Rotary Cutter / Bush Hog Considerations for Compact Tractors

[jeff9366]

PTO Link - Anyone using it?​

There does not seem to be enough demand from new-to-tractor owners for aftermarket PTO Quick Connect suppliers remain viable over the mid to long term. The able experienced don't need them.

New PTO powered implements, connecting to new tractor PTO splines are always difficult. Once implement and tractor PTO parts are somewhat worn in, mating becomes easier.

Clean mating parts, lubrication and technique are the keys.

Most here like Eureka Fluid Film as PTO lube. I prefer wax chain lube in an aerosol can.

Grease is too thick.

WD-40 burns off. Shaft goes on "OK" but can be difficult to remove when hot.

Connect the implement to the tractor using two Lower Link pins and one Top Link pin. Lift implement hydraulically until implement PTO shaft and tractor PTO spines are perfectly level, one with the other.

Turn tractor engine off, so tractor PTO splines can be rotated by hand.
Turn male splines by hand until they align with female shaft indents. Slide shaft onto tractor splines.
If the PTO shaft and tractor splines are not perfectly level it is almost impossible to slide shaft on to splines.

I am 73 years old. I connect PTO without too much difficulty.

 

[jeff9366]

PTO Quick Connect​

"Use a bungee cord or strap to support the shaft. It should connect and disconnect easily."

Better to mount your PTO implement on the Three Point Hitch, then raise the implement with TPH hydraulics until the PTO shaft is exactly level with the tractor PTO splines, so you can slide the PTO shaft straight on the tractor splines with the shaft and splines exactly aligned and level.

With a bungee, the shaft bobbles around and you still struggle to align PTO shaft and tractor splines.

Clean tractor male splines and clean PTO female fitting are also important. I use a Blaster solvent soak and a rag to clean about once per year. (I keep the rubber spline cover on when PTO is not in use and secure a feed bag around the female female fitting with a bungee to maintain both parts clean.)

Lube is important too. I use Boeshield liquid wax lube regularly for male splines and female fitting. (There are many brands of wax lube.)
WD40 is OK but it is not primarily a lube. WD40 evaporates quickly from warm or hot parts.

All this does nothing to help with sliding back the coupler or pushing the button.

Connection does become easier as parts wear in.

Age: 73

 

[Hay Dude]

PTO Link - Anyone using it?​

There never seems to be enough demand from new-to-tractor owners for aftermarket suppliers to be viable over the mid to long term. The able experienced don't need them.

New PTO powered implements, connecting to new tractor PTO splines are always difficult. Once implement and tractor PTO parts are somewhat worn in, connection becomes easier.

Lubrication and technique are the keys.

Most here like Eureka Fluid Film as PTO lube. I prefer wax chain lube in an aerosol can.

Grease is too thick.

WD-40 burns off. Shaft goes on "OK" but can be difficult to remove when hot.



Connect all TPH pins. Lift implement until implement PTO shaft and tractor PTO spines are perfectly level, one with the other.

Turn tractor engine off, so tractor PTO splines can be turned by hand.
Turn male splines by hand until they align with female shaft indents. Slide shaft onto tractor splines.
If the PTO shaft and tractor splines are not perfectly level it is almost impossible to slide shaft on to splines.

I am 73 years old. If I can connect PTO without too much difficulty, you should too.

Largely depends on the weight or category of the PTO shaft. Try a big CAT 6 driveshaft on a Deere CX-15.
I’m in my 50’s and have no trouble, but in your 70’s I bet you’d be singing a different tune.

 

[mo1]

How much tractor you need for a certain size cutter depends on what you want to cut and how fast you want to cut it. The only real hard and fast rule is that you can't run a physically too large mounted cutter, it either won't fit (category 2 cutter on a category 1 hitch) or be too heavy to safely handle.

