Go BottomWhat gear should I brush hog in
 | bigbuc01
Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 10 ohio 
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2010-07-24 172549
I have a Mitsubishi D2050 compact tractor. I am using a 5' brush hog. The tractor runs about 20hp at the pto. Tractor has a 9 speed transmission and a 3 speed pto. I am mowing fields with heavy weeds and small saplings. What gear should the pto be in and what gear should the tractor be in. Also what should I look to keep the rpm's at? Thanks for the advise, obviously I've never done this.
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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2010-07-24 172550
I don't know that tractor but a five footer with heavy brush and 20 pto hp seems about the limit. Often there's a mark on the tachometer that shows engine speed to maintain for a pto output of 540 rpm. The goal would be to run it in a gear that maintains 540 rpm at the pto without straining too hard. ....
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 | auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2010-07-24 172552
Me neither, but generally:
If it has several PTO speeds, you always want the lowest (550). For the PTO to turn at 550, the engine RPMs would be around 10% below redline. Then with PTO gearing and engine speed fixed, you can use the fastest ground speed at which the mower doesn't seem to be straining. This will vary according to hills, depth of cut, type of brush, condition of blades, etc. You'll get the feel of it. ....
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 | earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2010-07-25 172558
Auer for not having done it you hit the nail on the head.
Assuming you haven't done this--I'll assume you haven't actually connected the mower to the back either. My 3000-lb. New Holland can get the front wheels off the ground under the right circumstances with my 5'. And I'm not so sure you have a Category 1 hitch on your machine either--more like a Cat 0.
The other issue regardless of size of machine is heat buildup. Keep in mind you will be going slower than normal which greatly reduces fresh cool air for cooling. Then there's weed debris like seeds, chaff, and even insects that can clog a radiator in no time, so keep. A constant eye on the temp gauge. ....
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| hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa
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2010-07-25 172562
I think a four foot cutter would almost be too much for a twenty hp. tractor, not only for the ability to poweer it buts also as EW said to just lug it around. Our 345 Deere lawn moweres "supposedly" have 22 hp. engines, but mowing in a normal lawn situation using the bagger which runs the blower off the deck they strain a bit going uphill.
For as long as I've been around farm equipment dealerships there have always been some of the the salespeople who will tell you that their mighty new such and such model trator will easily pull a five bottom moldboard plow when in reality a four bottom was big load for it. I've found this also with compact salespeople recommending much too big of an attachment for their newest models. This usually rersults in a frustrated customer with a tractor that wears our long before it's time.
Frank. ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY 
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2010-07-25 172564
I'd wear hearing protection some type of glasses and probably a long sleeve shirt. Shirt optional but you will get stuff thrown at u.
5' a lot of cutter but it will do it. As others have said. Get your RPM's to 540 PTO speed. Pay attention to how hard the engine is working. You want it to work but you do not want the RPM's to drop below PTO speed that means you are working it to hard. Select a gear that allows a ground speed that will not bog down the engine. ....
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 | kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2010-07-26 172580
Some other safety suggestions: wear hearing protection, cutter right behind you can be very loud. Watch your radiator you may need to placed something over the front to protect it from being damager and the trash EW pointed out and the most important..do not work with the PTO shaft with tractor running. It can kill you, tear an arm off. At same time be sure you have the pto shaft locked onto the tractor and mower shafts, you don't want either end coming loose at high rpms but certainly not the mower end.
The PTO shaft has grease fittings that can be hard to access with the safety shields install. But very important to keep them greased. Often it can be easier to do so with the PTO shaft off so you turn the universal joints for best access. A rough cut sapling stump can puncture a tractor tire when driven over. Not only does the radiator get clogged quickly doing this but so can the air filter. Passing along a suggestion from Murf here is leaf blower to clean both. My 27 hp with 6 foot finishing mower was running almost red line and a few minutes with the leaf blower on both air filter and radiator took care of the issue.
Thanks Murf! ....
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| bigbuc01
Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 10 ohio
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2010-07-26 172604
Great advise. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. ....
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| auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2010-07-27 172619
When I first read just your caption "What gear should I brush hog in" I thought you were asking what you should be wearing. ....
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| earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2010-07-27 172620
I like daisy-dukes and a wifebeater. Yep she looks reeeal nice dat way. ....
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| kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2010-07-27 172627
Harvey, sorry I missed you giving the hearing protection right before I did. Last week stopped by a friend who was running a large mower with no hearing protection, now I know why he says "huh" a lot. ....
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| harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2010-07-27 172635
Ken no problem at all. Actually hearing and eye protection can not be talked about enough.
Just got the annual hearing report back on the Miners and all but 2 have some to significant loss. The 2 that do not always are wearing plugs or muffs. Plus they keep crap out of the ears. ....
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