Bending telescopic stabilizer on 3pt hitch

[NRR]

I am on my third telescopic stabilizers, every time I put our brush hog on I bend one of them. They had been installed uneven by a previous employee, I evened them out thinking I solved the problem, but yesterday I ran the brush hog and bent another stabilizer. Any input on what I am doing wrong would be great.
Thanks

 

[KennyV]

How can you bend One... I can see that it may be possible to bend the Pair...

 

[Yooperman]

Somehow I recently bent one on my BX25. I thought I would have to buy a new one. But, I have a 20 ton HF press and thought what the heck, I have nothing to lose by trying to straighten it myself. Amazingly, I was able to straighten it like new. So, if you have a press or know someone who does, you may not be out of luck. And... good luck to you.

 

[AStanton]

NRR,
You probably already checked this, but if you haven't: Check the two pins on the Hog that get the snap rings. If one pin has a lot of play, it can give stress to the other. May sure the nuts are snug, both in and out.
Hope this helps.

 

[Grandad4]

NRR, some pictures might help others visualize where and how the 3pt arms are getting bent. It would take something pretty extreme to constantly bend the arms like that. Examples I can think of:
a) Slamming into immovable objects with the cutter deck when turning.
b) Having too much slop in the side-to-side adjustment so the bush hog gets thrown back 'n forth hard as you mow.
I've been running a 6 ft. bush hog behind my Kub for more than 10 years now and the 3 pt. setup works like new.

 

[birch]

Both the telescopic stabilizers on my B2710 have also bent. I borrowed the stabilizers from my B3030 and they also ended up bent. I have no idea why they are bending but the mower does seem like a good suspect. I just pounded the stabilizers with a maul (not attached to the tractor, of course) and that straightened them enough.

 

[94BULLITT]

I am on my third telescopic stabilizers, every time I put our brush hog on I bend one of them. They had been installed uneven by a previous employee, I evened them out thinking I solved the problem, but yesterday I ran the brush hog and bent another stabilizer. Any input on what I am doing wrong would be great.
Thanks

Do you have the lift arms tight against the pin on the bush hog so the cutter cannot move side to side?

 

[Bluegill2]

I use mine pretty hard and have never had one bend.
But I do set them where the mower doesn't slam back and forth.

 

[crazyal]

I figure the way they work is that their strength is when force tries to stretch them. Mine have slotted holes that I try to utilize that so they don't see force trying to compress (and bend them).

 

[SDT]

I am on my third telescopic stabilizers, every time I put our brush hog on I bend one of them. They had been installed uneven by a previous employee, I evened them out thinking I solved the problem, but yesterday I ran the brush hog and bent another stabilizer. Any input on what I am doing wrong would be great.
Thanks

Are the attachment pins DIRECTLY opposite from the lower lift arm attachment point?

SDT