Top Link or Chain with a rotary cutter?

Doc · Jun 11, 2007

I used to use a top link when using my rotary cutter. I bent the support struts on the rotary cutter when traversing a little creek with a short but steep bank.
I talked to a buddy about this and he recommended using a chain instead of a top link. I tried it and it works like a charm. I can traverse the creek without stressing the rotary cutter. I've also been warned that the chain offers no protection from the rotary cutter hitting something solid which would then cause the RC to pop upwards, possibly far enough to hit the person in the drivers seat.

I've used the chain and hit somthing unexpected. the RC did jump a foot or so but that was it. So, I feel in control with the chain, and it works better than the top link.
In your opinion is this a false sense of security?

Do you use a chain or top link on your RC?

Jim_S · Jun 11, 2007

I'm using a chain on mine too. I've had it bounce up a few times but just a foot or so. It would really take something very large and a fast speed to get it swinging up into the back of the tractor and then you would have the top of the 3 pt hitch and the rops to stop it.

Jim

Mith · Jun 11, 2007

I just used to use a toplink.
The RC had a joint on the part where the toplink attached, so it could tilt right up. You can see it at the top of the link triangle in the picture.
That seemed to give enough float. However, I did only use the RC once, so I didn't really try it out much.

Big Dog · Jun 12, 2007

What is the width of your RC's? Gotta believe the bigger the less likely you'll get a big jump. I sold my RC from the Kubota and I'm looking for one for the Yote, I'm thinking 6' or 7'.

Doc · Jun 12, 2007

Wow, 6 or 7 footers!!!! That would be huge!
I'm running a 5 footer. It's made by 'International'. Pretty heavy duty, but it compares best to a medium duty woods. I think it weighs 500 or 600 pounds.

The heavy duty woods ones are over 1000 pounds.

I run a 6' rear finish mower, but I felt the 6' rotary cutter would be to much for my beast (30hp / 25 pto hp). I'm happy with the 5' for now.

I think it was John Miller III that had the biggest rotary cutter I ever saw. It was a 7 or 8'. It looked huge. He used it on that big John Deere. He shared pics over on TBN many moons ago.

Jim_S · Jun 12, 2007

Big Dog said:
What is the width of your RC's? Gotta believe the bigger the less likely you'll get a big jump. I sold my RC from the Kubota and I'm looking for one for the Yote, I'm thinking 6' or 7'.

I have a 6' Woods. Weighs 1,100 pounds.

Jim

Big Dog · Jun 12, 2007

Jim Slagle said:
I have a 6' Woods. Weighs 1,100 pounds.

Jim

What are you running it on Jim?

My disc weights 900, I gotta believe the Yote would be just fine with a 6' (45Hp, 38PTO hp, tractor weights about 6000# with ballast and loader).

What you say Jim?

Jim_S · Jun 12, 2007

L5030 Kubota. Neighbors tractor, my mower.

Jim

Mith · Jun 12, 2007

The RC in my picture is 42" and weighed about 500lb, its a woods heavy duty one.

With a heavy duty rotary cutter I'd think the weight is there to stop it jumping, if you hit something hard enough to make a 1000lb RC jump you'll probably be dodging bits of PTO shaft and gearbox too

ghautz · Jun 12, 2007

I ran into the bent support strut problem a couple of years ago. I hadn't heard of using a chain instead of the top link. I replaced the struts with cables, which seems to work the same way. Am I overlooking something? Is there a safety issue I missed?

Doc · Jun 12, 2007

Not missing a safety issue that I'm aware of. I know there are safety concerns about using a chain for a top link. Some sites won't even allow a post to stand if it mentions using a chain for a top link.

jwstewar · Jun 12, 2007

I use a top link, but I'm having a problem with it. I have a ditch/bank/creek (whatever the hell you want to call it :pat:

) and as I back down the bank the mower drops down and allows the u shaped connector drop down as well. As the mower comes back up and puts everything in a bind. So far the only thing I have done is broken a few lynch pins (couldn't figure out why for awhile). I need to be cutting here in the near future and before I do, I really think my top link is going to be a little more flexible. :hide2:

I'm afraid if I don't, I'm really going to do some damage to the tractor or mower - more worried about the tractor.

Av8r3400 · Jun 12, 2007

My 5' KK has a similar top mount to the picture Mith posted. It does allow the mower to "flex" up quite a way beyond level without binding on the top link.

It has a block welded to the bottom of it allowing it to flex back to let the rear of the mower rise, but not forward (which would allow the rear of the mower to drop below level).

ghautz · Jun 12, 2007

Mine has bounced only once, high enough to get my attention but not high enough to do any damage. I figure my little Yanmar can't pull the mower fast enough to hurt anything.

Seems to me that the hitch structure of the RC and the PTO shaft would absorb a lot of the energy of a big bounce, minimizing the chance of injury to the operator or tractor. Are there any documented cases of operator injury from a bouncing RC?

I wonder if a chain top link with a shorter pipe around it would provide adequate flex and ease the safety concerns.

Av8r3400 · Jun 12, 2007

Won't the drive shaft bottom out long before the cutter swings up that high??

ghautz · Jun 12, 2007

I would think so. Seems you would have to be going faster than a reasonable mowing speed to create a safety issue.

Doc · Jun 13, 2007

ghautz said:
I wonder if a chain top link with a shorter pipe around it would provide adequate flex and ease the safety concerns.

Interesting idea. Sure sounds like it would work. I have never heard of a RC jumping high enough to hit the operator but have seen others talk of it.

One other advantage of the chain is that I can now back over hills and have the rotary cutter drop and actually cut to the normal level. If I had the top link on it would prevent the rotary cutter from dropping down very far, so I left areas uncut.

A disadvantage is that you cannot raise the RC as high as you can with a top link. My rear wheel barely leaves the ground, but since it's a wheel it does not hurt anything when it does touch down while en-route to wherever I'm working that day.

Av8r3400 · Jun 13, 2007

Doc said:
... One other advantage of the chain is that I can now back over hills and have the rotary cutter drop and actually cut to the normal level. If I had the top link on it would prevent the rotary cutter from dropping down very far, so I left areas uncut. ...

I'm having a hard time with this one, Doc. Unless you have a spring on your chain, how can the rear of the mower drop?

For the rear of the mower to drop the top link/chain needs to get longer, like this: :yankchain:

Doc · Jun 14, 2007

Av8r3400 said:
I'm having a hard time with this one, Doc. Unless you have a spring on your chain, how can the rear of the mower drop?

For the rear of the mower to drop the top link/chain needs to get longer, like this:

My chain top link is about 6 links longer than it needs to be just so I can back over the hills and have it drop. Works like a charm.

PBinWA · Jun 14, 2007

I used two chains from the the toplink mount on the tractor to the lift arm pins. It worked great except that you couldn't lift it as high.

I actually got a great cut from it with this set up as I could set the height of my lift arms with the chain and the chain would not let the mower go lower than the chains but it would let the mower flex up when needed.

I sold my cutter last year when I bought my Flail mower. I kept the chains though and will use them with my Farm Blade to let it float behind my tractor when I add the gauge wheels to it. I think this will be a good low cost grading solution.

I vote for the chains but I was mowing pasture with no surpises.

Top Link or Chain with a rotary cutter?

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