I have run a lighter weight 5' unit (90s era Bush Hog Razorback) on a 23 PTO HP tractor and it was a good match. I ran at about 3 MPH as going much faster was too rough with the little front tires. Besides, cut quality really goes downhill over 4.5-5 MPH anyway. I wouldn't have wanted to use a 6' unit on that tractor mainly due to it being a little big and the "tail wagging the dog."

I currently run a Deere MX6 on a 5075E and it is a good fit for mowing ditches, field edges, and other areas smaller than a 20+ acre open field. The tractor doesn't really know the cutter is back there either in the power or lifting department, but it is a nice maneuverable setup as the cutter is about as wide as the tractor and not overly long.

 

[LD1]

How much tractor you need for a certain size cutter depends on what you want to cut and how fast you want to cut it. The only real hard and fast rule is that you can't run a physically too large mounted cutter, it either won't fit (category 2 cutter on a category 1 hitch) or be too heavy to safely handle.

I have run a lighter weight 5' unit (90s era Bush Hog Razorback) on a 23 PTO HP tractor and it was a good match. I ran at about 3 MPH as going much faster was too rough with the little front tires. Besides, cut quality really goes downhill over 4.5-5 MPH anyway. I wouldn't have wanted to use a 6' unit on that tractor mainly due to it being a little big and the "tail wagging the dog."

I currently run a Deere MX6 on a 5075E and it is a good fit for mowing ditches, field edges, and other areas smaller than a 20+ acre open field. The tractor doesn't really know the cutter is back there either in the power or lifting department, but it is a nice maneuverable setup as the cutter is about as wide as the tractor and not overly long.

Certainly understandable why you don't notice a 6' cutter on a 5075. Plenty of tractor for alot bigger mowers. Can pull a 15' batwing if you wanted

 

[jeff9366]

Older tractor with rotary mower gouges dirt.​

Got a mid-1960's M-F 135 which shows lots of wear and tear.

My older JD rotary 5' mower either does not cut close enough or gouges the dirt on both sides when I mow. The rear support wheel is adjusted as low as it can go.

Is there a simple remedy or do I need to have the lifts repaired?


The inboard end of your TPH Top Link pins through operator choice of three or four paired, vertically stacked holes on the tractor.

I speculate Top Link is pinned into the highest or next-to-highest paired holes.

Try installing the inboard Top Link pin through a lower pair of holes.



CREDIT: "pmbutter" March 18, 2019

"There is a lot of contradictory information about which paired holes to use for the tractor/inboard end of the top link.

The top holes give the least elevation change of the tail wheel, but better maintains parallelism with the ground.

An earth turning plow ought to be in one of the upper holes, so it remains at a proper working angle, regardless of its depth.

The bottom holes provides the greatest elevation change of the "tail wheel" of my "implement", but it also the greatest angular change relative to the plane of the ground.

The bottom holes are best for something like a landscape rake where you might want to lift it up and out of the way, perhaps with a little more angle so trash drops off the tines."



RELEVENT VIDEO:

 

[jeff9366]

The rear support wheel is adjusted as low as it can go.

Extending your Top Link by screwing it out will lower the rear support wheel.

A properly adjusted Rotary Cutter will have the rear of the mower ~~ 2" ~~ or so higher than the front end of the cutter. The longer the grass being cut, the higher the rear gap should be to allow higher volume grass clippings to exhaust freely.

The tail wheel should contact the ground 99% of the time, to absorb transient shocks.

 

[bnew17]

I bought a J Bar recently and I am really pleased with it. I got a 7ft with dual tail wheels, slip clutch.

 

[workinonit]

One thing I would never buy is a large multi deck finish mower. They have belts and hundreds more moving parts to maintain and break and all those little wheels & tires. Belts to slip & smoke.
Buy a bush hog with NO belts, just PTO shafts and gear boxes. I see those multi deck field grass cutters selling for 1/2 their new price and they’re only 2-3 years old.
For smaller tractors (50HP) on frequently cut grass fields, I recommend a twin spindle, like a BH squealer or 8’ Deere MX, etc. The twin blades just seem like they do a nicer job.
For heavier woods work, like brush, I recommend a 5-6’ single spindle deck with a tough heavy duty gear box. You put less strain on your tractor PTO and can maneuver it between trees.

