How to Not Destroy Your Hydro When Brush Hogging Tall, Rank Grass

[@curtis1820]

I love your impression of the hydro whine it was quite accurate and very amusing, keep up the good work Mike I love all your videos mate

[@allenfrost2148]

I’ve only been mowing with tractors for 50 years but have learned so much from your channel. Thanks for being clear and concise.

[@karaayers2867]

I really appreciate my gear drive tractor when bush hogging for 4 hours on a hot day. No worries about an expensive hydro takings a dump.

[@ShannonLandsberger]

Hello Mike, I watch almost all of your videos and for the most part I agree with your tips, but this video has one thing that I disagree with. I think that by moving your radiator spacing out and leaving a gap between them, you are eliminating the fans ability to pull air through both radiators. You will probably get excellent cooling with your primary radiator as air will be more freely able to move from the outside edges between the radiators in and through it, but by allowing that air flow to come in between the two radiators you have reduced the suction ability of the fan to pull it through both. I think that you will have an end result which will be a higher temperature at the front radiator now.

[@walterg.dinkla2478]

Tractor Mike, I appreciate how much you help a neophyte like me to be better at using my tractor. Thank you.

[@treylem3]

Very good advice, Mike. I had to have my hydrostatic pto clutch replaced, one my JD2305, that I think I could have avoided if I'd been in Low Range, instead of High Range. I will stay in Low Range when i mow from now on. Thanks Mike

[@helloeveryone906]

Your videos are freaking awesome, I'm sure lots individuals are learning from you even me. Living the American dreams.

[@sydneybaumgartner9801]

Yep, too wet to plow or mow! Still raining north of you! Good tips I'll check em out. Very glad you found the solution to our problem. Blue boy is a happy camper now.

[@denisewildfortune4058]

I'd like to add that JD recommends a cool-down period after running hard like when mowing. I always take a slow ride back to the barn making sure that the radiator grill is clear first. Typically allow 5 minutes of cool-down. Without cooling, the heat from the transmission will cook everything including the oil possibly causing harm.

[@saltydog3714]

I only use high range on the hydrostatic trans when traveling down a road. Otherwise, like you said, I am not fully depressing the pedal and decreasing the oil flow. Sure appreciate your knowledgeable explanations Mike! Thanks, Doug Baird.

[@tractorboy31]

I like my gear drive old school 57 JD 520. The ol girl is very forgiving. I just cut some medium pines down for a friend and hauled them with my manure tine trip latch loader to her pile and got held up in the loose sand where i sunk my front end down. Backed up and went forward right out. She said she keeps getting stuck back there with her hydro drive r4 tire 4x4 tractor and my only real problem was i ran out of gas with gas in the tank. To much slope and not enough gas so it ran away from tank outlet

[@lyouden]

That is great info on the pedal and gear selection. I did not know that and that type of information is incredibly valuable to your viewers. Thanks for sharing that type of knowledge.

[@stickboy6772]

Great info as always. Like the Tractor Caddy and Light Bar setup on your tractor. Will be ordering mine soon.

[@semco72057]

I don't have the button to increase the transmission power, but do worry about problems with my tractor and will remember to check for loose wires if I do and my older tractor has a standard transmission and it works great except for problems with my transmission not wanting to shift into 1st gear or reverse sometimes. Other than that it is working out the way it should. Thanks for sharing those tips and I wish you a nice day and weekend.

[@ThousandWordImages]

By spacing the hydro cooler forward you are going to lose some of the air flow through the hydro cooler itself. The fan as it pulls air through the radiator will now pull air through the The space that is between the radiator and the hydro cooler as opposed to pulling the air through the hydro cooler. If you do that I think I would be inclined to add some type of a shroud that you could take on and off to get your cleaning wand in their. If you had a way to monitor the temperature of the hydro oil separately from the engine temperature I think you were going to see it increase. Check with your mechanic guru to see what he thinks about this Mike.

