Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo Auction Link (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Ford 9N, 2N & 8N Discussion Forum
:

Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting?

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Pacman

10-23-2004 17:03:53




Report to Moderator

I know that Bush Hogs are supposed to cut wood up to 1", but can they cut dense brush as opposed to a single 1" diameter tree in the middle of grass? I'm trying to decide whether to buy. Now I do the job with a powerful 4 cycle Stihl hand held trimmer with a blade, but this is slow going. The brush is a mix of maple, hawthorne, pin cherry, and other stuff. I have a MowChief which is like a 4' Bush Hog but with its own power, an 8 hp motor. This just doesn't do the job, which is why I do it by hand. I have heard that if you can drive over it, you can cut it, but I don't know whether to believe that. Also, how about if you back into stuff that you can't drive over. I can imagine being tempted to do that.

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Little Egypt 2N

10-24-2004 21:27:12




Report to Moderator
 Re: Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting in reply to Pacman, 10-23-2004 17:03:53  
I'm in the process of clearing a neglected ditch-line along the edges of 40 acres a friend and I recently purchased and split. I bought a 5 foot cutter from Buchheit's-I believe the brand name is "Farm Star"...it's outside and I'm in for the evening, so the name may vary slightly from my recollection-and I have found that I can cut brush/saplings/small trees by backing into it with the mower raised, shifting into neutral, then SLOWLY and PATIENTLY dropping the mower, which cuts anything the mower can bend over. And I've sheared only one shear-bolt doing this, but that was because I tried to shift into 1st and start pulling out before the mower was fully down, letting the clutch out too quickly, to try to retain bladespeed.
A word of caution...back up a second time and lower the mower again to 'square up' the tops of the stubs, otherwise you end up with DIY punji stakes, which will shred tires to ribbons after they've had a few weeks to 'cure'.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
MikeT

10-24-2004 13:07:53




Report to Moderator
 Re: Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting in reply to Pacman, 10-23-2004 17:03:53  
Pacman -

My limited experience with heavy brush has told me that going in low and slow is a good way to pop shear pins. Slow forward travel speed is ok, but you need to get the rpm's of the blade up as high as you can. The heavy weight of the blades plus the higher centrifugal force seems to take out the brush without putting as much strain on the PTO. I've cut green stuff as thick as 1.5" diameter with my 5' King Kutter. I have raised the blade to about 12" to take out 2" green stuff, but only one at a time.

Make sure you have an ORC and #2 grade shear pins.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
souNdguy

10-23-2004 21:32:06




Report to Moderator
 Re: Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting in reply to Pacman, 10-23-2004 17:03:53  
1" stuff folds pretty fast. I've cut 2" green and flexible... but 2" hard is a bit tough.

You should have no problems with a good N in brush. I've noticed that brush is a bit easier to cut than dense grass.

Get an ORC.. and choose a mower that your hyds can lift. I went with a lighter and cheaper 5' KK.. has been worked out alot and runs fine.

Soundguy



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Bob Stanford

10-23-2004 21:06:24




Report to Moderator
 Re: Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting in reply to Pacman, 10-23-2004 17:03:53  
Pacman
I cut real thick stuff with a 4 foot hog. The advice to raise it higher the first cut is a good thing to do. I back into blackberry briars and real bad stuff all the time. Keep the engine reved up, use low gear and be careful. My biggest problem is getting the radator full of trash and overheating.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Rick H. GA.

10-23-2004 18:00:51




Report to Moderator
 Re: Bush Hog - good enough for heavy brush cutting in reply to Pacman, 10-23-2004 17:03:53  
Pacman, you can cut some pretty thick brush with an N and a medium duty 4 or 5 foot rotery mower. However, there are limitations. The hardwood saplings are pretty tough in themselves.

The best approch is to raise the hog high on the real thick stuff and cut in first gear. Then, go over it again after it has been trimmed down some.

You can tell when you have bitten off more than the hog can chew when the tractor chokes down and stops running. HTH. Rick H. Ga.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy