Hoggin' & 4110's---good idea?

al3 · Jun 5, 2005

Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

As long as its raining (again/still)….. I’ve got a bit of lake grass and some wood brush (wild berry bushes, small birch/maple brush etc…) to maintain now that I’ve made firebreaks. Not a lot, in the neighborhood of 1-1.5 acres. Looking for some first hand reports about using small rotary cutters on the rear end of the smaller Deere’s. On paper, the 40 inch Bush Hog (brand name this time-) looks good for winding through the woods. Do the LX4 and the like work ok on limited amounts of brush and an occasional 3 foot tall tree? Don't have enough tractor to go with the heavy duty types, I believe.

The terrain is flat but is pocked with frost heaves. Not sure if my 4110 will have the oomph to drive a hog well enough to take on this task. Thks…

RalphVa · Jun 5, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

I just push over 2-3" diameter treees with the loader and run over them with the LX4 on my 4010. One tree pushed back a bit once. Had to stab the differential lock to get it off. It's probably safer to push them over and then back over them with the LX4.

Ralph

prosperity · Jun 5, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

I run a Bush Hog Squealer 48" behifd my 2210 with no trouble - it easily cuts stuff 2 1/2".
Using it with a loader makes good sense - for pushing stuff over first, and for the weight.
If I run without my loader, I put suitcase weights on the front.

al3 · Jun 6, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

Thanks. What is it you guys are cutting? Heavy grass, light brush, combo? Any issues with "light" construction? Using slipper clutches or pins?
Sounds like I can get away it. Going to be weaving between trees, so < 48" wouldn't be too bad of a thing anyways.

RalphVa · Jun 6, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

I mostly mow trails with mine but am also mowing underneath the drip line of my black walnut trees. A couple black walnut had some trees growing too close to them; so, I just pushed them over and chopped them up in one grove area. I'm still kinda figuring out what to do with the other grove. Think they may be a rare tree called yellowwood. Still observing them to figure out for sure.

Any smaller Russian/Autumn olives I push over or run the LX4 over them backwards. They're one of our prime nonnative invasive species around here that can really spread.

I went with a shear pin, no slip clutch based on my neighbor's old JD brush hog going 30 years with a shear pin.

The LX4 is too light construction to run around my hills and dips and rises with the top link inflexibility that it has. Thought I was gonna bend something when I first used it and went over some dips and rises. So, I went to a chain in place of the top link. It only gives me trouble by allowing the blade to drop into the sand along the creek bank when I back it back too far such that the trail wheel drops down. Found the hydros protect it when the blade gets too deep into sand. They slow the PTO down. Guess if I got into really heavy grass, it might do the same thing, but this hasn't happened. It just cuts through anything I run it over.

Ralph

Wannafish · Jun 7, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

I find my 60" J.D. heavy duty rotary cutter to work fine behind my 4010 with only a shear pin, though I am considering installing a clutch.
When engaging the PTO with the cutter attached I need the engine rpms above an idle or the engine will stall. The PTO engages so abruplty I have to wonder if it is hard on it. I have broken the driveshaft mount on the tractor in the past by engaging my tiller with the engine at full throttle /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif (won't do that again /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif), hence my concern.
For what it's worth, I bought the rotary cutter (used) from the same dealer I bought the tractor from, and he was aware I was going to use it on the 4010.

I'm not really offering much advice, just something to think about...especially when you have no hydraulics (due to the pump's drive shaft mount breaking resulting in no hydraulic pressure).

Ledgemere Farm · Jun 7, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

That's good to know. I always heard the gearbox and the sheet metal was too light for mowing brush with the LX4. I want one, but was hesitant to buy it only to break it. I have 1-3" saplings and rocks. How does the LX4 handle rocks?

RalphVa · Jun 7, 2005

Re: Hoggin\' & 4110\'s---good idea?

Similar experience in starting my LX4: gotta be about 1500 rpm to avoid stalling but not much higher to not shear a pin at startup (so the manual says; haven't done it).

Haven't hit but a couple big rocks with my LX4 so far. Didn't really hit them that solid to throw them.

Have yet to remove the floppy blades for sharpening, only about 55 hours total on the tractor and probably only about half this on the LX4. I've a Farmhand impact wrench good for up to 550 ft-lb. Hopefully, it'll take the bolts loose. They're supposed to be about 450 ft-lb.

My neighbor with 30 acres over here (and 50 across the creek) asked me about mowing it over here. Her 30 year old JD 820 injection pump has given up the ghost. No spare parts for them. I'll have to figure out how long it might take me and approximate diesel usage for her to provide to see if I want to tackle it. Guess the 4010 wouldn't handle her 6' brush hog in that high grass. Its weight might waddle my tractor, too, on any uneven terrain.

Ralph