PT 1445 SQQA mod - brush cutter ?

[2manyrocks]

I'm still considering buying a PT 1445 primarily for use as a hillside brush mower and secondly for use with a brush grapple.

There have been a couple of threads where posters have cautioned to check the blade bolts. I think there was another thread where someone bored the holes larger to handle larger bolts and perhaps even mounted heavier brush cutter style cutting blades.

When I look at PT's photos of their brush cutters, I don't like having pneumatic tires mounted to the front of their cutters. I'd also like to see a cover mounted over the hydraulic motor and hoses.

They publish 15 gpm at 3000 output. I'm wondering if I could and should adapt a CTL standard flow style cutter instead of buying the PT brush cutting deck? PT doesn't publish the weight of their cutter. Are those front wheels absolutely necessary on the PT or would a normal CTL cutter be too heavy and out of balance?

Which also leads to my other question of changing the PT lift to a SQQA style. Could be done with welding a SQQA mount to their T-18 plate I suppose would be the easiest option?

 

[MossRoad]

I can't speak to the 1445, but I can regarding the 425 and 4' brush cutter.

You definitely need wheel out front. All of the weight of the cutter is suspended on its 4 wheels. Normal operations you leave the FEL arms in the float position, so the cutter rides independent of the machine. It's free to undulate up and down irregardless of the machine's position. It's also free to oscillate left and right independent of the machine. And it's free to tip fore and aft independent of the machine.

The 425 does not have draft control, so IF I need some additional traction going up a slippery slope, I can pull the joystick out of float and lift the deck off the ground. Just enough to get the deck wheels off the ground. Like just 1/2" or so, is all it takes to transfer all of the weight of the cutter deck to the front tires of the machine, and that acts as a weight out on the end of the arms and also pulls some weight off of the rear tires of the machine. It effectively increases the traction on the front tires and up the slope I go.

The 1445 has draft control, so you would NOT use float mode when that is turned on. It will do the task for you. As it senses load on the arms, it lifts or lowers the arms accordingly, as I understand it.

As for the cutter blade bolts, I don't know how the cutter for the 1445 is designed.

IF it's like the 48" cutter, the bolts hang down and are the lowest point on the cutter. They are susceptible to rock damage and can shear off. Over the years, I've developed my own way of quickly changing them out of broken. Also, it's a good idea to have a bunch of them around and change them out before they break. The design of my deck could use some improvement, like a shorter drum and gull-wing blades to keep the blades from whacking the bolts.

With that said, the darn thing just destroys everything it comes in contact with. A very effective tool indeed.

 

[m5040]

I made adapter plates for my 1430 & 1460 to SSQA and highly recommend it. I use a forestry mulcher on my 1460 and recently ordered a RUT rotary to compare the two (have to wait for it to be made)(link follows).

I have the PT brand rotary brush cutter for the 1430 and use it for a grassy field. With the wheels it works like a finish mower. Others here have used them for brush and like it. I also have the Titan fail mower (chinese, but decent quality) with the heavy cast scoop cutters. A quick reverse on a down hill will lift the rear wheels a bit.

I ordered the commercial mowers because they are much more robust (and in my areas with brush, there are a lot of rocks, so the wheels do me no good). If you compare big trucks like Pete, KW, Freightliner, Autocar, they make the truck, you buy the engine from Cummins, Cat etc. I look at it the same way for the mowers (and other attachments too). These companies specialize in making attachments only, its their thing.

If you stay within about 50% of the machines lift capacity you shouldn't have a problem (which I find occur mostly when going down hill).

My forestry mulcher is about 75-80% of the lift capacity of the 1460 and it handles it OK. I am exploring the RUT rotary cutter vs the mulcher because the mulcher takes a lot of concentration when cutting a tree down vs my experience with rotary cutters requiring less thought. Also a lot of fine dust like material with the mulcher.

I am not pushing RUT (haven't even recv'd mine yet) but when you order, they manufacture it with your machine's pressure and flow in mind, it is not an off the shelf cutter.

Skid Steer Brush Mower Cutter

Clear thick brush, grass, and saplings with a skid steer brush mower built for tough land management, featuring durable construction and high cutting power.

rutmfg.com

 

[ponytug]

I have the PT1445 brush cutter.

