shear pin vs. slip clutch on a brush hog

[GaryS]

I've been looking for a 5' or 6' brush hog. Other than convenience, is it worth the extra $100 to get the slip clutch? Will a slip clutch do more to protect the engine from damage?

Also, are there any website with review of the various brush hogs? The dealer is trying to sell me an iseki but I've heard good things about the wood's product line.

 

[hazmat]

Slip clutch is more convenient if you are using it in harsh conditions where you'd be breaking shear pins often. It needs to be maintained - Ie slipped once a year or so & adjusted properly. A shear bolt is much simpler & requires no maintanance.

As far as protecting the tractor. An improperly adjusted or "frozen" slip clutch could be bad for the tractor. Other than that, they both provide protection.

TBN is the best place for reviews on rotary cutters. I have a light duty woods (with shear bolt) & am happy after 1 season. I'm only mowing well maintained fields. Haven't broken a bolt yet.

 

[Keith_TN65]

Gary,

Also if you repeatedly break a shear pin, the holes get warn and the ensuing slop can make the pins break more often. I have also heard that a well adjusted slip clutch is easier on the tractor PTO than a shear pin. Currently I have a shear pin on my rotary cutter, but when I replace the old cutter, the new one will have a slip clutch.

Keith

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Gary, if you are still looking at Deere, its real simple, do you want to replace a shear pin EVERY time you switch on the PTO or not?

When I was shopping, I quicky found out that all the bush hogs ended up pretty close in price onse you configured them the same with safety shields and a slip clutch. The best deal seems to be Miwest, even if you order one trucked in.

I really like my Deere MX6. You can usually do pretty well getting it with the tractor, both on price and low interest financing

 

[GaryS]

Hi Mike,

I've backed off the Deere. The dealer wasn't giving me a very good price on either of them. He had two demo tractors and wanted 16300 for the 4310 ePower/420 loader (which also included a 5' brush hog). He also has a eHydro 4210/420 loader with 100 hours on it and he wanted $16,500 for just the tractor/loader. That's a lot of money for demo units. With the demo's being that high, he had no place to go but up when I asked for prices on new ones.

I looked at a MF 1428 and got a real good price on it. Right now it's beteen the MF 1428 Hyrdo and the Kubota 7800HST. Over the past three weeks I've been on so many tractors that my head now hurts. I need to stop shopping and get to cutting some grass which is now something like 4 feet tall /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I really liked the specs on the 4310 but the pricing was way out of line with the other tractors I saw. The 4210 was also very nice but why buy a demo with 100 hours that cost more than a new tractor?

 

[nomad]

Technically, the slip clutch is much better. No one can say opposite of this, can anyone? In this part of the world, you can not see any shear pin on any attachments. All are slip clutchs. Why? Simple. Because the price difference between a slip clutched implement and shear pin implement is negligible. In your case, it's $100? Then, go for the shear pin. You can buy more than 100 pins with that money $100 and 100 pins mean 10 years.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

No problem! The elecrically engaged ptos sure can snap a shear pin!

As to your other brands, just be sure and get the right dealer! the rest is easy!

btw, I was hatched in the 'Burgh... Seems like foreverago (moved to God's Country in '82...)

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Gary,

If you're talking about just a rotary cutter you really owe it to yourself to look at something like a King Kutter or a Midwest if either are available locally. The MW is certainly going to be nicer looking and you can likely get it in a color to match whatever tractor brand. I got my brush hog before MW got theirs to market and ended up with a KK. I have to say that, after a couple seasons I still have no complaints on what I got for the money I spent though I know I'd have gotten the MW had they only been available. I was already to the point of losing large dogs and small children out in the weeds so I had to do something before I couldn't find the barn. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As to the slip clutch, my understanding is that you need to check and readjust them every season but that they are a superior way to go. I think it's more than just saving $100 and buying shear pins. To me it's also the time of stopping and pounding out the old one and getting the new one installed before you can get back to where you were. Over the years I think that would be worth the extra money but I'm at that point in my life where I have less time than anything else and I'd rather be mowing than wrestling with equipment.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Egon]

The break point of a slip clutch is gentler too.

Egon

 

[have_blue]

Mowed heavy grass and tough weeds for 2 years with a 5 footer and a shear pin, and never sheared it. Got a 6 footer with a clutch, and I've already heard it slip 3 times. Once was when I accidentally engaged the PTO suddenly. I doubt that any of these events would have sheared a pin, so I guess that shows that clutches are more gentle on the gear box.