Avoid Costly Repairs! Bush Hog Rotary Cutter Prep Guide

Awesome video Sir! 😊 Thank you!

John Deere corn head grease works great.

You can blame these European metric driveshafts for getting stuck. Back when you just had a standard square shaft they had a grease fitting and you very seldom saw one of those stuck. If the implement stays outside, I'll pull the shaft off and store it inside. I've seen the 2 halves stuck so bad they wouldn't come apart without destroying the shaft.

Engineers can be idiots, but they aren't to blame for not being able to access your u-joint grease fittings, you can thank the lawyers for that. For the manufacturer, being able to grease the joint comes second place to being sued for some idiot getting caught in the shaft.

I'm sure I'll get chastised for this (I don't care), but I usually cut the "bell" off of the shield so I can grease my joints. You aren't supposed to get off the seat with the PTO running and I don't think that PTO shaft is going to jump up into the seat and get me. Honestly, if I were to get off the tractor and get near the PTO shaft with it running on my bush hog, the shaft would be the least of my worries. I'd be more worried about the blades spinning at my feet.

I’m interested in grease gun. I grease equipment a bunch I’ve used battery powered guns for years and they work great when you have charged batteries but they are heavy bulky and get horribly nasty. I’ve always used red mystic grease. What grease would compare with your gun? Where do I find your grease? How can you neatly refill your tubes?

I sucked in a fair length of old barb wire but fortunately, it wrapped around the blade bolts under stump jumper instead of the gearbox output shaft.

Back grease zerk: usually you can bend the shaft to the side before hooking it up to the tractor and then rotate the shaft which exposes that grease zerk so it can be greased. Some plastic shields have a hole in them for access also. My cutter has a flip-up metal shield on the front of the cutter gearbox that gives me better access also.

Good advice for the brush rough cut mowers there. Thanks for taking the time to go over some basic maintenance that needs to be done. 👍🏻

One of my cutters, Kodiak or Titan (TN) aka Ironcraft came with grease from the factory. They actually stated it in the owner's manual. I also have a Bush Hog but I prefer other brands. They use generic parts instead of proprietary ones. The BH needed a stump jumper. Just the round jumper was $950!!

Hi Mike,
I have the same brush hog and mines has a leak on the seal where that goes to the pto. How much does that seal cost? Will grease in the gearbox work on this leak?

My bush hog has the plug in the bottle, but you can't get to it within taking the blade pan off. I keep it in the barn, though, and the oil still looks new as it did 9 years ago.

great tips. thanks for sharing

Wouldn't filling up a gearbox with grease instead of oil cause it to run hotter?

Thanks for all your help.

My bush hog spends most of the time if not on the tractor in my building. With all this rain in Missouri my pastures are over 4 feet tall. I pulled my PTO shaft apart and greased it along with the zerks and back wheel. I will have to check underneath for whatever. I use a Dewalt battery powered grease gun. Waiting for the grass to dry before I mow the yard maybe tomorrow and before the next rain use weed and feed on the yard in early morning while the dew is on the grass.

Mike, I sold my bush hog years ago and went to a flail mower for better cutting and I had cut most of the heavy brush. The flail mower gave me a more finished look without going to a finished mower for my trails and around my food plots. I'm wondering if you own a flail mower and if so would do this type of video on it? Thanks, Bob

Enjoyed your video Mike I would not hook up a stuck pto shaft to the tractor may damage something else. My advice get a electric grease gun there the best way better easier to use. You will be glad you did. Have a great day

My favorite maintenance tip for a rotary cutter is to keep it in a heated shop so it's out of the weather.

One thing that I will add (and it happened to me). ENSURE that your shear bolt on your PTO shaft is the correct grade. I bought a 6ft. cutter second hand and didn't check this. Needless to say that when the shear bolt was supposed to shear (do it's job) it didn't and destroyed my gearbox. A new gear box was just North of $350.00.

Good info.

I have an ancient 48 inch brush hog that won't hold oil in the gear box. I don't think I want to go throught hassle of popping off the gear box to see what is wrong. I have a lube shuttle and a couple of different types of their grease. What grease would be best to put in the oil fill?

In the Ozarks, we call them rock chippers. Why do those plastic shields cost so much?

Thanks for the video. Planning on getting mine ready this weekend. I found this helpful. Getting to the grease fittings (and hooking up issues) is the reason so many people just remove the guards.

I saw Lube shuttle here on your channel / bought one on your recommendation ..Can NOT be HAPPIER with my purchase ...Best Gun I have ever owned in my near 7 decades on this rock !

Thank You Sir.....Let's hope the rain lets up without completely stopping.

If the PTO has a shear pin at the gearbox instead of a slip clutch, removing the shear pin to grease the back ujoint can save a big problem. I had the yoke rust on to the gearbox input shaft and it kept the shear pin from shearing when I hit a chunk of concrete. A new PTO shaft solved the problem and lightened my wallet at the same time.

Thanks for the video

What’s your opinion on corn grease?

I was looking for your latest video earlier because I know you always drop your videos on Thursdays. Somehow I got unsubscribed to your channel. Don’t know what happened but I’m back lol.

Great video Mike thank you !! In your opinion is the Bush Hog brand worth the premium vs say a finish mower made in Italy?

What about the slip clutch on the pto shaft?

Another superb video, Mike!

I see a lot of people grease or oil anything.
I come from old school about lubrication and taking the time to take care of equipment

Hi Mike! Dave from Stilwell KS here. Got a quick question about an issue I am having. I’ve got a Kubota B7100 that I bought new way back in 1989. It has been a great little tractor. I am older now and really only use it for mowing the yard now. The last couple times I have mowed I noticed a different sound coming from the belly mower. I have checked everything I can think of and I can’t figure out the problem but I do notice the belt jumping really bad when I increase the throttle with the mower engaged. Does this mean I need a new belt or does it sound like something more severe like pulley or spindle bearings? Thanks for any help you can render. Enjoy your channel. Thank you!

Lube Shuttle, a maps app and a bidet: 3 things I could live without but would rather not if I didn't have to 😂

I put grease on the PTO shaft sleeves couple times a year to prevent any rust. Is this a good idea? I’m new to the tractor and implements world and always appreciate your informative videos Mike. Have a fun and safe summer!

Great tips, Mike! I sucked in a mile of barbed wire into my flail mower. Talk about a mess! I agree about the Lube Shuttle. It’s awesome.

Perfect timing Mike. My Squeeler lower seal is leaking and have been searching for a “cheaper” option to keep running. I came across a few videos on the grease option and just picked up a couple of tubes of JD’s Cornhead grease to put in it. Hopefully it goes well like you say😉