New to me brush hog.

[Foxrunfarms]

After purchasing the kubota I've been in the market for a brush hog to mow atv trails and knock down corn and sun flower stalks. I've been coming up short on my hunt, either getting outbid on auctions, finding no name brands with parts n.l.a, finding light duty brands, or finding over priced twisted, rusted out, piles of junk. I came across this John Deere 205 gyramor for a more than fair price. I was waiting a week for my auction check(I didn't want to offer money I didn't have or ask him to hold it)Unfortunately when I called the nice gentleman said someone was going to come that afternoon or next day to get it. Well the guy was a no show no call. The seller tried to get a hold of him 3 times, and decided to give me a call. I'm making the 1.5 hour trip today in the rain(won't complain about it) to pick it up.

It's a 6fter and being used on my lx2610. From what I read the kubota should be able to handle it, just keep it reved, maybe keep it high and work it down and go slow. I'm really eager to try it out.

 

[MOOTS]

6’ is a lot of mower for an LX. That price is right, though. I had a LP1860 on my LX and could bog it down at will. I have a 6’ bush hog brand on my MX6000..

 

[SDT]

Too wide and too heavy for your LX.

 

[chim]

Years ago I had a 5 footer on a B7500. It worked OK as below:

* The FEL was always on while the mower was used. This served two purposes. It provided front ballast and the bucket was my feeler while doing areas where objects might be lurking.

* Progress was slower than if the mower had been used on a properly sized tractor. To prevent the tractor from bogging down, I had to creep along in low gear at a slow speed. I never had huge areas to do so speed wasn't very important.

* I used a chain in lieu of a toplink because the mower didn't have any swinging mount provision. The deck was supported by the lift arms and the tail wheel. Using a toplink without some sort of a hinge would have put a lot of stress on the hookup, especially on uneven ground.

 

[RBsingl]

I am pretty sure a Deere 205 is a 5' cutter unless they made a "special" model, The one I used a long time ago was a 60" cut. It is heavy but your tractor should handle it fine. For heavy stuff you will have to slow down and/or raise the cutting height.

I have a Deere 5' on my Deere 955 (27hp PTO/33 engine) and it will go through really tall stuff at the right speed.

Rodger

 

[D2Cat]

I am pretty sure a Deere 205 is a 5' cutter unless they made a "special" model, The one I used a long time ago was a 60" cut. It is heavy but your tractor should handle it fine. For heavy stuff you will have to slow down and/or raise the cutting height.

I have a Deere 5' on my Deere 955 (27hp PTO/33 engine) and it will go through really tall stuff at the right speed.

Rodger

I think you are correct----5 footer.

 

[SDT]

I am pretty sure a Deere 205 is a 5' cutter unless they made a "special" model, The one I used a long time ago was a 60" cut. It is heavy but your tractor should handle it fine. For heavy stuff you will have to slow down and/or raise the cutting height.

I have a Deere 5' on my Deere 955 (27hp PTO/33 engine) and it will go through really tall stuff at the right speed.

Rodger

JD 205 was made in both 5' and 6' models.

5' model sold recently for $160 nearby.

OP says his is 6'. One would assume that OP is correct since he bought it.

In either case, it's too heavy for his LX.

 

[ken erickson]

I personally think you will be ok with it being 6 foot. Your 3pt lift capacity is listed at about 1300 hundred pounds. I was told running a light duty LP 6 foot cutter would also be too heavy for my L2501 hst. I am on my second mowing season and 100 percent happy I did not go with a 5 footer.

From your statements as far as going slow, taking your time etc I have no doubt it will work out for you .

Happy mowing!

 

[RBsingl]

JD 205 was made in both 5' and 6' models.

5' model sold recently for $160 nearby.

OP says his is 6'. One would assume that OP is correct since he bought it.

In either case, it's too heavy for his LX.

Interesting because Deere parts site lists only a single frame and a single blade holder for the 205 cutter, three different blade options are available but all are the same length and differ only in whether you want high suction or hook blades. So if there was a 6' unit it must have been a very short production run that is no longer supported with any parts that were specific to it.

Rodger

 

[Foxrunfarms]

I picked up the brush hog with no issues...... didn't end up on a meat hook hanging down in a basement......always a plus.

I got it home alright too.

