hogging clumps

[Freds]

A while back I mentioned hogging some 4-5 ft. tall grass in my back field. I didn't do it all, but rather made 10 ft. wide paths. It probably looks pretty interesting from the air. I figure I'll cut the rest in the fall when it dies off. A few days ago I lowered my BH to where it is supposed to have more of a mulching action and tried to go over the same areas and "groom" them up so there isn't the clumps of long grass that was spit out the back of the BH. The tractor didn't do too well and the going was tougher than when I first hogged it. I hate to take my RFM back there because there are quite a few areas where the blades can contact the ground. Does anyone know of a way that I can make these paths a little more walkable and better looking? A rake device maybe to get the clumps and cut grass off to the side of the path or maybe find a farmer who can run a hay baler over the paths and pick the grass up entirely? Next year I'll know not to let it go so long, but I need to start somewhere.

Fred

 

[hazmat]

Unless you are looking for a reason to buy a new implement, try letting it sit for a week or two to dry out a bit, then go back over it at the origional height.

 

[Golfgar4]

It may take a little time, but if you do a search for "bush hogging", you should be able to find a lot of information. I recall comments being made about the difference in mowing results when you tip the front of the bush hog down and when you tip the back down. One way gives a more "finished" cut, but I'm not sure which way does what.

 

[normde2001]

You didn't mention what size tractor and rotary cutter you have, but grass (weeds) lying on the ground normally should not be a problem. Maybe you just need to gear down and take it a little slower. Also a box blade will cure the problem of the mower hitting the ground.

 

[Bird]

Front end higher, back end lower = more mulching and chops thing finer, have to go slower.

Back end higher, front end lower = faster cutting and blows the cut stuff out the back.

 

[Golfgar4]

Thanks Bird! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Now all I have to do is remember for the next three years /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif until I get my own rotary cutter (with a tractor attached to the front of it!) /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

A little side note - Last night I was sitting in my favorite spot doing some catch up reading, and the wife was watching some British (BBC) show. At one point I glanced up to see what it was all about - a show called Ground Force (gardening stuff - quite funny actually!) - and I saw a tractor driving by in the background. Couldn't tell what kind it was, but there was one of those rotary cutter's with a skirt around it hanging off the back. I just kinda half spoke under my breath..."Oh, there's one of those slasher's!" My wife asks what I just said. I explained that in the U.K. and Down Under (Hi Neal!) they call rotary cutters "slashers". She gave me a /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif look, and I went back to my reading and she went back to her watching. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Kodiak]

Hi Garry:
If it had a skirt around it, Could it have been a disk mower?

 

[Golfgar4]

Hi Russ,

Yeah, you're probably right. I remember seeing a picture of one of these somewhere, and it was by a manufacturer of all kinds of mowers. I just don't remember if that's what it was called, but I would expect it is because I haven't seen a lot of these anywhere else.

But knowing the proper name of it wouldn't have made any difference. I still would've gotten the /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif look! /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[Hoeman00]

If u made 2 passes to get the path cut, go one way on the first pass and turn around for the 2nd pass.
It will throw the cuttings to the outside just like RFM.This leaves middle more clear.

 

[BKColeman]

<font color=blue>a show called Ground Force (gardening stuff - quite funny actually!)</font color=blue>

I watch that almost every night. It is very funny. They're getting ready to start a US version - Ground Force New York.

They do such little lots there in England (most smaller than a garage), they'd have a heart attack if they saw the size lot that most of us have on this board.

--Brad