Excellent job! I love the patio umbrella adaptation. A couple of comments about things you did exactly correct… for those who are new to brush hogging. 1. Maximum efficiency and cleanest cuts come from having the front of the mower set lower than the rear. The leading edge should clip the vegetation. The rear should be above the cut line. If you have the rear level or below, it increases the amount of power required for the cut. Essentially, the blades are hitting stubble or making a second deeper cut as you pass over. An elevated back end also improves smooth rear discharge. 2. The blades only rotate in one direction… clockwise. As the tractor tires pass over it, the vegetation is pressed forward under each tire. The left side of the blade is going in the same direction and does not cut the compressed grass cleanly. The right side of the blade is traveling into the direction of lean and cleanly clips it off. If you decide to spiral cut your field you will end up with tire tracks of uncut stragglers. By reversing direction after every pass with a tire width of overlap, you clean up the stragglers. It loses a foot or so of every pass but looks professional. I know there are other ways of doing this but… it has worked for me through over fifty years of farming. Keep doing what you’re doing. In MHO you are doing it exactly correct!
I ran over a yellow jacket's nest with my push mower and didn't realize it. I felt, what I thought was a stick poke me, and then WHAM, WHAM, WHAM I started to get stung all over. I took off running down the street and let me tell you there is nothing funnier than a three-hundred-pound fat man running full bore downhill. By the time I got back up to my house I started to feel the effects of 60 hornet stings. I broke out in hives and began to itch all over. I thought I was being attacked by gnats but by the time I got out of the shower I was itching all over: Inside my mouth, nostrils, ears and other places where the sun don't shine. I now have a new respect and hatred for yellow jackets. Great video Adam thumbs up.
When I had my cab tractor I loved it for brush hogging....the main reason being my allergies. I'm back to an open station and may have to borrow the sun shade idea.
I do my best thinking when I'm on my tractor mowing, reminiscing about the past, pondering the future with each pass. Keep living the good life! Best Wishes.
@@HometownAcres Thanks Adam, I waited a year and worked with Chris from In the Woodyard before I decided to get off the fence and start a channel. I had so much fun working with Chris just like you did with Doug.. Nice having like minded people to be around. Be safe and have fun!
After 13 years of having a tractor, I started taking my FEL off to mow this year for the first time, and it's so much smoother and quieter to mow without it. Not sure what took me so long but glad I did it. Great drone shots of the property Adam.
I'm not gonna lie - I couldn't be happier with my decision to buy a cab tractor. It is a lot of extra dough (about $6k or so in the case of my Kioti DK5310SE), but to me it was money well spent. Truly a case of 'buy once, cry once' in my situation. I brush hog about 7 acres of pasture about every 3rd week and having AC in the hot NC summer makes a HUGE difference. A cab tractor isn't the best choice in every situation, but it was the right one for me.
Nice drone work and great shots of the property. Looks like the pond is coming along nicely. I was trying to pinpoint any wet spots on the dam but it appears like things are pretty dry. A few thousand more subscribers and that closed can tractor may soon be a reality! All the best and I hope you had a nice Father’s Day!
Love the drone shots. Because of your reviews on the 3510 I got a ck2610. Oh and yeah I don’t ever want to take my loader off just because of how hard it is to put back together. Love the sunshade idea. I totally understand the want of a cab tractor for the yellow jackets nest, controlled environment, etc.
re Loader on/off. Put some dolly wheels on an old pallet. unload the loader onto the pallet. easier to maneuver the pallet (with loader) to put it back on rather than move the tractor.
I love what you're doing with the video editing - excellent intro with fantastic drone shots, good intro music... I also loved how you softened the volume with the "Hey everybody, Adam with Hometown" and then brought it up gradually. My ears thank you! I'm a big fan of your channel and videos and now they're even better and you're really dialing them in. Great work and very enjoyable. Also thanks for the tip about taking off the loader when brushhogging. I never thought of that before but makes tons of sense and probably saves fuel from less weight
Personally, I wish the field was in Dutch white clover. Only grows 4” high, withstands drought, doesn’t need mowing except once a year to keep weed trees out, puts nitrogen in the soil, and has long roots to prevent soil erosion. And the honeybees and butterflies love it. We desperately need more honey bees in America. It looks beautiful on a hillside such as yours, especially with butterflies flitting around. Snakes don’t stay in it because it’s too short. Mice aren’t real crazy about it either because hawks and such can spot them. I understand you wouldn’t want to till up the whole thing to plant clover all at once, but perhaps every year you could start one or two strips. Just a thought to help both your pleasure level in your land, and the environment.
Nice job Adam. It’s definitely nice having shade. I always keep my loader on wing brush cutting because I try to use it to find things I don’t want to hit with the cutter. Obviously that’s less of a problem on your own property. I find my tractor uses about a gallon an hour
When I'm out hiking here in the PNW, I dislike slathering sunscreen as well, as well as I really dislike using DEET to keep the bugs off me. I go for a very light weight long sleeve, light colored shirt, plus light khaki hiking pants. I top it off with a wide brim hat. I carry my shade with me. For the bugs, it's all treated, per package instructions, with permethrin. Keeps the 'skeeters, ticks and other nasty bugs at bay. Not sure how it would do vs yellowjacket's though. As for the tractor and a sun shade, I saw over on Good Works Tractors channel that he has a poly sunscreen that fits on the ROPS. That might be an option as well. Great vid as always.