Those that mentioned the width you're correct it is only a 5fter......classic case of the seller not knowing what he had. As soon as it was placed on the trailer I could tell......I could've brought a smaller trailer then and saved some gas.

Those that mentioned the lx couldn't handle it for pto, or weight. I'm just curious for my own knowledge the facts or data of it. I want the right implement for the right tractor to prevent any injury or equipment damage so it'd be nice to see that data.

I lubed everything up, checked it and tried it out in the rain.

I have the front end loader on yet for dirt projects and wanted to use that as a feeler doing some test runs. I really couldn't tell of any extra weight on the back........nothing more than my tiller. The back wheel is back there for a reason too.

I was mowing grass and cat tails that were over the hood.

I was in medium accidently and was going along fine. I kicked it down into low in the thicker stuff and only once did I have to raise up and I think that was more so un even ground. I felt more comfortable in low anyways running a machine I had zero history of.

It did a nice job for being wet. I think like anything the right speed plays a factor, if you try to mow in road gear foot to the floor you'll have issues, or trying to knock down 8 inch diameter trees you'll wreck your equipment. So far no regrets. I looked at many different brands. King kutter, lady & son, howse, and nothing compared to be as heavy duty as this is. If I had the funds I would've gotten a new landpride though. At the dealer the attachment promo was only good for 3 attachments too.

In the shop to get cleaned up and somethings adjusted.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

in that stuff I would mow in L as well for many reasons (haha). My luck would have me mowing over a dead deer or worse a live skunk.

fantastic its working out for you.

how many blades does that thing have under the deck? If I remember right some came 1 big blade and others 2 or 3? 1 big blade takes a little more HP to op.

 

[Foxrunfarms]

in that stuff I would mow in L as well for many reasons (haha). My luck would have me mowing over a dead deer or worse a live skunk.

fantastic its working out for you.

how many blades does that thing have under the deck? If I remember right some came 1 big blade and others 2 or 3? 1 big blade takes a little more HP to op.

That area was tillable up until 5 years ago. It always flooded and the renter didn't bother to work up anymore. For me it's more valuable for hunting than farming. I'm letting it go back to its natural state and it's crazy how fast it's doing that and what's coming up.

Being tilled in the past theres no real obstacles in there, and have some atv and hiking trails in there so out there on a daily basis and see if limbs fall, or rocks popping up but still walk around before mowing. Growing up ended up running a hidding fawn through a haybine. Not a pretty site. Ran a skunk through the combine too.......that was a bad day. But feel for the tractor and older piece of equipment low range is a good match.

As for the blades its a long flat stock bar in the middle and then 2 1ft blades on bolts on each end.

 

[RBsingl]

Your 2610 should handle that fine. Deere recommended 20 PTO HP at the low end for light/medium 5' cutters in that era and your tractor is certainly close enough. Just match the ground speed to the work.

A neighbor has cut along his roadside for years going through tall grass and light brush using the same model Deere 513 I own (5' rotary cutter) with a Deere 855 and he hasn't had any problems. The 855 is about the same PTO HP as your Kubota model.

Check the gearcase to make sure the lube is in good shape. If it has a slip clutch, make sure that it is adjusted properly and if it is shear pin type make sure it doesn't have a regular bolt in place.

I suspect the weight of the 205 is less than the later 5' rotary cutters since it has a rounded rather than rectangular body.

Keep the slip clutch and gear case in good shape and that should serve you well for many years.

Rodger

 

[Foxrunfarms]

Your 2610 should handle that fine. Deere recommended 20 PTO HP at the low end for light/medium 5' cutters in that era and your tractor is certainly close enough. Just match the ground speed to the work.

A neighbor has cut along his roadside for years going through tall grass and light brush using the same model Deere 513 I own (5' rotary cutter) with a Deere 855 and he hasn't had any problems. The 855 is about the same PTO HP as your Kubota model.

Check the gearcase to make sure the lube is in good shape. If it has a slip clutch, make sure that it is adjusted properly and if it is shear pin type make sure it doesn't have a regular bolt in place.

I suspect the weight of the 205 is less than the later 5' rotary cutters since it has a rounded rather than rectangular body.

Keep the slip clutch and gear case in good shape and that should serve you well for many years.

Rodger

Thanks for the information. It has an adjustable slip clutch and read you should trip them every so often, and for the gear box a lot of guys use corn head grease inside.

