This could have been bad.

[RSKY]

Brought my little Kioti home from father-in-law's place yesterday and changed from the tiller to the mower. It is a 5' Howse that has served well though it has been well used and abused. If my little tractor can push it over that mower will chop it up. Got it on the trailer with the mower up and checked to see if the blades needed touching up with a side grinder. One of the blades was hanging down three or four inches lower than the other. The nut holding it on the stump jumper was backed off with only a couple threads showing on the bolt. Other side had more than a half inch of threads showing.

That could have been bad if the blade had come off while mowing. The image of a ten-fifteen pound blade being thrown out from under the mower went thru my mind with all the damage it could do to the tractor, buildings, or myself. OUCH !!

I had nothing that would fit the nut and tried to use a large pair of Channel Lock plies but only managed to tighten it a couple turns. So a trip to Lowes and $133+ for a 3/4" drive 18" breaker bar, 5" extension, and two sockets (wasn't sure of the size) one of which will be returned. Ten minutes after I got home and the use of a 4-lb hand sledge on the breaker bar and the mower is ready for another summer of use and abuse.

Guys, check your blades before using that mower.

RSKY

 

[zzvyb6]

Pipe wrench and a piece of pipe to get leverage is the way I go. All my blade deals are self tightening. That means I need the breaker bar to get them OFF. Last changeout on my 72" required the breaker bar plus a 6' pipe extension. I've never had the breaker bar bend so much ! Was 'C' shaped but it held up and did the job!

 

[Toyboy]

I torque the blade bolts on my Kubota to 80'# I can't imagine tightening them like you did.

 

[Jstpssng]

Mowers can be scary. I get irate at people who take off the deflector of their homeowner mowers, then blow grass out into the road. People laugh when I complain about getting hit by grass clippings while driving down the road; but it's what else that mower can kick out which is my concern.

 

[dmccarty]

One of the strangest, and hard to believe, mowing accidents I read about, most likely on TBN, was a guy they found dead on his tractor. Took a while to figure out what happened and at first they thought it was health related. His mower had kicked up a fence stable or nail, which bounced off a fence post, and then hit him in neck just below his skull killing him.

I have had stuff bounce around and hit me but it was not a big deal... What are the odds of it hurting you much less killing the operator?

Later,
Dan

 

[4570Man]

I torque the blade bolts on my Kubota to 80'# I can't imagine tightening them like you did.

The OP is using a bushhog not a lawnmower deck. There’s a big difference in bolt toque.

 

[MoKelly]

One of the strangest, and hard to believe, mowing accidents I read about, most likely on TBN, was a guy they found dead on his tractor. Took a while to figure out what happened and at first they thought it was health related. His mower had kicked up a fence stable or nail, which bounced off a fence post, and then hit him in neck just below his skull killing him.

I have had stuff bounce around and hit me but it was not a big deal... What are the odds of it hurting you much less killing the operator?

Later,
Dan

I’ve never had anything hit me while mowing - either the tractor or ZT —- excluding cut grass if I turn too soon and the wind is blowing.

If something did hit me I’d probably jump 2 feet in the seat!

MoKelly

 

[MoKelly]

Mowers can be scary. I get irate at people who take off the deflector of their homeowner mowers, then blow grass out into the road. People laugh when I complain about getting hit by grass clippings while driving down the road; but it's what else that mower can kick out which is my concern.

Yes!

I was driving down our gravel road heading home while the county was mowing the side road grass.

Suddenly a BANG!

I stopped and found a rock (or something else small and solid) hit my passenger door and put a dime sized dent in the door.

Had it hit a person I’m pretty sure it would have done some damage!

MoKelly

 

[STx]

I've had blade bolts break on the front mounted brush cutter on the skid steer. The blade hit the side of the deck and about 1/8 of it was sticking out the side. The deck is 3/16" steel so, it hit with pretty good force.

