Chains on Brush Hog, Revisited

[have_blue]

A while back someone mentioned (maybe on my X forum?) a brush hog with a nice chain instead of the steel straps to brace the A frame on a brush hog he saw.

I have a brand new 6' brush hog, and the first time I used it I ran the wheel up on a levee. Well, it bent the 2 big straps that brace the A frame. They're brutally strong in tension, but putty in compression. Now they're ugly and bent and I want to get rid of them.

Is there a down side to using strong chains for this purpose? I can overcome tension and attachment problems, no sweat. Is there anything that could ambush me if I discard those straps and replace them with chains?

Many thanks,

 

[DavidJ]

The only thing is the lift pins can loosen due to the pivoting of the frame with the chains. Just keep them checked.

Another alternative is to either drill out the frame and put a spacer on the pins or to get shouldered pins so the nuts will remain tight and the frame will still pivot.

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue">Is there anything that could ambush me if I discard
those straps and replace them with chains? </font>

One logical benefit of the setup you have, Is that if you ar going up a hill and the tractor gets a little light in the front end? The straps could possibly keep the tractor from flipping backward?? (sorta like wheelies on drag cars)--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co *Now 2 locations to better serve you*

 

[JimMc]

Most manufacturers design the lift straps to operate just as yours did. As you know, in order to provide terrain compliance the cutter must pivot at the hitch. The straps and the pivoting link, when properly set up, allow this to happen. However, when the linkage is stuck or runs out of travel, something else must give. That something else can be the toplink, the straps, or the cutter deck. If it is the toplink, normally it bends one of the threaded ends into a little "J" and it must be replaced. When you straighten it the threads no longer work. If it is the deck or tailwheel, that can be expensive. The straps are not only straightenable by hand, but cheap to replace if you want a nice looking cutter. It basically comes down to what you want to fail when things go wrong.

Chain is an option, but for a manufacturer, expensive when compared to the strap, plus a lot of slack on a slope could put the chain in reach of the PTO. Not a good situation.

Most of the strap designs allow enough travel that any overtravel begins to enter the envelope of being too much angle for the PTO to take, both in terms of angle on the joints and compression to the point of bottoming out. Depending on the severity of your bent parts, I might take a look at the PTO to make sure it is straight and the joints are in good shape.

In a flip up situation, there is no way for those straps to prevent a roll over. Even if they did, the toplink would probably fail.

 

[have_blue]

Thanks for the reply Jim. Good food for thought!

The proposed chains would be nowhere near the drive shaft, and would always be tight unless I ran my tail wheel up on a bump. Even then, the chains could never get inside the drive shaft guard.

I didn't even notice it when I bent my straps. I felt my wheel going up on the gentle slope of the levee, but never heard or felt anything violent. I got a nasty surprise when I was unhitching the brush hog. Nothing else was damaged or bent, and probably not even stressed.

Thanks again!

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The straps could possibly keep the tractor from flipping backward?? (sorta like wheelies on drag cars)--Ken Sweet )</font>

Ken,

HA! Not these straps! They are made of cheese-soft cold rolled steel! I can bend them with my hands!

That's why I think chains may work. Maybe I'm wrong.

Actually, my land is flat as a pancake aside from 1/4 mile of levees. It was a stupid accident hitting one. I shouldn't have even been close to it.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I used to have an old 60" Howse rotary cutter that had a chain running from the rear wheel to the A-Frame. I never had any problems with the chain dropping down far enough to come into contact with the PTO shaft, but now that I think about it I wonder if it could happen, and worse what would happen if it did! Anyway, I don't have that unit anymore and I have lots of steep hills and bumps and ruts and whatnot and it never gave me any problems. I will also say, I did not use it a lot which is why I ultimately sold it.

 

[ScottAR]

My bush hog cutter has a chain instead of the straps. works fine. It's only gotten near the pto once. I heard it rub on the guard and readjusted the hitch. No problems. For a light duty cutter, I can't see a better system.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My bush hog cutter has a chain instead of the straps. works fine. It's only gotten near the pto once. I heard it rub on the guard and readjusted the hitch. No problems. For a light duty cutter, I can't see a better system. )</font>

OK, that's it! All bets are off! Going to buy some chain! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks Scott!

 

[ScottAR]

I could snap some pics if need be. Let me know.

 

[Slamfire]

My hog has a 6" section of chains fitted into the straps. I'd be willing to post a photo if you want.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My hog has a 6" section of chains fitted into the straps. I'd be willing to post a photo if you want. )</font>

Thanks for the offers Scott and SlamFire, but I should be OK. The project is very simple, and will be really easy to do providing I can find a couple of small but strong turnbuckles. I guess that's the only easy way to tension the chains a little and compensate for any stretch in the chains.

 

[ScottAR]

Mine doesn't use any turnbuckles. The entire 3pt "tower" pivots on the deck. The chain runs from the top, over the gearbox, to the deck near the tail wheel mount.

The chain is tensioned by adjusting the hitch, deck height, and top link length. You want the chain somewhat taught, but not holding the deck up. Harder to explain than to do. HTH

 

[Bob_Skurka]

ScottAR...your set up sounds like what I used to have on my cutter. No turnbuckles. Just a chain from the top of the A frame to the rear wheel.

 

[normde2001]

"You want the chain somewhat taught, but not holding the deck up."

Is the chain used in addition to, or instead of, a swiveling (flexible) toplink hookup? The deck needs to be able to drop down in the back as well as rise with the terrain, either by the flex connection or slack in the chain.

 

[have_blue]

<Norm> "The deck needs to be able to drop down in the back as well as rise with the terrain, either by the flex connection or slack in the chain."

Norm,

I wish to duplicate what the steel strap does. Only difference, when the wheel is lifted against the strap and runs out of slack in the top link, it compresses backward and gets an ugly bend. The chain would temporarily go slack, but wouldn't hang down far or be dangerous.

All the strap seems to do is triangulate and hold the hitch frame upright. The chain would do the same thing, I hope. The straps and the chains are the same strength in compression...near zero! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just a thought. My BB72 weighs over 700 pounds, and is quite long back there. I bet those chains will take a pounding. I better choose strong chains and do a good welding job.

 

[ScottAR]

The chain is used instead of the swivel. I didn't explain the taughtness very well so here goes again. At ride height, the chain has some droop but isn't touching anything. This gives enough slack for most bumps and changes in grade.