Mowing for optimum thatch
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Kujo
Member
I just mowed today with 7' bush hog. When Bush hogging hay fields I always go high gear high rpm but it wind rows. Mowing my T&M plot today I went low gear low rpm... Still wind rowed. So I raised bush hog and mowed wind rows at high rpm and it spread thatch out nicely. Be interested to see what others are doing
Scott44
Active Member
I did my first throw and mow this summer, usually do a throw and roll. I had the same problem with the brush hog wind rowing. I tried different heights but not really different speeds. I need to get the hydraulic pump fixed on my tractor because the brush hog kept drifting down on me so I went back with the lawn mower and blew the wind rows into a even mulch. Not the best way but I'd like to find a good way also to do it with just the brush hog.
Kujo
Member
Yeah I thought about taking the john deere zero turn out but figured the wife would kill me! Took several passes at high rpm to get it even like I wanted
Windrows are not the end of the world, you can always increase seeding rate to compensate or mow the field differently each time to change thatch pattern. A foot or so thick thatch would be an issue, but a few inches is not. 'Scalping a field' seems to create more windrow. The higher you mow seems more material falls into the depression from wheel tracks. Somewhere in between will be the correct cutting height (depends on the forage and it's density)....just platy with it. Blades should be sharp (maybe harden and square the tips with a weld) and rpm/speed sufficient to keep blades cutting (not pulling plants up by the roots or dropping more than 200 rpm in dense forage).
Why do we have windrows?....either thatch is not being chopped into small enough particles (change to a mulching type blade and slow down) or thatch cannot clear itself from under the mower deck. This latter issue can be resolved by mowing in the opposite direction the blade is turning and choosing the correct ground speed. When mowing pasture before drilling (5 ft hog), we get the most even thatch spread by mowing clockwise with a 4-6" cutting height perpendicular to a slope. With the downslope and previously mowed area on the left side of deck and blade turning counter-clockwise, thatch will spread evenly to the left over the prior 1-2 mowing passes. With all that said it makes sense to have the mower deck level or canted slightly up (for level land) on the one side (this is done by adjusting a 3 point arm).
Don't start on the edges of a field and mow toward the middle like most folks do. Instead make the first pass along the ridge of the field or along the depression, then mow one side according to slope/blade turn and then the other side. IF you are mowing forage with a lot of chaff/dust, then you may need to mow perpendicular to wind flow to prevent tractor from overheating (pull screen in front of radiator off and clean it occasionally....blow out radiator fins daily with air). In the case of chaff and clogged radiator, windrowing is what it is...don't overheat the tractor!
IF you hard graze a field before planting, windrowing becomes a moot point.....some standing material is left for shade and to block wind....and thatch is pressed against the soil like you want due to hoof action! Caution here.....do not lock a cow herd down on a field with only broadleaf plants/legumes.....either plant milo, sorghum, EW or millet in the mix or place hay bales on field edge for a roughage source. Cattle require more roughage in the diet than deer, goats or sheep.
A flail mower/silage chopper is another option for even thatch spread after cutting....provided you can find a used one inexpensively.
Why do we have windrows?....either thatch is not being chopped into small enough particles (change to a mulching type blade and slow down) or thatch cannot clear itself from under the mower deck. This latter issue can be resolved by mowing in the opposite direction the blade is turning and choosing the correct ground speed. When mowing pasture before drilling (5 ft hog), we get the most even thatch spread by mowing clockwise with a 4-6" cutting height perpendicular to a slope. With the downslope and previously mowed area on the left side of deck and blade turning counter-clockwise, thatch will spread evenly to the left over the prior 1-2 mowing passes. With all that said it makes sense to have the mower deck level or canted slightly up (for level land) on the one side (this is done by adjusting a 3 point arm).
Don't start on the edges of a field and mow toward the middle like most folks do. Instead make the first pass along the ridge of the field or along the depression, then mow one side according to slope/blade turn and then the other side. IF you are mowing forage with a lot of chaff/dust, then you may need to mow perpendicular to wind flow to prevent tractor from overheating (pull screen in front of radiator off and clean it occasionally....blow out radiator fins daily with air). In the case of chaff and clogged radiator, windrowing is what it is...don't overheat the tractor!
IF you hard graze a field before planting, windrowing becomes a moot point.....some standing material is left for shade and to block wind....and thatch is pressed against the soil like you want due to hoof action! Caution here.....do not lock a cow herd down on a field with only broadleaf plants/legumes.....either plant milo, sorghum, EW or millet in the mix or place hay bales on field edge for a roughage source. Cattle require more roughage in the diet than deer, goats or sheep.
A flail mower/silage chopper is another option for even thatch spread after cutting....provided you can find a used one inexpensively.
Crimson n' Camo
Active Member
I usually just make two passes across my field. The first pass does a rough cut and wind rows it some.....the second pass puts a more finished cut on it and spreads out the wind rows nicely.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
I typically do anything wide open throttle. But someone, either Crimson or Lakn on the other old Q site, suggested to mow with hog rpm at slower speed and with deck raised higher to prevent windrow. I did, and it did. Another advantage of mowing higher especially with no till, the deer do not like sticking their nose into stubble, thus the new growth plants have a chance to get going before deer browse it heavy.
Ozarks-Bowhunter
New Member
I know this is an old post but I haven't been here in a while. Sometimes work just gets in the way.
I have struggled with the windrows left by brush hogging for years. I just couldn't stand the way the mowed field looked when done.
I just happened upon a stalk chopper/flail mower like mentioned above and let me tell you it is great in how it mows and evenly spreads the mulch out the back. The finished cut looks amazing too.
I have struggled with the windrows left by brush hogging for years. I just couldn't stand the way the mowed field looked when done.
I just happened upon a stalk chopper/flail mower like mentioned above and let me tell you it is great in how it mows and evenly spreads the mulch out the back. The finished cut looks amazing too.
Wreckingball21
New Member
Guys, the biggest thing causing the windrow effect is the cutter design. Round back cutters provide a much better vacuum which lifts the material. They usually mulch the material much better because most do not have a chute coming out the back.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
I experimented a little myself today to an extent. I had a bunch of leaves in the front yard from my red oaks and since it was almost 70 outside I wanted to run the tractor for a little. With that said and the brush hog hooked up I tried it slow medium and fast. It seemed as though when I was in high 3 I got the best lift and cut. Now I was just trying to mulch some of the leaves up but wanted to share what happened. Tractor used was a JD4110 (subcompact) and a 5 foot Howze brush hog.
Smallplot
Active Member
Blades, Blades, Blades. That is the difference between most cutters. Keep them sharp as our blades tend to deform causing dullness with rock and tree strikes. Flat blades tend to windrow because they do not have much vacuum, while high lift blades, shaped like your lawn mower blades, suck up the most vegetation and keep the cuttings in motion better for a more even distribution.
Wider width mowers, 12 feet and up, usually have the best designs for spreading out cut vegetation with thinner profile decks mated with high lift blades.
Wider width mowers, 12 feet and up, usually have the best designs for spreading out cut vegetation with thinner profile decks mated with high lift blades.
Smallplot
Active Member
I have to respectfully disagree. My Bushhog Squealer has a round back and will throw that stuff into pretty windrows where as the Woods in my profile picture is straight 15 foot across and does rather well.
