Mowing Bush Hog for Dummies

[windy acers]

I own a yanmar sa424. Guy has a 4 ft bush hog razor back for sale.
Looks almost new in pics.
This will be my first pto implement.
School me on a couple questions.
1. What’s the difference between shear pin and slip clutch and is one better than the other and why. sheer pin is a grade 2 bolt so it will break. a slip clutch is for larger bush hogs. it is about 6 inches round x2 with clutch material.stay wiuth sheer pin.

2. If it’s a slip clutch is that a deal breaker.no set it so it will slip

3. Ifs it a shear pin is that a deal breaker.no you may only break it 1 time a year. just put in another bolt!

4. How can you tell by looking which it is. I don’t think he knows.big round thing on gear box

5. Is 550 dollars a good price. not bad fair price.

 

[Rutman]

Too short and you use it you can have one end of the shaft flopping around on your pto damaging all manner of things including the tractor

Where to purchase - any ag supply BUT ya gotta know what size the Spline on your pto is. Yup there are different sizes, check the manual.

Pricey? It doesn't matter. Ya gotta have the right size. It's not an option. Around $200 most likely

How to tell if ya do already? Mount the hog, raise it to max height and see if it falls apart, Mark (or measure) it and remove it and see how many inches of engagement you have left, You need about 6" or more. More is better. Then with the tractor and hog on level ground and see if the shaft has some more compression left. It should have a couple inches.

Don't forget to grease the Universal joints AND DON'T OVER DO or you will blow out the Seals.

Wow. This is a heck of an education. Didn’t know any of this stuff.

First hog got sold before I could get it.
Just saw a woods RC4 for sale.
Looks brand new.
Asking 750.
Said he bought a push button release for pto. Not sure what that is.
Pic shows it mounted to a kubota sub compact.
That’s why I think shaft may be to short for my tractor.

 

[Raul-02]

"bought a push button release for pto."

Google it look for images. You'll prolly find a video too

"Pic shows it mounted to a kubota sub compact. That’s why I think shaft may be to short for my tractor"
Might be.

 

[hornett22]

Shear pins always shear. Slip clutches don't always slip.

 

[Yander]

Let me guess, that one sold too while you were posting in here. A like new woods RC4 for $750, point me to it I'll buy it while you're thinking about it.

I put a Woods GC48 Box blade on FB last night at around 8:30pm, by 9pm I had it sold. Guys know what they are looking for and what things are worth and jump all of anything with a good price. I got $750 for it, bought it a few months ago for $700.

 

[Jstpssng]

Another minor point once you get a mower and start operating it; the blades won't stop turning just because you disengaged the PTO or throw the clutch in. Mine will spin for several minutes so make sure to use care when jumping off and also to keep kids, pets, and other people away from it. It's also good to make sure it's stopped before engaging the PTO again or you will hear noises you don't want to.
Or so I've been told.

 

[Railroadman1]

it has been stated that the clutch / shear pin protect the drive line True

the Main Purpose is to protect the Gear Box

 

[hornett22]

it has been stated that the clutch / shear pin protect the drive line True

the Main Purpose is to protect the Gear Box

On the cutter or tractor?

My biggest concern is the largest and most expensive repair, the tractor.

 

[JWR]

I haven't shopped for a mower, but if it's in good shape that seems like a good price. When shopping used, I wouldn't be fussy about which it has. If it's a shear pin, check to make sure that it hasn't been replaced with a grade 5 bolt.

Standard shear bolts for a JD 413 ARE grade 5 bolts. What matters most is that they fit the hole very nice and tight. They are metric and the SAE ones only a hair smaller that "seem to fit" will shear almost immediately because they are loose in the hole.

YES, I think $550 is a very good price for that hog the OP describes if the gearbox is OK. In that size it probably uses a shear bolt rather than a slip clutch. Slip clutch can be added later if shearing the pins/bolts becomes too much trouble. Always better if it is using a slip clutch to begin with but that is rare in the smaller hogs.

 

[Rockbadchild]

On the cutter or tractor?

My biggest concern is the largest and most expensive repair, the tractor.

brush hog gear box ... it will fail a lot sooner then the tractor gear box

 

[Bobrown14]

I've got both shear pin and slipclutch drive shafts for different implements.

Slip cluth needs to be adjusted usually every time I hook up whatever implement I'm using I adjust the bolts on the clutch only takes a few minutes and also grease the u-joints its just regular maintenance.

Shear pin I have on my rotary mower and yes they break and its a good thing. Can save your tractor PTO so I would just order a bag of the proper size - measure the current one. You'll figure out how to remove and replace that way. The issue with shear pins when they break in the field its a no go after so you either carry bolts and wrenches in the tractor and fix in the field or drive back to the garage and do repair. Slip clutch has the advantage there.

Both work well. If you wear out the slip clutch its a somewhat pricey swap out with a bunch of work.

Pros and cons are:

Pin breaks its a stop the work and fix

Slip clutch = some minor maintenance before working.

I dont really have a preference.

5 hundy for a rotary mower that looks new is a good deal.

As mentioned check the under side and the gear oil and have the owner give it a test spin (stand WAY back).

 

[sallyb]

I haven't shopped for a mower, but if it's in good shape that seems like a good price. When shopping used, I wouldn't be fussy about which it has. If it's a shear pin, check to make sure that it hasn't been replaced with a grade 5 bolt.

I have bushhog and have used both shear bolts and slip clutch, I use #8 shear bolts on all my pto equipment. I bought a rototiller from north tool several years ago, input to tractor is 6 spline 1-3/8 to tiller 8 spline with slip clutch, I hit a rock broke the pto shaft inside tractor, it al also broke pto drive to tiller, trying buying 8 spline, I took gear box apart on tiller took it to machine shop had it rounded and hole put in to fit #8 shear bolt, bought pto drive round to tiller and 6 spline to tractor, no problems since.

 

[hornett22]

brush hog gear box ... it will fail a lot sooner then the tractor gear box

They're a lot cheaper than tractor gearbox. And easier to replace

 

[Rockbadchild]

They're a lot cheaper than tractor gearbox. And easier to replace

nobody stated otherwise

 

[Jstpssng]

I hit a rock broke the pto shaft inside tractor, it al also broke pto drive to tiller, trying buying 8 spline, I took gear box apart on tiller took it to machine shop had it rounded and hole put in to fit #8 shear bolt, bought pto drive round to tiller and 6 spline to tractor, no problems since.

Based on this, WHY would you switch from a shear pin to something which will be even harder to break?

 

[sallyb]

Based on this, WHY would you switch from a shear pin to something which will be even harder to break?

I had pto to tiller modified from 8 spline pto shaft to a rounded shaft on tiller with hole drilled in tiller shaft to use #8 shear bolt, now the pto shaft to tiller is round and accepts 8 shear bolt

 

[Jstpssng]

Deleted

 

[sallyb]

I had pto to tiller modified from 8 spline pto shaft to a rounded shaft on tiller with hole drilled in tiller shaft to use #8 shear bolt, now the pto shaft to tiller is round and accepts 8 shear bolt

I actually went to Tractor Supply and bought bolts labeled shear bolts, goes to show you I don’t know my bolts. Lol

 

[Williy]

A numer 8 bolt I would not use as
a shear pin very hard use #2 it will
shear and save your equipment

willy

 

[hornett22]

Grade 5 will do in a pinch but if you hit something it will most likely just bend and be very difficult to get out.

I know from experience.