Rotory cutter bottoming out

rcmike · Aug 19, 2004

Hello Everyone.

I have a 4' KK rotary cutter that I recently bought for my 4010 and am having trouble keeping it out of the dirt. I have a pretty rough area that I had been using my MMM to cut but it was taking a beating from the rocks and if I didn't get to it every time it would get too thick to mow. The rotary cutter is doing good except for one problem. There are several bumps that I have to go over and if the front of the tractor goes up on one, the cutter goes down into the ground. I know I can't mow as close as with the MMM but I have to keep it really high or constantly adjust it to keep it off the ground. I would have to keep the cutter at least 6 or 8" off the ground to keep it from bottoming out on the humps. I have thought of attaching some wheels to the front of the cutter to keep it off the ground. Maybe some like on a mower deck but larger that I can remove when I don't need them? Any suggestions would be welcomed.

beenthere · Aug 19, 2004

Sounds like you are mowing pretty rough ground, and my suggestion for long term would be to level it (with something other than the rotary cutter /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) and then plant grass so you can mow with the MMM.

Otherwise, that 3pt lever is to lift the rotary cutter using the 3pt arms so the rotary cutter doesn't bottom into the dirt.

I mow some pretty rough acres with my rotary cutter, and don't have that problem, mowing at about 4" height. The rear wheel carries the rear of the cutter, and the 3pt arms carry the front. The front wheels have to go up a pretty steep bump to get the front of the cutter deck into dirt. If I encounter such a rise or bump, I just pick up the front of the rotary cutter - no problem. I'd think this could or should work for you too.

Wish you luck.

MMM · Aug 19, 2004

Shorten toplink all the way and add short length of chain so RC can pivot on lift arms.

Soundguy · Aug 20, 2004

I saw a guy weld a 3/8 bolt on to each sode of the front of his mower.. and then slid some cheapy lawnmower wheels on it. He used a bolt with a smooth shank long enough for the wheel to ride on.. and matched the bolt od to the wheel id.. then added a locknut.. seemed to work decent as he could more or less drop the mower for smooth close mowing on flat ground.. or leave it lifted a bit when cutting brush.. and if it encountered a bump.. it 'generally' followed it. Sounds like a 15 minute 12$ job.. guid wheels are like 4.99 at HD and 2 bolts and two lock nuts?2 bucks? Add 2 seconds of welder time and you are ready.

Soundguy

OkieG · Aug 20, 2004

Re: beenthere
 my suggestion for long term would be to level it ...Yup.

 3pt lever is to lift the rotary cutter using the 3pt arms so the rotary cutter doesn't bottom into the dirt. ...Yup.

I like Soundguy's idea too. Front of the deck guide wheels is a project I've been thinking about for a while.

OkieG

rcmike · Aug 20, 2004

I have leveled part of it up(the real rough stuff). It isn't really as bad as I made it sound. Currently I am lifting it and lowering it as I go but was wondering if there was an easier way. One problem I have with the 3PH on the 4010 is that it lifts too fast. When I come to a bump it is hard to just lift it a little. I have to lift it up and then lower it to where I want it. I know this is another topic but is there any way to slow that down?

Soundguy, were they regular wheels or did they swivel? I guess they don't really need to swivil if they are only on the ground when encountering a bump. I have some regular wheels and was thinking of doing what you described. I know I can't keep it off the ground completely that way but it would definately help.

Thanks for all the help guys. I have had my tractor for a couple of years but have just started to use it for more than just mowing.

sweettractors · Aug 20, 2004

I like all the other ideas suggested and just to stir up things, Here are 2 more ways to help with that problem? 1--Weld extentions on the skid runners of the cutter (maybe 1 inch)--2--Use blades with less offset in them--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New 3 Point Backhoes starting at $4300 Email [email="glsweet@scrtc.com"]glsweet@scrtc.com[/email]

greg_g · Aug 20, 2004

( There are several bumps that I have to go over and if the front of the tractor goes up on one, the cutter goes down into the ground. )
By driving straight over the top of your "bumps", you're high-centering the rotary cutter. A no-cost solution would be to cut half of the mounds at a time. That is, run the tractor wheels over the CENTER of the bump, cutting the other half on the next pass.

