Flipping the Bush Hog Onto The Tractor Seat

[Texasmark]

I bought a set of prongs/forks to fit into my Farmall 350’s fast hitch to use for moving around and using a bush hog and maybe even a disc at the lower link pins. Probably some other uses I haven’t thought of - yet…

Reading a bit about bush hogs setup with a chain or no top link at all and some suggest the bush hog could catch on something and flip over onto the driver.

The F-350 would be handy with a small bush hog on the back of it - now I’m starting to wonder…

Has anyone known of an actual incident where a bush hog with a chain or no top link has flipped over on to a driver’s seat?

Anyone using these fast hitch prongs to pull a 3pt implement? Any issues?

Just curious.

Thanks!

I had a 6' with a top link come loose on me one day, from one side lynch pin, and I forget exactly where it landed but it scared me big time. One side of it was definitely up in the air.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I have operated an aftermarket 3 point that I used in that manner only coupling the bottom so the mower would flex more over the hills (in this case some old stumps that need dealt with) it does do exactly what you are worried about if you do run into said stump. But it doesn’t go that far. Number 1
the distance it will go is limited by the height of your tractor in that’s the biggest thing that can slip under. And at a certain point it will catch and stop the tractor anyway.
Number 2 the pto shaft can only go so far in. And up will be banging away and each bang is going to be resistance as that u joint fights going where it shouldn’t up at a 90 degree angle. So you could hook a chain hoist to the rear of it and it would be difficult to achieve without rotating the shaft to the right spot and leaving it there much less catching something on the front. The mower has weight to it.
Number 3. I upgraded to a woods belly mower as I was more concerned about that shaft back there when I got on and off. Always with it off but it still worried me with the old tractors hopping on from the rear. I liked shutting it off better something possible to do on the super c but the b you had to get out and choke it off up front. Still building a guard over the woods pulley is getting higher on the list again

 

[Russ from MN]

I had that happen once; I was using a 5-foot King Kutter behind a JD M that I had built a 3-point for. I wasn't using a top link because the tractor wouldn't lift the cutter, the front end of the tractor came up instead. I could raise and lower the front of the Kutter just fine, and the tail wheel caried the back. One front corner of the Kutter hit a stump and it flipped the back up, and the top link bracket on the Kutter hit the seat back. it really didn't hurt anything, but it scared me! Running a chain through a pipe is a good option.

 

[wore out]

I bought a set of prongs/forks to fit into my Farmall 350’s fast hitch to use for moving around and using a bush hog and maybe even a disc at the lower link pins. Probably some other uses I haven’t thought of - yet…

Reading a bit about bush hogs setup with a chain or no top link at all and some suggest the bush hog could catch on something and flip over onto the driver.

The F-350 would be handy with a small bush hog on the back of it - now I’m starting to wonder…

Has anyone known of an actual incident where a bush hog with a chain or no top link has flipped over on to a driver’s seat?

Anyone using these fast hitch prongs to pull a 3pt implement? Any issues?

Just curious.

Thanks!

I think some of the replies have proven this can and does happen.

Once the front lower "lip" of the cutter strikes an immovable object it probably only takes a foot of forward motion to flip the cutter up and forward,

Even at a sllooowwww 4 mph the forward motion is some 5 feet per second.

For the ones who say going slow will keep you safe, can you sense the problem, mash down on the clutch, and get the tractor stopped in 1/5th of a second?

 

[Caryc]

I think some of the replies have proven this can and does happen.

Once the front lower "lip" of the cutter strikes an immovable object it probably only takes a foot of forward motion to flip the cutter up and forward,

Even at a sllooowwww 4 mph the forward motion is some 5 feet per second.

For the ones who say going slow will keep you safe, can you sense the problem, mash down on the clutch, and get the tractor stopped in 1/5th of a second?

I use high first gear when mowing, not because I think it will keep me safe but, because that's all the speed I need to do a nice job. I'm not trying to win any races.

 

[504]

A swinging link like this mounted to the implement mast for the top link to connect to, give the tail freedom to move a good bit but allowing the top link to limit how high the back of the deck will come up if the front catches. Several manufacturers offer these on their rotary cutter/mowers, and one could build similar for a mower that doesn't have one.

View attachment 71065

This is not a solid mount, it has the pivot built in

 

[Jim.ME]

This is not a solid mount, it has the pivot built in

Who said it was a solid mount??? I posted "A swinging link like this mounted to the implement mast for the top link to connect to" ,with the picture. A swinging link is not a solid mount.