Setting Height on Brushhog

[btolle]

I have a set of check chains made by Speeco (look like the ones in the bottom picture of Soundguy's post and they work great on the bush hog. Paid about $27 for them at my Kubota dealer.

CAUTION: The chains as provided are pretty long and should be cut off or tied off securely to keep them from accidentially getting caught in the PTO shaft. The hang far enough down to get wrapped in the shaft.

Bill Tolle

 

[sneaky_pete]

Ron,

I tried to PM you this photo but apparently PM does not allow attachments. Anyway, attached to this post is a picture I just took of the check chains installed on my B7400. As it happens, the Bush Hog is on the 3PH also. This setup should be identical to what yours would be like if you had check chains. Hopefully this will allow you see how they work.

 

[8N_John]

"Also.. a word of caution.. you should not use the top hole in your 8n's 3 hole rocker for anything heavy.. use only the bottom hole.. ( it's a draft issue )."

Where is the top hole on the 3 hole rocker in your picture? Aren't the brackets that hold the chains attached through this hole?

 

[RalphVa]

I'd enclose any of those long check chains inside a PVC pipe, in case they break and pop back into the seat area. A chain popped once when my Dad was pulling our car with a tractor. The chain whipped back over the hood of the car, just short of the windshield. You could do in 2 or 3 sections of pipe so the pipe wouldn't buckle when you lifted the cutter. The PVC would cushion a lot in case of a pop back onto your butt.

I've gone to use of a chain to replace the top link. I adjusted the tail wheel assembly to have the rear of the cutter about 1/2" higher than the front. Otherwise, you'll be cutting little bits of grass from the front to the back, going forward.

On my lift, I've marked with a marker pen where to lower the rockshaft arm to, for the (approx. 2" I use) front mowing height. Then I pull it back to the center (float) position.

Ralph

 

[normde2001]

It appears from the picture that the rightside support for the rear wheel has broken loose. With that re-welded, you will probably have the correct, although fixed, height on the rear end. The height that you set the 3ph will set the front end, with or without check chains.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( would not work well for maintaining a constant level over varying terrain, )</font>

Most of the time.. I just see people using these chains so that the 3pt implement returns to the 'same' position it was in, if you have to lif tit up. This was a major concern with draft only hyds.. like a 9n/2n.. and not much of a problem with tru position controll hyds.. (unless they leak quite a bit).

But yeah.. I dont think these would work great for keeping an implement at a set distance over terain.. perhaps guide wheels would be better?

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Where is the top hole on the 3 hole rocker in your picture? Aren't the brackets that hold the chains attached through this hole? )</font>

That was the only pic I could find.. but yes.. that person has their check chain bracket in the top hole.. which really is a no-no. That top hole is for use on very light draft implements, that need some mechanical advantage to get the N's draft lift to work better. In example might be a light spring tooth cultivator. Heavy items like a plow or mower should only use the lowest hole in the toplink rocker. On mine, I have the bottom hole open for the toplink. The second hole I habe a bolt thru to an 'L' bracket holding a SMV plaque. This makes the 2nd hole not useable. In the top hole I have an extra toplink pin slid in and lynch pinned. That way if I need an extra one.. it is right at hand... plus it reminds me not to use the top hole.

The toplink rocker is attached to a plunger yoke and goes into the rear of the hyd top cover, under the seat. That plunger actually hooks up to the sensitive and fragile draft linkage and valves for the N hyd system. I've seen heavy loads literally rip out the plunger, and pull the 'guts' out of the draft linkage assembly. In many cases the draft plunger is either rusted tight or not adjusted correctly, as evidenced by that big spring moving front to back a tad... then what happens is it breaks loose under a shock load and then deforms some of the hard to replace draft linkage inside the cover. That top hole realy magnifies the mechanical advantage like a lever, on the draft plunger.

Soundguy

 

[Volfandt]

As most have pointed out, check chains are the way to go.
I used to run a Howse 5' bush hog off of my TE20 for many years of good cutting. The check chains keep the depth accurate without having to constantly adj the 3PH and if you need to go into higher grass, you just raise the BH up, raise the chains where they connect at the top link connect a link then your GTG.
A pic of my setup. I've since sold it and find that I miss it some now /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif as it worked great and gace a near finish quality cut for me for nearly 15yrs.

 

[Volfandt]

A rear shot of the chain bracket I used and had made up for around $10 a pair from a local machine shop. I only had to replace one side once in 15 yrs of bush hogg'n.

 

[8N_John]

I am having a hard time figuring out how I will connect the check chains (from the rocker to the implement pin) and the top link (from the rocker to the top of the brush hog). Would both of these go in the bottom hole of the 3 hole rocker? Or would the check chains go in the lower hole and the top link go in the upper hole? I'm worried about putting too much weight on the top of the rocker (per Soundguy's advice), but don't know how I can hook up both of these to the lower hole of the rocker.

Any pics of the correct setup would help.

 

[Soundguy]

Simple.. You take your pin that holds the toplink an dthe chains.. slide it thru the first chain bracket.. then slide it thru the toplink rocker bottom hole, thru the toplink, out the other side of the toplink rocker, then thru the 2nd chain bracket.. then pin. ( Yes.. you have to use a 6" pin.. not a short 4" pin.. )

And DO use the bottom hole.. It all fits.. one after the other.. the chain brackets are on either side of the rocker, with the toplink in the middle of the rocker.

