Lower brush hog 3point attachments for BX24?

[Skyco]

Ok I bought a KingKutter 4' rotary mower/brush hog for my BX24.
The mounts for the 3 point attachment seem to be pretty high off the ground. As a result I can't pick it up very high before I run out of travel. In fact I can't get it on my trailer when attached so I have to pick it up with a sling and the FEL and sit it on the trailer.
I'm thinking of dragging out the plasma cutter and welder and lowering the mounting pins about 4-6". Of course I'll cut down the whole 3pnt "tower" so the top link attachment retains the proper relationship.
Anyone see any problem with doing this? Have I missed anything?
TIA

Oh yeah- that thing was a royal PITA to assemble, didn't know I was buying a kit. I couldn't get the back stay arm holes to line up, trashed a 1200lb comealong pulling things into alignment..

 

[ChuckinNH]

My neighbor dropped the lower mounting holes on his Brushhog Squealer 4' cutter about 4" for his BX23, and it seems to be working fine for him. It did give him the lift that he needed.

 

[Skyco]

Did it last night. Cut 4.5 inches off the height with the plasma cutter and of course had to redrill 6ea 3/4" holes in the various parts...1/2" and 3/8" inch thick steel bars...glad I had a good drill press!

Haven't tried it yet, maybe today.

 

[pemad]

Did it last night. Cut 4.5 inches off the height with the plasma cutter and of course had to redrill 6ea 3/4" holes in the various parts...1/2" and 3/8" inch thick steel bars...glad I had a good drill press!

Haven't tried it yet, maybe today.

All you needed to do is move the pins to the lower bolt holes. I had to ream the hole out to get the pins to fit but worked awesome on my BX2200 when I owned it !

 

[Skyco]

Wow! That would be a lot of reaming...about a total of 1" thick steel on each side, changing that 3/4" hole to 1" hole Then there is still the question of the top link that would be about 7 inches higher in relationship to the lower pin holes, not sure if that would still be ok or not. I think it is easier to make a new 3/4" hole in a 1/2" bar than try to ream an existing 3/4" hole into a 1" hole in 2 ea 1/2 bars on each side...

 

[spk64]

Did it last night. Cut 4.5 inches off the height with the plasma cutter and of course had to redrill 6ea 3/4" holes in the various parts...1/2" and 3/8" inch thick steel bars...glad I had a good drill press!

Haven't tried it yet, maybe today.

How did this work out for you?
I just purchased a 4' KK today. I added a set of 3 pt pins 4" lower. I have plenty of lift but do not like the top link position. I have to extend it fully just to give the mower a little float. I may bite the bullet and shorten everything as you did.

Thanks,

 

[Skyco]

Worked out perfectly. That was also a concern about the top link angle as you mentioned if I just added lower pins.
If I did it over I'd probably take another inch off for 5.5 to 6.0 total lowering. My only reason for that is I have to lift mine suspended with chains with the FEL to get it onto the trailer. Due to the height I have to lift it the top link tower is too close to the curl cylinder hyd fitting- makes me nervous as an unexpected bump could snap that fitting right off and drop the whole works in an eye blink.

 

[Berniep]

I lowered the pins on a JD cutter and left the tower alone. The new relationship of the lower arms to the top link caused the cutter to lift MORE in the rear at the end of the up travel and the only adverse effect that I could see was a somewhat extreme pto angle at the very top of the travel, Didn't seem to bind up but I didn't like to run it there.

 

[txkevin]

Worked out perfectly.

When you get a chance, can you snap a few pictures of your alteration? Due to limited experience with implements in general, I would be very hesitant to alter anything and pictures would really help.

 

[spk64]

I lowered the pins on a JD cutter and left the tower alone. The new relationship of the lower arms to the top link caused the cutter to lift MORE in the rear at the end of the up travel and the only adverse effect that I could see was a somewhat extreme pto angle at the very top of the travel, Didn't seem to bind up but I didn't like to run it there.

I seen in another post where the new pins were added on a KK but it appears the floating bracket for the top link was reversed. My problem with the current setup is the float is very limited. I may try reversing the bracket tonight and see how that works.

 

[spk64]

I turned the top link bracket around and that helped some but it kept going below center and locking in place.
I added a couple stop bolts and now it works great.

Now I have plenty of float and it does not go below center and lock. I also have enough lift to get it on the trailer with the top link turned all the way in. Many hours of mowing later on extremely rough ground I can say that it works perfect.

 

[Skyco]

Cool! I wonder though why the top link attachment is made to swivel, it looks to me like that it is sort of a safety so if the rear of the brush hog rides up on something it doesn't bend or overstress something. With the swivel as you picture it with the stop bolt where it is, wouldn't that feature be defeated?

I'm curious too about your chains out to the sides of the brush hog. I'm new to this so is that something I should be doing? I suppose that stops side to side stress on the 3 point hitch parts?

Note to txkevin- I'll try to get some pics of mine later today, it is dark out right now and I forgot about it yesterday

 

[spk64]

Cool! I wonder though why the top link attachment is made to swivel, it looks to me like that it is sort of a safety so if the rear of the brush hog rides up on something it doesn't bend or overstress something. With the swivel as you picture it with the stop bolt where it is, wouldn't that feature be defeated?

I'm curious too about your chains out to the sides of the brush hog. I'm new to this so is that something I should be doing? I suppose that stops side to side stress on the 3 point hitch parts?

Note to txkevin- I'll try to get some pics of mine later today, it is dark out right now and I forgot about it yesterday

The top link is all the way in and does not allow much float. In normal operation it is extended and the swivel is almost vertical allowing motion in both directions. Without this movement the mowing deck would be rigid and not be in contact with the ground unless it was perfectly flat and level.

The chains in the picture are tie downs for the trailer. They are not part of the mower.

 

[UnclePaul]

I have a B2100 FEL and 5' KK. It is an older model, same style but it does not have the floating top link. I was wondering if you took the floating bracket out and used that lower hole for the top link pin. Some drilling mite be needed. This would lower the top link. Then you have more room to shorten the top link and this raises the back of the mower. I have to do this to load on the trailer and run on the road.

 

[Berniep]

spk64:
On my little orange ok cutter the swivel system is just like yours but I let it go below center and it swivels around under and behind. So that in operation the loop with the little counterweight on it is about straight up and the pin is about below the pivot point so that I get the most float, If i explained that ok. Is your pin so long that it catches when it pivots betwen the uprights?

 

[spk64]

spk64:
On my little orange ok cutter the swivel system is just like yours but I let it go below center and it swivels around under and behind. So that in operation the loop with the little counterweight on it is about straight up and the pin is about below the pivot point so that I get the most float, If i explained that ok. Is your pin so long that it catches when it pivots betwen the uprights?

Yes, the top link pin hits the up rights. There is also a bolt if it went much further.
With the modifications made I have considerable float. I had some really rough ground 6-8" ruts and many dips and humps to mow over this past weekend (11 hours of seat time). Except for the really abrupt changes in the ground I was able to keep the tail wheel on the ground and only had to lift the mower a few times for a ditch.

 

[Skyco]

When you get a chance, can you snap a few pictures of your alteration? Due to limited experience with implements in general, I would be very hesitant to alter anything and pictures would really help.

Here ya go- sorry about the poor quality.

First pic you can see how I redrilled the bottom brace to allow for the lowered vertical parts...second pic shows the redrilled and cut off braces that go back to the rear where the whell fram mounts. The vertical parts just had 4.5 inches cut off the bottom and the mounting holes at the ends redrilled.