I was out doing some brush hogging the other night and thinking about all the folks who are moving to the country and buying tractors and bush hogs and using them for the first time. 2020 has ended up being a good year for small tractor sales and many novice operators are out there cutting pastures for the first time and may not know that there are multiple ways they can damage new equipment, that won't be covered under warranty. So I covered them all in this video.
The first, and most dangerous way to damage equipment is by tractor roll over. Most of us moving to the country don't get the flat and fertile farmland, we get the hilly ground and are trying to mow slopes. Always remember to keep your seat belt fastened and roll bar up when cutting, and definitely make sure your tractor is properly ballasted. Tire ballast is something I'd never be without and the best choice is Rim Guard, who sponsors my videos. Rim Guard (at rimguardsolutions.com) is the original beet juice, a byproduct of the sugar beet industry. It's heavy, won't freeze to -35 degrees Fahrenheit, and is non-caustic and environmentally friendly. For most of us, liquid ballast in the back tires is all we need, but there are two more things you can do if you still feel you're in danger when mowing on hills. One is to add wheel weights, the other is to set the tractor tires out wider. Avoiding a rollover is the best way to prevent damage, if you ever do turn a tractor over, turn it off as soon as you can, engines don't run well upside down.
The second way to damage equipment is by not providing proper lubrication. Make sure you grease all PTO shafts, including the U-joints and the shield, and don't forget the tail wheel, which takes a beating and requires frequent greasing. Keeping your equipment lubricated will make it last longer and avoid repairs. I like to grease every time I've brush hogged from 4-8 hours.
The third way to mess up equipment is to let bolts get loose. Your owner's manual will tell you to check all bolts on a brush hog frequently. There is so much vibration on a cutter, bolts tend to loosen themselves up and you don't want the cutter coming off the tractor or the gearbox to come loose.
Fourth, make sure the temperature gauge on the tractor works because radiators can get completely clogged up during bush hogging. Tall weeds may have seed heads on them that shatter when hit by the front of the tractor, then the fan will suck those seeds and debris right into the radiator (and hydro cooler if the tractor is a hydrostat) and the engine can heat up rapidly. Keep an eye on the engine temperature and clean out the radiator often, with a tool like Radiator Genie.
Finally, if you have a "draw" or valley on your place, be really careful not to drive straight through it. When your tractor wheels are headed up a hill while the tail wheel is still coming down the previous hill you can create a real bind in your PTO and something has to give. It can blow the back out of your cutter gearbox, bend the shaft, or even break the PTO shaft off the tractor. All are expensive repairs.
Keeping these five potentials for breakdowns in mind at all time will help you protect your tractor investment and keep you safe!
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26 авг 2020