[@cleonmain1291]

I have a gear drive Kubota L3200 for discing and mowing and a hydro Kubota B2301 as a dedicated loader tractor. I find the gear drive works best for field work select the proper range and gear set the hand throttle and go. You can concentrate on the task at hand. The hydrostatic drive is also great for a loader tractor. Select your drive range, set your throttle and concentrate on the loader/tractor operation.

[@jackjetpilot]

ACE is my go-to location for fasteners for sure!

[@deerrudy]

Great tips. I just bought my first hydro when from geear drive. Didnt know any of that

[@johnthorpe1071]

Thank you Mike, good information as always and I think it would also apply to my mid mount mower, I will check the cooler and keep the pedal down. My brush hogging will wait for another week or two.

[@bobyad4879]

Great Idea, I need to do this to my TC29DA. It gets very dirty exactly like this video!

[@robertheinkel6225]

My only concern with moving the cooler, is maybe the reduced air flow thru the cooler.

[@richardbunch7014]

I have a concern with moving that hydro cooler out. Would this not cut down on airflow in the hydro cooler? I know you said you moved it out 1 inch but wouldn’t airflow be less the further out you moved it? A shroud between the radiator and the hydro cooler maybe? I’d like to know your take on the air flow because it sounds like a good idea to space it out. Y’all have a good-un!!!!

[@ke6bnl]

Seems like this will not allow the fan to move air through the hydro radiator . Unless you have a shroud between the two radiators

[@warped2875]

Yes, the air flow will find the path of least resistance, via the sides with the now larger gap. Thus, there will not be as much air flowing through the hydro oil cooler. There will still be some air flowing through the hydro oil cooler, but it will be reduced by a bit. Some kind of shrouding would definitely be of benefit, perhaps quickly removable to allow access of the cleaning wand to be used easily.

[@davidmays2161]

Ed KE6BNL agreed

[@MLJenkins]

Interesting. I was just thinking as Mike did that, why don't tractors come like how Mike modified. But your thought seems to make sense.

[@FirePantsFabrication]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe some rubber flaps on the sides and top to close it in, but give access to clean.

[@alanfisch6912]

I agree

[@alanfisch6912]

I think it would be better to make the hydro radiator tilt forward easily to clean and then put it back to its original position

[@eosjoe565]

You were fortunate that the TC40 had rubber hoses on the oil cooler. A lot of tractors have rigid oil lines going to the oil cooler making it next to impossible to move it out.

[@jerrybeck8812]

Great video Mike. Would moving the cooler out allow more air to pass around it? And yes the diesel suet is a pain, all over the loader as well. I am going to look for that WD cleaner next time in the store. Also I use Simple Green to clean the suet off and it works great as well.

[@johnwesley8327]

Thanks for another informative video Mike.

[@robertjackson9601]

Always enjoy your videos Mike. A good mod on the New Holland would be to insert a Kuboda MX series :-)

[@danielgeis5062]

Hi Mike. Does anyone sell hydrostatic oil temperature gauge for tractors? Seems like that would be a useful tool to have. If it got hot, you could stop before you caused damage.

[@jaxturner7288]

A gauge is only a tool when it is used to diagnose a problem, otherwise a gauge is an instrument not a tool. Any temperature gauge with a sensor in the appropriate range would work, a $10 oil temp gauge from auto zone would function fine hooked up to one of the hydrostatic transmission cooler lines or it’s cooler.

[@jdjack7412]

great video and good suggestions. I would like a video on suggestions to shift from forward and reverse without affecting PTO speed when using a brush cutter in area where you need to constantly change directions. thanks.

[@tubisten]

I've done a lot of tractor work on smaller older tractors, like a Massey Ferguson 35. A lot of it running haying equipment that's spinning heavy spindles and using belts. It was critical not to change the PTO speed or you would risk throwing the belt. We always kept the engine and thus the PTO speed constant by using the hand throttle and have it set for the PTO to spin at the correct speed. Any change in speed or direction would be done by changing gears. Yes, you will be easing up on the clutch, and you will be wearing it some, but, cost of business I guess. Hope that helps!