If the appearance of straight-line passes is more important, consider check chains. They cost about 30 bucks (make your own for less), and connect the implement lift pins with the tractor end of the toplink bracket. When set into the proper keyslot, they stop the front of the mower from dropping any lower that the level to which you've set the chains.

//greg//

kensfarm · Aug 20, 2004

" I would have to keep the cutter at least 6 or 8" off the ground to keep it from bottoming out on the humps. "

If you extend your top link.. this allows you to raise the front of the mower higher w/ the 3pt w/out the rear wheel coming off the ground.. if your still bottoming out.. raise the height of the rear wheel if it's adjustable.

have_blue · Aug 20, 2004

Yea, that's a weakness of an RC. They don't follow terrain like a MMM. In fact any implement stuck on the rear or front of a tractor doesn't follow terrain worth a hoot.

Invest in an hours work and level the whoop-de-doo's and grub out the high rocks. You'll be glad you did.

cmhyland · Aug 20, 2004

It sounds like your machine doesn't have draft control. That means when you set the 3pt hitch at a desired level it stays there rather than floating. Sounds like you have up and down and at the down level it floats.

The front guage wheels would fix that problem. A swivel guage wheel may be required due to the way the mower swings sideways on a turn.

Good Luck,
Chris

MicroPilot · Aug 20, 2004

Hmmm, The hump is steep enough that it digs the front of the rotary cutter into the ground. I don't think check chains would work in this case. Draft control doesn't apply here (I think the poster may have meant position control). Sounds like the only solutions are to cut along the sides of the humps, gage wheels, or eliminate them.

On the down side of the hump does the rotary cutter rear end lift up and leave the front side uncut?

rcmike · Aug 20, 2004

I think part of my problem is the short wheelbase of the tractor is exaggerating the humps and bottoming out the front of the cutter. If it was a longer tractor the rear wouldn't go down as much when the front went up on a hump. I may try to put some wheels on the front just for the heck of it. I already have some from another project that I ended up not using them on and I could always take them off if they didn't help.

Ranashi · Aug 20, 2004

You made a comment about the 3pt raising too fast on you also. I am not familiar with the model of tractor you have but most have a little round nob with a turtle and rabbit on it between your feet. This might slow down the raising enough so it doesn't fly up on you when raising the 3pt. Good luck with the final solution on this what ever it turns out to be. I do say level the area out if you can but I know that isn't always any option.

Bird · Aug 20, 2004

Stephen, I think you'll find that adjustment knob regulates the speed with which the 3-point lowers but does not affect the speed with which it raises.

rcmike · Aug 20, 2004

Yeah, it adjusts the lowering but doesn't seem to affect the raising. Not a big deal but a minor inconvenience.

rcmike · Aug 21, 2004

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gifIt worked! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I put some 8"(I think, can't remember) wheels on the front edge. I used some 5/8" grade 8 bolts through the wheels and into 2 bolts I welded to the cutter. I set the wheels where it keeps the blades about 2" off the ground. I can go higher with the wheels off the ground and I figured I would never go any lower than that anyway. I went over the roughest areas with the cutter lowered all the way resting on all 3 wheels. I only hit one rock and I think it is one that I had flipped up the last time. It was much easier on the tractor also. The fixed wheels didn't seem to dig in too bad when turning and I didn't have the problem with the sides digging in either. It didn't vibrate the tractor nearly as much and I could just set it on the ground when transporting it instead of it flopping around when I hit a bump. I found out about another benifit when I went to take it off the tractor. It came off the lift arms very easily because I could move it back and forth with little effort.

PineRidge · Aug 22, 2004

The first time I brush hogged our then vacant lot I had the same problem. The front of the mower was leaving ruts in the ground where it was digging in certain areas and there was nothing that I could do to prevent it short of lifting the deck. I borrowed a box-blade as I didn't own one myself at the time, (never realized just how handy they really were). After a couple hours worth of leveling I followed it up with a landscape rake. I then threw down some cheap grass seed.

Once the grass came up that was the end of the whoop-de-doo problem. My mower hasn't dug in since.

rcmike · Aug 22, 2004

I have a box blade and have fixed some of the yard close to the house with it. I did a little in this area last year with the worst stuff and it has a lot of clay in it and is hard to get grass to grow. Not to mention the flood of water that runs through it when we get a heavy rain.