 

[RBsingl]

The slip clutch style on the Gryamor line has a simple but very specific method of adjustment. A cousin had one when I was a kid and I still remember helping him with it. It uses a saucer shaped spring to apply tension, you need to pull the cotter pin and loosen the tension nut until you can rotate the spring by hand (not easily, just loose enough that it will turn with normal hand strength). Count the number of turns (Deere uses the flats on the nut as a specific count of how far it is turned). Engage the PTO a couple of times at fairly low engine RPM to make sure it does slip (the blades will still start to turn but the clutch should slip on initial engagement).

Then tighten the nut to set the proper torque which should be just over one full rotation of the adjusting nut, between 1 to 1.25 turns, IF the internals are in good shape. Use the cotter pin to lock it in position. Now mow a short section at your intended ground speed listening carefully for the blade speed to drop when the tractor engine itself isn't bogging down. If you hear this, unless you are running at very low ground speed then slightly tighten the nut. Once you don't notice slippage, mow for a couple of minutes then check/smell the clutch for excessive slippage and heat. WARNING: if the clutch is slipping it will get very hot so don't burn your fingers.

I would locate a set of the slip clutch "consumables" to have on hand given the age and unknown prior history of this unit. Deere still lists the parts but they may or may not have them so you may have to source them from elsewhere.

I went through several adventures with Deere parts around 2010 for the constantly evolving idler pulleys for the 72" deck on my 955 that was still being sold in 1998. They kept revising them which also meant the mounting hardware and shields were revised and even the parts guy was never sure exactly what combination of parts were needed and the newer revisions had less life than what they replaced. I solved all of this 8 years ago by rebuilding the original idler pulleys I guess the problem is even "more solved" now since the Kubota F2690 has taken over lawn mowing duties from the Deere 955.

Rodger

 

[Foxrunfarms]

The slip clutch style on the Gryamor line has a simple but very specific method of adjustment. A cousin had one when I was a kid and I still remember helping him with it. It uses a saucer shaped spring to apply tension, you need to pull the cotter pin and loosen the tension nut until you can rotate the spring by hand (not easily, just loose enough that it will turn with normal hand strength). Count the number of turns (Deere uses the flats on the nut as a specific count of how far it is turned). Engage the PTO a couple of times at fairly low engine RPM to make sure it does slip (the blades will still start to turn but the clutch should slip on initial engagement).

Then tighten the nut to set the proper torque which should be just over one full rotation of the adjusting nut, between 1 to 1.25 turns, IF the internals are in good shape. Use the cotter pin to lock it in position. Now mow a short section at your intended ground speed listening carefully for the blade speed to drop when the tractor engine itself isn't bogging down. If you hear this, unless you are running at very low ground speed then slightly tighten the nut. Once you don't notice slippage, mow for a couple of minutes then check/smell the clutch for excessive slippage and heat. WARNING: if the clutch is slipping it will get very hot so don't burn your fingers.

I would locate a set of the slip clutch "consumables" to have on hand given the age and unknown prior history of this unit. Deere still lists the parts but they may or may not have them so you may have to source them from elsewhere.

I went through several adventures with Deere parts around 2010 for the constantly evolving idler pulleys for the 72" deck on my 955 that was still being sold in 1998. They kept revising them which also meant the mounting hardware and shields were revised and even the parts guy was never sure exactly what combination of parts were needed and the newer revisions had less life than what they replaced. I solved all of this 8 years ago by rebuilding the original idler pulleys I guess the problem is even "more solved" now since the Kubota F2690 has taken over lawn mowing duties from the Deere 955.

Rodger

Thanks for all of that information! The directions are still on the shield of the pto how to adjust it but haven't looked totally into it yet. I've adjusted slip clutches with the spring loaded nuts but nothing like this. You gave me a really good understanding of it. Thank you.

 

[RBsingl]

You are welcome!

I have the spring loaded slip clutches on my rotary cutter and tiller. They may perform better than the old saucer spring setup but they are definitely more time consuming to adjust!

My rotary cutter was a real pain when I first got it because the safety shield over the slip clutch defied easy access and being able to see of what you are doing so it quickly got field modified by me. The person at Deere who designed that cover may have understood aesthetics but I am confident he/she had never actually adjusted a slip clutch!

