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Just bought a well used one. Interested in experiences from others who've used one. Anything I should know? Will be used to clear sagebrush from an abandoned highway.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Check the gear box for gear oil before using.
Sometimes those seals can give out with age, and the oil can drain out. If that happens, the gears inside will get hot, and you'll end up getting a new gear box. They aren't cheap.
Should be a plug nut at the top of the gear box for adding/checking oil level.
Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla!
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If it doesn't have a slip clutch, it should have a shear bolt (protection when hitting rocks or stumps) ... ... don't trust the existing shear bolt to be correct type ... ... just replace it with a new one (per manufacturers specification).
I was given a brush hog that had a twisted drive shaft. Previous owner had let a relative borrow it, he hit something hard that cut through the shear bolt (as it should have) ... the relative installed a grade 5 bolt as a replacement. Then he hit something hard again, but the grade 5 bolt didn't shear, and the drive shaft twisted up.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Check the gear box for gear oil before using.
Sometimes those seals can give out with age, and the oil can drain out. If that happens, the gears inside will get hot, and you'll end up getting a new gear box. They aren't cheap.
Should be a plug nut at the top of the gear box for adding/checking oil level. This! Though some smaller ones have a plug on the side to check the level and plug at the top to add. I'm pretty good at checking but I was in a rush a couple of weeks ago and didn't. It had never been low or changed level before. This was the first time I'd used it this spring. Not sure I would have caught it checking at the start, there was no evidence of gear oil on the gravel under where it was stored all winter so I'm guessing it happened either the last time I used it or during this time. ....sigh.....either way, my fault...
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Thanks. Used to square bale and know the importance of the proper shear bolt. Looked, and mine uses a shear bolt and doesn't appear to have a clutch. I'll hit the local JD dealer and pick some up, replace what's there. Gear box has oil, I'm assuming full enough cold to cover tbe gears is just right?
Last edited by 300_savage; 05/26/21.
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Also, check out the range of travel of the pto driveline when mounted on your tractor.
If the driveline was properly fitted for the bush hog for use on a tractor noticeably larger or smaller than your tractor, you might damage your tractor or the bush hog, or the inner pto shaft might slip out of the outer sleeeve and go banging around!
The are multiple sources on the internet showing how to properly shorten or lengthen a pto shaft.
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Thanks, I will check that out.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Aug 2004
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Thanks. Used to square bale and know the importance of the proper shear bolt. Looked, and mine uses a shear bolt and doesn't appear to have a clutch. I'll hit the local JD dealer and pick some up, replace what's there. Gear box has oil, I'm assuming full enough cold to cover tbe gears is just right? Yessir, just enough gear oil to cover the gears. That leaves it some room when it warms up.
Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla!
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A little late to this, but to add to rockinbar, if the gear oil level is high enough, run the cutter for a little bit and check it again. If the gear oil looks milky, change it. Some of them will get a little water in them, if they sit outside. Gear oil is cheap - if in doubt, change it.
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