? about bushhoggin'

[whitearrow]

whatsup fellas?i have a ? regarding bushhoggin'.i have a jd 5203 and a bushhog 296 rotary cutter.when i am cutting i can hardly see because of the dust and debris flying around me.is this normal for the job?also,sometimes while hoggin' i get stuck on dry ground,wheels are spinning,but i can unstick myself by just simply raising the 3 point hitch a little.why is it doing this?am i cutting too low and hanging up?it looks low when i cut it but not down to the dirt.how can you tell if your cutter is level or not?sorry for so many ?'s.
thanks,
whitearrow ->>>-------------->

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, dust and debris can certainly fly around! As for your sticking problem I'm wondering if you need more front weight? Rotary cutters are heavy. Do you have a loader or other front weight?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

whatsup fellas?i have a ? regarding bushhoggin'.i have a jd 5203 and a bushhog 296 rotary cutter.when i am cutting i can hardly see because of the dust and debris flying around me.is this normal for the job?also,sometimes while hoggin' i get stuck on dry ground,wheels are spinning,but i can unstick myself by just simply raising the 3 point hitch a little.why is it doing this?am i cutting too low and hanging up?it looks low when i cut it but not down to the dirt.how can you tell if your cutter is level or not?sorry for so many ?'s.
thanks,
whitearrow ->>>-------------->

Sounds to me like you've got the mower dragging the ground (on the side skids) Raise it 'till the skids are AT LEAST a couple inches off the ground. Set the position control to keep it there. If the blades are too close to the ground, you're most likely slinging dirt with the blades because they're HITTING the dirt. I've got a 286 Bush Hog, and that's my favorite thing about it. It DOESN'T stir up dust or throw chaff on me like some other mowers.

 

[john_bud]

Whitearrow,

On some level flat ground, like a driveway or similar, raise the hog up and measure the distance from the bottom of the blade to the bottom of the side skids. (block the cutter so it won't squash you or your arm!) Then measure the distance from each side skid to the ground at the front and the back. Adjust the lift arms so the cutter is level, both fronts are at the same height and both backs are at the same height. Then lower the cutter down so that the back wheel is on the ground and the front is at the cutting height you want. Measure the skids at the front and back. The front should be about 1" lower than the back. If it isn't, you need to adjust the lift and / or the back wheel. After the cutter is at the correct height front and back, then adjust the top link. You want slack in the top link on level ground, so that when you crest a hill, the cutter can follow the ground. Most cutters have a swinging top link attachment point. Looser is better than tighter.

I like to cut in the 5-9" range, depending on what where and why I am cutting. Higher for rough areas that haven't been cut in a while that may have hidden treasure. Lower for roads and trails. Sometimes even higher in the 12-15" range to refresh a clover patch.

Oh, cutting the dirt will both fill you up with dust and empty your wallet of $$$ as it does bad things to the gear box, output shaft and blades over time. Having a heavy cutter won't hurt your traction, but will lighten the steering. If you are getting stopped, you are hitting bottom!

Once you get it figured out and do it a couple times, it will a snap.

jb

 

[Bird]

how can you tell if your cutter is level or not?

I used to check to see if mine was level simply by setting a carpenter's level on top of it. Of course that was in the shop building when I hooked it up, so I knew the tractor was sitting on level concrete.

 

[Oldmax]

You have brush hog in the ground they won't cut that way just throw rocks & make dust.
I set mine at about 5" make sure brust hog is level might have to adjust back wheel also . If you are cutting pasture field might want to cut about 9" that way you are cutting weeds not grass .