Bush Hogging?

I'm new to tractors, I have been using my boss/landlord's John Deere 1026R hydrostatic diesel with a 60" belly mower for a year now. I just got a IH 354 and it will be up and running soon with a Land Pride RCR 1860 so he can sell his Deere. Having a real tractor with manual transmission is way different than a small yard tractor with essentially an auto transmission and power brakes.


Pic from when my mower arrived, had to tow it w/ the other tractor since mine is off site right now.

Anyhow I had a few questions regarding bush hogging. I will be using this mostly for mowing the lawn/pasture as well as clearing an overgrown area for a path to the neighbor's house, making a campsite, and clearing out the overgrowth around a springhouse.

[b:b13373c896]-How high should I set the blade?[/b:b13373c896]
It can go as low as 1.5" if I remember correctly. The International dealer I got it assembled it for me and preset it, I'm not sure what it's at now, I'll have to read the manual. The wheel is mounted 3rd hole from the top.
[b:b13373c896]
-What gear should I perform mowing/bush hogging in?[/b:b13373c896]
I've read through other forums and alot of people say 3rd gear minimum because second gear will brake since it is thinner. I don't know if that is if the tractors have direct PTO instead of live like mine.
[b:b13373c896]
-I have a steep hill in the back corner that leads into a fenceline, which I think I would have to go down in 1L, would this work or would 1st gear blow out?[/b:b13373c896] This hill is steep enough that I haven't driven my Jeep down it and if I did I would probably put it in 4L and 1st gear so I don't run into the fence. I've gone up it in 4H 1st gear before. On the John Deere it slips up the hill if 4wd isn't engaged.

My landlord needs to rebuild a retaining wall but it is overgrown with small trees and bushes. I've had my goats out there eating them down some, but I was wondering if I could use the mower to help too. I know this thing will go through up to 2" of material. The bushes and small trees are in the background of the pic I posted.[b:b13373c896]
-Can I raise the mower at an angle and back into bushes to trim them?[/b:b13373c896]

Any tips or advice on bush hogging and approaching the hills is welcome. Thanks.

You serious, or just funning us.

:?: :?: :?: :? :?

Ok... here goes...

Keeping in mind that an IH 354 is about 40 years old... has 2 stage clutch for live PTO and was roughly 35 hp in the beginning.

You're going to want to find some weights for the front end of the that 354... that 1860 looks to be pretty good size mower and the IH354 isn't that heavy.

Down hill bushhogging ... start with 1L until you're comfortable. If it's steep, you may never get past 2L even with practice. There is a pucker factor that will tell you when it's too much... and the best way to slow down is going to be with the throttle, since you don't have syncromesh transmission on that 354... you want to stay in whatever gear you're in until you're at the bottom. Hit the brakes to stop... and you'll get to the bottom faster because it will slide. You absolutely want to go straight up/down, unless someone's changed it you probably don't have a rollover bar on that tractor (it predates the OSHA rule for ROPS).

Yes you can raise the bushhog and back into brush/trees to cut them. [b:e70410895d]IF[/b:e70410895d] the 354 will push into it with that size bushhog.

You're going to want to decide how high the stubble/grass you're leaving is and work on setting up the bush hog accordingly. For most of what you're cutting, you want the rear of the mower slightly higher (1/2 inch) than the front so you only cut stuff once. If you've been mowing it with a mid-mount mower where your dealer set it may be fine, if you want to keep that height grass.

Use whatever gear is appropriate for the conditions and your level of experience. Even if there is any truth to this "thin gear" thing you claim, you are not doing anything particularly stressful to the transmission by running a mower. Start slow and work your way up.

I personally would run the mower high for the first pass, and then run it progressively lower with each mowing.

You can raise the mower as much as the 3pt will raise it, but it won't be nearly high enough to "trim" the bushes. It'll still be mowing them off. If you were thinking to raise the mower up vertical and back into the side of the bushes, that won't work because of the way the gearbox is situated. The mower only operates horizontal.