Tractor guys, brush hog question.

[hunter63]

Been mowing last couple of days,.....need to deal with a steep bank in front of the cabin.

Welder guy in town, suggested replacing the top link on the 3-point hitch with a chain....would allow it to tilt up when backing up the bank to mow.

Saves bending bracing and breaking stuff........got to say worked pretty well...but need to set my bogey wheel up higher as it was kinda scalping the bank.

Gonna leave it on for a while and see if there are any more problems

Anyone else heard of this?

The set up w/chain:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/DSCF1088.jpg

[karatediver]

I sell them for a living and never heard about anyone doing this before. I would think it would be fine as long as it's not bouncing around and is still stable. With PTO driven impliments I do worry when you change part of the support system if something goes wrong in the gear box suddenly your whole mower rips off and starts spinning but that's not very likely to happen. If it works for you, is safe and stable, then it sounds like it fixed your problem. But keep in mind that three supports in a triangle configuration is stronger and more stable which is why it is designed that way.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I have seen and used 'em rigged with a chain. Worked fine for me, if your hawging some thick stuff you may want the top link to keep the deck from riding up other than that it works fine.

[karatediver]

If it rode up to much say if you hit a large uneven area or bump that you weren't expecting it could put too much stress on the PTO shaft causing premature failure in the yoke, your gear box, or the PTO shaft itself. They are meant to articulate a little but too much can cause a premature failure.

[hunter63]

Well it does give some flex as I have broke the side supports on the mower, a couple of times....I should take a pic, I guess...the 60" mower deck hangs by the chain, but is controled and raised /lowered but the lift arms.

As I'm in hill country, lots of steep banks, gullies, and such.......the flex seems to work well in these situations....don't know if I would run it like that all the time....for all the reasons mentioned.

The fix-it welder guy, in town, that welded up the side supports for me told me about the chain...but this is the first time I tried it.

[crashdive123]

Fix-it welder guy: Just use a chain like this and it will work like a charm.
Customer: Cool.
Fix-it welder guy's wife: You know that you shouldn't tell them that - it will break things on the tractor.
Fix-it welder guy: Yeah, but business is slow. I've gotta drum up some more work for us.

[intothenew]

Karatediver has a good point, and it's actually on two fronts. One is the angularity that you could subject the live joints too, and the second is "bottoming out" on spline travel. Take particular note of those two.


Next, and I have to use a three dollar phrase, you have reduced the "Polar Moment of Inertia" between the tractor and the hog. What that means, in simple terms, is that it is much easier for the hog to twist relative to the tractor. That will put a lot more strain on the lower links, the link attachments on the hog, and in the link bar of the lift between the two lower bars. Be careful in any situation that may lift the hog left or right relative to the tractor.

[intothenew]

I need to also add, that you are much weaker on side loading also. An example of that would be making a tight radius turn and bumping the hog against a two hundred year old Oak. Bottom line is, be real tender with it if you are going to use it that way.

[hunter63]

I'm thinking that I'm going bcak to the top link, ...in order to use it to mow up the bank requires a large adjustment to the rear trailing wheel....and I;m thinking the effort to do this.
Possible postive results seem to be out weighed by the hassle and not being used as it was intended.......Meaning expensive.

So I agree with y'all....if it was supposed to be used this way, I sure a" factory chain" would be avalible for purchase.

The top link is going back on.

[Wildthang]

Hunter, get a couple of goats and keep them tied up on the hills. When winter starts coming on, eat the goats! It will be a lot cheaper than tearing up your tractor, and it will save fuel to boot!

[hunter63]

If I was here full time I would, neighbor down the road tried to gibe me some "meat goats" here a couple of years back, another lady neighbor was trying to get us to adopt a couple of horses...seems a lot of people bought livestock, and didn't realize how much they cost to keep.

Right now I'm looking for a kid that wants to weed-whack the bank, for money.......really a PITA or ankles......

[tipacanoe]

Sure wish this thread wouldn't end, you don't get many three dollar words or phrases around here.

[intothenew]

I'll be glad to oblige, assuming Hunter doesn't run me off.