I was watching how at the end of each row, you were backing up and lining-up to go down the next row. I have found that if when I get to the end of a row, I make a comfortable turn (4-5 cutter widths) and head back the opposite direction. I never have to break stride or change gears. Just keep making ovals and shifting them over at the end of the rows. I don't know if it saves a lot of fuel, but it has reduced the cutting time.
Praise God - we were watching the BAD news on the economy & gas prices & all the other BAD news we're all dealing with, & Hometown Acres notice popped up 🙌💃🙌💃🙌 God bless you, Adam!! Perfect timing!! ❤️ 👍🙌🙏 P.S. Good job on doing this Monday & not Father's Day. It was too busy 💞 I hope your special day was blessed, Adam!! Okay, sorry - one more - Ever Ready Doug is a star 🌟 🤩 ✨️
Great video Adam! I like the umbrella idea. Bush hogging is my favorite job to do with my tractor. The sunscreen is a drag but I've already had a cancer spot on my face so sunscreen is the rule going forward. I'm going to try night bush hogging next weekend to beat the heat. Also at night, your headlights will light up the yellowjackets so you can avoid them.
Same here, had one removed from my face in November. An umbrella keeps you cooler and keeps some of the direct rays off of your skin, but you still get reflections. I've now added this lesson learned to the "I wish I would have done ______ when I was younger" list that just keeps growing.
Looks really good there Adam, nice job 👍 I tell you what, you are SO fortunate to live so close to Neighbor Doug… you couldn’t ask for a better neighbor!! I’m loving his channel, too.
I use a brush hog on the front acreage just reminding you to grind the blades as needed to keep the cutting looking good ! Great videos. keep up the good work.
When I have a pin that is hard to line up I like to take my grinder and bevel the end of the pin so I can take a hammer and drive the pin into the hole. It will align itself. Have a good day.
Back in Illinois when we lived on a small farm, we had a four acre pasture and I ask a neighbor if he would like to use it for a hay field before we got steers and goats. He would come over several times a summer, cut, and bale the field. I didn't have to mow the fields and the neighbor fed the hay to his milk cows.
Love the brush hogging. I find it relaxing. I would like to do my fields earlier than I do but baling hay usually gets in the way. We just finished hay yesterday. So, now it will be full on brush hogging. lots to do and it is sometimes nice doing it a little later because the fawns are a little bigger and I don't have to be as careful watching for them or nesting turkeys. (Also in Pa about an hour or so south of you).
I now use only cab tractors never used one of my Kubota cab tractor, as you age, you will know why. My brother bought his open station Kioti retirement gift and for years he wouldn't touch on of my cabbed tractors. After an illness put me down, he took care of two of my farms using my machines; kind of regrets getting an open station now. I have expanded metal grill guards on all my tractors; sure keeps an errant object out of my radiators.
Really enjoyed this one Adam! Neighbor Doug, he’s amazing! Just one heads up here while you were out mowing, I noticed what look like white flowered weeds you were cutting down .I don’t know if that’s Hemlock? If it is, be extremely careful cutting that. I would suggest wearing a mask. I read an article which I can get in forward to you about a gentleman in Ohio who is clearing his garden out. He started feeling bad a few days later and he wound up hospitalized. They thought he had Covid because whatever he had mimicked Covid symptoms. His Covid tests came back negative. His breathing was incredibly impaired. Long story short After quizzing his wife they were able to determine that he had cut down some hemlock and somehow it became airborne and he breathed it in and that’s what started his whole nightmare. He did survive but it messed him up for a while. Just let me know and I can try and get the article to you. Keep up the wonderful work!
Hi Adam! Great opening drone shot of the lake and the sky reflected in it. My first canopy was an umbrella style made for tractors, then I got a hard top canopy which I love. Your Kioti and brush hog did great in that tall grass. Thanks for sharing!
Nice job Adam looks good. I prefer mowing without the loader mounted on tractor. Mowing Our 12+ acres with a brush hog. I wasn't satisfied with the cut. And how the bent over grass didn't get cut off. I found a used Woods RM9990 rear mower. It's a heavy mower. I think 1300lbs. On the back of a New Holland tc33D. I put 300 lbs of suit case weights on the front. The mower has only 3 spindles with 2 lite 13" blades on each spindle. Most 90" mowers have 5 spindles that take mow power to turn. The 90" Woods cut my mowing time down by a lot. I mowed 3 times per summer. And a finish cut look! I think you'll burn les fuel keeping it cut down. The tractor doesn't labor at all keeping trimmed down and looks better. Landpride and Woods both make a 12' batwing finish mower for 25hp tractors. Also. Befco makes 3 point flex mower. When you lift the 3pt that transfers weight onto 3 tail wheels. Also resource Progressive mowers.
Adam, if you have dough make you a tapered drift pin a bit smaller than the hole in you tractor it is easy to line it up. All you do is get it close. I can install mine in a couple minutes. My drift pin is 24 inches long and I can move the arms into place with little effort.
That grass was as tall as the hood of the tractor. Wow, maybe time to invest in some goats or cows to help keep the grasses down. But that requires fencing and comes with a whole new set of issues too. Love the spread you've got though! I'm Jelly!!!
C clap w 1x firing strip and tarp from harbor freight work great too for tractors… if you rip tarp or break edge prob 5 dollar fix is another option if little more wind or rough overhead.
