MF 285 and Bush Hog 10 ft rotary cutter- proper setup and operation?

[BoydH]

I purchased a MF 285 a few months back for pasture work and just acquired a Bush Hog 3210 10' pull type cutter. I have not used the PTO on a tractor in 45+ years and have a lot of respect for them. Out of a desire for personal safety and correct equipment operation & protection, I would appreciate any pointers or suggestions before I put the cutter to work. I have read several forums discussing the use of rotary cutters as well as the operator manuals for both the tractor and cutter, but would like to hear any tips from personal experience.

In addition to any operating tips, some specific questions are:

• Overrun coupler? - the tractor's manual says that "The power take-off system operates independently of the Tractor transmission." I assume this will eliminate the risk of the cutter pushing the tractor forward when disengaging the PTO, however, is an overrun coupler needed to reduce wear on the PTO system from the wind down of the cutter after being disengaged?
• Drawbar extension / replacement? - the cutter's manual says 14 inches is needed from the end of the PTO to the drop pin hole in the drawbar. The current distance is about 10 inches. If a overrun coupler is added that will shorten the distance even more. What are my options to correct this problem?
• The tractor does not have a cab. How likely is it that the cutter will throw debris forward and up? Suggestions on how to protect from this? Note: the cutter does have safety chains and the fields were cleared, plowed and planted in grass so they should be free of debris. Also, I will keep the mower high and out of the dirt.

Thanks

 

[m16ty]

Best advise I can give is do not get off the tractor with the PTO running. People will scream PTO shields, but shields aren’t that big of a issue if you never get off the tractor or allow anybody in the vicinity with the PTO running.

Most tractors have 2 or more holes to adjust the drawbar in and out, crawl under your tractor and see what you’ve got. I know my MF40 has 2 holes.

You shouldn’t need an overrunning clutch if you have independent PTO. The overrunning clutches are for tractors with transmission PTO.

If your tractor is setup right and you watch where you are going, it isn’t a big issue with stuff thrown out the front, and least not where it will hit the cab. Chains in the front will greatly help too. I always want to front of the bushhog to be a little lower than the back. This will help with stuff being thrown out the front and also make it pull easier.

 

[BoydH]

Thanks! Remaining on the tractor while the PTO is engaged will be my practice. And I will have a look under the tractor.

Would an overrun clutch prolong the life of the PTO brake or are they made to handle the cutters wind-down?

Is throttling down before disengaging the PTO a good idea?

 

[m16ty]

Thanks! Remaining on the tractor while the PTO is engaged will be my practice. And I will have a look under the tractor.

Would an overrun clutch prolong the life of the PTO brake or are they made to handle the cutters wind-down?

Is throttling down before disengaging the PTO a good idea?

You should be at lower throttle when engaging and disengaging the PTO, that makes it easier on your PTO clutches and the PTO brake. A overrunning clutch will make it easier on your PTO brake, but idling down and letting everything wind down before disengaging the PTO has always worked for me.
The thing about an overrunning clutch is it makes your driveshaft even longer. That means that you’ll have to have your drawbar at 14” plus the length of the overrunning clutch. That makes for a pretty long drawbar to get it right.

 

[BoydH]

Thanks. That answers and confirms some of my questions.

 

[FarmerJones]

I used a JD 1008, 10'-6" mower with my MF175 with independent PTO with no problems. All that m16tyb said. Those bigger mowers act like a flywheel and take a while to slow down. Just be careful with sharp turns.

 

[MF#1]

If worse comes to worst and your drawbar can't be lengthened then get out the grinder and shorten the mower pto shaft a bit. But before I did that I would make SURE that the mower was set up correctly according to the Owner's Manual. You haven't lived until a stump comes flying by your noggin while mowing ....or a rock ..... or blade .... or ....?? Make sure you know what you're mowing even if you have to walk it first.

 

[BoydH]

Thanks for all the input. I was able to run the mower with the current setup as long as I took wide turns and was careful not to compress the PTO shaft. The PTO on the MF 285 is independent of the transmission ... it did not turn off even when depressing the clutch. Engaging / disengaging at low RPM was good advice, although I did still a burnt clutch smell a few times. I read in another thread to idle down and then kill the engine and let everything wind down and then disengage the PTO ... that worked as well, but the inertia of the mower seemed to cycle the motor a few extra times.

The 1st mowing project went pretty smooth. Hit a few rocks, some burn pile debris and ant hills ... startling loud noises, but no projectiles.

The tractor only had one mount point for the drawbar, so I will still be looking at options for extending or replacing the drawbar, but for now I can make it work if I need it to.

Thanks again for the advice / suggestions.