bush hogging, round and round, or up and down

M

Mith

Active member
What do you guys do, and what do you think it the fastest way to go it?

Go around the outside of the field, and spiral in to the centre, or go across the field, turn round, and go back.

I have been doing it round and round, but the last bit in the middle takes ages to get cut. Of course i am using a towed cutter, so my turning circle isn't great, but it seems I have to drive over half of what I have already cut to get to the middle bit.

Any thoughts on what the best method is? :thumb:
 
You need to be very careful with this question. There are a lot of folks who are adamant that their way is the only way. I'm sure there are clockwise, counter clockwise, N-S, E-W, and diagonal factions. You may have started a thread that will set records for number of posts and longevity on Net Tractor Talk :moon3:

I personally make a couple of rounds around the outside to have a mowed place to turn and then I go across the field side to side. My rotary cutter is on the 3 pt hitch with a tail wheel. I pick it up during the turn and set it back down again.

With my finish mower (towed) I make the same couple of passes around then mow a side but rather than turning around, pull wide and go to the other end of the field and mow down that side. may take a little longer but it seems easier and avoids all the tight turns and the short passes in the middle.

Jim
 
Jim Slagle said:
You need to be very careful with this question. There are a lot of folks who are adamant that their way is the only way. I'm sure there are clockwise, counter clockwise, N-S, E-W, and diagonal factions...

Jim
Click to expand...

You left out the figure 8 advocates.:mrgreen:

My operator's manual recommends cutting with the uncut portion to the right side due to the rotation direction of the blade. Therefore I have always cut in a clockwise spiral. The last bit in the middle takes some cranking on the steering wheel, but that helps break the monotony.

Lifting the mower during turns is a hassle with my tractor since there is not mechanical stop on the lever to ensure I lower it back to the proper level. I need to find a way to add one.
 
I've mowed with numerous tractors and all the patterns. The one I used most often when using a pull behind finish mower was recommended by Soundguy on TBN.
It starts out like you all have mentioned in that first you frame the area to be mowed (go around the outside edges 2 or 3 times giving you plenty of room to turn around).
Lets say you are mowing a rectangle and have it framed already.
Lets number each patch / row of grass for easier description:
A B C D E F G H I J K

I'm going to mow up and down each row, but since the turn radious on my tractor is large, I will mow down row K, then make a BIG sweeping turn and go back down row H. At the end of row H I make another BIG sweeping turn to finish what is left of row K, and into row J, then back to work on the rest of row H, & part of row G. So in essence I was doing two different rectangles at the same time. Finish those and move on to the next areas doing the same thing. I hope this makes sense ....
 
Both of my mowers are rear discharge. If you have a side discharge you might want the spiral method if you want to mulch the grass from the previous round.

See, all kinds of ways to do it :wink:
 
ghautz said:
Lifting the mower during turns is a hassle with my tractor since there is not mechanical stop on the lever to ensure I lower it back to the proper level. I need to find a way to add one.
Click to expand...

Is there anything beside the lever you can put something like a beam clamp on?

Jim
 
:D I didn't realise this was a point of mass debate Jim! :D

I had been doing it anticlockwise so the grass it thrown outwards. The first cut around the outside it throw the grass inwards.


Doc, I see what you are getting at, but it seems you would spend alot of time travelling on already cut grass (I guess depending on how big your rectangle was)?
 
Jim Slagle said:
Is there anything beside the lever you can put something like a beam clamp on?

Jim
Click to expand...

There is a place I could place a clamp, but I would have to remove it to lower the mower to the ground when finished for the day. I have been waiting for a brainstorm for a way to attach something that flips aside when I don't want it.
 
Mith said:
Doc, I see what you are getting at, but it seems you would spend alot of time travelling on already cut grass (I guess depending on how big your rectangle was)?
Click to expand...

You are right Mith. I was pulling a 6' rear finish mower when doing it the way I described. I found that no matter which way I mowed, I was spending a lot of time driving over grass that was already cut. :pat:

I believe part of the reason my ZTR gets the same mowing job done 1 hour quicker is because I can keep the blades on uncut grass the majority of the time. The other reason is that you can go as fast as you dare. Since my old tomato field of a lawn is like a mine field (real bumpy), I rarely go full speed, but I do go faster than my Kubota does when I use it to mow.
 
ghautz said:
There is a place I could place a clamp, but I would have to remove it to lower the mower to the ground when finished for the day. I have been waiting for a brainstorm for a way to attach something that flips aside when I don't want it.
Click to expand...