And should note c clamp or bessy clamp w plastic feet… don’t ask me how I know. Either make a full box or u shape and just cut a tarp.. blue or brown :-)
A canopy for a ROPS tractor is an available accessory for many tractors. Not everyone has a Neighbour Doug to fabricate custom brackets for them. Also, if you are concerned about the cost of fuel and fuel usage while brush hogging, there are far more efficient ways to operate the brush hog than doing a 3 point turn at the end of every row.
Yep, I do 2 rounds at the perimeter of the area first. Next I do two more passes at the headlands. The remainder of the job is straight runs with very wide turns at the ends, skipping multiples of the cutter width. Mow my lawn the same way.
As someone who’s lived on our farm my whole life (61 years), I’ve done my share of running a bush hog (we don’t call them “brush” hogs in SC). Typically it depends on the layout of the field and whether it has a lot of trees when we decide on the pattern to cut. If you cut back and forth like Adam did here, turning around on the end works better if you have more distance to make a u-turn instead of a 3 pt turn. Just have to make a few more passes on the ends first. Just my 2 cents 🤣
Quick question, have you thought of installing a uplift blade on the bush hog? It causes updraft to keep chopping the grass very fine and leaves mulch behind. Forgot the real name of the blade though! I used to have a mulching mower loved it! Honda 5.5 hp engine with uplift blade worked great! My other thought oh no all those innocent flowers!
If you don't have a neighbor Doug to make the sun shade, a canopy that attaches to the ROPS is about $300 to $500 (or were in 2020) and well worth the money. I lived just north of Seattle, but the summers in the sun were no fun. Canopy makes mowing a lot more comfortable.
Either is going to happen: 1: I’m kidnapping Doug and bringing him to SC to be my neighbor, or 2: I’m buying your place to be Doug’s neighbor!! 😂 You’re a lucky guy having Doug!!
I have the quick detach forks/bucket, so I just remove that for manueverability, taking the whole loader off doesn't buy me much space vs the pain of doing so, but may be worth it for some
One thing in the UK that's started for those with large grass areas to cut is No Mow in May - to allow the flowers to bloom and let the pollinators such as butterflies and bees a chance to get some early food. Maybe just mow the upper streches and let the lower stretch go a bit more wild. That said in Philadelphia it looks like you've got more space for the wildlife to exist.
We have no mow May here in the States too, although it's not widely known. I have a part of my property that I would like to brush hog but do not mow it all summer and Fall because it has a lot of milkweed plants on it. Also I think you mean Pennsylvania, not Philadelphia. Not trying to be a smartass or anything, just saying.
@@YMF1891 no offence taken. I should have remembered it was Pennsylvania as William Penn was a local lad who came frim our town. Apparently he went to 'the colonies' and did stuff
Try 2 overlapping rectangles for a cut pattern next time. It eliminates the need to go in reverse in all but the tightest spots. More efficient and cost effective. Added benefit is it let's you scan for rocks, trees, groundhog holes etc the next go around. Also the low growing clover is nice for the pollinators and keeps it lower longer. 3 times a season is typically what I do.
Cab isn't good always, especially when you load something and have to come out a lot of times etc, like you have to do with firewood processor. So there is always pros and cons. Great video!
My dealer asked if I leave the front loader on when I mow I said yes ( I remove the bucket only quick attach) . He was very concerned about front ballast for when you lift the mower and not lift the front end up or make it very light. He wanted suitcase weights on front if I took of the loader off. My dealer was always concerned about ballast on the rear as well when using the bucket. Many dealers are not and it is a big mistake letting tractors leave without proper ballast of some kind. I have side hill property and low ballast is important. I'm 72 and have been driving tractors on the farm since I was 10 years old. ( no longer farming though) Sorry to some of you out there but my blood is green lol.
Adam, I think the gentleman who commented about making a dolly out of the pallet to place the bucket assembly on to align the pins has the brilliant solution. You can then move it around the garage to keep it out of the way when it's off the tractor. Give it some thought,then build one! Patrick from Pittsburgh.
@@HometownAcres Maybe make the Dolly from something stronger than a pallet. Perhaps a 4 wheeled platform of 4x4 and a sheet of 3/4 plywood or 2x6 planks.
I finally got to start bush hogging two days ago... Actually, letting the field grow, especially in spring is good for the bees. Also, a farmer would gladly take grass hay off it for free, he might even give you a few bucks. How are those blueberry bushes doing? I almost forgot them. I found your channel when you were planting those, if that gives you any idea how long I have been watching,
@@HometownAcres Great. Thank you. Maybe when you're doing that update video you could include how the firewood business is going on the sales end like in your driveway and at the neighbor's house. Just a video idea I guess as I have been wondering and I'm probably not the only one
Great DIY on the umbrella for the tractor. Adam, have you thought about fencing that part in and putting either cows, sheep or goats in there. Might be another way to raise food and make a few bucks on that part of the homestead. Have a great week and God bless.
The pond is looking great! We've been enjoying our pond a lot this summer. Just a little suggestion for the pond, we use milk jugs tied to old window weights that we use as buoy markers for the sand areas . Two at waist height for the little kids and two at five ft. for the adults, it's a little redneck but it's done the job for more than 25 years. Hope you had a great father's day.