[@treylem3]

Great vids, and advice, Tractor Mike. I wish I had a mechanic to consult about my mid pto not working on my JD2305. I just bought it w/343 hrs and I can't use the belly mower or any attachment that runs off of the mid pto. Thanks for your very helpful vids.

[@GoFastGator]

These tractors have a lever that controls which PTO shaft is active. Mid, rear, both. Does the rear PTO work when you select that?

[@MikeDPlxztc]

Mike I've got to agree with Ed's comment above you have just destroyed the air flow through the cooler it was designed to be in that position shroud would work but of course that would put you back to zero I don't know why tractor manufacturers can't find a way to keep debris out of the radiators and engine compartment it's a cheap cop out if you ask me

[@williamhaynes7089]

I live in Phoenix, az... its 100F + everyday for months here.. don't see much cooling for hydro

[@jimputnam2044]

LOL Is he ok, Thats what my wife says when I try to sing along with the radio.

[@earlyriser8998]

Great advice that we don't consider the wires breaking

[@clarkansas6590]

Great information

[@born2flyau]

Mike, With the overheating is there any way to fit a temperatue gauge to the hydrostatic transmission. this could help you keep a closer eye on temperatue rises in the hydrostatic transmission.

[@TractorMike]

Don't know the answer to that but I will check. Great idea!

[@rgd2598]

Tractor Mike ... while you seek the answer ... can you find out the average temp range the hydraulic oil runs? Thanks

[@newhampshire-bob1604]

Good information! Always enjoy!

[@MLJenkins]

I have always been curious how the electric hi/lo HST function works on a tractor. My Kubota L6060HSTC has that, and it saves a lot of time and is really helpful to have something other than L/M/H when on the hills.

[@michaelmccullar2982]

Do shuttle shifts have this problem? Thank you in advance..

[@paulsergojan1541]

Great presentation. Thanks.

[@markproulx1472]

Another helpful video! Thanks!

[@ddsgala4405]

Good show mike good info

[@jc-botaman1077]

Good info Mike, Thanks

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

Good video Mike.

[@austech360]

I live in Falcon, MO. You must not be too far away. I had an EPIC RAIN earlier. Around 3:50-4:10 pm. It was a VIOLENT amount of rain!! I have a powrreverser JD 5055E I tend to use A4 for mowing in 540E mode. I hear a whine when in reverse or in fourth gear. Is that whine just all the mechanical advantage? Or should I change my fluid? Or use B1? I use the A range because I like to be able to quickly shift down a gear when approaching hazards such as trees that I need to back under and carefully manipulate my position. Thoughts? You're a hero. First time commenter. First time tractor owner. You have taught me SO much!!

[@TractorMike]

I'm in Ozark, I wouldn't want to walk from here to Falcon, but it would be a pretty drive :). My guess on your Deere is that it is just normal gear noise, but maybe someone else will see your question and know a better answer. I've been on the other side of Deere my entire career, having been an AGCO rep and an S & H guy, so I'm just not that familiar with what's normal on them. Thanks for commenting, if you have any other questions, let me know. Good to talk to another southwest Missourian!

[@botabob]

I recently had a problem with my Kubota BX not turning off - I had a good idea what the problem was, but I created a video showing viewers how to diagnose - feel free to give it a look - Love your advice Mike

[@richardpoe2461]

Good information. It would be great to stress to everyone who owns a modern tractor how important it is to change the hydraulic fluid and filter or filters when recommended. I had a question? You have had your new holland tractor for some time. If you were going to buy a new one, would you buy another new holland?

[@KOSTAS2231]

Thats cool advices on hydrostatic transmission, how many heat can reach a hydro in hard conditions? And what type of oil you use to your NH in hydro transmission system? Appreciate watching all your videos

[@nwirentals]

Thank you!

[@SWAMPHUNTER644]

A dryer cleaning brush is long and thin and can get down between on my John Deere. Seed fluff from swamp grass is the worst! Need frequent cleaning.

[@chevyon37s]

One thing you didn’t cover. CHANGE THE HYDROSTATIC OIL. Heat kills oil, and it loses lubricity at an exponential rate the hotter it gets. And most owners never even think about changing the hydrostatic drive oil and filter. Which once that oil is cooked after a day or two of running hot that’s when you start wearing out the internals and killing the transmission.

[@ditzydoo4378]

Hydromatic's are neat and all until you get the bill to repair, or replace it.... 0_o which will happen, there is no if about it... So I'll continue to use my old Ford 4000 Industrial 4-speed 4-cylinder Diesel to get'er done... It's 57 years young and as long as I keep up the maintenance, there's no reason it won't last another 57.

[@claycaudill5347]

Re picking the right gear (the funny noise made by our host) - it is a common mistake by newbies (and hard headed farm hands) to be in too high of a gear. They then control speed by slipping the clutch (grrrr), or babying the hst pedal. We don’t have hydro trans tractors - all have clutches. Most are 80+ hp, so they are wet clutches which can take that abuse a little better, but still not the right way to run the tractor. Not only hard on the tractor, but can be dangerous. We have had an operator dump a clutch (foot slipped off) while in a barn launching tractor 20ft through a door before they regained control. No one hurt, not much damage, guy lost his job (not his first poor decision). Absolute rules: A range (lowest) and no hand throttle in a barn.

[@jaxturner7288]

“Slipping the clutch and babying the hst pedal”. While in the wrong gear? What tractor was that on?

[@kurtsimmons1587]

Is that the sound that makes it sound like you have air in your hydraulic system? I hear that on a few channels I watch!

[@d.a.ballou9740]

Thanks Mike.

[@mekosmowski]

I'm a prospective first time tractor owner. I'm learning quite a bit from your channel. While researching tractors, I see that there is a wide variety of front wheel size, even when compared to the size of the rear wheels. Is this significant? Are the tractors with front wheels about 3/4 the size of the rear wheels better for certain things than front wheels < 1/2 the size of the rear wheels? My intended use would be predominantly forested land.

[@TractorMike]

Mark, If you're working in the forest and moving logs, you'll be stressing the front tires because they carry the weight of the loader. I'd want the biggest I could get. Here may be a partial reason for the differences between models. On FWA tractors, there are ratios that must be followed since the circumference of the wheels is different. Between the radius of the wheels and the gearing of the tractor, the front wheels must run slightly faster than the rear wheels to prevent a "plowing" effect. That's why if you ever replace a 4wd tractor's tires, the exact same size needs to go back on to keep the ratios right. I'd say that manufacturers probably design their gear ratios around available tires sizes and also use the savings from equipping a tractor with smaller tires to help meet price points. I'd also bet the tractors you're seeing with the smallest front tires tend to be "economy" models and the larger front-tired tractors tend to be "deluxe" models. On the larger tractors, tire size can be specified when ordering, on compact tractors they generally only come with one choice. Hope all that helps!

[@mekosmowski]

@@TractorMike thank you for the thoughtful reply. I'll certainly be using the loader to place logs on the mill and to organize log storage near the mill. For skidding with a winch even, a bigger front tire would be able to hold more ballast which would help keep the front wheels down if I find some big logs. Your reply and videos have helped me realize I'll want to add weight to all 4 tires. Thank you.

[@mountainmike1685]

Good day! We have a 1998 Ford 1920 model tractor 32 hp 28 at the pto 4x4. It's about worn out mountain mowing 2400 hrs +. My brother in law insist it wont hurt to use it with the 5ft heavy duty bush hog mowing 3 ft tall hardy thick weeds. The mower is vey heavy and sways the tractor when starting the pto. What is your take on whether this will hurt the tractor, clutch, or other parts. Thank you, love your videos

[@TractorMike]

Michael, that's hard to say without knowing the horsepower requirement of the cutter, the volume of material that will go through it and how steep the slopes are you'll be using it on. I would say a 1920 would be able to pull almost any 5' cutter I've been around, whether it can do it on the hills you're planning to go on is impossible to say without seeing them. Good luck!

[@mountainmike1685]

Thanks for your response, I will check on the mower

[@sunhawk61]

Sounds like your TC needs to have an engine mounted like my Massey. The cooler and radiator are towards the back so it doesn't suck up all that debris

[@michaelchadwick3497]

We will see how much you like it when you have to replace the alternator belt

[@nwirentals]

Long time subscriber first time question: If you were looking for a low hour used tractor where would you go for a tractor. I have looked on craigslist for months and found nothing. Any suggestions for the Washington State area?

[@TractorMike]

Good used tractors are hard to find and in high demand everywhere. Try tractorhouse.com or these guys: www.dllresale.com/inventory/?/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list?catid=1110,1111&etid=1&pcid=2966066&dlr=1&sfc=0&ssc=0. Look for small tractors in farming country for the best bargains. Good luck!

[@hoselfader]

Good Works Tractors is another channel that seeks low hour John Deere and Kubota tractors. He has a KZbin channel and talks about shipping his equipment all over the country. Might check him out.

[@robertmencl9169]

electric thermometer gauge on hydro fluid would help.

[@carmenstrickland7188]

I love your videos and I think I might need your help. I'm a first-time tractor owner: I recently got a tractor second-hand and it's a Mahindra Max 28XL HST. It starts, I can lift and lower the bucket, same for the attached brush hog, but (and this is the embarrassing part) I can't figure out how to put it in gear and engage the brush hog. How can I get in contact with you to get started? My recently-purchased land is looking a bit forgotten as I struggle to figure it out. I've been looking for an operator's manual on the Internet and haven't found one I can just read. Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!

[@TractorMike]

Carmen, My e-mail is [e-mail]. Shoot me an e-mail and in the meantime I'll check with the local Mahindra dealer. We'll get it figured out! -Obi-Wan :)

[@TubeYou7531]

Why doesn't someone sell skid plates for tractors to protect the bottom of the tractor?

[@TractorMike]

There would be so many different configurations it would be tough to design one that fit a large number of models. Plus, it would be expensive to ship.

[@TubeYou7531]

@@TractorMike How about directly from the tractor manufacturer? Every four wheel drive pickup I've had included a skid plate from the manufacturer as an extra cost option.

[@michaelfinney2160]

Good information! Question Would you also recommend with a Kubota BX1870 mowing with 54inch belly mower in low range ? These Kubota’s only have a fan on the driveline at the HST pump no external radiator for it running around 3 gallons of super UDT fluid. Thanks and have a Blessed Day !

[@hugostiglitz8465]

Michael- I have a Kubota b2320 with 60" deck and run mower in M but will put into low gear on hills. Have 600 hours on tractor with no issues

[@limegreenthecolor]

Thanks for your channel! Question: I just bought a new Kubota MX5400 with the HST. Should you always run it at 540 PTO speed when mowing with a rotary cutter? That's WOT on this tractor and seems abusive to the machine for extended periods.

[@TractorMike]

When I'm cutting this time of year with the leaves off plants and don't require the full horsepower of the tractor I'll run below 540 rated engine speed. My rated engine speed is 2600 RPM, I've been running at 2200. I don't think it hurts anything, except your blades do spin slower but I can't tell it makes a difference.

[@traciwilke5391]

I have a new deere 4044R tractor and have been watching all your videos on brush hogging do's and dont's. I regularly cut 18 acres with a rotary mower and have been trying to find the sweet spot for (comfortable) speed over ground, gearing and engine rpm while still trying to maximize having my forward pedal down so as to keep the HST cool. I recently found a feature called "speed match" in my manual which let's you set a max forward speed and lock it in. Then when you (fully) depress your forward pedal you achieve that speed. My question is with this feature activated, proper rpm and the forward pedal fully depressed am I running my HST at or close to max flow?

[@knarftrakiul3881]

U need a shrowed now because air is bypassing hydro radiator. That's why they mount it close to other radiator.

[@queenrocks77]

WERRR AAAARRRHHH -Tractor Mike 2020

[@rexb6478]

The video shows you changing out the two top bolts, were there any bottom bolts? So it didn't affect the hoses on the hydro filter? Thank you!

