Purchasing a used Brush Hog

[JamesH]

I have been looking for a used Brush hog mower to use in maintaining ATV trails through the woods on my 20 acres. I already have a 6' finish mower I use around the house.
What are the key things to look at on a used mower like this?
I would think the main thing to check would be the gearbox. But how or what can be checked on it?

My brother has found an older 5' Case but it is pretty rough. The skirt needs replaced but that is about it. For $150 it may be worth refurbishing. A little work on it does not bother me. It helps to hone the welding skills.

Thanks
James

 

[agford4x4]

Have them hook it up to the tractor and turn it on at idle, then turn it on at 540rpm....just listen to it. If its not making a lot of noise or leaking or shaking violently (it will vibrate/shake slightly), then its probably good to go. If it has a clutch, raise the mower and pull the blades around and you should be able to pull them and have it slip fairly easily.

 

[BTDT]

Look at blade condition, stump jumper (if equipped). Is it all beat up, gouged, etc. Any oil leaking from underneath? Are mounting pins bent, does mower 3ph hookup look twisted, does it have tailwheel, does it appear to have been greased on regular basis? Lots of things to look at, and even if it is rough looking, it will probably still last a long time.

 

[vallyfarm]

I would sooner buy used underwear. These things take a BEATING. They often won't show it, but a gearbox can be trashed and still act OK whennot wacking trees and rocks. Some things are just much safer to buy new. A hairline crack in the stump jumper or blades or U-joint can be the death of you. My 2 cents. Mike

 

[tydp]

I would sooner buy used underwear. These things take a BEATING. They often won't show it, but a gearbox can be trashed and still act OK whennot wacking trees and rocks. Some things are just much safer to buy new. A hairline crack in the stump jumper or blades or U-joint can be the death of you. My 2 cents. Mike

My goodness. Death? Please.

 

[hudlow]

Definitely check on oil leaks, especially from the bottom of the gear box.

The old Bush Hog I have (and it was given to me so I'm not complaining) was losing oil as fast as I could put it in through the bottom seal.

Everyone I talked to said it would be a bear of a job to change out yourself without the proper tools and probably quite expensive to have done at the dealer.

Because I don't do a lot of bush hogging and the old mower was well....pretty darned old, I just filled the gear box full of grease and we're getting by.

Try no to buy one with that problem. At least check the gearbox and see if it's full of oil or grease.

hud

 

[BTDT]

Any pics? $150.00 sounds ok. With torch and welder, shouldn't be a problem to repair.

 

[silverdollar6]

How full of oil or grease should the gear box be?

 

[ovrszd]

How full of oil or grease should the gear box be?

If you are filling with oil, it should be to the bottom of the fill plug on the side of the box. If you are pumping it full of gun grease, pump until you are pushing grease out the bottom of the box. First time it will hold close to a tube of grease. Then periodically pump in another 15 or 20 pumps to maintain contact with the gears.

 

[JerryG]

If you hook it up to a tractor, it is fairly easy to tell if it is worth anything. See if it runs smooth. A brush mower may or may not run as smooth as a finish mower. Some will not run really smooth when new, but you don't want some kind of off side shake. See if the gear box is leaking, both the front seal where the PTO shaft goes on and also the bottom seal by the blades. Take a light to look into the gear box. There have been underhanded dealers and individuals that have put sawdust in gear boxes to make them quite.
It was said above that you should be able to slip the clutch by turning the blades. If you can do that, then the springs are completely backed off. There is no way that you can slip the clutch by turning the blades by hand if everything is setup right.
If it does have a clutch and you buy it, you will need to slip it and adjust before you ever use it. You can come back here and some one will let you know how to do that.

 

[agford4x4]

that was me talking about the clutch. My shredder is brand new, and come from the factory torqued to spec according to the manf. The manual makes no mention of tightening down the clutch prior to first use. Ive used it for 20 hours like this and it seems to be ok.

 

[JerryG]

Before they are used the first time and then again every time before use if they have set for a while without use, the clutch springs need to be backed off so that the clutch can be slipped and then readjusted. The fiber discs are bad about rusting and / or sticking to the steel plates. If they stick and you hit something solid, the gear box, PTO shaft, U-joints or gears in the transmission can be damaged. If the PTO shaft can't move like when the PTO is in gear and the tractor is off, you shouldn't be able to turn the blades by hand. Think about it this way. If the clutch slips that easy, how could enough power be transfered to spin the heavy stump jumper and blades up to speed? Also if they turn that easy, there will be no tractor power transfered to the blades to cut brush and thick grass would slow the blades to a stop. If the tractor is putting out power and the clutch is slipping, then the clutch plates will burn out.

 

[agford4x4]

moved.

didn't mean to hijack this thread.

 

[Montana Rick]

Very good info guys. Thank you

 

[tcreeley]

Don't overfill gearbox with oil - it can pop out the front seal from the pressure. Pain to tack down and replace. - 150 is a great price for a bush hog. Good luck with it.

 

[dennis103]

I'm not very close to you but I have a 5' light duty for sale. I would let you mow my field with it if you wanted to try it before you buy it. If someone has something used for sale and they won't let the buyer see it run before they buy it, I would be very suspicious.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm not very close to you but I have a 5' light duty for sale. I would let you mow my field with it if you wanted to try it before you buy it. If someone has something used for sale and they won't let the buyer see it run before they buy it, I would be very suspicious.

I sold my JD 10ft mounted last year. Had it mounted on the tractor. Asked the buyer if he wanted to see it work. He said no need. I said I'm going to show you anyway. I also raised it high with my hyd toplink so he could look under it. He didn't. So we loaded it on his trailer and he was gone.