I think it's unlikely the blade would come out under the deck, more likely that it's going to hit the side like mine did, even if it's from the bolt coming loose. The centrifugal force will have it pretty much straight out when it comes off. I've got to believe there would have been some noise or noticeable vibration when you engaged the PTO as well. I've learned not to ignore that sort of stuff, no matter how minor it seems. Always find the source before moving on.

 

[Jstpssng]

When I was a kid mowing the lawn with an old Lawnboy push mower, I kicked up a rock which shattered a greenhouse window. That made me respect what can happen with a mower.

 

[MoKelly]

I've got to believe there would have been some noise or noticeable vibration when you engaged the PTO as well. I've learned not to ignore that sort of stuff, no matter how minor it seems. Always find the source before moving on.

I agree. I always wear hearing protection when mowing or hogging. But, I take them off when starting up and first beginning.

I do worry about not hearing an issue once I have the hearing protection on - but I’d hope I’d feel something amiss before it’s too late.

MoKelly

 

[crashz]

I've kicked up and shot out a bunch of stuff while mowing. Mostly at customer properties. The last was a stump that shot about 100ft towards the customers house last fall. Man, was I lucky!

Along road sides, I take it slow and stop mowing when I see cars or people. Not worth the risk of hurting anyone.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Wire is a big offender; I worked with a guy who was using a push mower and it threw a piece of wire into his foot. I have heard stories about brush hogs doing similar things.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/lawnmower-accident-utility-wire-regina-man-ear-1.4745048

 

[ponytug]

I once read a bush/brush hog manual, in which they recommended a 300' distance away from all humans. Personally, I wouldn't use one any close to a building either.

I have seen my brush mower eject baseball bat sized wood fragments 100' or so. After seeing that, I wear a chainsaw face shield while mowing. My wife spots me while slope mowing, but she's never within 300' feet.

And, yes, I tighten blade bolts before every use, and at each refueling. I also regrease the bolt bushings at the same time which has dramatically extended the bolt/bushing/blade lifetime for me. I use an impact wrench both ways. I find the impact hammer to be more effective than a breaker bar at least for my mower.

My brush hog mower is in front, which I love for visibility and control reasons, but there is less metal between me and the mower than rear mounted brush hogs.

Stay safe out there.

All the best,

Peter

 

[YanmarFever]

Be sure to check if the cotter pin that holds the nut onto the threads is still on, if not be sure to replace it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have lost plenty of blades, some quite large and often with mowers without chain guards. FWIW, NONE ever went far, most never beyond the footprint of the mower. Now, a softball sized stone, entirely different matter.

 

[4570Man]

I have lost plenty of blades, some quite large and often with mowers without chain guards. FWIW, NONE ever went far, most never beyond the footprint of the mower. Now, a softball sized stone, entirely different matter.

Again there’s a big difference in lawnmower blades and bushhog blades. A lawnmower is spinning in the center and there’s little if any chance of a blade going far. A bushhog blade is being spun around a disk and they have the potential to fly a long ways.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I actually was thinking mostly of a three spindle bush hog that we had. At times we used cut up (Heavy) truck springs for blades.

 

[ProfJeff]

Mowers can be scary. I get irate at people who take off the deflector of their homeowner mowers, then blow grass out into the road. People laugh when I complain about getting hit by grass clippings while driving down the road; but it's what else that mower can kick out which is my concern.

And for those of us who ride motorcycles, grass clippings can be anything from scary to painful to deadly.

Grass Clippings on Roads: A Hidden Hazard for Motorcyclists

Grass on roads can be dangerous, especially for motorcyclists. Know the legalities and risks involved.

www.yourgreenpal.com

 

[MoKelly]

And for those of us who ride motorcycles, grass clippings can be anything from scary to painful to deadly.

Grass Clippings on Roads: A Hidden Hazard for Motorcyclists

Grass on roads can be dangerous, especially for motorcyclists. Know the legalities and risks involved.

www.yourgreenpal.com

I never knew this was an issue.

Thanks for posting.

MoKelly