I always check the bolts and grease the bushings every six hours or so after I lost a bolt or two. Personally, I haven't sheared a bolt (yet), though after other folks experiences, I do stock the bolts and bushings. The bushings tended to wear out in my usage as I cut when the soil is dry, and I think that the grit gets in the bushing and causes wear, which is why I check and grease the bushings/bolts frequently. The checks and grease have basically stopped the wear for me.

Do I wish the blades were bent in more of an offset "Z" so the bolts aren't the lowest point? Sure, but I recognize that would make the blades more expensive and the mower heavier as the perimeter would have to be deeper. I repair my blades myself now with a welder, adding material back in around the bushing and to the blade edges. I also weigh the blades after sharpening to make sure they are close in weight.

The mower is very effective, and in my use will take out 3-4" saplings, and a few back and forth passes tends to chop up the remaining pieces. I don't mow near buildings with it due to flying rocks and branches. I do wear a logging helmet with face shield when mowing, just in case.

The float feature that @MossRoad mentions is very effective at getting the mower weight on to the tractor for adding traction, and responds very quickly to changes in grade. I use it almost all the time while mowing.

I did look into Brush-hog and other brands and types mowers years ago, and due to overall weight and much higher flow/HP requirements, I decided to buy the PT version that I am very happy with.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I have had a couple blades come off when the bolt head broke. The didn't go too far. I was more mad that I lost the bushing. I ended up buying a length of DOM tubing the correct ID and OD and made my own bushings. I think I made 12-14 of them over 10 years ago. I still have 3-4 left, last I looked.

The most dangerous thing about these brush cutters is their ability to toss things 100' or better, like rocks, sticks, baseballs, golf balls, turkey carcasses. I hit a large ratchet from a strap in the tall grass near the highway. That blew the left rear solid plastic wheel apart. I finished the day by just tilting the joystick to the full dump position and leaving it in float.

It is without a doubt the most dangerous piece of equipment I own. Chainsaws come in 2nd place. Beer cooler 3rd.

 

[MossRoad]

I have the PT1445 brush cutter.

I always check the bolts and grease the bushings every six hours or so after I lost a bolt or two. Personally, I haven't sheared a bolt (yet), though after other folks experiences, I do stock the bolts and bushings. The bushings tended to wear out in my usage as I cut when the soil is dry, and I think that the grit gets in the bushing and causes wear, which is why I check and grease the bushings/bolts frequently. The checks and grease have basically stopped the wear for me.

Do I wish the blades were bent in more of an offset "Z" so the bolts aren't the lowest point? Sure, but I recognize that would make the blades more expensive and the mower heavier as the perimeter would have to be deeper. I repair my blades myself now with a welder, adding material back in around the bushing and to the blade edges. I also weigh the blades after sharpening to make sure they are close in weight.

The mower is very effective, and in my use will take out 3-4" saplings, and a few back and forth passes tends to chop up the remaining pieces. I don't mow near buildings with it due to flying rocks and branches. I do wear a logging helmet with face shield when mowing, just in case.

The float feature that @MossRoad mentions is very effective at getting the mower weight on to the tractor for adding traction, and responds very quickly to changes in grade. I use it almost all the time while mowing.

I did look into Brush-hog and other brands and types mowers years ago, and due to overall weight and much higher flow/HP requirements, I decided to buy the PT version that I am very happy with.

All the best,

Peter

Didn't you get some special impregnated bolts for that? Or was that someone else?

 

[ponytug]

@MossRoad Good memory!

Yes, I bought oil impregnated bushings from McMaster-Carr. That just seemed sensible to me, and they have worked really well. They now sell "high load" "PTFE oil impregnated" bushings that might be a better choice than the plain oil ones I bought way back when, or even get the "high load" (low rpm) versions.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

@MossRoad Good memory!

Yes, I bought oil impregnated bushings from McMaster-Carr. That just seemed sensible to me, and they have worked really well. They now sell "high load" "PTFE oil impregnated" bushings that might be a better choice than the plain oil ones I bought way back when, or even get the "high load" (low rpm) versions.

All the best,

Peter

Ask me what I had for dinner last night?

Ask me about oil impregnated bushings someone else mentioned years ago? No problem.