I can't remember the setup of the "bladelets" on the 205 whether they are fixed to the holder or if they can pivot; given their short length they are probably fixed. The blades on my 513 are long and are pivot type, if they haven't been used for a while the pivot points can stick and one blade may not swing out which makes for a rather incredible vibration level! Some people just engage the PTO at high speed which is tough on the driveline, with pivoting blades that aren't neglected they will swing into position at reasonable engagement speed. Every spring before exercising and adjusting the slip clutch, I check and clean the pivot points.

There is a lot of weight/inertia with a rotary cutter driveline and blade system so always try to engage it with the blades NOT in contact with heavy grass/brush and although you should do this for all implements it is particularly important to drop the tractor to idle speed before disengaging the PTO with the rotary cutter if your PTO has any type of braking system.

One of my colleagues decided to become a "gentlemen farmer" and he bought a large compact utility with a 5' cutter. He wasn't loaded with common sense and would drive it far too fast over bumpy ground and it seems like on a weekly basis he would bounce up out of the seat triggering the PTO safety shutoff and brake and that would often break a shear pin in the process. Even with the shear pin, he probably put the equivalent of a year's worth of wear and tear on that tractor for every hour he spent with the rotary cutter Fortunately he decided to take a new position at a large city university before he killed himself and/or a tractor.

Rodger

 

[Foxrunfarms]

You are welcome!

I have the spring loaded slip clutches on my rotary cutter and tiller. They may perform better than the old saucer spring setup but they are definitely more time consuming to adjust!

My rotary cutter was a real pain when I first got it because the safety shield over the slip clutch defied easy access and being able to see of what you are doing so it quickly got field modified by me. The person at Deere who designed that cover may have understood aesthetics but I am confident he/she had never actually adjusted a slip clutch!

I can't remember the setup of the "bladelets" on the 205 whether they are fixed to the holder or if they can pivot; given their short length they are probably fixed. The blades on my 513 are long and are pivot type, if they haven't been used for a while the pivot points can stick and one blade may not swing out which makes for a rather incredible vibration level! Some people just engage the PTO at high speed which is tough on the driveline, with pivoting blades that aren't neglected they will swing into position at reasonable engagement speed. Every spring before exercising and adjusting the slip clutch, I check and clean the pivot points.

There is a lot of weight/inertia with a rotary cutter driveline and blade system so always try to engage it with the blades NOT in contact with heavy grass/brush and although you should do this for all implements it is particularly important to drop the tractor to idle speed before disengaging the PTO with the rotary cutter if your PTO has any type of braking system.

One of my colleagues decided to become a "gentlemen farmer" and he bought a large compact utility with a 5' cutter. He wasn't loaded with common sense and would drive it far too fast over bumpy ground and it seems like on a weekly basis he would bounce up out of the seat triggering the PTO safety shutoff and brake and that would often break a shear pin in the process. Even with the shear pin, he probably put the equivalent of a year's worth of wear and tear on that tractor for every hour he spent with the rotary cutter Fortunately he decided to take a new position at a large city university before he killed himself and/or a tractor.

Rodger

I always make it a habit to engage and disengage the pto at low rmp, brush hog or even a basic riding mower. Brush hogging it seems like the biggest mistakes are, high rmp engaging the pto, too fast for conditions, starting up in tall brush, using the brush hog as a dozer taking more than saplings downs, and going up ditches putting stress on the pto.

 

[Russell King]

Please be sure to check the PTO shaft length is correct for your tractor. If too long you could damage your tractor and too short it can become separated or twist itself under heavy loads.

It isn’t important but if you cut the field as high as possible you won’t create as much long “trash” on the ground and the remaining stalks are still able to grow. Then work it down to the height you desire over a few months.

Good luck with it

 

[Foxrunfarms]

Please be sure to check the PTO shaft length is correct for your tractor. If too long you could damage your tractor and too short it can become separated or twist itself under heavy loads.

It isn’t important but if you cut the field as high as possible you won’t create as much long “trash” on the ground and the remaining stalks are still able to grow. Then work it down to the height you desire over a few months.

Good luck with it

Thanks for the tips. These are mostly atv/hayride trails where the grass gets ran over and ripped up so not too concerned on if it grows back. That is a con of brush hogs vs sickle mowers or flail mowers. I did notice using the neighbors stalk chopper if I worked the height down I had less or smaller amounts of trash to plow under.