Brush Hogging without 3 pt position control

[javis]

First season using my new-to-me B7500. Most of my tractor use is spring mowing of tall grass. My ground is hilly and uneven, so I usually need to adjust the cutter height a lot for bumps and berms, etc. Without position control of the hitch, it's a fiddly operation to get the cutter height set, and impossible to raise it for an obstacle and return it quickly when needed. For me the result is quite a bit of unintended landscaping.

Also,
when the hitch control lever is in the neutral position, it cannot float upward. Do I need to put a floating attachment in the top link connection like some brush hogs have?

Any suggestions or tips appreciated. I also use a landscape rake for "haying" and maintaining a gravel driveway. The Down lever floats the 3 point, and that works well with the rake.

 

[Russell King]

I am not sure why you don’t have position control. Is it broken?

But I have seen a chain system used to hold the front of the mower in the same position consistently.
Look in this list for LIMITER CHAINS

How-To's - Library of Tutorials Written by Our Visitors

These act to allow you to raise the mower and return to the same height as before easily.

On my tractor and mower I use the mower has a floating top link but you should be able to just disconnect the top link if you never need to lift the rear wheel off of the ground. I set the front height with the three point lift and then set the position speed control knob (under the seat) to hold the position from moving down. I try to never lift it since it won’t go back down. The rear wheel height is already set to the correct height before setting the front height. Luckily for me most of my property is flat so I mow most of it and don’t have to worry with scalping. In the areas where there are some ditches I set the mower a bit higher and slowly cross the ditch at an angle (not straight down) around 45 degrees. But the ditches are not really steep sided or too deep.

Without the top link the mower will try to float and not scalp the edges too badly and the rear end of the mower won’t be constrained by the top link holding it down and damaging the tractor.

 

[D2Cat]

This is what Russell is talking about. The loop is attached at the pins of the 3pt. implement (your mower). The top is attached where you ;in for the top link is. Adjust the chain links in the slot to get the height you want. You can then lift the mower when needed with the 3 pt lift a and release it to let it set on the chains to keep cutting.

https://www.tractorpartsasap.com/mo...html?msclkid=04d32744dae616159c90411323f70ef2

 

[hodge]

I am not sure why you don’t have position control. Is it broken?

But I have seen a chain system used to hold the front of the mower in the same position consistently.
Look in this list for LIMITER CHAINS

How-To's - Library of Tutorials Written by Our Visitors

These act to allow you to raise the mower and return to the same height as before easily.

On my tractor and mower I use the mower has a floating top link but you should be able to just disconnect the top link if you never need to lift the rear wheel off of the ground. I set the front height with the three point lift and then set the position speed control knob (under the seat) to hold the position from moving down. I try to never lift it since it won’t go back down. The rear wheel height is already set to the correct height before setting the front height. Luckily for me most of my property is flat so I mow most of it and don’t have to worry with scalping. In the areas where there are some ditches I set the mower a bit higher and slowly cross the ditch at an angle (not straight down) around 45 degrees. But the ditches are not really steep sided or too deep.

Without the top link the mower will try to float and not scalp the edges too badly and the rear end of the mower won’t be constrained by the top link holding it down and damaging the tractor.

The B7500 does not have position control.

 

[In Utopia]

Here's the chain setup I made to use on my 640 Ford.

 

[SDT]

First season using my new-to-me B7500. Most of my tractor use is spring mowing of tall grass. My ground is hilly and uneven, so I usually need to adjust the cutter height a lot for bumps and berms, etc. Without position control of the hitch, it's a fiddly operation to get the cutter height set, and impossible to raise it for an obstacle and return it quickly when needed. For me the result is quite a bit of unintended landscaping.

Also,
when the hitch control lever is in the neutral position, it cannot float upward. Do I need to put a floating attachment in the top link connection like some brush hogs have?

Any suggestions or tips appreciated. I also use a landscape rake for "haying" and maintaining a gravel driveway. The Down lever floats the 3 point, and that works well with the rake.

Standard practice when using mowers on tractors without position control, e.g., Ford 9/2 Ns, etc., is to install limiter chains. Such chains attach between the mower and tractor top link attachment, one per side. The chains establish the low point of the three point arms.

Your lift arms should float upward limiter chains or otherwise. Not sure why you state that yours do not.

 

[Russell King]

The B7500 does not have position control.

I looked it up (before I posted) on KPAD and see a control valve so that made me think it has control…but maybe there are some things I just don’t understand…is there a B7500 that is different than the B7500D at KPAD?

 

[javis]

Thanks All, for the info about restraining chains. I think this may solve my issue. Eyeball inspection looks like there may be some interference between the chains and the lift arms on my tractor, but I'll need to mount the mower to check for sure. I was wrong about the hitch not floating upward. It acts as expected on a typical three point hitch, so not a problem. If I can't make the chain system work, I may just live with things as they are, and adjust my mowing techniques instead.

This forum is a great resource. Thanks again to everyone.