 

[ponytug]

Minds work in mysterious ways...

(But that's seriously good recall in my book!) I bought the bronze sleeve bearings in 2010...

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

All the best, Peter

 

[MossRoad]

You were wearing blue jeans and a plaid shirt. Your brown tennis shoes. And your Purdue hoodie, the one with the ketchup stain.

(that's what my wife would tell me if I asked if she remembered when I bought something 10 years ago)

 

[MossRoad]

I thought you bought different bolts, too.

 

[MossRoad]

Nope, guess it was just bushings...

PT425 48" Brush Hog Broken Bolt Removal Tip

Since I am not familiar with the issue, the following is an observation more than a suggestion... If I understand the problem correctly, hex bolt heads get severely damaged or sheared off by hitting something hard at high velocity. The rest of the bolt remains in the welded nut, and can be very...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[2manyrocks]

I made adapter plates for my 1430 & 1460 to SSQA and highly recommend it. I use a forestry mulcher on my 1460 and recently ordered a RUT rotary to compare the two (have to wait for it to be made)(link follows).

I have the PT brand rotary brush cutter for the 1430 and use it for a grassy field. With the wheels it works like a finish mower. Others here have used them for brush and like it. I also have the Titan fail mower (chinese, but decent quality) with the heavy cast scoop cutters. A quick reverse on a down hill will lift the rear wheels a bit.

I ordered the commercial mowers because they are much more robust (and in my areas with brush, there are a lot of rocks, so the wheels do me no good). If you compare big trucks like Pete, KW, Freightliner, Autocar, they make the truck, you buy the engine from Cummins, Cat etc. I look at it the same way for the mowers (and other attachments too). These companies specialize in making attachments only, its their thing.

If you stay within about 50% of the machines lift capacity you shouldn't have a problem (which I find occur mostly when going down hill).

My forestry mulcher is about 75-80% of the lift capacity of the 1460 and it handles it OK. I am exploring the RUT rotary cutter vs the mulcher because the mulcher takes a lot of concentration when cutting a tree down vs my experience with rotary cutters requiring less thought. Also a lot of fine dust like material with the mulcher.

I am not pushing RUT (haven't even recv'd mine yet) but when you order, they manufacture it with your machine's pressure and flow in mind, it is not an off the shelf cutter.

Skid Steer Brush Mower Cutter

Clear thick brush, grass, and saplings with a skid steer brush mower built for tough land management, featuring durable construction and high cutting power.

rutmfg.com

I would really like to see pictures of your forestry mulcher mounted on your 1460.

The skid steer mower manufacturers are essentially following the well proven design for brush mowers albeit they are updated to hydraulic drive instead of PTO drive and mount via SSQD instead of the 3pt hitch.

Also, it doesn't seem efficient from a manufacturing point of view for PT to make so many different custom attachments for each PT in their lineup.

I'd also much prefer SSQD on the FEL for mounting attachments instead of PT's own proprietary FEL system.

 

[MossRoad]

...

Also, it doesn't seem efficient from a manufacturing point of view for PT to make so many different custom attachments for each PT in their lineup.

I'd also much prefer SSQD on the FEL for mounting attachments instead of PT's own proprietary FEL system.

I'm guessing they have jigs set up for every attachment and just do a run as they see the need.

You can get blank quick attach plates from PT and just mount a skid steer quick attach to it. Pretty easy project.

I got a blank QA plate from PT back in 2001 when I bought mine and put a 2" receiver on it. That's a pretty handy tool. I put a ball in there to move trailers. A ring to hang my log tongs and chains on when gathering firewood. A plow share that I use as a shallow subsoil pipe/cable puller. All kinds of versatility.

 

[ponytug]

Nope, guess it was just bushings...

PT425 48" Brush Hog Broken Bolt Removal Tip

Since I am not familiar with the issue, the following is an observation more than a suggestion... If I understand the problem correctly, hex bolt heads get severely damaged or sheared off by hitting something hard at high velocity. The rest of the bolt remains in the welded nut, and can be very...

www.tractorbynet.com

Actually, yes, grade 8 bolts. I haven't broken one in the last 14 years. I also use washers large enough to cover the bushing in my quest to keep dust/grit out.

