BUSHHOG SQUEALER SEEMS STUCK

[djdowd]

I was cutting a field with the bushhog SQ600 today, first time in about a year. After about 1/2 hr, I'm having difficulty engaging the PTO. When I lift up on the clutch, the engine drags. Seems the bushhog is somehow stuck. I inspect underneath and it's all clear. Any suggestions?

 

[john_bud]

Take off the PTO shaft and spin the blade carrier by hand. You may have an obstruction that is up under the carrier. If no obstruction, the gears may have taken a dump on you.

jb

 

[djdowd]

I disconnected the drive shaft from the pto. The pto turns ok. I'm not able to turn the bushhog drive shaft. underneath is clean though. whats the next step?

 

[AndyMA]

I disconnected the drive shaft from the pto. The pto turns ok. I'm not able to turn the bushhog drive shaft. underneath is clean though. whats the next step?

I've had the same thing happen and at first glance everything looks clear. Uppon closer inspection I found in one case baleing twine and in another barb wire wrapped very tightly around the shaft under the stump jumper. Both were a bit** to remove. I cut them out in small pieces and used vicegrips. Also check fluid level. It could also be a problem with the gear box..hope not.

Andy

 

[zzvyb6]

Was it squealing by any chance ?

 

[Bird]

My brother was using my tractor and Bush Hog Squealer when he got barbed wire wrapped securely in it. He said it ruined what had been a good day until then, and it got even worse when he discovered he was lying in a nest of fire ants cutting that barbed wire out. He got over 100 stings.

Later, when I had a Howse 500 rotary cutter, I once noticed that the tractor engine seemed to be laboring when I was only cutting relatively light grass and weeds. That time I found that I had picked up a substantial amount of rope that was thoroughly wound around the stump jumper.

 

[john_bud]

Next step is to flip the cutter over and inspect closer. If you find nothing, even under the stump jumper you will have to remove the gear box and repair the damage.

jb

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto what the others said.

I've found football sized rocks wedged under the stump jumper. alternately, an input or output bearing may have siezed.. or could be wire entanglement.. watch out about that.. .. it will eat a seal fast!

soundguy

 

[bjcsc]

Something is not adding up. The Squealers are called Squealers because they have slip clutches. If you have an obstruction beyond the clutch (gears, stump jumper pan, etc.) you should be smoking the clutch when you engage the PTO. Have you tried another PTO driven implement to verify your PTO is OK?

 

[Bird]

The Squealers are called Squealers because they have slip clutches.

I've never heard where the Squealer name came from but they don't all have a slip clutch. Neither the 4' Squealer I bought in 1995, nor the 5' one my cousin bought a few years later had a slip clutch. The Bush Hog website still shows them to have a shearbolt in the 3.5' and 4' models, shearbolt with "optional" slip clutch on the 5' and 6' models, and only the 7' model (SQ184) has the slip clutch as standard equipment.

 

[Farmerford]

djdowd:

I think your Squealer 600 is identical to my Squealer 480 with a 12" larger deck and 6" longer blades.


If so, to the rear of the gearbox is 3" diameter hole in the upper deck for removing the nuts that hold the blade bolts.

Put a small mirror in the hole so you can look around, mostly toward the gearbox. You should be able to see if there is any obstruction. If the mower is not making unusual noise (as it would probably do if there were a stone or large metal object lodged), you may have a thick vine, baling twine, rope, or barbed wire wrapped around the shaft to the extent that it is rubbing against the mower deck.

If you are lucky and it is one of the above, you will probably have to remove the blade carrier to get it out. Unless you have a cooperative mate with very small hands who can get cutting pliers between the stump jumper and the mower deck.

The nut holding the blade carrier/stump jumper onto the gearbox shaft is Metric 24MM, but a 1 3/8" socket will turn it. The real challenge is getting the cotter key out.

 

[djdowd]

Thanks for the help. It'll have to wait until next weekend. I'll flip it over and inspect closer. It wasn't making any noises - at least any I could hear.

 

[AndyMA]

I still bet on something wrapped around the shaft above the stump jumper. As I said earlier it is hard to see and a bear to remove.

Andy

 

[bjcsc]

I've never heard where the Squealer name came from but they don't all have a slip clutch. Neither the 4' Squealer I bought in 1995, nor the 5' one my cousin bought a few years later had a slip clutch. The Bush Hog website still shows them to have a shearbolt in the 3.5' and 4' models, shearbolt with "optional" slip clutch on the 5' and 6' models, and only the 7' model (SQ184) has the slip clutch as standard equipment.

Hey, I never knew that. I stand corrected. When I bought mine it had a slip clutch and the other Bush Hog 6' that wasn't a "Squealer" did not. I guess I made that assumption all these years...must just have to do with pigs...