Soundguy

 

[8N_John]

Thanks Soundguy. Another question about the top hole of the rocker. Is it OK to put the stayrods in the top hole when hauling a trailer...or should they go in the bottom hole as well?

Also, my rocker doesn't seem to match up with the one in the manuals. I don't have a good picture offhand, but here is one that I cropped. Would I put the chains and toplink through the hole that right now has the small pin in it?

 

[DmansPadge]

If anyone has some input, I have posted a similar thread specific to my Kubota in the Kubota Owning/Operating forum titled "3ph lowering limit on a B7300." Just trying to generate some opinions!

Thanks!

 

[Phred]

I can see the value of the chains, but my place is so rough and rocky that I usually keep one hand on the 3 pt lift.
Sure the cut is uneven, but its not called a finish mower for a reason.

Also as you go through a ditch and up the other side the chains are not going to keep the cut level?
And what about those hidden rusty old pto shafts or rocks hidden in the tall grass or bursh. Setting it and not paying attention could get you in trouble.

One handy way I have found to level the mower side to side is just use a tape measure to keep the two three point arms the same length. This avoids the need for having a level surface to set the side to side level.

Fred

 

[djradz]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Also as you go through a ditch and up the other side the chains are not going to keep the cut level?
And what about those hidden rusty old pto shafts or rocks hidden in the tall grass or bursh. Setting it and not paying attention could get you in trouble. )</font>

Well, it depends. The chains actually work extremely well for just that very situation. However, remember, your top link assembly needs to be flexible, which means the deck has to have some type of mechanism to accomplish this or you've replaced your top link with a chain or other type of mechanism. A hydraulic cylinder (like in a TnT setup) if it was free to move (float), could also work. Also, there is only so much unevenness that can be accomadated, but it is quite a bit and I would tend to say that the chains will make for a better cut than without, even in this situation. In fact, my guess is, if you are comfortable taking your rig up and down the ditch, with a brush hog attached, the chains will adequately support it correctly. Keep thinking, the front of the deck will follow the rear wheels of the tractor only, not the lift arms. As you know, normally, when in a set position, the lift arms are subject to not only what the rear wheels do, but to maybe even a greater extent, what the front of the tractor does. Such that, if the front goes down, the arms go up, if the tractor front goes up, the lift arms go down, and so on. With the chains in place, think of the lift arms as just a support to keep the deck from coming too close to the tractor, for that's really all they do. They just sit out there, floating along and holding the deck out while it hangs from the chains.

I've said it before, EVERY brush hog (rotary cutter) and finish mower, with some sort of flexible top connection, unless it has front gage wheels, should have chains. The benefit of this inexpensive item is absolutely incredible.

If there's debris, rocks, PTO shafts, old tractors /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif etc, buried in the brush, I don't think anything is gonna help.

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> The benefit of this inexpensive item is absolutely incredible. </font>
I totally agree with you on replacing the top link with a chain. On my last tractor, I bent the top link three times. This was going across ditches and or the transition to steep banks. I have never had any problem what so ever with a chain. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[djradz]

Jerry, hope you didn't get the wrong impression from my post, although I HIGHLY advocate the use of check chains, I do so with the caviat that they have to be used with a flexible top link assembly. The BEST way to do this is to have some sort of flexible, swinging or pivoting or sliding mechanism, built into the rotary cutter or finish mower. Most have such, but not all. If that is not available, then use of check chains must go along with the use of some other type of flexible top link, such as the chain-type link (that you're mentioning) which replaces the turnbuckle or TnT setup most folks have either of. I've never used a chain for the top link, but can see the benefit. Others have even removed the top link alltogether and used their decks like an older (and still used in large ag situations) trailer type deck. At least with a chain top link, you have the ability to still lift the deck. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JerryG]

The way the swinging or movable link is made on most brush hogs, they do not allow enough movement. This is why the top link chain is so useful. You are right, the top chain does allow the BH to be lifted. There are some low priced BHs now that don't have any movable link, this creates a situation where if the equipment is used on anything other than smooth flat ground, the three point attachment on the equipment will buckle.

 

[Volfandt]

As easy as it is to remove the top link pin, you can remove the check chain brackets when you want to run the stayrods.

The Howse bush hog I ran had a slot cut in the top link connector that ran fore & aft approx 3 inches This allowed the bush hog to pivot enough to keep from gouging out the slight rise & fall of the terrain.
Once I've mounted the bush hog and got the height set via the check chains, I'd then adj the top link to where it was centered in the slot. This gave me the ability to pivot both up & down. I had very little problems with the bush hog gouging and it worked out better when I backed over creek beds etc in that it wouldn't let the bush hog drop too low.

Volfandt

 

[8N_John]

Now I'm really confused after looking at some other rocker pics. I just bought this 8n and #1) it doesn't look like it has a 3 hole rocker and #2) it doesn't have the "brackets" that are welded on the housing that the long rocker pin goes through in this pic that I found of another 8N.

My first question is - why doensn't my 8N have the welded outside brackets and will the lack of them cause damage if hauling heavy implements?

My second question is- can I attach a 3hole rocker to my current set up (similar to pic)...except for welded outside brackets?