Unlike their more well-known landscaping cousins, the lawn mower, bush hoggers are built to chew up and clear away pesky brush, trees and tall grasses that have gone unattended or left overgrown for long periods of time.

If you own bush hogging equipment, it can be a practical and even profitable way to keep large areas of land clear and level for a variety of agricultural purposes, but without proper maintenance it can also be dangerous.

Keeping your equipment in peak condition is key to successfully utilizing your machinery again and again. Here are some simple ways to make sure your bush hog is ready to tackle any stretch of land in need of clearing, no matter the season.

Check your blades after mowing past stumps and heavy rocks. While you won’t need to (and shouldn’t) sharpen your blades after every mow, doing a once-over on your cutting machinery following contact with thick trees or unseen rocks will ensure damage doesn’t go unnoticed or become worse. Most bush hog blades are about one inch thick and dulled at the thinnest point, which allows them to catch and crush thick underbrush without breaking off or getting caught. That said, unkempt blades are just as big of a hazard as overly sharp ones. Sharp, well-maintained blades will reduce the strain on your tractor or mower, conserving gas and ultimately prolonging the life of your equipment.

Grind down blades that are unbalanced. An uneven distribution of weight is dangerous for the driver and should be addressed immediately, or you run the risk of tipping the tractor. Balance the right and left sides of the rotating blades by grinding each side down so that they are equal in weight, not putting more strain on one side or the other.

Check lubrication levels and hydraulic pressure. Prevent grinding or sticking by keeping the shaft lubricated, in addition to checking hydraulic points for rubber seal breakage. If a part on the hydraulics needs to be replaced, always release the pressure using either the tractor joystick or by disconnecting the lines to prevent a pressure-related accident.

Top off oil and fuel levels. Never put up a dirty bush hog. You can prevent surprises by storing your machinery with the proper level of fuel and oil, especially if you plan to retire it for the season. Anything left behind on your bush hog will potentially mold, corrode, rot, or undermine your equipment during the months that it is not being used.