Mowing trouble keeping brush hog at right height

[Gunny]

How do I go about buying a Zane Thang? I've googled this, but only found more forum posts. What is the website or phone number?

Just buy a set pf check chains, a lot cheaper and they work

 

[Jerry/MT]

I have a 1951 Harry Ferguson TO-20 tractor, with a 5' rotary cutter (brush hog), and other attachements. I have had a very hard time getting my 3 point hitch lift to get to, and stay at, the right height. It is either too low, or it goes all the way to the top, and then, all the way to the bottom. The thumb screw to adjust minimum height doesn't help. I can't just raise the height slightly, or lower it slightly.

I've been told this is a common problem with this design. I've heard you can hook chains to the front of the brush hog to keep it from getting too low, but I've had trouble getting that to work consistently. I've also heard of an after market attachment to help this tractor better manage the height adjustment.

I recently had repairs and maintenance done by a dealer, but they said this wasn't an easy fix, and was always a problem on this model of tractor.

Any advice?

There is another method that we call Marlowe's Method for the poster who first described it. You hook your mower up to the three point and raise it up. You get some wooden blocks set at the height you want to mow and lower the mower onto the blocks. The using the top link you extend it out as far as it takes to push back the top link pin on the cutter so that it holds that position. This puts a compression load on the top link. if the mower starts to drop, that load goes up and the control responds by raising it to the set position. It's been a long time since I've done this but you can go to the Yesterday's Tractor site and search the archives for "Marlowe's Method" in the Harry Ferguson forum and find the description. My top link was too short to make this work.

Marlowe's Method below:
marlowe

06-23-2004 16:01:09


Re: position control...chains?? in reply to mr chapp, 06-23-2004 06:16:49

dear mister chapp. i have sold and serviced hogs for years and see this all the time. PLEASE don't take this wrong but it's a real common mistake that they are not beening mounted right.i know what your thinking how hard is it to put a hog on a tractor and go cut some grass? but!! your hog has a tail wheel right? your tractor has 2 lower lift arms right? set your hog on a 4x4 so it is level lower your tail wheel so it's on the ground. now put your tractor on but[[[[ DON'T]]] hook up the PTO with tractor running put the 3pt. control lever in the middle of the range and turn your top link so it will get longer and you will feel you 3pt. raise just a little and the stop but when you make the top link long it will raise a little more that because the control piston under the set is being pushed in and that makes you 3pt. lift untill the pressure is releasted.with a little fine tuning and a little setting of the tail wheel up or down for the height of cut you want your hog will cut at the height you want. if you have ANY questions call me i will help you set it right 1-920-446-3296 your hog should not be hanging on the tractor when your cutting but rideing on the tail wheel and the 3pt. at a set height and that is controled by your top link. good luck and if you need help call