambles, I found the best way to protect myself against the thorns was to go forward and crush them under the tractor.

I have had many branches stab and jab into the tractor during this cutting, including one that went into the engine compartment and one that crumpled up the entire operator deck. Interestingly, I think all of the bad stabs were when I was doing backward movements--things that you bend over, cut partially, then you back up to cut again and they stab you in the process.

In situations where I could bend the brush under the cutter while going backwards, I would do so. Sometimes that's the only way you can reach things, also.

I would highly recommend a skid plate for this kind of cutting. Unfortunately, for tool-challenged me, that means building your own.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by glennmac on 07/17/01 03:58 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[jinman]

I should have said that a skidplate was a good idea, but that I have been lucky so far with my technique. Of course, I did poke a hole in my Ford Jubilee radiator with a blackjack oak limb I didn't see until it was too late. That wasn't the undercarriage, though. I know what you mean by thick brush. I have cut solid greenbriars and blackberry thickets so thick I had to make repeated "charges" into them. Once I circled a blackberry patch repeatedly going 18" deeper each time I circled. It took a long while, but I finally got them cut and I didn't look like I had been baggin' cats from the thorns seeking revenge. ...and with my luck, now that I've said this, I'll probably go out and poke a hole in my oil pan the next time I'm clearing brush. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

JimI

 

[mikim]

My problems were when I was pushing brush that I had cut with a chainsaw into a pile using the fel - the fel and tractor rode up onto the pile and when I backed off it sticks were pokin' at me from the rear. It's what jammed one into the hyd lines and I have no idea what cut the water hose 'cause I never saw it - my wife happened to be there and spotted something dripping and just knew it shouldn't be.
mike

 

[mikim]

You don't have yaupon (ms?) in wise county? I run over it a lot - letting it brush under the tractor to the cutter. If only we could get what the nurseries get for it - we'd be rich. 'course I don't have blackberries - but know what you're talking about because I lived in So. Oregon for 2 years where there's a lot of wild berry. I had expanded metal covering my 8n motor on the sides - protection from rocks being thrown forward from the old cutter that had more holes than metal and no chains nor nuttin' - wonder I never got hit in the back of the head. - mighta made an improvement -
mike

 

[IndianaPaul]

As noted above, I usually back into the thickets I am trying to cut, especially the ones on hillsides. However, like Glennmac's situation some of them are so thick that I finally reach a point where bushog won't go in further. At that point, I use the FEL to mashem down a bit. Guess some of the 8-10' tall briars decided that if they couldn't get to me, they'd get the belt.

PS. Folks in Indiana say there aren't many groundhougs left in state.... They shoulda seen them scatter when I went into the berry bushes!

Paul

 

[PBMAX]

Ground Hogs All I send running is Biar Wabbit.....Seriously if any one comes up wit a good Skid plate I really think it may help keep my frustrations down...Some thing like this might have help keep me from bending the rod on my steering cylinder of my LIL TC21D...(DARN BEAVER STUMPS /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif)I've been wondering about one since I got the tractor...I think the bigest question is how do fit it so that it will do its job yet come off in a reasonable amount of time for any thing else you may need access to later...

Lil' Paul
Proud owner of TC21D
Laziness is the Father of invention.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif