Problems with this mowing job

37chief · Jun 20, 2012

I have a field I have been mowing for around 6 years now. This field has been areal pain in the rear. One year I got stuck, and had to drive 15 miles to get my other tractor, and get pulled out. a couple years later I got a big round piece of wood wedged between my tire, and fender. Another 15 mi one way to get tools to remove the rear wheel. Today I got a big piece of carpet wound up in my mower. Was lucky to have a big knife to cut it out. So how did your day go? Stan

Rick Kr · Jun 20, 2012

After 6 years and all this is still happening on the same field. Time to let one of your competitors pick up this field from you.

Rick

ericlb · Jun 20, 2012

after we got demobed from the little bear wildfire, ive spent 3 days in 96 degree heat, no wind changing out the track chains and drive sprockets on a cat 320 excavator, had to cut off every single track pad bolt, even the big 2 handed 1 inch inpact we use on the loaders semi's ect wouldnt budge them ,even after we broke them loose with a touque mutliplier and 2, 8 foot cheater pipes, not haveing fun at all, got her on the run now, had to cool the master link pins in liquid nitrogen before we got them installed,

Anonymous-0 · Jun 20, 2012

Tut Tut, no tools with you,Before you leave home, think of Murphy, and plan accordingly.Because he is lurking out there.

37chief · Jun 20, 2012

Rick I was thinking the same thing while under the mower in one of the hottest days of the year, cutting the rug away from my blades. I Will probably be back next year. I have already given one job away this year. Had to cross a busy road and a steep hill, and hope I made it. Stan

Eldon (WA) · Jun 21, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:42:03 06/20/12) I have a field I have been mowing for around 6 years now. This field has been areal pain in the rear. One year I got stuck, and had to drive 15 miles to get my other tractor, and get pulled out. a couple years later I got a big round piece of wood wedged between my tire, and fender. Another 15 mi one way to get tools to remove the rear wheel. Today I got a big piece of carpet wound up in my mower. Was lucky to have a big knife to cut it out. So how did your day go? Stan

Weeded the winter squash and cucumbers, prepped (chisel plowed and disked) a couple of fields for the wife to plant and still had time to go make $555 hogging 3 fields. Twin spindle 8 ft mower is the way to go, twine, carpet, electric fence wire or barbed wire, it just twists it up and spits it out in a ball.....

RBnSC · Jun 21, 2012

Stan we use to do bush hogging for years and still have the tractors and mowers but keep them at hunting club and farm. We quit going after it as it is very competitive around here. The other thing is tires are so expensive and we averaged losing a tire per job. Gyro tracks and mowers on the booms of excavators really finished us off. Years ago we were bush hogging on a commercial site and ran up on a grown over slab that the bolts were sticking up and lost three tires before we got the tractor off. Not far from where we have been working there is a gyro trac that has an attachment on the back that bales the wood chip as it works. I'll try to get a picture of it today and post it. Be careful out in that heat.
Ron

Tony in Mass. · Jun 21, 2012

Bendee hit the nail on the head. We must assume Lt. Murphy is watching us at all times. When you are so far away as to trailer your equipment, keep the tow rig full of stuff... tools, emergency equipment etc.etc. The more you have ready, the less chance you will ever need it. Where you are, I wouldn't bring torches or anything that might make sparks, but chains, planks, heck I got stuck on my own little place twice last year. And getting into a pickle every other year is a good batting average for custom work on stranger's land...

buickanddeere · Jun 21, 2012

Almost burnt the LX188 Deere last night. Was mowing the road ditch with the right side high. It started to bog and blow black smoke then quit . Rolled it down to level ground and attempted a restart. It started , blew a brief poof of smoke then flames out the muffler. It was all flaming on the ground under neath and under the hood . Rolled it away from the burning grass and used a water bottle to extinguish the engine fire. Scorched a front tire, head light harness and ruined the throttle cable. Have a carb kit on order , assuming the Carb float may have stuck. It"s been fine mowing the same spot for the past 8 years.

John_PA · Jun 21, 2012

Who carpets their fields? That seems like a waste of time. Although, several times, I have thought of making all my hay fields into astroturf. It would be a lot easier to bale, but, I think the horses would starve.

I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for a similar mowing job. It's an abandoned farm yard and the previous owner had a junk yard and liked to bring his work home with him. Some parts of it have been in pasture for 20 years, so they just let the cows eat around the junk. Now the orchard grass is 5 feet tall and matted in the bottom from 3 years of no grazing or cutting.

I'm not sure which mower would be best. I was thinking of sickle bar, but it would only take one small car transmission to break a sickle knife. Then I was thinking flail mower, but I don't want to unravel woven wire fence and spools of black plastic water pipe from the drum. Then, I was thinking rotary brush hog, but I think if I hit a propane bottle it might turn the tractor into a rocket.

I think my final choice will be bulldozer and skidsteer. Grass seed and straw mulch is cheaper than a new mower.

37chief · Jun 21, 2012

I carry a lot of stuff. I don't carry much for the rear tire removal. If I have a rear flat I get the tractor up on the trailer, and take it home, It's just to heavy to deal with it by my self. Front's are not a problem. Stan

David G · Jun 21, 2012

I would run a loader bucket across the ground before mowing it for
the first time. I learned that the hard way after shearing about 100
bolts.

Rick Kr · Jun 21, 2012

But, on the other hand, you may have finally gotten all the trash off the ground. Hopefully from now on it should be easy mowing!! You know that wont happen though.
Rick

37chief · Jun 21, 2012

If I were you,and had a disc I would use it with your dozer. I hate the new jobs, You never know what is under the grass. One time I ran up on a chevy V8. I was using my crawler so it didn't hurt anything. I hit a fire plug one time mowing. I don't know whay it didn't break off, but it didn't, the tractor just stopped. My biggest fear is holes. I saw somethig that didn't look right one time. I stoopped to check see what it was. It was a old seepage pit covered with boards. Another time I almost ran into a old sewer pit. It's scarry out there be carfull. Now I'm off to disc a rock pile. Stan

Problems with this mowing job

37chief

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Rick Kr

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ericlb

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Anonymous-0

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37chief

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Eldon (WA)

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RBnSC

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Tony in Mass.

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buickanddeere

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John_PA

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37chief

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David G

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Rick Kr

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37chief

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