Rotary Cutter New Bush Hog Chain guard necessary???

[Bird]

Well, I've mentioned before that I used my first Bush Hog rotary cutter (just a 4' model) behind my B7100 without the guards. I was only in my own pasture, no one else anywhere in the vicinity, so I didn't figure it would be too dangerous. Sure enough, nothing hit me or the tractor, but when it shot a limb the size of my arm under the tractor and out in front of us at least 50' or more, I figure if it had hit a tire, a hydraulic line, etc. there would have been some damage. I made myself some guards for front and back.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Hello all

I am buying a new 8 foot 3 point hitch bush hog, a front chain guard is available for $175 extra, I will be pulling it with a cab tractor is the chain a good investment to help keep from being hit from a rock or other debris being thrown out the front or is this not necessary? The dealer did say they did not sell many of the guards?

Thanks

The chain guard is a very good idea. I have one and suggest if you have the $$, get it. It may save you and your loved ones from the damage that a flying object might cause.
Bob

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Chain guards aren't any more "neccisary" than seat belts in your car, a smoke detector in your house, or having your blood pressure checked.

If in the course of everyday life, if you never have ANY problems, they're a waste of money. But who do you know that goes through life without ever having ANY problems?

You can take your chances and go without. Maybe you'll get away with it, maybe not. You can add rubber belts that PROBABLY will do the same job.

Home-made chain guards, if built correctly, do just as good of a job as OEM.

The intent of chains (vs rubber belts) is to allow an object to exit from under the mower, but in a controlled manner. Belts MAY keep the object under the mower longer, increasing to chances of breaking a blade, sending it flying.

Insurance companies consider chains the ultimate in protection. I own a mowing business like LoneCowboy. Most of my business is mowing property being managed by a court ordered conservator. By the nature of their business, protecting themselves legally is a prime consideration. They have specs for contractors mowing for them. They require chains. I've bid on a few state and federal contracts. The bid specs stipulate using chain guards.

Now if you're not going to be mowing under the same circumstances as I am, you can roll the dice and NOT use chains, but should you choose to operate in what is considered to be the safest manner possible (Insurance industry risk management studies) , they are the best way to go.

 

[JohninCT]

I would HIGHLY recommend some sort of guards (especially on rear). Last week I was mowing an area we are trying to develop as a pasture. My wife was backing up her Jeep to move her horse trailer. She must have been about 100 to 150 ft away at the time when a pretty good sized rock sailed though the open car windows and hit her in the back of the head. I didn't even hear a rock hit the blades. Next thing I know is she is hollering to me as I'm mowing holding her hand to her head with blood streaming down her arm. I shut the tractor off and rushed her to the med center to get 3 staples to close the cut. We both thank God that she didn't have her head turned at the time to look where she was backing.

Next day I made some guards front and rear from strips of horse stall mat. This seems to work good. Also, from now on nobody (people or animals) is anywhere near the area where I'm mowing. This was a very scary close call that could have been a lot worse.

 

[RalphVa]

I went with chain guards on the front and left them off the rear, because all my mowing is done is areas away from buildings or people, generally about 100' lower elevation than any of the houses.

If you plan to mow anywhere near anything or commercially, I'd put chain guards front and rear. I almost got killed when a bush hog threw something that made something like a 50 caliber hole in the side of my drivers' side door while driving across "alligator alley" in Florida. Luckily, it hit just below the window.

The machine was missing some of its chain links and there was actually a small hole in the deck of the mower. The highway patrol sent both machines back to the shop, and the owners ended up paying about $1,000 to fix my car.

I see commercial machines all the time around here with that deflector in the "up" position on the discharge or using a brush hog along the road without a rear guard. I used to stop and tell them or call their company. They're still doing it. Someone will get killed some day. THEN, maybe someone will require that they all use mulching mowers with no discharges. In my mind, along highways, they should all be using flail or sickle mowers.

Ralph

 

[NetworkMD]

Thanks for the great feedback, I am going with the chains. It will be well worth it if it possibly saves an injury or major damage. It is avail ready made as an option for the cutter I am ordering so it would be set up and ready to go for $175

Thanks again

 

[Normanc]

I just purchased a used Bush Hog 480 for by BX24. It doesn't have either a front or rear deflector. Reading this thread I understand that chains are the answer. Does anyone have plans or a picture or two to show how they build theirs?

 

[foggy1111]

I built a chain guard for the front of my KK lite duty 5 footer over the winter. I just finished doing about 3 acres of brush hogging with it. I went through some pretty heavy brush (up to 3" stuff) and it held up just fine. I am not sure how necessary the front guard is....but I figure if I can see the blade tips from the tractor seat (without a guard) then those blades could hit me with some trash....therefore I now have a guard....and no problems to report. I made mine from some scrap chains and about $35 in steel. Just remember to postion your chains so that they don't drape back into the cutter blade (as shown by my pics)....or they will be shortened for you. I was not as concerned with a rear guard....as I will keep people away when brush hogging...and my land is pretty remote. BUT....trash DOES FLY out the back of the cutter FWIW. Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

I used to hog with my 8n and a 5' kk hog.. there is no back protection.. just a pan seat on an 8n.. so i was getting pelted by debri often.. I made a deflector with truck mud flaps.. and love them.

soundguy

 

[The Dougster]

The need for some kind of guard, both front and back IMHO, is a no brainer... buy or build guards and use them, you won't be sorry.