[@TractorMike]

There were two on the bottom as well, hard to get the camera in there. I had enough hose to make it work.

[@alanross3435]

Hey Mike, thanks for the video,especially the tip about lowest gear and peddle to the metal ( if possible )👍🏻 how long has it been since you heard that saying?😂😂 I almost forgot about the spacer trick, I'm going to do that as soon as it's safe to leave the house. 😷😷✌🏻️

[@TractorMike]

Was that in the song "Convoy"? It was in some country song in the 80's...old CB slang :).

[@alanross3435]

Tractor Mike, your answer is right on the money. 😂✌🏻️

[@funtimebandits]

I have an issue with my tractor, my 4wd won’t engage while my 3 point hitch running, what could cause this issue?

[@lindaking4308]

Where can I buy a brush guard that fits my 2006 tc40 d?

[@TractorMike]

Linda, New Holland probably won't have it but possibly one of the aftermarket loader companies will. A Bush Hog grill guard is probably still available for it, they'd be who I'd check with first. Find the oldest salesperson you can at a Bush Hog dealership and they should know where to find it in the catalogue. Good luck!

[@lindaking4308]

@@TractorMike Thank you so much, I’m on it.

[@darkwinter6028]

CHANGE YOUR HYDRAULIC FLUID!1!! Like, often. Heat kills oil, and fried oil kills hydraulic pumps & motors. Also, if you’re mechanically inclined, adding a hydraulic fluid temperature gauge might not be a bad idea (any generic automotive temperature gauge will do; the tricky bit will be coming up with a mounting block for the temperature sender... you’ll probably have to do a bit of work on a chunk of aluminum with a drill press, hacksaw, and tap set; unless you want to drill into the transmission housing).

[@jaxturner7288]

It’s not like we could just get the temperature at the hydro cooler or the hoses......

[@jt4055]

Not a good plan Mike. You just made it cool less and poking around with that long rod your bending the louvers on the radiator and the cooler. Blow your cooler , radiator from the front, wash from the front. Then wash from rear.

[@jaxturner7288]

Forcing junk deeper toward the clean side is never a good idea.

[@manuallabor7193]

Same thing just happened on my wives truck. I found the wire right away.

[@jaxturner7288]

What was the wire for?

[@CountryCraziness]

I make that sound after drinking beer and margaritas. 😁😉

[@TractorMike]

Me too, in my younger days :).

[@danstevens2204]

Loader, mower, highway

[@RCSwan48]

I am deaf, can you translate that to feeling the whining or groaning of the hydrostatic drive?

[@whisperpandy]

Picture yourself taking a dump after eating at McDonalds !!!

[@generaluser4145]

It wouldn't be rough on them if the manufacturer made them strong.

[@steveleverett300]

Never heard it called a brush hogging. We call it a bush hog

[@terryhobdy5727]

Right👍👍👍👍

[@jaxturner7288]

What do you call the operation of running a brush hog?

[@josephcantor481]

Most important - when is Mike getting a haircut? :-)

[@TractorMike]

Heck, I may never ever go to town again. Didn't take much of an excuse to make this old boy a hermit and to give up on personal grooming! :)

[@saltysteel3996]

Everything I do is in L or M gear. Never use H gear.

[@kd6836]

Exactly. L for loader or agriculture. M for mow. H for highway.

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍

[@anthonymoley4080]

That rain looks like nothing compared to Kansas

[@coldspring624]

GST

[@bearclawbill8064]

you should wear heavy long pants and shirt,,glasses and even a loose face mask,,in case of bee's--hornets,yellow jackets....also a shoe with a large hill so wit won;t slip over the pedals..

[@lorenzovillegas2457]

Those hydrostats kinda sound like a donkey when they are starting up

[@supporterofeverythingyouli6255]

You have the wrong color of tractor that's why your always breaking and fixing.

[@generaluser4145]

How not to destroy a pos hydro....get a gear tractor