Hello Adam. If you only used 3 gals diesel the first cut you will use less the 2 nd cut. Would be nearly as hard on equipment. Well that's about all I have. Until the next time have a wonderful day
You should consider turning it into hay, it looks like you have a fair amount of area, turn some of that grass into cash! Would be easy if you have a farmer near you that could do it
I really like that umbrella can you do a video on making the bracket and adapting it to the tractor and add a link where you got that umbrella that's pretty cool
Not mowing as often allows your grass to go to seed, which is great to do especially early in the season, or in areas where you did some grading to smooth out bumpy humpy spots
Reach out to a local farmer, they may want to use that for hay. It will save you time and money on brush hogging, and they may pay you a few dollars too.
I'd forgotten about the orchard, perhaps you could give us an update video on its progress. I understand your motive was pest control, but have to disagree that wild meadows don't look good. I think they are more aesthetic than close cropped grass.
Do you have a local farmer that could come in and hay your property on the halves if you get livestock you'll need it for winter time but I'd have it baled on the first cutting so you won't have clumps of grass in your pasture then it will be much easier to maintain it through out the growing season.
It has probably been said but I think you need to lengthen your top link. It could be camera angle but several times it looked like there was no weight on the wheel and the grass was getting caught on the front sliders.
Have you thought about planting that field with a crop like alfalfa and have a local farmer mow and bale it? Might make enough to pay for all your other fuel use.
Nice video. Brush hogging is therapeutic to me. Seems like....you need a cab....and then you need a bigger one...and a bigger brush hog. It's a terrible addiction! :) I moved from open platform to cab. AMEN...ran over a hornets nest once and moved out! In a cab...they bounce off the windows...lol. Hope you can checkout my newest acquisition for my brush hogging experience.
Great video! Ive noticed i have to check the radiator screens and watch the temp gauge when i brush hog too. Do you still have the blueberry patch out front?
Yes we still have the blueberries. We lost about 20 of them. Still have 30 left that are doing well. I think I know what caused this issue. I will probably do a video on it when we are able to pick some blueberries this year. And yeah I kept a close eye on my temp guage and surprisingly my grill guard and radiator screen was not plugging up too bad. Didn’t have to stop to clean it until I was done mowing
Looks so good mowed! Why do you mow in rows back and forth? It seems like it would be so much more efficient to mow the perimeter and just continue in the same direction in a smaller and smaller pattern until it's all mowed. You eliminate the turning around and are constantly mowing.
I just brush mowed yesterday. The grass was over my head when on the tractor. At 3 hours in my radiator boiled over and 4.5 hours in I fried the gearbox on the mower. Got it halfway done tho. Lol. Quick questions: what engine rpm do you run when mowing and do you set the mower to one height and just go or are you constantly having to adjust the height with every little bump and dip
I run it at a steady 2400 rpm which is what my 540 PTO RPMs is set to. And for the most part I can leave the mower height alone but every once in a while I will have to raise and lower for some more uneven ground
Love the maintenance program, two pumps of grease, pop up the umbrella, that’s a lot of grass to mow, how could you do that with out a cooler mounted within hands reach. Great video is the pond full now or still filling up?
Pond is actually losing water right now. Not because of leaks but because of hot dry weather. Losing a lot to evaporation and no rain. Starting to look like lake mead again.
In Australia we tend to mow around the perimeter of a paddock not up and down like you do Adam. Is there a reason? I also noticed you did not sharpen the blades on your slasher.
Excellent job! I love the patio umbrella adaptation.
A couple of comments about things you did exactly correct… for those who are new to brush hogging.
1. Maximum efficiency and cleanest cuts come from having the front of the mower set lower than the rear. The leading edge should clip the vegetation. The rear should be above the cut line. If you have the rear level or below, it increases the amount of power required for the cut. Essentially, the blades are hitting stubble or making a second deeper cut as you pass over. An elevated back end also improves smooth rear discharge.
2. The blades only rotate in one direction… clockwise. As the tractor tires pass over it, the vegetation is pressed forward under each tire. The left side of the blade is going in the same direction and does not cut the compressed grass cleanly. The right side of the blade is traveling into the direction of lean and cleanly clips it off. If you decide to spiral cut your field you will end up with tire tracks of uncut stragglers. By reversing direction after every pass with a tire width of overlap, you clean up the stragglers. It loses a foot or so of every pass but looks professional.
I know there are other ways of doing this but… it has worked for me through over fifty years of farming. Keep doing what you’re doing. In MHO you are doing it exactly correct!
I ran over a yellow jacket's nest with my push mower and didn't realize it. I felt, what I thought was a stick poke me, and then WHAM, WHAM, WHAM I started to get stung all over. I took off running down the street and let me tell you there is nothing funnier than a three-hundred-pound fat man running full bore downhill. By the time I got back up to my house I started to feel the effects of 60 hornet stings. I broke out in hives and began to itch all over. I thought I was being attacked by gnats but by the time I got out of the shower I was itching all over: Inside my mouth, nostrils, ears and other places where the sun don't shine. I now have a new respect and hatred for yellow jackets. Great video Adam thumbs up.
When I had my cab tractor I loved it for brush hogging....the main reason being my allergies. I'm back to an open station and may have to borrow the sun shade idea.
My dad used tractor umbrellas back in the sixties. That was our a/c and sunscreen and a bandanna was my respirator.
I do my best thinking when I'm on my tractor mowing, reminiscing about the past, pondering the future with each pass. Keep living the good life! Best Wishes.
Adam great video, gonna have to fab up one of those umbrella holders. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Tony, good to hear from you. Congrats on starting a channel!
