Mowing Bushhog question.... rear or front discharge?

[kthompson]

I not sure had ever thought much on the mower throwing say rocks forward until really reading this thread. It came to me when it is throwing something out the front such as a rock which are very very rare here, out the front the blade doing that is the half of the blade rotating back to the front to begin cutting as it comes to the front. So, part of the circle does rotate forward and if it happens and can find debris cleared seconds before. Maybe the blade rotation towards the back lifted it out the dirt or such.
But it is a real danger when debris are thrown out the front. Have read of people getting killed.
Guess one reason I like my flail mower which is offset.

 

[johneking]

My BushHog brand cutter is front discharge and I wish it was rear. Mainly because of the crap that is thrown on you while mowing. But a rear discharge would be much better backing into brush to cut. Mine pushes the brush down and the blades never touch the brush.

25+ years ago I bought my Bush Hog cutter and it too had front discharge.
After using it for a short time and having more CRAP on my tractor {and me!} I torched the back open with angles down both sides.
I left the back about an inch or so then welded a piece of 3/8" rebar from side to side for support.
With a piece of 2"X2" angle iron across the front and drilled for 1/4" bolts, I put a piece of rubber off of one of my asphalt sealing machines {around 30 durometer rubber for flexibility} across the front which flexes over "stuff" but also cut WAY DOWN the cuttings coming forward.
It is still the same way today although the rubber is no longer there as it wore out and old conveyor belting material is simply too strong/not flexible enough to last.

 

[Gord Baker]

Looking at purchasing a 5 foot bush hog for my L2502 and I'm wondering should I buy a rear or front discharge. Could anybody shed some light on the pros and cons of a rear discharge vs front discharge?

 

[Gord Baker]

Looking at purchasing a 5 foot bush hog for my L2502 and I'm wondering should I buy a rear or front discharge. Could anybody shed some light on the pros and cons of a rear discharge vs front discharge?

Get a REAR Discharge. You will not like a Front Discharge

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Brush cutters must be open in the front and in the back with a good chain skirt in the front and back. That's the best way to do it and that contains the debris the best. It also needs to be able to cut either going forwards or backwards, otherwise it's pretty worthless.

Never heard of this front discharge/rear discharge thing. Doesn't really make much sense to me either.

That would agree with my experience.

 

[Gord Baker]

Many people run them too low, wearing out the side rails.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

What I'd like to find is a side discharge brush mover, not a finish mower. Reason being is to keep pushing the crap off to the sides in case of a fire where I'd use it. Create a "burn" area if it were to happen when not leaving fuel over the entire area. Sure, it'll still burn but it won't be as bad in the end. Right now I use on of my riders for this but it takes too long.

 

[Gord Baker]

What you say makes little sense. Fire will burn it all. Plow it.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

What you say makes little sense. Fire will burn it all. Plow it.

Now if you know the terrain, how far the burn would go before our rural fire department could even get here, the few houses that would go poof and so on you'd understand why it makes sense.

 

[Gord Baker]

It wouldn't make a difference if you had side, back or front discharge.
Fuel is fuel. Plow and work up a fire break if this is your concern. Done.