Rotary cutter blades locking together

[Chilly807]

My Land Pride 1860 rotary cutter blades locked together yesterday, probably on startup. To say it was unbalanced would be the understatement of the week. Like a dog shaking a rat !

One overlapped the other enough that I couldn't pull them apart, had to crawl under the edge and chain one blade to the frame and pound on the back of the other with a 5 pound hammer.

They finally came apart with a nice clang, and were fine after that. Hopefully it won't make a habit of this. Neither blade was bent before or after.

Sean

 

[boggen]

sounds more like, who ever used it last, hit something, and that caused the blades to jam up rather tight. one blade hit object, causing the blade to bounce back in opposite direction, and in return other blade caught up and jammed up together.

i might see it if you had full throttle, and just dumped the clutch / lever to engage the PTO. but if this happen. the blades should not catch up to each other or less one of the blades were hitting an object perhaps if setting long time in dirt. it settled / sunk some. and you didn't raise the bush hog up off the ground before engaging the PTO.

i would double check "slip clutch" and if no slip clutch then "shear bolt" so you do not end up hitting another object and either tearing up PTO on tractor or damaging gear box on rotatory cutter.

would double check. all bolts. to double check there all tight though. and you don't have worn out holes that would allow a blade to bounce around some allowing them to jam up. for example perhaps a bushing fell out after last servicing it / changing blades perhaps. perhaps putting washer on wrong side allowing blades to jam up more easily. ((honestly don't know your specific model))

 

[boggen]

i guess i should shut up. looked up manual for your cutter

http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/312-849m.pdf

Blade Engagement & Disengagement
Cutter blades can lock-up against each other during
start-up and shut-down especially if the tractor痴 PTO
engagement is 的NSTANT ON and 的NSTANT OFF?
Following Blade Engagement and Blade Disengagement
instructions below will help eliminate blade lock up.

Blade Engagement
1. Increase throttle to a speed just enough to get the
cutter started without stalling tractor while slowly
engaging PTO drivelines. Use tractor痴 PTO soft start
option if available.
2. Ensure that all power shafts are rotating and that the
cutter is not vibrating excessively after ramping up to
PTO speed for at least 3 seconds. If excessive
vibration continues after 3 seconds at full PTO
speed, disengage PTO immediately, shut down
tractor and remove switch key.
3. Check blades for a lock-up situation. Block cutter
deck up before working under the unit. Unlock
blades, remove support blocks and repeat "Blade
Engagement" instructions.

 

[Chilly807]

Thanks for the link. I thought I'd missed that when I read the manual a couple years ago, but that particular section isn't in mine at all. They revised the manual very recently, at the end of May 2011 from what I can see of the date.

Sean

 

[boggen]

you might want to double check landpride website, when i searched via google. it showed i want to say 4 different PDF manuals. that had your model number in it all from landpride website. i didn't pay that close attention of what was what.

heck there might be a newer version of the manual. or not knowing exact model you have, i might have picked slightly different model but models made in different years with just slight differences. *shrugs*

 

[LoneCowboy]

it happens, that's just the way it is and you used the correct tool to get them apart (a big effing hammer)

 

[DDT]

Also check blade deflection, no more than 3/4". newest version of the manual is online to look at and down load or print, parts manuals to. From time to time things can change. The online manual is the lastest version. If you have noticed all LP manuals have a print date.