@@HometownAcres Thanks Adam, I waited a year and worked with Chris from In the Woodyard before I decided to get off the fence and start a channel. I had so much fun working with Chris just like you did with Doug.. Nice having like minded people to be around. Be safe and have fun!
After 13 years of having a tractor, I started taking my FEL off to mow this year for the first time, and it's so much smoother and quieter to mow without it. Not sure what took me so long but glad I did it. Great drone shots of the property Adam.
I'm not gonna lie - I couldn't be happier with my decision to buy a cab tractor. It is a lot of extra dough (about $6k or so in the case of my Kioti DK5310SE), but to me it was money well spent. Truly a case of 'buy once, cry once' in my situation. I brush hog about 7 acres of pasture about every 3rd week and having AC in the hot NC summer makes a HUGE difference.
A cab tractor isn't the best choice in every situation, but it was the right one for me.
A DK5310 cab is my dream tractor right now. Would love to upgrade
Your pond is filling up nicely and looks wonderful. Good job, enjoy the summer!!! Love your channel.
Nice drone work and great shots of the property. Looks like the pond is coming along nicely. I was trying to pinpoint any wet spots on the dam but it appears like things are pretty dry. A few thousand more subscribers and that closed can tractor may soon be a reality! All the best and I hope you had a nice Father’s Day!
Yes the we spots on the dam are gone
@@HometownAcres awesome to hear no wet spots!!
Love the drone shots. Because of your reviews on the 3510 I got a ck2610. Oh and yeah I don’t ever want to take my loader off just because of how hard it is to put back together. Love the sunshade idea. I totally understand the want of a cab tractor for the yellow jackets nest, controlled environment, etc.
re Loader on/off. Put some dolly wheels on an old pallet. unload the loader onto the pallet. easier to maneuver the pallet (with loader) to put it back on rather than move the tractor.
I need to get our land brush hogged as well. I’m going to use that fuel price excuse on my wife!! Enjoy your videos.
I tell my wife the same thing it’s too expensive to mow
I love what you're doing with the video editing - excellent intro with fantastic drone shots, good intro music... I also loved how you softened the volume with the "Hey everybody, Adam with Hometown" and then brought it up gradually. My ears thank you! I'm a big fan of your channel and videos and now they're even better and you're really dialing them in. Great work and very enjoyable.
Also thanks for the tip about taking off the loader when brushhogging. I never thought of that before but makes tons of sense and probably saves fuel from less weight
Thanks Chad. Glad you’re enjoying to content
Personally, I wish the field was in Dutch white clover. Only grows 4” high, withstands drought, doesn’t need mowing except once a year to keep weed trees out, puts nitrogen in the soil, and has long roots to prevent soil erosion. And the honeybees and butterflies love it. We desperately need more honey bees in America. It looks beautiful on a hillside such as yours, especially with butterflies flitting around. Snakes don’t stay in it because it’s too short. Mice aren’t real crazy about it either because hawks and such can spot them. I understand you wouldn’t want to till up the whole thing to plant clover all at once, but perhaps every year you could start one or two strips. Just a thought to help both your pleasure level in your land, and the environment.
I thought maybe arrange to have a hay crop cut and baled by a local farmer to maximize the income from your property. No work, just collect the check.
Nice job Adam. It’s definitely nice having shade.
I always keep my loader on wing brush cutting because I try to use it to find things I don’t want to hit with the cutter. Obviously that’s less of a problem on your own property.
I find my tractor uses about a gallon an hour
Yep about a gallon per hour here as well
When I'm out hiking here in the PNW, I dislike slathering sunscreen as well, as well as I really dislike using DEET to keep the bugs off me. I go for a very light weight long sleeve, light colored shirt, plus light khaki hiking pants. I top it off with a wide brim hat. I carry my shade with me. For the bugs, it's all treated, per package instructions, with permethrin. Keeps the 'skeeters, ticks and other nasty bugs at bay. Not sure how it would do vs yellowjacket's though. As for the tractor and a sun shade, I saw over on Good Works Tractors channel that he has a poly sunscreen that fits on the ROPS. That might be an option as well. Great vid as always.
I was watching how at the end of each row, you were backing up and lining-up to go down the next row. I have found that if when I get to the end of a row, I make a comfortable turn (4-5 cutter widths) and head back the opposite direction. I never have to break stride or change gears. Just keep making ovals and shifting them over at the end of the rows. I don't know if it saves a lot of fuel, but it has reduced the cutting time.
Great combination of shots while mowing! The front field looks nice.
Praise God - we were watching the BAD news on the economy & gas prices & all the other BAD news we're all dealing with, & Hometown Acres notice popped up 🙌💃🙌💃🙌 God bless you, Adam!! Perfect timing!! ❤️ 👍🙌🙏
P.S. Good job on doing this Monday & not Father's Day. It was too busy 💞 I hope your special day was blessed, Adam!! Okay, sorry - one more - Ever Ready Doug is a star 🌟 🤩 ✨️
Great video Adam! I like the umbrella idea. Bush hogging is my favorite job to do with my tractor. The sunscreen is a drag but I've already had a cancer spot on my face so sunscreen is the rule going forward. I'm going to try night bush hogging next weekend to beat the heat. Also at night, your headlights will light up the yellowjackets so you can avoid them.
Same here, had one removed from my face in November. An umbrella keeps you cooler and keeps some of the direct rays off of your skin, but you still get reflections. I've now added this lesson learned to the "I wish I would have done ______ when I was younger" list that just keeps growing.
