Rotary Cutter Rotary cutter safety devices

[Mith]

I'm wondering what you guys have with regard to safety devices on your rotary cutters? To stop stuff flying out and such....
I've heard of chains around the blade to stop stuff flying out, was it Henro who put mesh on his ROPS to stop stuff hitting him? What do you have?


I've been knocking up a mower for cutting tall weeds, and just looking for ideas

Thanks

 

[1bush2hog]

I have chains on the front and back of my RC, and they provide pretty good protection from flying debris. Soundguy added some rubber deflection to his, compliments of lost retreads I believe - do a search as his mod was pretty slick and cheap

 

[BB_TX]

Chains are the standard factory option. But others have used truck mud flaps (cut to fit), conveyor belt, heavy floor mats, etc. Anything strong enough to deflect whatever may be thrown. I don't have anything on mine. My seat is relatively high about the front of the cutter and I have never been hit or had anything come close (as far as I know). Things do sometimes get thrown in all directions. But I never mow when anyone is around.

 

[HomeBrew2]

My 48" Bush Hog Squealer came stock with fiber reinforced rubber up front and a steel strap in back. Works great.

 

[Mith]

BushHog,
Do you have any trouble with chains getting caught up in anything like wire or weeds?


Ideally I want there to be as little restriction as possible for grass going in and out of the mower, so anything that wont give way to the grass going in wouldnt be ideal. I assume the rubber does that. I guess the tractor is going to be knocking most of it down anyway though......

I was thinking about leaving the front of the mower open, and attaching a sheet of mesh above and infront of the mower so that anything flying up to the operator would be deflected down.

Thanks

 

[N80]

I paid a fair amount of money (well, $850 isn't too bad) for a used (good shape) JD LX6 primarily because it had the chains both front and rear (and the heavy duty laminated tail wheel). They do a great job and its almost impossible to damage them. I don't recall seeing anything large fly out from under the mower in any direction. My B-I-L's mowers have nothing in front or rear and you'd better be on the other end of the country when he's mowing!

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/2541/sort/1/size/medium/cat/500/page/1

 

[RalphVa]

I went with chains on the front of my LX4 and left the rear open because I'm mowing down below the house and along the creek most of the time. Stopped on the highway once and yelled at a guy trying to mow alongside the road with a brush hog with no rear chains. Told him he was going to kill someone. My car got hit on Alligator Alley across Florida that put like a bullet hole in my driver's door about 6" below the window. It was due to the people mowing the center divider had some missing chains, and the deck even had a hole in the top of it! Highway patrol sent them all back to the shop. They paid for fixing my car.

They shouldn't be using brush hogs alongside the highway or even regular rotary mowing rigs (so many mow with their diverter chutes up). Alongside roads, should use reel, flail or the cutter blade type that chit chats back and forth (senior moment; can't remember what they're called; used to cut the legs off dogs regularly with them on the farm).

My Gravely brush hog out front had a steel guard at the back but was open in the front. It would often shoot stuff out that front quite a ways.

I haven't had anything come back through the chains on the LX4. Stuff shoots out the back sometimes.

Ralph

 

[roxynoodle]

Can someone post a picture of their chains? I don't have anything on mine.

 

[Henro]

Can someone post a picture of their chains? I don't have anything on mine.

I'll try...have not posted a pic since the new TBN appeared...

Here goes...don't know if the pics will appear or not...

These were taken a while back before my tractor evolved a bit.

 

[Henro]

... was it Henro who put mesh on his ROPS to stop stuff hitting him? What do you have?

Yes Mith, I think you remember this...actually a relatively heavy duty stainless steel cookie sheet adapted as PPE (personal protective equipment).

For those who may wonder what we are referring to:

(Don't know why the guard is on the tractor when the brush hog was off...)