Rotary Cutter Loose Blade

[rich_ncal]

I was checking the blades on my rotary cutter to look for damage after hitting a few large rocks. I noticed then that one blade was hanging lower and had more up and down play than the other. The nut on this bolt holding this blade was loose and I could tighten it with my hand. I did not use the cutter again until I had time to get the right tool to completely tighten this.

I will be checking these from time to time now that I found one loose.

Does anyone have stories about blades flying off or other loose parts flying off equipment?

 

[Highbeam]

I haven't lost the blade yet but my post mow inspection this last mow job showed that I too have a loose blade nut. I check the blades for level and loose since bending the stumpjumper can cause uneven blades too. Rocking the blades indicates loosenes of blade on blade bolt, there should be some, and also looseness of stumpjumper on gearbox shaft. I've had that nut get loose too.

I would not want to be at the receiving end of a pitched blade. That puppy is heavy, sharp, and moving fast.

 

[Ford960]

I lost a blade on my 5' Bush Hog Squealer in June. It broke across the bolt hole and exited on the right side of the mower. Came to rest about 5' away. Not sure why it decided to break at that time and I really didn't know that it had happened as the right lower lift arm bent at the same time. I shut down the pto and took the tractor home. Then I went to town and bought a new lift arm. The next morning I got up early to mow some more lots and thought that I should take a look under the deck and found that the blade was missing. I drove down to the last lot that I mowed and there was the blade laying on the ground. The blade is still off as I bought the 305 and have been using it since.

The blades on this mower get pulled on a regular basis for sharpening and inspecting. I hang each blade from a rope and hit them with a hammer, if it has a nice bell like ring then it gets put back on. A dull thud like ring indicates a crack and a trip to town for a new set.

 

[slowrev]

A neighbor was mowing a few weeks ago with a batwing. I was cleaning up some brush from firewood cutting and heard a horrible racket. Looked up just in time to see the blade carrier with both blades attached go cartwheeling accross the field. Wow,! glad I had some distance between it and me.
I went over to help and show him where the blades went. It appeared that the main shaft nut just came off, which is strange those things are usually a half day job for me to get off Sort of blew out one side skirt of his hog when it flew off too.
Ben

 

[Highbeam]

Wow, lost the whole stumpjumper and blades? The nut holding on the SJ of my rankin cutter uses a big ol cotter pin.

 

[slowrev]

Yeah my cutter does too, guess that went first.
Ben

 

[Soundguy]

I check those bad boys every time I come in from the pasture.

I pretty much make it a habbit of stopping at the barn, fueling up.. check tires.. grease tractor and mower, and check bolts on everything before I put her up. That way when i nee dthe tractor again.. just check oil, and hop on and go.

Soundguy