L2850 - Prepping for Brush Hogging

[xsnrg]

I have an L2850 and a Woods 5' Dixie Cutter brush hog I've been working on to get ready to start cutting my farm with. The farm is not flat, plenty of hills and banks which I know I need to mow up & down as much as possible vs across. That said, I want to make the tractor as safe and stable as possible for this duty without greatly diminishing it's versatility for other jobs. What I'm already looking into is adding liquid ballast in the rear. Should I also be considering spacers and if so, any recommendations on width and/or brands? I'm assuming I'd want to install those before ballast as the tires would be much lighter to handle. I'm open to opinions on whether I should remove the bucket for mowing as well. I've seen the arguments that it can catch things when you are swinging around and more 'rear' focused while mowing. I'm willing to be more careful in that area and maybe limited in maneuverability if it gives me more overall stability and balance while mowing, especially on some of the sidehills where up and down isn't feasible or possible. I grew up around tractors and I've mowed with lots of riding tractors, but this will be the first time I've started mowing on a big tractor with a brush hog. Thanks!

Edit: Might be a newb question, but am I able to flip the center disc portion of the rims around and get more width that way?

Picture added for reference.
BF500 bucket is 5' (60"0

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[tthorkil]

I am not sure how close the L2650 L2850 documentation is to the L2850 but I found tthis in the OP manual -

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

No spacers you simply follow what tthorkil posted to widen it.
DO NOT widen the front.

Loading the tires is also a good step to stability.

Don't remove the bucket, remove the whole loader, 2 bolts at the bottom of the rear towers and 2 bolts up front.
There is 4 bars for that.
2 bars go on the sides of the bucket and 2 bars for supporting the rear towers when lifted.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I have found there is quite a bit of range in working tire pressure available. I keep mine inflated about 15% below the amount stated on the tire. This provides a softer ride and a slightly larger contact area. In my mind it feels "stickier" on the hills. My rear tires are also loaded. Make sure to remove your loader also for added stability. Good luck.

 

[chim]

I've done a small amount of rotary mowing back when I had a B7500. My 5' mower was perhaps a bit larger and heavier than was suitable for a B7500. It seemed most stable with the loader on and carried low. That served two purposes. It helped the steering to have some weight on the front and it "found" things I couldn't see before the tractor ran over them (concrete blocks, rocks, etc.) Advice given on wheel adjustments is good.