Bushhogging Basics

[djradz]

Your need to "raise and lower" is the biggest reason why "check chains" have been used in many instances. With them there is almost never a need to do anything but lower the deck to the preset chain height and go, and mow and go - no need to ever look back. The front of the cutter deck floats with the rear tractor tires and the rear of the deck rides on the tail wheel. No gouges and no raising of the deck too high. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Duane,

I don't quite follow the chain idea. It was the front edge of the BH that dug into the ground and this is held in a fixed position by the lower lift arms.

Another poster wrote "On many cutters this is provided for by a short link between the cutter mast and the connection to the top link". I believe this is the set-up I have. A flat bar extends from the top link towards the back of the BH near the tail wheel. There is a short (10 inch) piece of chain that allowed the tail wheel to adjust to minor undulations on the ground. In any case, I adjusted the overall height upwards a couple inches and that pretty much solved the problem except for a couple major drop offs.

Rick

 

[Alan L.]

In my wooded area I spend more time backing the cutter than going forward. It cuts very well both ways.

My cutter leaks down a little while mowing. I notice the skid plates digging in. I just stop and raise the deck all the way and drop it back down and I'm good to go for another few rounds before doing it again.

I normally use setting 5 on the control on my 2710.

 

[bmac]

Alan and Bird,
Thanks for the replies. I didn't know if going in backwards would be more likely to shoot stuff out the front (i.e., towards me) or not. Don't actually own a brush cutter (nor tractor, for that matter. However, this I am hoping will be remedied by next week. Waiting for parts.), but will probably rent one at first when I take delivery of the 29D. I hope the rental units have chain guards - may not rent one if they don't.

 

[djradz]

Rick, with check chains, the front of the deck is no longer fixed because the adjustment lever for the lower links is set all the way down. However, the lower links never get there. The chains instead, which come from the front of the deck, hold the position. The links, since they're set to be all the way down, just float along. They don't move much, but it's enough to keep the deck from digging in or raising the front to high.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Duane,

If you ever get the opportunity, please photograph and post your setup.

Rick

 

[djradz]

Here's the setup on my mower. My brush hog has exactly the same setup minus the trurnbuckles.

check chains

 

[Anonymous Poster]

OK, I assume you can set your 3PH to free float. Therefore the chains are what is limiting the forward part of the BH from striking the ground.

If your lift arms are not free floating, then I don't understand what the chains would do.

In my case, I can't free float the lift arms. they stay solidly where I set them.

 

[JeepOne]

rdam, free floating is not what we're talking about here. I use the check chains for position control. With the chains connected and adjusted, I'll let the 3PH down as far as it will go and it will be limited by the chains. This way I can always return to the exact same position every time no matter how many times I raise and lower it. Also, it will eliminate the 3PH creep (hyd leakage) which normally happens over time. Without the chains, I would have to guess as to the last position of the blades to ensure the cut is to the same height as before. Hope this helps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ken

 

[djradz]

rdam, unless you have down-pressure on your 3-pt, which I don't think many if any CUT's do, your lower arms will float as long as you set them all the way down. To check this. With your tractor running, put your tractor in neutral, with brakes locked, or whatever else you think you need to do to safely walk behind the tractor with it running, and try this: Lower the 3-point position lever all the way down, or to some very low position, then, lift one or more of the arms by hand. They should go up relatively easy, and fall back down to their starting position when let go of. If you can manually raise and lower them (remember, with the position lever set low) then your unit will float.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

top link question:

I just purchased a Woods brand bush hog/rotary mower and am having some difficulty setting up the BH to run properly. The question is about the top link.

There appears to be two ways to attach the top link. I am using a solid connector to my Kubota tractor.

One way is to have the top link in a downward position. When the tractor dips and the mower is higher than the tractor, the top link applies pressure against it's stop and actually flexes the thin metal ribs going to the back of the mower from the top link.

In the other position, I have the solid connector from the tractor fully extended, so the top link rides above it's center point. When the tractor dips and the mower is still high, the top link just swivels backward, and no pressure is applied to the mower.

My question is... which way is the correct way to attach the top link, and what is the function of the top link?

Thank you!

 

[normde2001]

Re: top link question:

I believe the part you are referring to as the "solid connector" to the tractor is the top link. The back of the top link attaches to the top of the link on the cutter, which swings at the bottom. Generally, with the cutter sitting level the top link should be adjusted so the link it attaches to is straight up. This allows the cutter to follow the contours of the ground to some degree. The sole purpose of the 3pt., (top link) is to lift the implement.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: top link question:

Thats right,you don't even need it to mow.Try it with it and than try it without it and you will see this.I have achain on mine that I hook up when I want to lift it and unhook it when I mow,it lets the rear of the cutter follow the ground.I can hook and unhook the chain from the seat. RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[kemartin3]

Re: top link question:

Yes, you can mow without a toplink, but be VERY careful. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I learned that lesson the hard way. I was mowing with the toplink removed shortly after buying my tractor. I was having a problem with the front edge of the cutter digging into the ground when I went down through a dip, so I started using the 3PT to raise the front end of the cutter slightly as the rear wheels passed through the bottom of the dip. It worked great...for a while. Then one time as I crested the lip on the far side of the dip, and didn't let the 3PT back down quick enough, the front edge of the cutter caught in the tread of the rear tire. The result was a bent up cutter, a bent 3PT arm, and a bent 3PT lift linkage. Thank goodness, it didn't crack the differential casing where the 3PT arms pivot. But as it was, the two 3PT parts were $300, and the mower has never been quite the same. A 12 lb. sledge got it pretty straight, but.... Now I use a chain in place of the top link, and a pair of check chains to keep the front of the mower from digging in. That seems to be the best solution to an imperfect situation: that a 3PT mower doesn't perfectly follow the rise and fall of the rear wheels. Hope this helps.

Kevin

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: top link question:

Thanks for that info,I'll double check this on mine.I don't think that could happen because I got a good bit of clearence,but I need to think about this the next time I cut,one thing I got to be carefull of is if I raise it to high with out the top link the front edge will hit the driveshaft of the cutter.its best not to raise it at all untill you put the chain back on but I got dips to so I know what you mean,its easy to forget what you shouldn't do. RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[djradz]

Re: top link question:

As Kevin notes, if you use the check chains, with or without any type of top link, you'll be OK since your lower links are set all the way down. If your coming out of and extreme dip, then the top link would be needed to lift the deck, but then the back trailer wheel will be coming off the ground. Check chains with some type of flexible or swivel type top link connection is the best setup you can attain short of a 4 caster-wheeled deck and a flexible top link.