Rotary Cutter - Support Chains?

[wendol]

I pull a 6' rotary cutter with my Kubota, and I've seen some folks use
what I call support chains to take the load/stress off the lift arms (attached
to the frame of the mower running to a fixed point on the tractor).
Is this a good thing or over kill?

 

[jb62901]

Should I hit a dip the RC can be raised an returned to preset level. Had a farmer down the road that uses the check chains, worked for him an do the trick for me.

 

[TripleR]

If you have a good working position control 3PH, I don't see a need, if you don't then they would be handy. I have to keep bumping the 3PH on our small tractors without position control.

 

[In Utopia]

I put a set on my 640 Ford.
My place in Utopia is anything but flat.
The chains plus the hydraulic top link have made life a lot better and really saved the shredder.

 

[gpreuss]

What TripleR said. With position control you just set the mechanical stop at ther right height on the control lever, and go mow. I never felt a need for anything else.
I usually use a piece of chain for the top link, to allow the mower to follow the contour a bit without having to work the 3PH up and down all the time. Many of the newer mowers have a hinged top connection that accomplishes the same thing.

 

[BotaDriver]

I agree with the others; if your position control works, you do not need the chains. Using it for a top-link won't hurt if yours doesn't swivel...that's about it though.

I cut pastures, trails, and 'yard' all at different heights with differences a chain could not handle.

 

[In Utopia]

I agree with the others; if your position control works, you do not need the chains. Using it for a top-link won't hurt if yours doesn't swivel...that's about it though.

I cut pastures, trails, and 'yard' all at different heights with differences a chain could not handle.

Sometimes position control doesn't keep up with what's actually happening. In my case it's resizing rocks and dips in the ground.
Since adding the chains the cutter maintains the height better, and by moving the links in and out of the adjustment slots plus using the hydraulic top link I'm able to mow at any height without worrying about it going lower than I want.
If it were a perfect world and a flat rock free one I probably wouldn't need the chains.

 

[BotaDriver]

Sometimes position control doesn't keep up with what's actually happening. In my case it's resizing rocks and dips in the ground.
Since adding the chains the cutter maintains the height better, and by moving the links in and out of the adjustment slots plus using the hydraulic top link I'm able to mow at any height without worrying about it going lower than I want.
If it were a perfect world and a flat rock free one I probably wouldn't need the chains.

I'm not fully understanding what the chain can do that the 3 point doesn't already do? It seems to be going backwards to me . Seems to me you're using the chains as nothing more than a stop since that's basically all they can do. Does your 3pt not hold its position well? Does it not 'float' as a 3 point should? Do you not have a tail wheel on your cutter? What about a swivel on the top link? How are you using a hydro top link to adjust your height?

The people that had our land before us were lazy and had several rocks in the pasture. The first thing I did after getting all of the ground visible was to spend a couple hours and remove all rocks from areas I will cut more than once. I can set my 3 point control at a setting and it will not deviate from that setting after cutting 10 acres.

 

[In Utopia]

I'm not fully understanding what the chain can do that the 3 point doesn't already do? It seems to be going backwards to me . Seems to me you're using the chains as nothing more than a stop since that's basically all they can do. Does your 3pt not hold its position well? Does it not 'float' as a 3 point should? Do you not have a tail wheel on your cutter? What about a swivel on the top link? How are you using a hydro top link to adjust your height?

The people that had our land before us were lazy and had several rocks in the pasture. The first thing I did after getting all of the ground visible was to spend a couple hours and remove all rocks from areas I will cut more than once. I can set my 3 point control at a setting and it will not deviate from that setting after cutting 10 acres.

That's all the chains are, a stop.
Older Fords are not noted for holding position all that well. Couple that with the fact that my land is not a golf course there is a lot of bouncing that goes on.
Yes it has a tail wheel, but ideally you'd like to keep it from making contact especially on rough terrain. It also has a chain (not a bar as on some) on the top of the cutter (see pic) which lets it rise up without involving the 3 point hydraulics.
The hydraulic top link allows me to alter the the cutting height in the rear. Ideally you want the front of the shredder a little lower than the back. If I reset the front height using the chains I then reset the rear with the top link.

Again, it's the best thing I've done with the shredder. Previously I could set it, but it would either creep up or down and I'd be cutting dirt.

Again, this is on a 58 year old tractor with the hydraulics working like they were almost new, but not as good as what's out there today.

 

[BotaDriver]

Ok, that makes sense. I keep just enough slack in my top link to allow the cutter to ride its tail wheel to set the rear height and follow the terrain. When cutting up brush I have to keep an eye out on the terrain and use the 3pt to lift it up when a side will drag. I vary the cutting height via 3pt by a difference of around 1.5" depending on where I am cutting. I will lower the tail wheel an inch or 2 and raise the 3pt height if it's tall and thick and I cannot see the ground.

Using chains certainly makes sense if the 3pt will not hold exactly where you put it. Would make for some interesting cutting / nearly scalping otherwise. My 3pt will stay exactly where I leave it even for days w/ out the tractor running.