Three Options to Consider on a Brush Cutter

I've done a couple of videos on what features are important to look for when shopping for a brush cutter, today we're going to look at options offered and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
There are three main options on brush hogs, the first is rock protection. There's an open area on the front of most brush cutters, and there are three options as to what goes in that space to protect the operator from rocks coming forward. The first option is nothing. Many cutters actually come with no mechanism to slow down debris coming forward out from the cutter. That's because the dealer, in order to try to gain an edge on his selling price, deducted that option when he ordered the cutter. I have no rock protection on the front of my cutter and am okay with that because I mow high enough that I almost never kick up a rock. The second option is a chain guard or just "chains". That's a bunch of horizontal rows of chain suspended from a rod. Chains may not completely stop a rock from coming out, but they generally slow them down enough not to be a danger and they allow air to circulate under the cutter and give you a nice cut and they never wear out. They are the most expensive choice. The last choice is a "deflector" or a big rubber flap. That'll be a lot less costly than chains, but they can wear out after dragging over the ground for an extended period, and they don't let air to circulate. They do well in stopping debris from discharging.
The next option you'll want to look at is gearbox protection. If you hit something that doesn't move, you want something to give way in front of the gearbox so you don't tear it up and have an expensive repair. There are two options here, shear bolt and slip clutch. A shear bolt is just what it sounds like, if you hit an obstruction you break a little bolt and the blades stop before damaging the gearbox. You replace the bolt and go back to cutting. That's a nice, cheap system, that requires no maintenance, but does require a supply of replacement bolts.I. Here's a video that shows me changing the shear pin on my cutter, it's one of the easier ones to change I've seen: • How to Install a Brush... . The second method of gearbox protection is a slip clutch. Slip clutches work great because if you hit something they slip and let the blades to stop, when you're free of the obstruction you can go back to cutting. That option is quite a bit more expensive, and it does require "burning" the clutches in once a year or so to make sure they're still working. If you don't want to go through that process, get a shear bolt. Here's the video I did on how to burn in a slip clutch: • Slipping a Slip Clutch .
The last option, and it's not available on all cutters is a single or dual tail wheel, and I've been getting a bunch of questions on them lately. The advantages of a dual tail wheel set up is that it spreads the weight out and will give a consistent cut in uneven terrain, and, if you're backing up toward a tree, you can get all the way back to it without having to maneuver around a single tail wheel. Single tail wheels are, of course, cheaper. I've always owned single tail wheel equipped machines, if they were the same price I'd opt for dual tail wheels, but they're not, and I'm not wiling to pay extra for them.
Those are the major options available for a rotary cutter, I hope this explanation helps you make a good buying decision that fits your needs.
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[@joshblick]

The flying rocks are no joke. I was working on a back deck years ago in a new subdivision. The lady (9 months pregnant) was sitting out on it one evening while a guy had just started brush hogging the empty lot next door. A fist sized rock grazed her hair, went through the vinyl siding, through the outside black board, through the insulation, through the drywall, and stuck in the drywall on the other side of the living room.

[@dukeman7595]

Wow by the grace of God she was spared, as that rock would have no doubt killed her and the child she was carrying.

[@dukeman7595]

Mike you forgot to mention the "stump jumper option" The large round steel disc that allows your cutter to ride over stumps instead of the blades becoming jammed in the stump usually resulting in damage.

[@davehoward2791]

Been watching quite a few of your videos, good info with no fluff. Good stuff, keep it up. Liked and subbed!

[@earlyriser8998]

Excellent discussion of options I have wondered about as a newbie

[@douglaspost5097]

I had a Bush Hog 286 for 20 years or so that I loved. I mow anywhere from 20 to 40 fields a summer here in upstate NY. Your comments about the slip clutch are right on the mark. One time I was mowing a field that had a light dusting of snow or a real heavy frost don't remember for sure. My tractor dropped into a depression that I couldn't see and the mower of course dropped too, right onto a couple of good sized rocks. The slip clutch didn't slip and as a result it tore the stump jumper pan right out from under the deck. There were some cracks on the pan where it was welded to the arms above that I hadn't noticed. Needless to say my mower was destroyed. All because I never serviced the slip clutch. I bought a used 6' Woods from a lawn mowing customer of mine and I have to tell you that the sound of that slip clutch slipping is music to my ears. Thank you for your great videos, keep 'em coming.

[@beckylawson1967]

Thanks so much for splaining this to a urban novice building a hobby farm pasture for our future dairy cow and grass fed sheep! ❤️🤓

[@TheRamosFamilyFarm]

As always, great video Mike!

[@stevenandrews6627]

Excellent three part series Mike!

[@Themeshoots]

Thank you very much for the video. Well done, informative and timely. Ready to make the move to the county and appreciate the information.

[@dougshrader7721]

3. Getting the slip clutch adjusted properly. To loose you'll wear it out, to tight it won't slip when needed. But I'll take it over a shear bolt every time

[@robertfakler8564]

Very informative, Mike.

[@jerrybrock5335]

I have a 2048 frontier mower. It has a shear bolt and a slip clutch. I don't find slipping the clutch to much of a problem. I do it once a year. You're video on that was a good one for me. Thanks

[@ceadeses]

Good info Mike. Thanks

[@markproulx1472]

My cutter came with the rubber deflector. By the end of my second season, it was trashed (not a surprise because I set the cutter really low). I just bought the chain type and installed it. It is definitely an improvement.

[@robertjackson9601]

Great Tips Mike, need to check my slip clutch! Its stored outside. If you hit as many things as I do they get to work free all the time:-)

[@northwoodslife5964]

Back in the late 70's I carried boxes of shear bolts for the rototiller on my Kubota B7100. I'd blow those bolts at a rate of about 2 a day rototilling in hard ground. It got to the point that I stopped putting a nut on the shear bolt. Just set it in there and it never completely fell out. Today, it's slip clutch all the way. Great video. Thank you.

[@Larry342516]

Interesting. Thanks Mike.

[@dippst]

i started a landscaping company this year and a couple weeks ago i did my first brush mowing job. went out and bought the mower to do that job (had been wanting one, just couldnt justify the price without work for it). on that job i hit rebar that had been left in the field... my mower has a sheer bolt but it didnt do anything, my engine stalled. worth mentioning my mower is rated for up to 40hp and my tractor has like 18.5 on the rear pto.

[@williampockoski5029]

Thank you for the information

[@semco72057]

I have the John Deere 513 bush hog and that machine have been great machine and so have the 590 tractor is is connected to. I got both new along with the box blade, and trailer in a package deal in 2002. I had to get weights to put on the front of the tractor since I didn't have a front loader on it. The only problem I had with the cutter is it shearing bolts when I once used some bolts I got from another dealer. They broke as quick as I turned the machine on so I went back to the ones sold by the John Deere dealer and that ended that problem. I was told that the cutter could cut brush up to 3 inches in diameter, but I have tried to stay away from brush that large. I did notice a guy who was clearing areas along the power lines using a tractor and bush hog about the size of mine, but his tractor was probably much more powerful than mine, but the cutter was about the size of mine and he was doing a fantastic job. That let me know that I had a decent size cutter and tractor as well. I would never cut what he was mowing down because I don't want to damage my tractor or the implement attached to it. I used my tractor today to clear an area on our land and made sure the wire which was there was removed before putting my equipment in the area.

[@comlbbeau]

My Bush Hog® 5' SQ160 is attached to a Kubota MX4700 (40 PTO HP), and in the six years I have used it I have sheared maybe two or three shear bolts, and I tackle some pretty nasty territory with the cutter. The recommended bolt is a 8X50 mm Gr. 8.8 shear bolt, and I engage the PTO at 1000 rpm, slowly engaging the PTO lever until I detect engagement, and then adding a little throttle to keep it at 1000 rpm until revving it to recommended PTO rpm. I have a lot more confidence in the shear bolt design than the slip clutch, knowing that I probably would neglect the slip clutch adjustment over time. Plus, as you pointed out, it's less expensive!

[@decothran]

nice job Mike!

[@erkme73]

My Tennessee River Implements 6' bush hog has a smooth shaft on the gearbox. The 44" PTO shaft has the standard 6-spline female disconnect on the tractor side, and a smooth 1 3/8" female on the other end. In between the gearbox and the smooth female end is a slip clutch (it has a smooth male and female). The bolt that ties the clutch to the gearbox, and the bolt that ties the clutch to the PTO knuckle are both shear bolts. So, technically, I have both shear bolts and a slip clutch. The timing of this video is perfect, as just last week, one of the 8 spring-loaded bolts came off the clutch, and the shear bolt between the clutch and gearbox snapped. Given the poor (rusty and misaligned) shape of the clutch, I simply ordered a replacement off a dealer on eBay (was only $75 w/free shipping). It should drop in as a 1:1 replacement. I'll be sure to burn in the clutch as described in this video. Thanks Mike!

[@born2flyau]

Mike, One option you never mentioned was SKIDs. Our old slasher had skids, NO TAILWHEEL REQUIRED. Great for backing in close to trees and fences. With skids it was simply a matter of setting the height of the blades by adjusting the height of the skids. They never wear out unless you are using them on rocky ground which I don't recommend. As you say rocks and slashers do not mix well together. Enjoy your videos, keep them coming.

[@dukeman7595]

You must be from Australia, "Brush Hogs" are known as "slashers" there. G day.

[@ottloblundly8]

good info.

[@libtard7095]

You truly know your tractors!!! Last week took a 5 plus inch rock to the head. Sent me to the emergency room. Ended up with a concussion and a 4 inch gash, but it could have easily killed me. I was down hill from the brush hog but at least 40 yards away. It was a canon shot. Learned my lesson the hard way, my wife always says I have a hard head. 🤕👍

[@TractorMike]

Would you mind me sharing that on my Facebook page? I came real close to that same situation when I was a kid, but was lucky. The rock came head high a few feet away, but I connected the dots about what would have happened had my position been different. Here's the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6iTo5KMgJpqe6M.

[@libtard7095]

Tractor Mike No problem. I have pics as well of what it did if you want.

[@TractorMike]

Absolutely! Would you mind to e-mail to [e-mail]? I hate to make you a poster child for the danger of being even remotely close to a brush hog, but it could save a life, and that's why I do this. Please let me know details as well if you're okay with that, what part of the world you're in, where the cutter was, who was driving, etc. It might protect someone else from what you went through. Situations like these, where KZbin can make people safer, are why I really appreciate the platform.

[@thephotographicauditor6715]

Brown Mfg. model 472, dual tailwheels, double row of chains in front, slip clutch, 90hp gearbox

[@loydsa]

Hi Mike, love your video's. Have you considered doing a video on the horsepower needed for various ploughs and subsoilers? Regards Sarah

[@TractorMike]

Sarah, I live in an area where there are big rocks are just below the surface and a 450 hp tractor with tracks and a subsoiler would probably be brought to it's knees here. I'm in the wrong place to do much about tillage.

[@loydsa]

Thanks MIke, and thanks again for the video's

[@lorenadominguez4418]

Thanks 👋🏼🍓👍🏼!

[@justinhampton2394]

Another Safety feature is a rock guard for your tractor. Best investment I have made for brush hogging.

[@HillBilly4Ever]

Hi Mike, I agree with having guards but I ran into a situation with my John Deere MX8. It came with full chains front and back. on lower grass/brush, no issue nice cut. in higher/heavy cutting, it seems like material was not getting out fast enough even with the back raised a little. Ended up removing the rear chains and it made it better...but, cutting tall heavy material, around 3 foot, it was leaving a large amount of uncut stuff...real bad! even as 1-2 MPH. I would have to go over it a second time. ended up removing all the chains front and back, along with the baffle assemblies and night and day different on the amount of power needed and cut quality.

[@jonirelan2904]

Joe, sounds like your MX8 needs it tail wheel raised so that the front of your brush cutter is lower than the rear of the deck. I have an MX6. By maintaining an approximately 1-1/2” to 2” higher exit height at the rear I am able to cut deep, heavy material without it needing repeated passes. This also prevents the cutter from re-cutting the same material too many times. Mike does address this in a video as I recall. Good luck!

[@dukeman7595]

I believe the chains are for the front to protect the operator, I can see them impeding the flow of cuttings expelled in the rear however.

[@brittneyhopkins2230]

Great video! Looking at the mx6 John deer and woods bb- 72.50 which one is the best for me to get ?

[@bighatd26]

Have you done a video on installing a canopy and which ones are best?

[@TractorMike]

I'm biased because I sell this one, but it's the only one I can find that can be easily removed and I have mine off about half the time when I go back into the woods: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWGWdX6GfdGBmZI. If you go to this page there's a video on installation: asktractormike.com/product/rhinohide-canopy/.

[@richvg7348]

I don't know if you have addressed the PTO shield before. I see several KZbin videos with the shield spinning with the PTO shaft. I thought you were supposed to tie it off so it doesn't spin.

[@TractorMike]

You are correct, it's not supposed to spin. But, for it to function correctly, it must be greased, and a lot of people don't know you have to do that so the bearings inside seize up and then they spin.

[@lancede6]

Isn't it best to engage the PTO in low idle to protect the shear bolt?

[@TractorMike]

Yeah, it's a little bit of a balancing act to get it engaged without bogging the engine. I usually engage about 1200-1600 RPM moving the lever REALLY slow and it seems to work fine. Getting that perfect throttle speed depends on how heavy the cutter is (and how much weight you have to get spinning) and the size of the tractor.

[@breakheartorchard4761]

Chain Link is definitely worth the money if you have a lot of rocks to deal with. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmjSc4aafMZkl68

[@CliffsideStables]

Mike, what grade of bolt is the sheer pin from the factory typically? What grade of shear pin bolt did you install in your brush cutter?

[@TractorMike]

I think they come with grade 2, I had to move to grade 5. I rolled a rock the size of a basketball out of the ground a couple of days ago and luckily it lifted the cutter up and over it and ended up just outside of the deck. I believe it would have sheared a grade 8 bolt if it would have made its way under the cutter. Grade 5 has worked well for me...

[@mitchellbell713]

Mike I am trying to figure out why the clutches are burning up in my stumpjumper

[@txtpqb]

Mike, would the dual tail wheels also help with stability of the cutting deck and put less stress on the 3-pt. arms? I noticed my cutter with the single wheel flops around somewhat on rough ground.

[@TractorMike]

Probably would. I'd think they would spread the shock of uneven ground out a little. Great point!

[@dannyholcomb4174]

One additional factor to consider is an access plate to remove the blade bolts for sharpening. My cutter does not have one and the stump jumper is stuck and won't come off.

[@warrenp2022]

My King Kutter that I bought 15 yrs ago has a hole through the deck over the bolt (or nut, haven't looked in yrs) so you can put a socket and extension through it to remove the blades. If you want, it should be simple enough to use a hole saw large enough that the socket will fit through and drill an access hole.

[@gac107]

Can you talk about stump jumpers?

[@TractorMike]

I would be glad to, it's on the list. I actually had some discussion about them in this video but when I went to edit the thing was 15 minutes long! So, I had to edit out a bunch of stuff, KZbin doesn't like epic videos :). I'm coming soon with some videos about removing and sharpening blades and I probably better give my viewers a "brush hog break" after I'm done, but I promise to get to that soon.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

I've eaten an awful lot of rocks with my bush hog, and it doesn't have any kind of guard. I never, ever had a problem with flying rocks. Yes, they explode and pieces fly everywhere, but they stay low, far below me on the tractor seat. Never mow near other people, as Mike says. THAT can be dangerous.

[@andrewa8879]

Bush hogging one day, hit a small fist size rock that flew forward and bounced backward hard off the front tire. It hit me in the chest. Didn't hurt much, but got my attention.

[@neoblackwolf69]

This is a grate video and very helpful, please keep up the grate work. Hit That Like Button Like You Got Some Sense!

[@marlboroman71818]

if you use the cutter at least a couple times a year the clutches will slip a little when you engage the pto.

[@gregpatey6355]

about the blades.... I recently bought an older used rotary mower that has been well used, but the thing that Ive noticed about it is the thickness of the blades.. which are about an inch and an eighth thick, and dull as a baseball bat... would this be one of the heavy duty models for cutting thicker material that you speak of, or did all the older models use thick blades?

[@TractorMike]

That's possible, the early cutters did use heavy blades and were built to mow anything that got in their way.

[@Rprecision]

Are you paired up with Messicks? Your last videos are all released within a minute of there's

[@TractorMike]

No. I've watched some of their videos and they're putting a lot of effort into it, but we're not affiliated in any way.

[@philipmcdougal9946]

Do you have information on flail mowers?

[@TractorMike]

Yup: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqOrgnl3f99osKs and kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4TRmX6phbB5Y7M.

[@mitchellbell713]

I have the deck up as high as it goes and running I’m lowest gear.

[@christopherwyman8590]

Solid or Flex hitch

[@christopherwyman8590]

Round back or open back?

[@andrewstiegler4199]

Have you ever had experience with Southern 84 " Brush hog. Model 1607 Not sure what to pay for it.. I have heard the manufacturer went out of business so concerned about parts

[@TractorMike]

No, I haven't. I'd hook it up and run it before buying. Make sure everything spins without a huge amount of vibration that could indicate a bent blade pan. You could probably find crossover blades for it and possibly a gearbox, if something is wrong with the blade pan, it might be a boat anchor. Here's a video I did about checking over a used brush hog before buying: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZOwnoeldtuCfKs, and here's one about a bent blade pan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWScoKKrqbiDfNE. Don't be afraid to make a low ball offer because of the lack of parts availability. Whoever is selling probably knows the situation and that should make them more negotiable. Good luck!

[@blaineschleiden8139]

Why or round back cutters more expensive

[@truckerray7533]

I dont believe ive ever seen a duel tail wheel brush hog. Always seen & used a singl wheel setup

[@steveterry7981]

Almost all the large ones have them. Mine is a hydraulic 10ft with dual tail.

[@breakheartorchard4761]

My Titan 7 foot has two wheels. See this video to check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmjSc4aafMZkl68

[@jrhoads4849]

Taiwan bolt shear Charlie now

[@jifi-0178]

I couldn't get Mike's link in the info above to work for slip clutches. Here is a working link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4e1o2ybmsibgqs

[@TractorMike]

I don't know what happened there but I copied your working link and inserted it into the description so it should work now. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!