Let's start with the live joint. In this case I would assume it is a universal joint, or more appropriately a Cardan shaft. Assuming a constant angular velocity of input(The tractor isn't missing or surging), and that the output shaft is on the same axis as the input shaft, a Cardan joint will transfer motion at a constant angular velocity. When the input and output shaft do not share a common axis, the angular velocity between the two varies and actually accelerate/decelerate relative to each other. This happens 4 times per revolution of the assembly. In real world scenarios, this manifests itself as vibration, surging, or skip. The mechanical ramifications are inefficiency and reduced functional life.

How'd I do?

[hunter63]

Outstanding.....so the translation is if running the shaft at too steep of an angle while flexing, will cause vibration?

The post hole digger runs at a pretty steep angle.......just saying.

OMG, some one might get the wrong idea of the participants of this forum....effin' y'all keep on like that

[intothenew]

Outstanding.....so the translation is if running the shaft at too steep of an angle while flexing, will cause vibration?..........

Kinda, sorta. Running at any angle will cause vibration, surging, or skip. Can you notice it, or is it enough to be detrimental to the device is the question.


...........The post hole digger runs at a pretty steep angle.......just saying............

But the angular velocity of the driven component is so slow that it is not noticeable/detrimental.


......OMG, some one might get the wrong idea of the participants of this forum....effin' y'all keep on like that

Will they actually notice?

[intothenew]

And I'll add, that there are two axis changes on the post hole digger. You can, if properly designed, use an old Indian trick that will cut the acceleration/deceleration down to approximately half. That is akin to a trick that Cadillac uses for that "Cadillac ride".

[hunter63]

So, OK, I'll bite.....What's the old Indian trick?

[intothenew]

Two Cardan joints nested.


Read "Double Cardan Shaft" in this link.

Linky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_joint)

Add to that a "Double Cardan Joint" at each location, and you have Cadillac's secret decoder ring.

[hunter63]

Gottacha, thanks for the link.......

[Thaddius Bickerton]

Roundup the thing. be easier and cheaper in the long run, or just stake a couple goats out.

Even a side bar cutter is a pain on a lot of steep.

The other advice will get you looking for welder guy. (Son usually has to weld up a few of the city escape's bushhogs every year. The things they do to those poor old tractors they buy without understanding them is amazing. I wonder when I'm gonna hear of someone mowing over themselves, a kid or a pet.)

[Rick]

OMG. I fell asleep.....twice reading this thread. Hire a kid to mow the bank. His angularity will only cause skip if you pay him really well. At which point he will skip to the bank (the place where money is kept not the place to be mowed). I don't know if the kid will have a Cardigan shaft but he might have a sweater, which won't be necessary for mowing.

[crashdive123]

Oh great. Now he's gotta find a young fella named Skip.

[intothenew]

My worries are gone. As MOS, I was concerned that you may have had the jump on me on this one. But, you took a nap, twice.

Here's the skinny;

I have applied for patent on a device I have termed "Whacko Drone"(pat. pend. BR549). It is a remotely controlled, inertially guided, weed whacker. I can now charge kids a fee for the liberty of using the system and simply reward them with points, for each weed whacked of course. They can operate from the air conditioned comfort of Mom's basement, assuming she has a PC and broadband. Landowners will pay a nominal fee for allowing weed wars on their property. It's absolutely brilliant, if I do say so myself.

[crashdive123]

H63 - Get a Spider Mini (they make bigger models too). How cool would it be to sit on your deck sipping a cold one while "playing" with the remote?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2JAo1EAwhk&feature=relmfu

[Rick]

Oh snap! I want one!!!!!!

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Trucks...tractors.....use'em for what they are meant to do...break'em that is what they are meant to do...fix'em and use 'em some more....

[hunter63]

Crash did you seen how that Mini was crabbing along the hill?.....It's more fun being on the tractor when that is going on.....LOL

Finished up with the weed whacking the morning, ran some errands with DW, then stopped at the local saloon....to get, ah ..local news?...yeah, that will work....and have a cold one or two.

Got to talking with bartender young lady....and she is gonna come out and see if she wants the job for the summer.....kinda like hiring a kid, just better looking.
It's OK, DW was there and was her idea...........

[intothenew]

.......Skipette?