How to Change Blades on a Bush Hog

A Bush Hog is the commercial name for a heavy-duty brush cutter. They are made to be towed behind tractors. They will cut through heavy brush, bushes and small trees. Bush Hogs are supported by their own wheels and are PTO or "power takeoff"-driven by a tractor's own engine. They are raised and lowered by the hydraulics attached to the tractor, which lends a certain ease to changing the blades beneath the deck, because the deck can be raised up high enough to facilitate blade removal and installation.

Things You'll Need

• Concrete blocks
• Ratchet and socket
• New blades
• Hammer
• Torque wrench

Instructions

1. Raise the deck up using the hydraulics of the tractor. Block it in the raised position using concrete blocks.

2. Locate the blade bolt holder location hole on the cutting deck. It will be directly behind the PTO hook-up.

3. Attach a ratchet and the correct socket onto the blade bolt. Different models will have different-sized bolts, so use a socket that fits your particular bolt head.

4. Remove the bolt from the top of the deck. Reach beneath the deck and pull the blade off the blade holder. A lock washer will also come off with the blade.

5. Inspect the blade bolt shoulder for signs of wear. If any noticeable wear is seen, replace the blade bolt. These are available at any farm implement store.

6. Assemble the new blades in the reverse order of removal. Tighten down the blade bolt firmly to the correct torque as listed in the manual. Specific models require specific torque settings between 420 and 450 foot-pounds of torque.

7. Strike the head of the blade bolt with a hammer to fully seat the bolt after it has been tightened. Re-tighten the bolt with torque wrench to specifications.

Tips & Warnings

• Always replace the blades in tandem.

• Wear heavyweight gloves when grabbing the blade to change.

References

• Bush Hog: RZ 60 Instruction Manual
• Bush Hog: 280 Series Instruction Manual