Leave the rot where it is and weld new right over it. Just knock the paint off before you weld. Doesn’t have to be pretty just cover the hole
This. It's a repair not a Picasso
Belay that,,, cut that old skin off crap will build up under it an force it into the blades, when the blades start chewing on it and spitting it all over the pasture not to mention cutting tires cutting hooves and stuff similar,, cut that old crap off then weld a piece in place easy job to learn on,,
Leave the rot where it is and weld new right over it. Just knock the paint off before you weld. Doesn’t have to be pretty just cover the hole
This. It's a repair not a Picasso
Belay that,,, cut that old skin off crap will build up under it an force it into the blades, when the blades start chewing on it and spitting it all over the pasture not to mention cutting tires cutting hooves and stuff similar,, cut that old crap off then weld a piece in place easy job to learn on,,
Agreed. That loose, flappy metal is a problem that can be cured with a few strokes of the cutting torch. The new metal will last longer if there's no vegetation layer corroding it from in between the old and new.
I had my 7’ bushhog re-skinned by a local welder a couple of years ago. He did a good job and by the time he got through it was stouter than new but I think I ended up around $1500 into it. As said though, go price a new one & you’ll quickly decide it’s worth fixing. After he was done I hit it with ospho then broke out the harbor freight spray gun & gave it a couple of good coats of tractor supply co implement paint. They rust out like that because of all the grass clippings that builds up on them then it rains & forms a wet mat that just sits there & causes rust. Keep them painted and knock the matted grass off of it every now and then, especially before you let it sit all winter.
As others have ^ ^ ^ posted Fix it and fix it right or pay someone to fix it right. Consider whatever it costs as a lesson and take heed. Gearbox lube is cheap. Tubes of grease are cheap Taking 4 seconds to check the gearbox lube level is cheap Taking 3 minutes to sweep all the grass and dirt off the deck of your shredder after use before parking it is cheaper than having to repair rusty metal
you better check the price of metal before you go fixing that thing these days and labor if somebody else is doing the fixing...compare to a new/used one
As suggested above it looks like a perfect project for a trade school or entry level welding class. They will probably do it for the cost of materials.
The mower deck on my Cub Cadet has a garden hose quick connect on it for flushing the cuttings away with the spinning blades. Put a couple of them in the repaired deck and keep the soggy mat from building up. No matted grass- - - - -less rust.
well i dont know what model bush hog he has but labor around here is 100.00 per hour and 1/4 thick metal aint cheap...so if i could get with in 500.00 of a new one i would probably get a new one instead of putting lipstick on a pig and hoping for the best
That looks to be just sheet metal.... Couple o' years ago I couldn't find any thicker than 22ga but i think that has gotten better since.
Don't gotta be fancy welds. A bunch a tack welds ed keep cuttings from flying through the hole... Heck call a local voc ed program and they would probably fix it and give you a few welding tips while you watch!
Last edited by OldmanoftheSea; 03/18/23.
-OMotS
"If memory serves fails me..." Quote: ( unnamed) "been prtty deep in the cooler todaay "
Television and radio are most effective when people question little and think even less.
To Rickin TN, Bush Hog made all different models and all different thickness of metal for mower decks. The squeeler was a cheap to compete against others. They made a 105, 205, and 305. The 305 was a thick do everything mower with removable side bands. You could run over stumps and chop them up. You get what you pay for. They also had Rebels and another in 5 foot also for competitive sales. I was a supervisor at Bush Hog in Galesburg Ks and we had the top mowers. They had an obstacle course set up to test different mowers and invited numerous brands to attend. Most would never attend after seeing our obstcle course of railroad ties, tree stumps, dirt mound and others. They were made for rough service. Then they cheapened the gear boxes and PTO drive line by ordering from Italy.
The mower deck on my Cub Cadet has a garden hose quick connect on it for flushing the cuttings away with the spinning blades. Put a couple of them in the repaired deck and keep the soggy mat from building up. No matted grass- - - - -less rust.
Those are good for one thing…washing grease out of the bearings.
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