How do you secure a brush hog for maintenance/repairs

[PJr.]

I've read several articles about performing maintenance/repairs on your brush hog. They always state to be sure to secure the raised mower before crawling underneath. I would appreciate ideas and recommendations on how others accomplish this safely.
What type stands, how many, how high? I'm relatively new to tractors and would be grateful to hear your experiences.

 

[L4740]

I've ended up with a number of cream separator stands around the farm. I can't even tell you where I got them all. Some from my Dad and some from auctions mainly. But I use them for everything from chairs to saw horses to jack stands to trailer stands. They are getting a little bit heavy for me to moving around for any longer, but once in place they simply do not move. They have a hole in the top of them so you can bolt a block of wood on or an old tractor seat to use as a work shop stool.

 

[bucktail]

If it's low, jack stands with the weight on the jack stand and the brakes on the tractor locked and tractor in gear if it's geared (and the engine off). If it's higher the cream separator bases are nice but not a lot of people have them. Un split firewood, chunks of railroad tie or dimension lumber. Depends on what you've got.

 

[bambam31]

I put the front tires in a shallow ditch to give me more angle.

Untitled by bambam32, on Flickr

 

[sunnyside]

I do similar to bambam31. Park the tractor with front wheels off the asphalt while rear wheels are on asphalt helps to elevate rear of mower deck. Then place two 2x6 planks under the deck like shown in bambam31 photo above. I've never removed my blades to sharpen. Just use an angle grinder with the deck up.

Some folks drive their rig up on a trailer to give extra lift height and block the deck as described above.

 

[Camlocker75]

I had to replace the gearbox on my landpride cutter I purchased a few months back. I kept it attached to the tractor and lowered it onto (4) three ton jack stands which were very solid. I always go around and hit each stand with a short piece of 4x4 to make sure they are secure before i roll around underneath. Now, granted, this is in my shop where I use a creeper to get around, but either way, I had no issues with this method. If it were outside, I'd brace it against a tree with some ratchet straps. Success with this method, too.