OK how do I set up my bushhog

[frigman]

I,m new at this bushhog thing sooo when I have the hog in the cutting position where should the crazy wheel be at . Should it dangle in the air or should it ride on the ground. Should all the weight be carried by the three point or does the front half carry on the hitch and the back half carry on the crazy wheel. I gotta let these farmers around here think I know what I,m doing----my wife---of course---knows different.

 

[Doc_Bob]

My little rear wheel is on the ground when I am cutting. Controls the height of the cut at the rear end.
Bob

 

[alvanko]

The "crazy wheel" should be in full contact with the ground. I like to set the drop on the 3-point arms to stop with the front of the "hog" slightly lower then the rear. I adjust the center top link to the center point of the hog elongated hole (your model may vary). Does this make sense?

 

[EddieWalker]

The tail wheel (crazey wheel) rides on the ground like everyone has said.

What you need to do is park your tractor on a level area. Your driveway, or a clear road works great for this. Then adjust your lift arms so the mower is level. It doesn't have to be perfect, just close enough to the eye is fine.

Now you need to decide if it's too low, too high or perfect for cutting what you want to cut. I like mine so it cuts at around 3 inches, but there's no rule as to what is best. Taller will be easier and less chance that you will damage your blades, gearbox or shaft. Lower will give you a nicer, lawn type look, but it's more prone to hit things while cutting.

You adjust the height of the cutter by raising or lower the tail wheel. It's pretty easy to do, so don't worry if it's not right the first few times. The fun part is in trying different heights.

When you have it at the height you like and the mower is level again, you can adjust your toplink. You want it loose enough so the mower will follow the ground while you are mowing. When the tractor goes over a hill, or a low spot, the mower should pivot and follow the contour of the ground.

I set mine so it's as loose as possible, but still allow me to pick up the mower when I have to.

Be sure to grease that tail wheel every time you use it. It really does make a difference!!!

Eddie

 

[quicksandfarmer]

If it is set up properly it will cut a lot better; if it's not set up right you're cutting will be really uneven and will chew up the ground. It took me a few months to get to where I feel I have it somewhat correct.

What you want is for the mower to follow the terrain as closely as possible. If you imagine a triangle formed by the mower's wheel and the two rear wheels of the tractor, the mower should stay in a fixed position relative to that triangle. What this means is that the front of the mower should be attached to the 3-pt hitch so that it is only free to move in one dimension, which is pivoting along the lift arms so that the mower wheel goes up and down. It shouldn't be able to twist or turn relative to the tractor. I like my mower to be tight enough to the tractor that when I lift the rear mower wheel off the ground, I can push the mower and the tractor moves on its tires before the mower moves relative to the tractor.

The top link should be loose enough that the mower wheel is free to move up and down at least a foot before the top link gets tight, otherwise the mower wheel will lift off the ground when you go over a bump and leave an unmowed spot. The mower should be level left-to-right, and front to back it should slope slightly forward -- maybe a half inch over its entire length. A forward tilt lifts the rear of the blade above what has already been cut, which makes mowing easier, but too much tilt will make the center of the cut lower than the edges.

The height of the mower wheel controls the height of cut. I would set it high the first time through a field.

I found that it was definitely worthwhile to use a tape measure and a level to set up the mower the first time. I was very disappointed with the results when I set it up "by eye."

Finally, I'll be a bit of a nag. The mower is potentially a very dangerous tool. Read the owner's manual. The life you save may be your own.