Looks really good there Adam, nice job 👍 I tell you what, you are SO fortunate to live so close to Neighbor Doug… you couldn’t ask for a better neighbor!! I’m loving his channel, too.
I use a brush hog on the front acreage just reminding you to grind the blades as needed to keep the cutting looking good !
Great videos. keep up the good work.
Great shots with the drone
Thanks for the shout out and really enjoyed this. Hope I learn to fly the drone as well as you do.
When I have a pin that is hard to line up I like to take my grinder and bevel the end of the pin so I can take a hammer and drive the pin into the hole. It will align itself. Have a good day.
The pond is looking good, and I agree you should brush hog more frequently, the tractor almost got lost in the weeds 😁. Love the sunshade 👍
Back in Illinois when we lived on a small farm, we had a four acre pasture and I ask a neighbor if he would like to use it for a hay field before we got steers and goats. He would come over several times a summer, cut, and bale the field. I didn't have to mow the fields and the neighbor fed the hay to his milk cows.
Yeah, the farmer in me feels that’s a real waste of meadow hay letting all that rot. Might be a hay contractor or farmer handy?
Your pond is filling up nicely
Love the brush hogging. I find it relaxing. I would like to do my fields earlier than I do but baling hay usually gets in the way. We just finished hay yesterday. So, now it will be full on brush hogging. lots to do and it is sometimes nice doing it a little later because the fawns are a little bigger and I don't have to be as careful watching for them or nesting turkeys. (Also in Pa about an hour or so south of you).
There is something so special about your videos..what an amazing farm you have ..keep up the great work
Thanks Janet
I now use only cab tractors never used one of my Kubota cab tractor, as you age, you will know why. My brother bought his open station Kioti retirement gift and for years he wouldn't touch on of my cabbed tractors. After an illness put me down, he took care of two of my farms using my machines; kind of regrets getting an open station now. I have expanded metal grill guards on all my tractors; sure keeps an errant object out of my radiators.
Nice setup with the umbrella. Thanks for the thoughts on the brush hog and frequency. I hadn't thought about the rodent population.
Really enjoyed this one Adam! Neighbor Doug, he’s amazing! Just one heads up here while you were out mowing, I noticed what look like white flowered weeds you were cutting down .I don’t know if that’s Hemlock? If it is, be extremely careful cutting that. I would suggest wearing a mask. I read an article which I can get in forward to you about a gentleman in Ohio who is clearing his garden out. He started feeling bad a few days later and he wound up hospitalized. They thought he had Covid because whatever he had mimicked Covid symptoms. His Covid tests came back negative. His breathing was incredibly impaired. Long story short After quizzing his wife they were able to determine that he had cut down some hemlock and somehow it became airborne and he breathed it in and that’s what started his whole nightmare. He did survive but it messed him up for a while. Just let me know and I can try and get the article to you. Keep up the wonderful work!
Thanks for the words of caution Jim
Hi Adam! Great opening drone shot of the lake and the sky reflected in it. My first canopy was an umbrella style made for tractors, then I got a hard top canopy which I love. Your Kioti and brush hog did great in that tall grass. Thanks for sharing!
Nice job Adam looks good. I prefer mowing without the loader mounted on tractor. Mowing Our 12+ acres with a brush hog. I wasn't satisfied with the cut. And how the bent over grass didn't get cut off. I found a used Woods RM9990 rear mower. It's a heavy mower. I think 1300lbs. On the back of a New Holland tc33D. I put 300 lbs of suit case weights on the front. The mower has only 3 spindles with 2 lite 13" blades on each spindle. Most 90" mowers have 5 spindles that take mow power to turn. The 90" Woods cut my mowing time down by a lot. I mowed 3 times per summer. And a finish cut look! I think you'll burn les fuel keeping it cut down. The tractor doesn't labor at all keeping trimmed down and looks better.
Landpride and Woods both make a 12' batwing finish mower for 25hp tractors. Also. Befco makes 3 point flex mower. When you lift the 3pt that transfers weight onto 3 tail wheels. Also resource Progressive mowers.
neighbor Doug is a legend.
Adam, if you have dough make you a tapered drift pin a bit smaller than the hole in you tractor it is easy to line it up. All you do is get it close. I can install mine in a couple minutes. My drift pin is 24 inches long and I can move the arms into place with little effort.
Let me just say Adam…… you will love a cab tractor…… only way to brush hog and stay clean✅✅✅
That grass was as tall as the hood of the tractor. Wow, maybe time to invest in some goats or cows to help keep the grasses down. But that requires fencing and comes with a whole new set of issues too. Love the spread you've got though! I'm Jelly!!!
C clap w 1x firing strip and tarp from harbor freight work great too for tractors… if you rip tarp or break edge prob 5 dollar fix is another option if little more wind or rough overhead.
And should note c clamp or bessy clamp w plastic feet… don’t ask me how I know. Either make a full box or u shape and just cut a tarp.. blue or brown :-)
Certainly did the job, and you definitely don't want to have a pool full is snakes when you go swimming, have a great week, be safe and have fun
A canopy for a ROPS tractor is an available accessory for many tractors. Not everyone has a Neighbour Doug to fabricate custom brackets for them. Also, if you are concerned about the cost of fuel and fuel usage while brush hogging, there are far more efficient ways to operate the brush hog than doing a 3 point turn at the end of every row.
