Rotary Cutter Chain Guards

[3RRL]

Last Summer I was thinking of adding chain guards to my rotary cutter for safety. In looking on the Internet, I found some that are made for my 6' Howse rotary cutter. Oh man, the best price I found for both front and rear guards was $150, not bad, but shipping was another $125....$275 total.

The purpose of chain guards is to deflect flying debris while still allowing it to escape from under the mower in a controlled manner. Metal bands and/or rubber belting tends to trap rocks, etc. The longer a piece of debris stays under the mower, the higher the likelyhood of damage to the blades, etc. When I first posted the idea, I got several great replies about different ways to make/add chain guards to the cutter and several photos to help make up my mind.

Several years ago I bought some 5/16" chain to stretch across my road and I have about 50' of it left doing nothing. I also have a bunch of scrap steel and angle iron in my shop. I figure I could make the guards for nothing except my own time and some welding rod. That was my goal.

Here's what I came up with so far...it's a side view sketch.
(Click on the picture to enlarge)



I know I'll have to space it away from the spinning cutter blades, about 4" out, so I don't chop them off when they get pushed back towards the blades. Total length for each segment of chain will be about 6-½". I figure to space them about 1-½" apart or so...whatever to have enough chain to do both guards and also to make the spacing equal.
Rob-

[3RRL]

I've proceeded to cut the chain to lengths now.
I got a 42" set of bolt cutters at Harbor Freight for $30 bucks. I needed one anyway. ;D They cut the chain like butter. There was no sign of wear or dents on the jaws after cutting about 50 lengths so far....nothing. I was impressed!

Instead of cutting the link equally in half, I cut them so one end was longer than the other. You can see the short and long parts of the links. I will use the long "half links" to weld onto the front and rear brackets, with the 6-½" lengths dangling from them.



Rob-

[3RRL]

I found some ½" x 1" bar stock that was almost long enough for the front of the 72" cutter (60" bar) and another one exactly long enough for the rear (38"). On the front, I will have to add 2 side extensions with about 3 rows of links on each. But I will have to wait until I get to camp so I know exactly how to angle it back to the rotary cutter frame.

Here's what I did in my garage so far. Got the front bar and chain all welded up. The bar stayed relatively straight for all the welding I did. Here are a couple views of how I welded the links to the bar.
This gives them freedom to move and absorb the shock better I think.




Another thing is I ran out of chain. I decided to put them a little closer together after all. I've got more chain at camp, and I can fit the chain bar to the cutter correctly up there.
Rob-

[3RRL]

Here is a picture of both front and rear chain bars.
And an even better photo of the attachment to the bar.



I will make spacers to suspend the chain bar away from the cutter body...out far enough where I won't be whacking them off.
I can add the sides to the short front bar once I'm at camp and can see where the blade opening is.
The opening does not go the full 72" width of the mower. The rear opening is only 36" wide, so that 38" bar is perfect already.

So far I like how they turned out. Especially considering it's cost me nothing so far and it is 100% better than what I had.
As a matter of fact, I even got a new pair of giant bolt cutters in the deal.

[3RRL]

I got the additional side brackets and chain guards made at camp to cover the missing sides with the extra chain I had up there. Then I mounted them all with spacer bars to the rotary cutter this weekend. The spacer bars are 3/8" thick x 2" and 4-1/4" long. They came out pretty good and they don't swing in far enough to hit the blades. Here are a couple pictures of how I mounted them to the cutter.
This is the front of the cutter...front I guess since it's facing the tractor's rear end.
Before painting them.



And then after I painted the mounting bars.



I did all the fitting and welding at my rural property using a Lincoln 225 AC stick welder using about 150 amp setting and 1/8? 6011 rod. I run it off a Generac Wheelhouse 5550 generator with 8500 surge capacity. It runs the welder easily.
Rob-

[3RRL]

These are pictures of how the tail (trailing) end of the rotary cutter chain guards turned out.
Again, these two are after welding them and showing the added side chain guards on before painting.
lol...I might add to clean out any leaves or brush under your cutter BEFORE you do any welding, as I found out soon enough.



These after I touched them up.



This set came out looking pretty cool. For some reason, I had to bend the bar slightly to miss the blades here? I wonder why they cleared on the other side? Anyway, I think this one on the trailing end really looks good the way it's shaped.