 

[jbrumberg]

All of the posts offer good advise especially quicksandfarmer's suggestion that you read the manual! Some rotary cutter manufacturers recommend that the mower deck (and blades correspondingly) be 1" - 2" higher at the rear of the deck than the front using the
3PH, but use the trailing wheel to set the deck/blade cutting height first. I would set up the toplink as suggested. I tend to cut my "known" lower field at around 5". If you are cutting an unknown area I would suggest that you cut at a higher height until you get to know the locations of the area's "obstructions" . Also watch the "crazy wheel" when making turns- it will swing wider than you think so be careful around things you do not want to knock over and/or cut (or both). There are many, many TBN posts on rotary cutting. I would use the Search Engine to review the posts. Rotary cutters can be dangerous! Use your rotary cutter safely and well and please keep the posts coming. There are no stupid questions in TBNland (but you may on ocassion see a stupid response ). Jay

PS: Please read the Owner's Manual!

 

[RalphVa]

You may not fully understand your manual until you hear some different renditions on how to do it or do it yourself a couple of times.

The first thing to do is to lower the 3ph to near where you want to run the brush hog. Generally, the blade will be about 1" above the skids, and you'll want to cut at about 3 1/2" on grass; so, set the skids 2 1/2" off level ground (preferably level asphalt or concrete). Check both sides. One side of the 3ph will have a screw to bring that side up or down. Do so until level. Don't forget to tighten the set nut.

Next, set the trail wheel so that the cutting height in the rear is 1/2 to 1" above that in front, with trail wheel on the ground. It likely has a bunch of holes for doing this, by moving a bolt about.

Your brush hog likely has a gizmo that allows it to swing up and down in the rear. If so, set your top link so that this gizmo is in the middle of its run.

You're ready to go. If your jack shaft (3ph controller arm), has position control, you'll be able to mark or note where its position is to get the desired cutting height in the front. If not, you'll have to just guess by eye while looking back at it. The skid will be closer or further from the ground if the ground is uneven. Go uphill, and it goes down. Go downhill, and it goes up. Nothing much you can do about this, unless you want to go slowly and reset the jack shaft as the skid gets tossed up or down.

Some of us run with a chain for the top link. Just buy a piece of heavy chain and a couple quick click gizmos for the end of the chain. These are available at TSC. Just run with the chain kinda hanging loose, maybe short enough so if you back off over a slope that it'll catch it at some point. Then, you don't have to worry about that gizmo that gives some with the tail wheel.

If you're doing really high stuff and want to lower the "hog" into it or want to transport with the "hog" in the air, tighten the top link up as short as it'll go.

Your 3ph may also have multiple holes to determine how high the "hog" will go, too. Make sure the lift pins on the "hog" are in the position (there's usually be a couple different holes to position them) so that the top link is no longer than the bottom links. Otherwise, lifting the 3ph will drive the tail wheel into the ground instead of lifting the front of the "hog" much. My lift pins were in the wrong holes when I got it.

 

[honeycutt]

Ditto...Ditto... on reading the owners manual. Also if you don't have a chain guard kit on it...get one. It's always better to be safe than sorry. The head you save could be your own!!

 

[john_bud]

Ralph gave some excellent directions, as did the others. There was some variance in the directions about how much height difference front to back.

Here's what the angle does. If the cutter is dead level the blades are cutting and re-cutting all the time on every revolution. That takes power. As you raise the back up you tilt the blades, so that they are only cutting on the leading edge. That tilt allows the grass to settle down under the spinning blades and gives it room to be shot out the back. The greater the tilt the greater this effect.

Different folks use different amounts. In tame grass that is kept under control by frequent cuttings, you can use the 1/2 to 1" of tilt. In wilder grass and brush you will want a greater amount of tilt. If you are into really wild stuff and find that backing in is easier, you should go to the 1" or so level.

Naturally, you will need to experiment and find what works best for your conditions and equipment. A good place to start is 1 1/2", then adjust every pass and see what works the best.

jb

 

[accordionman]

HELLO TO ALL,
check chains are used for this application. it is connected
to the brush hog with a set of plates that bolt to the hog,
and the chains goes into a hole that can be adjusted fror
height. the other end of the chains connects to the pin
that holds the top link. this kit cost about $35.00. this
allows the hog to float, without the hydraulics holding
the front of the hog up off the ground.
accordionman
wlbrown