I have always wondered why some drive a tractor like a zero turn. I do circles to cut out the 3 point bits. Then do a few backups at the end.
Yep, I do 2 rounds at the perimeter of the area first. Next I do two more passes at the headlands. The remainder of the job is straight runs with very wide turns at the ends, skipping multiples of the cutter width. Mow my lawn the same way.
As someone who’s lived on our farm my whole life (61 years), I’ve done my share of running a bush hog (we don’t call them “brush” hogs in SC). Typically it depends on the layout of the field and whether it has a lot of trees when we decide on the pattern to cut. If you cut back and forth like Adam did here, turning around on the end works better if you have more distance to make a u-turn instead of a 3 pt turn. Just have to make a few more passes on the ends first. Just my 2 cents 🤣
Quick question, have you thought of installing a uplift blade on the bush hog? It causes updraft to keep chopping the grass very fine and leaves mulch behind. Forgot the real name of the blade though! I used to have a mulching mower loved it! Honda 5.5 hp engine with uplift blade worked great! My other thought oh no all those innocent flowers!
If you don't have a neighbor Doug to make the sun shade, a canopy that attaches to the ROPS is about $300 to $500 (or were in 2020) and well worth the money. I lived just north of Seattle, but the summers in the sun were no fun. Canopy makes mowing a lot more comfortable.
Dang!now I'm gonna be on da lookout for a umbrella! Thanks Doug!
Hey Adam, Good video! I’m going to rig something up for an umbrella on my Kioti. Thank you bro!🇺🇦☮️✌🏻
Either is going to happen:
1: I’m kidnapping Doug and bringing him to SC to be my neighbor, or
2: I’m buying your place to be Doug’s neighbor!! 😂
You’re a lucky guy having Doug!!
I have the quick detach forks/bucket, so I just remove that for manueverability, taking the whole loader off doesn't buy me much space vs the pain of doing so, but may be worth it for some
I've ran over a bumblebee nest while raking hay, makes for an interesting day! Love the DIY canopy!
One thing in the UK that's started for those with large grass areas to cut is No Mow in May - to allow the flowers to bloom and let the pollinators such as butterflies and bees a chance to get some early food. Maybe just mow the upper streches and let the lower stretch go a bit more wild. That said in Philadelphia it looks like you've got more space for the wildlife to exist.
We have no mow May here in the States too, although it's not widely known. I have a part of my property that I would like to brush hog but do not mow it all summer and Fall because it has a lot of milkweed plants on it.
Also I think you mean Pennsylvania, not Philadelphia. Not trying to be a smartass or anything, just saying.
@@YMF1891 no offence taken. I should have remembered it was Pennsylvania as William Penn was a local lad who came frim our town. Apparently he went to 'the colonies' and did stuff
Try 2 overlapping rectangles for a cut pattern next time. It eliminates the need to go in reverse in all but the tightest spots. More efficient and cost effective. Added benefit is it let's you scan for rocks, trees, groundhog holes etc the next go around. Also the low growing clover is nice for the pollinators and keeps it lower longer. 3 times a season is typically what I do.
How does overlapping rectangles work. I don’t seem to grasp the concept. Thanks. Always looking for better ideas
When taking your loader off try tilting back on the bucket instead of the up-down , works better I feel
Thanks Adam 👍👍
Adam- you should consider making hay. It’d way more than cover your fuel to cut, ted, rake and bale
Cab isn't good always, especially when you load something and have to come out a lot of times etc, like you have to do with firewood processor. So there is always pros and cons. Great video!
My dealer asked if I leave the front loader on when I mow I said yes ( I remove the bucket only quick attach) . He was very concerned about front ballast for when you lift the mower and not lift the front end up or make it very light. He wanted suitcase weights on front if I took of the loader off. My dealer was always concerned about ballast on the rear as well when using the bucket. Many dealers are not and it is a big mistake letting tractors leave without proper ballast of some kind. I have side hill property and low ballast is important. I'm 72 and have been driving tractors on the farm since I was 10 years old. ( no longer farming though) Sorry to some of you out there but my blood is green lol.
Adam, I think the gentleman who commented about making a dolly out of the pallet to place the bucket assembly on to align the pins has the brilliant solution. You can then move it around the garage to keep it out of the way when it's off the tractor. Give it some thought,then build one! Patrick from Pittsburgh.
That is a great idea
@@HometownAcres Maybe make the Dolly from something stronger than a pallet. Perhaps a 4 wheeled platform of 4x4 and a sheet of 3/4 plywood or 2x6 planks.
I grew up calling it “ bush hogging”…who knew. Love the videos/content!
Hey Adam, another great video. Really enjoy your channel. 🚜
I finally got to start bush hogging two days ago... Actually, letting the field grow, especially in spring is good for the bees. Also, a farmer would gladly take grass hay off it for free, he might even give you a few bucks. How are those blueberry bushes doing? I almost forgot them. I found your channel when you were planting those, if that gives you any idea how long I have been watching,
We lost about 20 out of the 50 but the remaining 30 are doing well. We will do an update video in the future
@@HometownAcres Great. Thank you. Maybe when you're doing that update video you could include how the firewood business is going on the sales end like in your driveway and at the neighbor's house. Just a video idea I guess as I have been wondering and I'm probably not the only one
Adam borrows bigger tractor from neighbor Doug…immediately sets up challenging “test” for his current smaller tractor
Great DIY on the umbrella for the tractor. Adam, have you thought about fencing that part in and putting either cows, sheep or goats in there. Might be another way to raise food and make a few bucks on that part of the homestead. Have a great week and God bless.
