Bent Rotary Cutter Deck - Can it be Fixed?

[kirkawilson]

 

[WranglerX]

Using the rigid bars instead of chains is probably how deck got bent in first place.....

 

[ning]

There's also another way I'm seeing where there's an additional adapter between the flex link of the mower and the quick hitch. https://www.greentractortalk.com/threads/converting-older-brush-hog-for-quick-hitch.192726/

As ^ the previous video shows too, the flex can be put between the hitch and the rear a-frame links as well.
Lots of options.

 

[ptsg]

+1 for chains. I don't know why they're still using those flimsy bars. Makes no sense at all. Chains would probably be cheaper for the manufacturer too, since they could just cut to length and assemble.

It seems that they build these cutters in such a fragile and flimsy way. Hard to believe it can handle much more than an overgrown lawn.

This is mine. It's considered a light duty cutter. It's built with 5 mm thick steel on the deck, a bit over 3/16" with loads of reinforcements. Other parts of it are either 8 or 10 mm thick. I've reversed into trees, stumps, walls and more stuff hidden inside the brush, to the point of spinning all 4 tires. Nothing got bent or twisted.

 

[paulsharvey]

Personally, I'd just drop the quick hitch, hook the bushhog up, and run it. Im not convinced it wasnt out of level from manufacturer. Don't worry about chains vs bars unless you need to, which you will figure out by running for your uses.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I call mine a "floppy link" it came on my Bush Hog rotary cutter ...

It gives it quite a bit of "float" with that slot ... And can handle quite a bit of kinking it up, before it will raise the lower 3 pt arms ...

 

[Too many Kubotas]

The difference is in the allowed angles through the attachment point. With it connected on the quick hitch how he's got it, there's no flexibility between the attachment and the top hitch point, give (the mower can't tilt up) or take (the mower can't tilt down).

Here he's basically got a zero-length top link.

Okay, I keep forgetting that people use the upper hook, which won't work on most of my implements.

By not using it I end up with three pivot points, as in the first photo, and the setup in the second photo has the flexibility built in.

I'd copy the second version (leaving room for the hook) if using the upper hook is a must, or leave the top connection off altogether, which is how my larger mower is set up.

 

[ning]

Okay, I keep forgetting that people use the upper hook, which won't work on most of my implements.

By not using it I end up with three pivot points, as in the first photo, and the setup in the second photo has the flexibility built in.

Do you just let the mower pivot on the lower arms and ride on the wheel then?

I don't have a quick hitch, but my use does involve gently lowering the mower over pond reeds and off the side of a dam onto blackberries where there's unfortunately rocks, so I can't just ride it on the wheel. If I was just mowing my grassy areas it would be fine though.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Do you just let the mower pivot on the lower arms and ride on the wheel then?

That one has hydraulic lift for the wheels in the rear so I can set the front and rear height of it as needed. But there's no reason the small mowers couldn't be used without a top link, except...

It would help if I could cross small ditches and such with the larger one, so one of these days I'll make provisions for a top link on that one, too. Then leave the hydraulic top link in float when mowing and not have to worry about flexibility.

 

[chim]

As mentioned, that mower needs to flex. It can be done different ways. When I had a BH, it was used with a chain in lieu of a toplink. Never cared for QH's. Bought one many years ago and it sat in the shed till I modified it for a front 3-point connection.

Anyway, it looks like the price was paid for not having flexibility. Look at the bar circled in yellow. The mower itself flexed and the compressive force put a wrinkle in that bar.