Just my 2 cents. I have a Frontier 20' 3 deck batwing. I've had it probably 10 years or so. Probably the most problematic part of these mowers are the deck tires. I had mine foam filled as soon as I bought it and have had no tire issues at all. Belts have not been an issue. I think it still has the original ones. I change blades every 2 years. 9 blades. I cut 7 acres of lawn type grass and I can say no other mower gives the quality cut that this FM gives.

 

[Hay Dude]

Just my 2 cents. I have a Frontier 20' 3 deck batwing. I've had it probably 10 years or so. Probably the most problematic part of these mowers are the deck tires. I had mine foam filled as soon as I bought it and have had no tire issues at all. Belts have not been an issue. I think it still has the original ones. I change blades every 2 years. 9 blades. I cut 7 acres of lawn type grass and I can say no other mower gives the quality cut that this FM gives.

Hey that’s great!
But 7 acres per week? That would be considered very light, occasional use.
Try using is 3-4 times a week and cut 50-100 acres. I think you would have a different opinion.
I never questioned their quality of cut, btw.

 

[workinonit]

Yea but you're talking about needing a finish mower vs a bush hog. My cousin cuts highway grass for the counties here in SC. He uses batwing bush hog style mowers. Actually Bush Hogs are what he uses. They are all gearbox and PTO shafts. Difference is I'm looking for cut quality. I just bought a 10' Maschio flail mulcher that has a great cut quality and is a beast of a mower. Just depends on needs I suppose.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yea but you're talking about needing a finish mower vs a bush hog. My cousin cuts highway grass for the counties here in SC. He uses batwing bush hog style mowers. Actually Bush Hogs are what he uses. They are all gearbox and PTO shafts. Difference is I'm looking for cut quality. I just bought a 10' Maschio flail mulcher that has a great cut quality and is a beast of a mower. Just depends on needs I suppose.

No, I just said the big multi deck finish mowers don’t hold up or hold value, unless they get minimal use, like your application, and even then the little tires rot out.

 

[cathy liebchen]

Get a Brown cutter. Best you can buy. Made in Alabama. Indestructible

 

[DieselBound]

If you buy a Rotary Cutter too light it will visit the dealer yearly for $600 repair.
NEW Rotary Cutters cut everything at first. As the light blades dull a light cutter undergoes increasing stress.

60" - 72" Rotary Cutters:​

400/500 pounds = light duty = grass only.

600/700 pounds = medium duty = grass and ocasional light brush, perhaps to 1"

1,000 pounds = heavy duty = mostly brush, even dense brush and saplings to 2".

Heavy brush inevitably dulls the heavy blades so does not cut grass as nice as a Rotary Cutter used only for grass but will continue to chop brush. Splayed brush cut by rounded blades dies more surely than evenly cut brush cut by sharp blades. Most who cut considerable brush sharpen heavy blades at two to three year intervals.



I cut 3" hardwood saplings like Hickory with a chain saw. I knock down softwood 3" saplings with a Ratchet Rake on the bucket, before mulching them on the ground with a 1,000 pound Land Pride RCR2660 Rotary Cutter.

I'm going to correct Jeff here.

Light Duty is 1" material
Medium Duty is 2" material
Heavy Duty is 3" material
Severe Duty is 4" material (perhaps even 5"): bless the operator who could withstand sustained operating with one of these things!

Factory spec on my Bush Hog BH286 (someone welded 1/4" steel plate on top of the deck, and while the original deck top was significantly hammered, I figure that its weight is now actually more than factory) has the weight at 962 lbs, which according to Jeff's posting would say that it's a Heavy Duty class. Bush Hog rated it "Medium Duty." When I was doing research on NEW RCs I found that the classifications were still using the same basic metrics.

