resting bush hog on wooden blocks

[geish]

Will it harm my 3pt. if I put wooden blocks under the skids of my bush hog and lower it.

I was thinking that it would be better since there wouldn't be any pressure on the hydraulic system without the 3pt. suspending the implement.

I was wondering if there was any downward force by the hydraulics on the 3pt., or if gravity alone makes it descend.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JustGary]

Your hitch has no downward force, just gravity. I've seen several threads about lowering implements, and it seems that many people drop their mowers on blocks, caster plates, and even old tires. Usually they do this before unhitching to keep them off the ground or to make them easier to store or re-hitch later. I liked the tire idea best; just drop the stump jumper on an old tire and you can unhitch and still rotate the mower a little to rehitch.

Wood blocks will keep your mower off the ground when you park your tractor, which might keep rust away a little longer than when it sits on the ground. They won't harm anything at all.

As for keeping the pressure off of the hydraulics, I'm not convinced of any technical need to relieve it. The working pressure on your hydraulic system is much higher than any static pressure of just holding the implement up. It's made to hold the pressure.

With that said, I am strongly convinced that you want to always fully drop every implement when you park because of the risk of crushing someone who happens to bump the lever later (after you have left the area). You don't want to come out after lunch and find the neighbor's children pinned under the mower deck because one of them got on to play farmer.

Working all of the levers after you turn off the engine will equalize the pressure while lowering all of the implements. That way you do both and don't have to worry about the pressure or the kids.

Regards,

Just Gary

 

[RoyJackson]

I leave my cutter on wooden blocks all the time. The intent is to reduce the potential for rust.
I've been doing this for three years now...no rust so far, and no other adverse effects (other then killing the grass under the blocks).

 

[RonR]

As others have said, blocks won't hurt.

Here's some info that might make you think you don't need them though, other than convenience for attaching.

In the early 80's, I helped clean up my Grandpa-in-law's farm for an estate sale. Grandpa was a little touched; had been all his life. In the 60's, he bought a new large tractor and 6ft rotary mower. When he tried to hook them up together is when he found out his mower was 540PTO and his tractor 1000PTO, so they wouldn't work together as he'd planned in his mind.

So he parked the mower (don't recall the brand) in his pasture where it sat on the ground, uncovered for 20+ years. What was really bizarre was a few years after the purchase, he purchased a 50HP tractor that would have handled the mower nicely........

Anyway, to try to mow for the sale, I used the 50HP, went to the pasture, hooked up the mower, hauled it to the yard, and started checking it. That's when I discovered it had NEVER been used! The blades were brand new, other than rusted.

I checked for oil in the gearbox (yes, there was), and tried to hook up the PTO shaft, which was very stuck together. To finally get it loose, I hooked a come along to the front part of the PTO (while it was on the tractor) and the front axle of the tractor and cranked it tight. Then I'd go back to the PTO shaft (no plastic covers at that time) and smack it with a hammer.

I'd doused the sliding joint with pentrating oil and 20 minutes of bashing, it finally came apart. Cleaned the rust off, greased it, and put it back together.

Mowed like a champ for two days, then stored it in line with the other stuff to be auctioned off!

So, for NORMAL use, I wouldn't worry about sitting the skid shoes on the dirt.

Ron

 

[riptides]

That is a good idea. And I keep a 2x4 handly right along side of the blocks for leverage. Some people with concrete surfaces keep their implements on dollies. Makes life even easier at hitch time.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[midlf]

My implements lead a good life, stored indoors on a dirt floor. It was a bear to bump them into alignment when hitching up. 4X8 sheet of CDX plywood solved that problem.