Brush Hog Safety Gaurds

[8N_John]

I recently purchased a Ford 951 Brush Hog (5'). The previous owner removed the safety guards because he said it cut better that way. I have never used a brushhog before. 99% of my mowing will be grass/weeds. Is there a serious threat of injury with using the brushhog without the guards? Do most people operate without them? Anyone heard of operators becoming injured this way??

If I do go with a guard, what is the best kind to get?

 

[Bird]

John, a lot of people mow without the guards, and may never have a problem, but as with taking risks in any activity, there also may be serious consequences. The first time I mowed my pasture I had no guards on my brush hog; just light weeds and grass to mow, although some of it was under some pecan trees. There was a little dead limb in the grass that I didn't see and when that little 4' brush hog shot a piece about the size of my arm out in front of me about 50', I decided I needed the guards. Imagine the force it would take to throw something low enough to go under a little tractor and yet stay in the air 50'. I think it if had hit a tire, hydraulic line, etc. under the tractor, there definitely would have been some damage. I've not personally known of anyone injured by flying debris from a brush hog (although I've heard of it happening), but I've personally known of damage to buildings from it. There's a considerable possibility of damage to anything or anyone within 100', or more, of a mower without guards.

The best guards, in my opinion, are chain guards. They can be a bit expensive, but I made my own for two brush hogs. Next best is probably those made from something like conveyor belt material (rubber and fiber).

 

[Soundguy]

First.. that 951 ford brushhog is a workhorse. i had a 4' one and love it.. super duty in my book.

On many modern tractors, the geometry is shuch that the backside of the operator isn't in a good path for debri to be thrown out of the mower at your head or backside. Add to that full back seats, and you are usually ok.

Now.. on an an old ford I can tell you from personal experience.. debri, can and soes make it out. I got poppe dinthe back by a piece of bark.. nothing but a bruise.. but I made a brush guard the next day. Also.. the brush guard ( bruse guard?) keeps your clothes a bit cleaner as there is less dust out the front of the machine.

Her's a pic of one I made.. cost about 11 bucks.. made it from a truck mudflap, some odds n end nuts and bolts, and a few feet of perfed angle iron from the hardware store.

Soundguy

 

[8N_John]

Soundguy- Just curious if you had to cut your PTO shaft after installing the PTO clutch to get it to work with your 951. I'm hoping I won't have to..

 

[Holzster]

My dad thought the gaurd was an over kill. But after he replaced 3 windows that were 70-80 feet away from where he was - he uses one now!

 

[Soundguy]

No.. my 8n and NAA have full range of lift with the ORC in place. Be safe though, and measure yours.

My big tractor an mower is a tad different. I can only pick my 10' mower up about 18" before the shaft completely compresses... course.. I never raise it that high on the 3pt anyway.. but one day I need to cut a few inches off either side of that shaft... one day...

Soundguy

 

[Henro]

Along with guards on the rotary cutter itself...a guard on the tractor is used by some too.

Overkill maybe, but after seeing that some who do a lot of brush hogging use them, I decided to put one on my tractor...

Here's a previous thread...

Probably was a waste of time for me to make one, since I don't use the rotary cutter enough to have a high likelyhood of a worst case event...but you just never know...