[Pigpen]

Ok so I bought a 100 dollar bush hog and the top is rusted out in one place can I just weld a new piece of metal in is it worth it or not

 

[Bigfoot_Brent]

If everything else on it is functioning properly and you can weld it up yourself or have someone do it for under a couple hundred bucks then why not?
I assume a new one would be worth $1200+ depending on your area?


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[JDGreen-n-Yellow]

Assuming you use at least the same gauge metal for the repair and there's something solid left to weld on to, I don't see why not. Might be a little tricky if it involves the gearbox area, but if it's not usable now, not much down-side to trying.

 

[FortClatsop]

Thirteen years ago My Cousin Vinny (who has an awesome set of tools) spotted a beat up rotary cutter in the junk pile of the tractor dealer next to his shop. It was pretty caved in and split on the sides with lots of rust. Vinnie, a hot torch, a big hammer, a little scrap steel, and his trusty welder worked what I thought was a miracle. He worked for really expensive beer. After a lot of sanding and paint I was $350 into a rotary cutter.

Do you know anyone with good tools and likes beer? Anything is possible. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

 

[Pigpen]

Thirteen years ago My Cousin Vinny (who has an awesome set of tools) spotted a beat up rotary cutter in the junk pile of the tractor dealer next to his shop. It was pretty caved in and split on the sides with lots of rust. Vinnie, a hot torch, a big hammer, a little scrap steel, and his trusty welder worked what I thought was a miracle. He worked for really expensive beer. After a lot of sanding and paint I was $350 into a rotary cutter.

Do you know anyone with good tools and likes beer? Anything is possible. It doesn’t have to be pretty. View attachment 780758

I was kinda thinking the same thing thanks

 

[letmgrow]

Your biggest concern will be the area around the gear box although that can be fixed as well. Removing the blades and the stump jumper will allow you to get to the bolts which hold the gear box to the deck if need be.
If you are worried about strength of the deck you can have 2" angle iron welded the length of the deck for reinforcement.
Before using the cutter inspect the U-Joints carefully and replace them if they are loose or bound up. Be sure the fittings take grease if the joints appear to be good. Assure all safety shields are in place and functional. The driveshaft is a two piece unit and the shaft should extend and retract freely. A coat of chassis lube will help keep the shaft free.
Replace the blades, throw a can or two of paint on it and your cutter will work and look fine. Don't forget to check and preferably replace the gear box fluid and be sure the vent is open. If the vent is plugged you stand a chance of blowing the shaft seal out when the fluid heats up and air pressure builds in the box. Lube the tail wheel fittings.

 

[MTB98]

Check craigslist and FB Marketplace for cutters with bad gear boxes. They seem much more common than ones with rusted or torn up decks. Combine the two for a cheap cutter and scrap the rest.

 

[letmgrow]

Gear boxes aren't all that expensive. Both of my cutters have replacement boxes on them:

King Kutter 5 Foot and 6 Foot Flex Hitch Kutter 40HP Splined Gear Box 184010

40 HP Gear Box Spline 1:1.47 2

www.ruralking.com