Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter front guard depth

[geneP]

I have a tire driven Sidewinder three point hitch rotary cutter. There is no front guard on it and it throws debris on the back of my tractor, up on top of the deck, and me when mowing grass. I want to put a guard on it but am conflicted about how close to the bottom of the cutter to go. I'm thinking that if it is too short it won't be effective and if it is too deep it will push the grass down and affect the cut. My question is: Should the guard go all the way down and cover the front of the blade, or should it stop above the blade so as not to mash the grass down? The drop on the blades is about 3 1/2", so if it covers the front of cutter to below the blade, it will be pretty deep. Your perspective is appreciated.

 

[John0829]

When I had a Sidewinder I welded short pieces of chain on the front. It helped but sure did not stop it from throwing things out the front. I made the chains the same height as the depth of the deck on the sides and shortened the ones in the middle so they would not get hit by the blades. Like I said it helped but didn't stop the thrown bits.

BTW, best rotary cutter EVER, except for the throwing issue even with having it set up correctly the front lower than the back.

 

[oosik]

I'm going to be getting a rotary cutter soon. My Kubota M6040 is open station. I'll have chain guards - front and back.

I was thinking of a sheet of plexiglass - across the roll bar. To deflect foreign objects.

 

[ptsg]

100% go with chain guards front and back. Chains work very very well at containing debris but also lasts pretty much a life time. 5/16" chains, as close to each other as possible and as tall as the deck height.

 

[EddieWalker]

I cut an old tire and installed it in the front of my 6 foot cutter. The square holes where already there for carriage bolts, so all I had to do was drill through the tire to install it.

My main reason for doing this was to stop the dust clouds that I would create in some areas. It was overwhelming!!!! The shape of the tire holds back the dust from coming forward to the tractor, and it also stops anything else from going forward.

I have another mower with chains, and the tire is ten times better.

 

[oosik]

Thanks for the tip Eddie. I know I'll be experiencing dust also.

 

[geneP]

I have a Land Pride cutter also. The top front of the deck extends a full six inches forward of the tip of the blade. The Sidewinder blade tip is barely an inch behind the deck top, and the blade is 8 inches below the deck top. I'm convinced that this is the problem, I just haven't convinced myself of a solution.