So far this project cost me exactly zero $$ so I am happy about that. I did it all from scrap steel and chain I had sitting around my garage and my property. The only thing I bought was a new pair of bolt cutters, but I'm not going to count that since I was going to buy a pair anyway...big deal
Now I have some protection from flying debris whereas before I had nothing at all.

The money I saved on this project (about $275) I'm going to use to add a hydraulic system to raise and lower the rear wheel to adjust my cutting height on the fly. The areas that I brush cut are so uneven, I think doing that might add to my cutting pleasure. If not, it will be fun just to do it anyway....it will be another "gadget" to play with. I have a hydraulic cylinder, connectors etc. and more scrap steel to play with, so I figure the only thing I might have to spend money on is new hoses. And oh yes, a double pilot operated check valve for the cylinder.
Thanks for looking,
Rob-

[grohgreg]

Each to his own Rob. The last cutter I bought came with rear discharge chains, but it wasn't long before I took them off. I got sick and tired of seeing my clippings lump up behind the cutter, due to the chains getting all clogged up with debris. It just wasn't worth the aggravation of constantly getting off the tractor to clear them, so I just took'em off.

They're gathering dust in the shed now. But I'm hanging on to them, just in case the county decides to enact a chain ordinance some day

//greg//

[bradblazer]

Nice work Rob as usual. Did you have them in place the last time you mowed your food plot? Did they allow the cut grass to escape without too much clumping?

Brad

[3RRL]

Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't run the mower at all since I did this mod, since at the time I did it, all my grass was cut already. Then, as you know, I immediately started the project of building the hydraulic rear wheel lift for the mower. Generally speaking, I usually mow when it's dry and the grass is dead and brown anyway. And that's because I want to spread seeds all over the field. So I don't think clumping will be an issue for me.

... Although I did mow my food plot just before Dove season while it was still green last year just to see what it was like.
Man, was that ever fun even though I lost a lot of seeds.



I was going to wait to mow the food plot until after it dried up this year, but I'll be sure to mow a portion of it to test whether I get clumps or not with those chains on.
Rob-

[GuglioLS]

Rob,

Great job on the rotary cutter chains. I remember taking a good look at them in person when I came to visit so I could copy them to the best of my ability. I already busted out the kitchen window using my rotary cutter. I think you saw what I did when you came to visit. If Esther had been standing there she would have got creamed. So I will be following your lead and install a set of chain guards myself.

One day they may save someones life by stopping a projectile. Not to mention they look so cool. I for one admire and appreciate all your fine mods and look forward to many more of your inspiring projects - keep it up.

Larry

[FlyHiFlyLo]

grohgreg said:

Each to his own Rob. The last cutter I bought came with rear discharge chains, but it wasn't long before I took them off. I got sick and tired of seeing my clippings lump up behind the cutter, due to the chains getting all clogged up with debris.
//greg//

That's because you cut whimpy ass girly grass... Go some real grass...

[grohgreg]

flyhiflylo said:

That's because you cut whimpy ass girly grass... Go some real grass...

A very astute response Fly, clearly consistent with anticipated administrator demeanor.

But I'll get right on it, thanks. Right after you explain what "Go some real grass " means.

//greg//

[harryg]

gugliols said:

Rob,

Great job on the rotary cutter chains. I remember taking a good look at them in person when I came to visit so I could copy them to the best of my ability. I already busted out the kitchen window using my rotary cutter. I think you saw what I did when you came to visit. If Esther had been standing there she would have got creamed. So I will be following your lead and install a set of chain guards myself.

One day they may save someones life by stopping a projectile. Not to mention they look so cool. I for one admire and appreciate all your fine mods and look forward to many more of your inspiring projects - keep it up.

Larry

I've almost been hit by objects from mowers and luckily wasn't hurt but it could have been different.
If there is ANY kind of guard on any machinary its there for safety and I'd leave it there.

[baknblack]

3rrl said:

whether I get clumps or not with those chains on.
Rob-

I can't see too much balling because of the chains riding down the grass. Now blocking the rear can cause wind rows.

Do you get much crap being slung out toward you when running? I've got a 6' king kutter and it has no chain guards on the front. I've had some fairly large pieces fly up under the tractor and have gotten hit in the back with a little small stuff but, it rarely happens.

[baknblack]

harryg said:

I've almost been hit by objects from mowers and luckily wasn't hurt but it could have been different.
If there is ANY kind of guard on any machinary its there for safety and I'd leave it there.

i hear ya, better safe than sorry. I've seen my bush hog throw a piece of firewood 75 yards. When I brush hog i want people and animals 200 yards away at least.