I used to have a 8N. I had that same issue with keeping it at the right level after having to raise the 3PH. It's been 8 years since I sold the 8N, but at that time someone on Yesterdays Tractors .com had some chains that you could hook onto the 3ph arms and they would limit how far your implement could be lowered. Perfect for keeping it at the level you desire. I'll see if I can find them again. If I could remember the exact name of them that would help, but right now the old brain cells just can't squeeze it out. :o

Have you already heard of these ...and do you think they would work for you?
 
Doc said:
Have you already heard of these ...and do you think they would work for you?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. It sounds like an interesting idea. I will put that on my list of things to think about (at my age I need a list--the memory isn't what it used to be). It shouldn't be hard to find a place to connect chains to limit the movement.
 
I do what Doc and Sound guy recommend. It works pretty good if you judge it right. Sometimes I go too wide on one end then I end up finishing one side too soon.

If I want it to look really good then I go up and down in perfect stripes but without a ZTR turning around is a hassle.

PB
 
Well just call me the rebel:moon3: I HAVE to do things different. I try to break up my patterns as much as possible to reduce tracking. I generally start with a few laps around the perimeter of the field, then start going east/west one time, then north/south the next time I mow.
Going around circles continuosly makes me dizzy (dizzier?):puke1: (I've been looking for a way to use that smilie!!!:whistle: )

I always try to find a pattern that'll let me spend the most possible time mowing and the least possible time turning on headlands.
 
Well I do a similar thing to what FWJ said and it changes a lot.

On small areas I just go forward and then backup.. Saves turning around ;)
 
Due to the length and slope of my field I tend to cut in either a clockwise and/or counter clockwise pattern which tends to allow me to run up and down with the slope. Fortunately the more level areas of the field are at the ends, but I will have to overshoot the length of the field to stay within 15 degrees of tilt :eek: in some areas as well as back into the corners. I really like HST, but I still can not comprehend the TC's placement of the turning brakes :(. I agree with Doc's suggestion as to the use of check chains to maintain proper cutting height. I used them on my old Ford. I saved them for my NH, but the pin diameters are different and will not fit :(. I guess I need to look at purchasing some chain keys. Jay
 
Last edited:
Well, a rotary mower that has a counter-clockwise rotation should have the uncut portion of the field on its right side...so the mower blade will cut the grass knocked down by the right side tires on the next pass around the field...
 
thanks Paul. Didn't mean to bring up old history but I had this thread/web minimized and got it mixed with another current thread/web. We have around 40" of rain average a year and we have alredy passed that. Weeds such as brown eyed Susans and many other stem type are very tall and thick. The tractor tires mash them down and a couple of days later they spring back up. With heavy Midland bermuda grass/buffalo grass and 3'-4' heavy weeds its hard on the mower/tractor to cut low enough to pick up the mashed down weeds . With over 40 acres and a third of it impossible to mow when wet I'm mowing it tall. Guess I may have to make a second pass a couple of inches lower in a couple of weeks. At 4.49 for diesel this mowin' is gettin' expensive. Thanks....................... Jim
 
jigbuilder said:
thanks Paul. Didn't mean to bring up old history but I had this thread/web minimized and got it mixed with another current thread/web. We have around 40" of rain average a year and we have alredy passed that. Weeds such as brown eyed Susans and many other stem type are very tall and thick. The tractor tires mash them down and a couple of days later they spring back up. With heavy Midland bermuda grass/buffalo grass and 3'-4' heavy weeds its hard on the mower/tractor to cut low enough to pick up the mashed down weeds . With over 40 acres and a third of it impossible to mow when wet I'm mowing it tall. Guess I may have to make a second pass a couple of inches lower in a couple of weeks. At 4.49 for diesel this mowin' is gettin' expensive. Thanks....................... Jim
Click to expand...

Pretty soon mowing will be the least of our worries...:rolleyes:

Chicago CBOT corn price hits record $7.20 per bushel!!!...thanks to the flooding out your way...:(
and Heating oil is cresting $5.00/gallon...thanks to current oil contracts...:(
 
I just bought 150 gallons of off-road diesel today at $4.46/gal for fear that it would go higher!

BTW, I mow clockwise around a field with my pull-type 10' cutter. It gets pretty tough towards the end requiring wide turns with a lot of wasted travel. I may have to try out that Doc method.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top