All said, however, thinking that your RC can do LESS than its rated for is probably a wise stance as that would be a bit of a safety buffer.

 

[Like Tractors]

I kinda I like my little cutter/tractor combination. Works great!

 

[LD1]

I'm going to correct Jeff here.

Light Duty is 1" material
Medium Duty is 2" material
Heavy Duty is 3" material
Severe Duty is 4" material (perhaps even 5"): bless the operator who could withstand sustained operating with one of these things!

Factory spec on my Bush Hog BH286 (someone welded 1/4" steel plate on top of the deck, and while the original deck top was significantly hammered, I figure that its weight is now actually more than factory) has the weight at 962 lbs, which according to Jeff's posting would say that it's a Heavy Duty class. Bush Hog rated it "Medium Duty." When I was doing research on NEW RCs I found that the classifications were still using the same basic metrics.

All said, however, thinking that your RC can do LESS than its rated for is probably a wise stance as that would be a bit of a safety buffer.

Light, med, and heavy duty have alot to do with gearbox ratings also.

But I have found alot of people seem to get "offended" when their seemingly good cutter is called "light duty"

My mower that I mow 300-400 acres of grass, brush, weeds, and saplings up to 1-1.5" is technically light duty based on it's 1" capacity rating. Even though I would NOT consider it a light duty (homeowner) piece of equipment. I've hit rocks, tires, cinder blocks, grounded on dirt piles/humps, etc

Even though some would call it "light duty"....I have yet to have to visit the dealer for repairs in 4 years and over 1000 acres of commercial use. So so much for $600/year in repairs

 

[Beeenvenue]

I have a 5’, 550 lb cutter rated for 1-1/2” material. What is that - sounds “light” according to Jeff

I now my 14 acres 3-4x/year. Heavy thick grass/weeds up to 3’ within 60 days during spring and summer. I have a 35hp/29 pto and pull at medium/fastest hst speed without issues. On occasion I’ll find old branches up to 4” diameter and a couple of feet long. Makes a bunch of noise and throws out partially shredded branch. Never been to the shop. Haven’t sharpened the blades despite all the branches (and roadside debris, cans, part of a toilet, etc buried in the ROW overgrowth along the front of my property)

I’m new to tractors but if I followed Jeff’s advice I’d need a much larger mower and tractor. I’m on a budget; 35hp was all I was going to be able to afford, and my cutter brand new was only $1600. Oh and mine came with some extra thick rubber front and back. Can’t imagine chains being better, in fact I think they wouldn’t be as good.

also one more thing on mower speed vs hp vs width…. You can always take 1/2 or 3/4 of a bite and cut tall/thick/wet stuff almost regardless of hp.

I guess Jeff’s notes can be used to accommodate ALL/ANY situation but overall they seem to be far more conservative than reality requires. You also have to consider the time value of money - I can replace my entire cutter twice for the cost of one “heavy duty brand name” machines. With no issues in 3 years I made the right decision for me.

 

[bsekf]

Been clearing property lines and they are overgrown with multiflower rose and common buckthorn. I find on the big stuff, over 1.5 inch, it cuts easier if I raise the mower and back onto it and lower the mower.

 

[hornett22]

I've had mine 4 years so far. It's never been back to dealer for anything. It's never broken anything either. I sure as h*ll haven't "spent $600 the first year" on it. It definitely looks well used now, but the gear box, spindle, stump jumper, blades and tail wheel are all fine.

I really wonder how you come up with this stuff.

I gave up trying to figure out where he comes up with this stuff.

It's pretty entertaining though.

 

[jeff9366]

Single Tail Wheel or Twin Tail Wheels?

Dual tail wheels follow the terrain better and reduce the frequency blades bottom ...

ARCHIVE LINK: Advantage of two tail wheel Bush Hog?