Heavy duty chain topper/swipe

[hoff135]

I recently bought a swipe for tackling some gorse that is out of hand here.

I wont name the make, but its 1.7m cut, 3 heavy duty chains and weighs nearly a ton.

I was lead to believe by people who run them that then are pretty capable of dealing with thick gorse bushes.

However im going through shearbolts like no tomorrow. 5 broke today in an hour and a half until i ran out of them. I was being super careful. Reverse in with machine high and lower very slowly and then go forward very slowly. However one wrong move and the bolt is broken.

Seems as soon as you go over stuff thats 2 inches thick it simply won't cope with it.

Im pretty much at the point of giving up unless anyone has some pointers. Perhaps i was expecting too much from it but from what id heard and read it should handle what i was doing

Thanks

 

[bobk]

I recently bought a swipe for tackling some gorse that is out of hand here.

I wont name the make, but its 1.7m cut, 3 heavy duty chains and weighs nearly a ton.

I was lead to believe by people who run them that then are pretty capable of dealing with thick gorse bushes.

However im going through shearbolts like no tomorrow. 5 broke today in an hour and a half until i ran out of them. I was being super careful. Reverse in with machine high and lower very slowly and then go forward very slowly. However one wrong move and the bolt is broken.

Seems as soon as you go over stuff thats 2 inches thick it simply won't cope with it.

Im pretty much at the point of giving up unless anyone has some pointers. Perhaps i was expecting too much from it but from what id heard and read it should handle what i was doing

Thanks

Not an expert in gorse , but 2 inches is fairly serious gear I would have thought

 

[hoff135]

Not an expert in gorse , but 2 inches is fairly serious gear I would have thought

Then i guess i was hoping for too much. Looks like its getting sold

 

[bobk]

Then i guess i was hoping for too much. Looks like its getting sold

I had a bad patch few years back , ran the hedgecutter over it

 

[john432]

Have you tried it with a faster pto speed, if it's chains doing the cutting, then they need enough tip speed, bit like a strimmer line, too slow and they will snag around what their cutting.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

better off with a 360 and mulcher head

 

[Mur Huwcun]

A chain machine needs a clutch not a shearbolt. Shearbolts are for blade machines to break under impact, ie when they hit a stone. Ideally you need it with a slip clutch setup sorry

 

[Hard Graft]

Can you name the make as age is catching up with ours and looking to replace it soon

 

[penntor]

Around here contractors use heavy duty flail toppers on gorse like that. Heavy RSJ on the front loader of the tractor to knock it over and then flail it.

 

[hoff135]

Its a foster gg1700 x. Running it on 540 pto, tractor going flat out. No complaints about the build quality just breaking bolts.

 

[Hard Graft]

It need a friction clutch

 

[hoff135]

It need a friction clutch

Great....

 

[Al R]

Foster website says overrun clutch AND shear bolt protection A ratchet pto may be better like you get on power harrows?

 

[Wisconsonian]

"Optional friction (slip) clutch on PTO " Shouldn't be too expensive to add a friction clutch, either from them or aftermarket.

 

[hoff135]

Thanks all. I will talk to the dealer and see if they can change the end of my pto for a slip clutch

 

[john432]

Should be fitted with a cam cut out clutch, but at around £800 it explains why the manufacturer never fitted one

 

[Fendt516profi]

overrun clutch and shearbolt protection as standard I'd be telling dealer I wanted the equipment that is specified. Dealer maybe fitted wrong shaft by mistake probably be a apprentice in workshop that did PDI

 

[hoff135]

overrun clutch and shearbolt protection as standard I'd be telling dealer I wanted the equipment that is specified. Dealer maybe fitted wrong shaft by mistake probably be a apprentice in workshop that did PDI

Slip clutch is an option though?

 

[Mur Huwcun]

Slip clutch is an option though?

Yes, over run clutch is only there to protect the PTO brake on the tractor. A Chain machine needs a friction plate cutch tightened not too tight as to allow it to slip periodically. The plates will be a wearing part and will need replacing regularly if cutting some serious gorse/brash. the other option is killing the UJs, yokes, gearbox internals or tractor damage.

 

[hoff135]

Yes, over run clutch is only there to protect the PTO brake on the tractor. A Chain machine needs a friction plate cutch tightened not too tight as to allow it to slip periodically. The plates will be a wearing part and will need replacing regularly if cutting some serious gorse/brash. the other option is killing the UJs, yokes, gearbox internals or tractor damage.

This sort of thing?