Nice going. Last price I paid for my tractor fuel was 2.70 a litter. I was brutal. Canadian dollar
The pond is looking great! We've been enjoying our pond a lot this summer. Just a little suggestion for the pond, we use milk jugs tied to old window weights that we use as buoy markers for the sand areas . Two at waist height for the little kids and two at five ft. for the adults, it's a little redneck but it's done the job for more than 25 years. Hope you had a great father's day.
Hello Adam. If you only used 3 gals diesel the first cut you will use less the 2 nd cut. Would be nearly as hard on equipment. Well that's about all I have. Until the next time have a wonderful day
Nice to be out of the sun. Good job.
You should consider turning it into hay, it looks like you have a fair amount of area, turn some of that grass into cash! Would be easy if you have a farmer near you that could do it
It looks great!☂️☂️
Great video Adam, yes you diffuliy don’t to run in a yellow jacket nest, there mean
I really like that umbrella can you do a video on making the bracket and adapting it to the tractor and add a link where you got that umbrella that's pretty cool
Seems like the land is healthy enough to make it a hay field. Extra income!
Not mowing as often allows your grass to go to seed, which is great to do especially early in the season, or in areas where you did some grading to smooth out bumpy humpy spots
Reach out to a local farmer, they may want to use that for hay.
It will save you time and money on brush hogging, and they may pay you a few dollars too.
I'd forgotten about the orchard, perhaps you could give us an update video on its progress. I understand your motive was pest control, but have to disagree that wild meadows don't look good. I think they are more aesthetic than close cropped grass.
I ran over a hornets nest while brush hogging when I was 17. I haven’t brush hogged since. I’m 36 now!
Fence , water , steers . Look into regenerative agriculture you might like it. I would love to have that land. You could grow your own beef .
I started sneezing just watching you mow all those weeds.
Nice video
Adam ask around and see if you can find a farmer that would like to bale your open field
Going to Doug’s channel now.
Do you have a local farmer that could come in and hay your property on the halves if you get livestock you'll need it for winter time but I'd have it baled on the first cutting so you won't have clumps of grass in your pasture then it will be much easier to maintain it through out the growing season.
It has probably been said but I think you need to lengthen your top link. It could be camera angle but several times it looked like there was no weight on the wheel and the grass was getting caught on the front sliders.
That tractor did great! That meadow looked thick too.
Have you thought about planting that field with a crop like alfalfa and have a local farmer mow and bale it? Might make enough to pay for all your other fuel use.
good job
Nice video. Brush hogging is therapeutic to me. Seems like....you need a cab....and then you need a bigger one...and a bigger brush hog. It's a terrible addiction! :) I moved from open platform to cab.
AMEN...ran over a hornets nest once and moved out! In a cab...they bounce off the windows...lol.
Hope you can checkout my newest acquisition for my brush hogging experience.
Great video! Ive noticed i have to check the radiator screens and watch the temp gauge when i brush hog too. Do you still have the blueberry patch out front?
Yes we still have the blueberries. We lost about 20 of them. Still have 30 left that are doing well. I think I know what caused this issue. I will probably do a video on it when we are able to pick some blueberries this year. And yeah I kept a close eye on my temp guage and surprisingly my grill guard and radiator screen was not plugging up too bad. Didn’t have to stop to clean it until I was done mowing
I have my fields fenced and run cattle and goats for extra income. I usually only mow my fields once a year.
How long did it take to cut that area? How long does it take to mow up by your house?
Good job!
Looks so good mowed! Why do you mow in rows back and forth? It seems like it would be so much more efficient to mow the perimeter and just continue in the same direction in a smaller and smaller pattern until it's all mowed. You eliminate the turning around and are constantly mowing.
I just brush mowed yesterday. The grass was over my head when on the tractor. At 3 hours in my radiator boiled over and 4.5 hours in I fried the gearbox on the mower. Got it halfway done tho. Lol. Quick questions: what engine rpm do you run when mowing and do you set the mower to one height and just go or are you constantly having to adjust the height with every little bump and dip
I run it at a steady 2400 rpm which is what my 540 PTO RPMs is set to. And for the most part I can leave the mower height alone but every once in a while I will have to raise and lower for some more uneven ground
Love the maintenance program, two pumps of grease, pop up the umbrella, that’s a lot of grass to mow, how could you do that with out a cooler mounted within hands reach. Great video is the pond full now or still filling up?
Pond is actually losing water right now. Not because of leaks but because of hot dry weather. Losing a lot to evaporation and no rain. Starting to look like lake mead again.
I think I’m going to put an umbrella on my mower. That’s a great idea
I like to let my loader on and bucket low for debris and groundhog holes. I hit a hornets nest a few years back, it wasn’t fun.
Sometimes it is easier to mow more often, that saves on using more fuel because everything is harder and heavier to mow, just my thoughts
When I was 18 I was working on a ranch and ran over 25 bumble bee nest one summer. Luckily I only got stung 1 time.
Brush or bush?
Rotary cutter” is another commonly used term to describe the same implement.
In Australia we tend to mow around the perimeter of a paddock not up and down like you do Adam. Is there a reason? I also noticed you did not sharpen the blades on your slasher.