From McMaster-Carr, the links should work.​

1​	4 Each​	2868T162​	SAE 863 Bronze Sleeve Bearing for 5/8" Shaft Diameter, 1" OD, 1/2" Length​	​	$2.75​	$11.00​
2​	2 Packs​	92316A803​	Grade 8 Alloy Steel Hex Flange Cap Screw 5/8"-11 Thread, 2-1/4" Length, Fully Threaded, Packs of 5​	​	$5.24​	$10.48​
3​	2 Packs​	91201A035​	Plain Steel Extra-Thick Flat Washer 5/8" Screw Size, 1-1/4" OD, .24"-.26" Thick, Packs of 5​	​	$8.17	$16.34

(2010 prices...) I would double check newer mowers to make sure the bolt sizes are correct.

I have a pair of steel saw horses that make it easy for me to raise the mower and put the deck on them (in the line of travel for the tractor, so if something catastrophic happens, the other will provide support). An air impact wrench makes it easy to get the blades on and off; I don't have to try and wedge the rotor. It takes very little time to remove the bolt/bushing with blade, a bit more to grind the edge on the blade (if needed), wipe the old grease off, add fresh grease to all surfaces and reassemble. Five minutes or less per blade. The only welding that I have done lately is on the leading edge of the blade to replace worn material.

I haven't bought blades since 2010 either... So down from four blades in the first three years to zero blades in the last fourteen.

I did at one point spend some time looking for a bolt with an internal grease path, but in the end, I convinced myself a) it would be weaker, and b) it would need something like a grub screw to seal it while mowing which would be unlikely to last. The greased grade 8 bolts and sintered bushings system seems to work for me, but I don't mow every day or every week.

(And thanks to @MossRoad for the hitch idea; I bought one, and while I don't use it very often, it is the bees knees for parking trailers in tight spaces!)

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

I got to the point that if the blade bolt(s) shear off, as I recall:

- remove two bolts that hold the hydraulic motor mount.
- loosen a set screw over the shaft key.
- remove the motor and mount.
- use the air gun to remove the 5 lug bolts.
- the entire hub assembly is now on the ground.
- use the FEL arms to lift the deck up, drive backwards a few feet and set it down.
Takes maybe 5 minutes total.
Then I'm free to do anything I want to the hub assembly, blades, etc.

At some point I drilled a hole through the deck so that I could access the inside of the hub and get a socket on the back of the broken bolts and thread on some jamb nuts and remove the broken bolts without removing the deck, but I realized it's easier to just drop the entire hub and not have to mess with aligning the socket over the back of the bolts through that little hole, etc.

I've thought about cutting the drum down a couple inches and shortening the shaft so I could raise the drum up 2", then adapt some gull-wing brush hog blades. They wouldn't be able to hit the each others bolt heads.

 

[MossRoad]

I've also thought about threading the bolts DOWN through the backer nut inside the hub through that hole I put in the deck, and then using nyloc nuts and washers on the bottom to hold the blades on. Sure, the nylon nuts are bigger targets, and they'll get sheared off just like the bolt heads do, but there'd be a bolt head inside the hub that I could get a socket on easily to drive them out.

That's always the rub. If you shear off the bolt head on a rock, there's nothing on the back side but threads and they aren't easy to get to. The jam nut trick works well. As does a well-lubed washer and nut and just drive them out by tightening it with the air gun.

 

[ponytug]

Did I mention that I haven't sheared a bolt in fourteen years now?...

 

[MossRoad]

Did I mention that I haven't sheared a bolt in fourteen years now?...

yeah

 

[m5040]

I will get a pick of the Forestry mulcher on the 1460 the next time I use it, which will prob be when I get the RUT rotary so as to compare the two different styles.
Sorry to be the odd guy, but aftermarket cutters seemed to have worked out all the PT deficiencies. They have no wheels, but that could be good or bad, I think the wheels are more for a finished area. And for example the bottom line RUT I ordered uses a 3/4" thick blade carrier/hub (think of the mass and stored energy when you tackle an object), you can see in the pic the gull wing blades and flat head bolts with minimal area for impacts.

I think it depends on your particular situation, apples to oranges. PT makes a good cutter for most uses, but there are options. The PT machine is just like a skid steer with 100s of tool choices.