Farm Equipment - What size bush hog for d17

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What size bush hog for d17

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Topic: What size bush hog for d17

Posted By: Kp59
Subject: What size bush hog for d17
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 6:48pm

Hi I am looking at bush hogs and was wondering what size would be a good match for a 1959 d17 gas.

Replies:

Posted By: norm[ind]
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 7:13pm

what are you cutting--84" in my book

Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 7:13pm

It will handle a 6-footer with no problem. Seven footer should work fine.

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Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.

Posted By: Kp59
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 7:56pm

I cut fields on the side so it varies from sparse horse pastures to over grown fields that have just as much brush as grass. I would like to go as wide as I can but still have enough power for the heavy stuff when I need it maybe the 6ft would be the way to go

Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 8:40pm

I think you can go 7 foot with the understanding that you will need to go slower in the thick stuff. You can also overlap and only cut 6 foot wide if it gets thick and it will usually look better with some overlap anyway.

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1957 WD45 dad's first AC

1968 one-seventy

1956 F40 Ferguson

Posted By: Auntwayne
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 8:41pm

The mower width should not be narrower than you tire width.

Posted By: Dave in il
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 8:54pm

We always used 6' although in most cases it would handle 7'. What I like is the 6' will take out the tire tracks and "fit" in the bottom of the ditch when mowing roadsides and does a really nice job without dragging cut grass or gouging.

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AGCO My Allis Gleaner Company

Posted By: CaseyCreek
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 10:06pm

I use a 6' on my D17 as well. For grass and dry weeds shorter than 3' or so, I'm sure that a 7' would work, but for heavy brush, a 6' is about as big as I can handle. I actually have access to an 8' dual-wheeled bush hog (brand) but I haven't tried it out yet. I think as long as I use the 8' like a big finishing mower, no problems but I don't think for a minute that I could pull the 8' through heavy brush.

Two more things:
1) My 6' is a Brown 472. I've never used a better cutter, but it's over 1100 lbs. A 7' (484) Brown weighs over 1400 lbs. When I lift the cutter all the way up, the front end gets bouncy. Be aware of how much weight you're putting behind your machine.
2) You will need to learn to use your hand clutch to quickly stop the tractor. The tractor will continue forward for a few feet if you use the foot clutch as your primary stopping mechanism.

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D17 Series III,D17 Series IV, 185

Posted By: Eldon (WA)
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 10:32pm

I put my 3008 (8 ft twin spindle) Bushhog on my D17 SIV Diesel...I think it would pull it as well as my 175D, but the front end was too light. I'd go for a 6 footer. the 7' just feels clumsy because it is so long, and it will also scalp more. Also for the extra $$$$ over a 6', a 7' is not worth it.

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ALLIS EXPRESS!
This year:

Posted By: ctbowles58
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2012 at 11:38pm

mine handles a 7ft just fine, and i think an 8ft would be ok too.

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190XT 2WD45 WF D15 D14 CA BIG10 302 & 303 bailers 77G rake 80R mower 6 plows and alot more

Posted By: TimNearFortWorth
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 7:53am

With a six footer, you can handle the heavy where the 7' would leave you going for the overlap. With the tip speed kept up on the cutter blades, the 6' will do anything you want, be better at keeping the front end planted and you will have no problem in the heavy cutting.

I tend to reverse direction to catch the slight overlap and regulate that overlap depending on the thickness of what I'm cutting, again, keeping tip speed up for a good cut in any height.

Will you be cutting against plenty of fence rows? If so, the 6' will be hard to get up against the fence, even with your wheels moved all the way in on a 17.

Maybe an old used 7' to do the outer cut against the fences and switch to your 6' if doing heavy cutting . . . . . .

Posted By: Eldon (WA)
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 9:53am

Whatever you get, pay the extra and get the slip clutch instead of the shear bolt!

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ALLIS EXPRESS!
This year:

Posted By: Skyhighballoon(MO)
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 11:33am

I have a 7 foot 3-point FMC 7X7 sidewinder that I'd mostly ran on my 180 gas and it handles it just fine even in very heavy/tall stuff. It's also pretty tough and has taken quite a bit of abuse. The slip clutch works good when you need it to. But it's just so big and bulky for a 3 point unit and sticks out so far behind as Eldon points out. Before the 180, I did run it behind my D17 Series IV with a WorkSaver 3-point adapter and while the D17 pulled it okay it was too much brush hog to hang off the back of it.

A few years ago I bought a Allis 172 pull type brush hog from Michael Crowe and I love it. I pull it behind my Series III D17 and use it all the time now and the FMC 7 footer just sits. The only issue I have with the 172 is the slip clutch needs to be tightened up a bit as it slips in not to heavy of stuff if I go too fast. That's probably a good thing as it probably does a better job going a little slower and I'm less likely to tear up stuff . I do know that even though I'm giving up a foot over the FMC, I use far less gas running the D17 6-foot vs. the 180 7-foot to do the same job.

I really like to find a 10 foot pull type for bigger jobs like mulching cornstalks and pasture cleanup stuff but that's probably a couple years down the road. I'd use the 180 for that if I got one but I've actually pulled a 12 foot non-batwing pull-type (belonging to my farming partner) behind my Series IV years ago and it was okay to clean up weeds & grass about a foot or so high. Anything heavier than that it did not like, lol! Mike

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1981 Gleaner F2 Corn Plus w 13' flex
1968 Gleaner EIII w 10' & 330
1969 180 gas
1965 D17 S-IV gas
1963 D17 S-III gas
1956 WD45 gas NF PS
1956 All-Crop 66 Big Bin
303 wire baler, 716H, 712H mowers

Posted By: Kp59
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2012 at 6:19pm

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to keep my eyes open this winter and try to find a reasonably priced 6 ft unit

Posted By: DennisA (IL)
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2012 at 8:39pm

I was mowing today with a 5' bush hog in 4' grass/weeds. the field has been left untouched for 12 years, lots of dead under growth. The "CA" handled it just fine in 2nd gear.

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Thanks & God Bless

Dennis