BROWN TCO-2500 User manual

Owner / Operator Manual
2000 Series
Tree Cutter
Before operating your machine,
stop and read this owners manual.
Do not attempt to operate the unit
until you fully understand the ma-
terial covered in this manual. With-
out the knowledge contained in this
manual, injury or death can result.
WARNING
www.brownmfgcorp.com
ATTENTION:
ALL WARRANTY WORK MUST BE APPROVED
BY BROWN MFG. CORP.
BEFORE WORK BEGINS

Copyright Information
Copyright ©2005 Brown Manufacturing Corporation, Ozark, Alabama. All photos and illustrations
are property of Brown Manufacturing Corporation. This publication may be freely reproduced,
either in whole or in part, provided that the content herein is not altered. We encourage you to make
copies of this manual and to distribute it to every operator of the machine. Additional copies are also
available from Brown Manufacturing Corporation at no charge.
Cover
Illustrated: Model TCF-2605 Tree Cutter.
Disclaimer
Due to engineering improvements and revision of product specications, the information contained
in this manual is subject to change without notice.

Contents
Warranty................................................................................................................................4
Registration..........................................................................................................................5
Equipment Safety.................................................................................................................7
Assembly.............................................................................................................................18
Operation............................................................................................................................21
Maintenance........................................................................................................................31
Troubleshooting.................................................................................................................44
Specications.....................................................................................................................45
Replacement Parts.........................................................................................................................46

Warranty Statement
LIMITED WARRANTY
BROWN MANUFACTURING CORP. hereby warrants that Brown’s products will be free from defects in material
and workmanship under normal use according to the provisions and limitations herein set forth. All parts, speci-
cally EXCLUDING expendable ‘wear’ parts, that become unserviceable, due to defective material or workman-
ship, within three months / 90 days from date of the original retail purchase, shall, at Brown’s option, be repaired or
replaced.
LIMITATIONS
The obligations of Brown for breach of warranty shall be limited to products manufactured by Brown; (1) that are
installed, operated, and maintained according to Brown’s instruction furnished and/or available to the purchaser
upon request; (2) that are installed according to all other applicable Federal, State, and local codes or regulations;
and (3) that the purchaser substantiates were defective in material and workmanship notwithstanding that they
were properly installed and correctly maintained as set forth and were not abused or misused. The obligation of
Brown shall be limited to replacing or repairing the detective product, at the option of Brown. Brown shall not be
responsible for any labor or cost of removal or repairing or reinstallation of its products and shall not be liable for
transportation costs to and from its plant in Ozark, Alabama. Use of parts for modication or repair of the product
or any component part thereof not authorized or manufactured by Brown specically for such product shall void
this warranty. This warranty shall not apply to any damage to or defect in the Brown’s products that is directly
or indirectly caused by; (1) FORCE MAJEURE, act of GOD, or other accident not related to an inherent product
defect; or (2) abuse, misuse, or neglect of the such product, including any damage caused by improper assembly,
installation, adjustment, or faulty instruction of the purchaser. OTHER THAN AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH
HEREINABOVE, BROWN MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RE-
SPECT TO ANY OF BROWN’S PRODUCTS, INCLUDED BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY MERCHANT-
ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL BROWN BE RESPON-
SIBLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE SUFFERED BY
PURCHASER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY CAUSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY OF
BROWN’S PRODUCTS. Any person or entity to whom this warranty extends and who claims breach of warranty
against Brown must bring suit thereon within one year from the date of occurrence of such breach of warranty or
be forever barred from any and all legal or other remedies for such breach of warranty. Brown is not responsible for
and hereby disclaims any undertaking, representation, or warranty made by any dealer, distributor, or other person
that is inconsistent with or in any way more expensive than the provisions of this limited warranty. This warranty
grants specic legal rights and shall be read in conformity with applicable state law. In some jurisdictions, the ap-
plicable law mandates warranty provisions that provide greater rights than those provided for herein. In such case,
this limited warranty shall be read to include such mandates provisions; and any provision herein that is prohibited
or unenforceable in any such jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibi-
tion or unenforceable without invalidating the remaining provisions and without affecting the validity or enforce-
ability of such provisions in any other jurisdiction.
STATEMENT OF POLICY
In accordance with our established policy of constant improvement, we reserve the right to amend these specica-
tions at any time without notice.
WARRANTY BY MANUFACTURER
Dealer/distributor understands and agrees that the manufacturer extends only the following warranty to its cus-
tomers. In the event dealer/distributor extends any additional warranty such as enlarging the scope or period of
warranty or undertaking a warranty of tness for any particular purpose or obligation not encompassed in manufac-
turer’s warranty, dealer/distributor shall be solely responsible therefore and shall have no recourse against manu-
facturer with respect thereto.
4

Owner Registration
Important: To place the
manufacturer’s warranty into
effect, this card must be mailed
within thirty (30) days after
receiving equipment.
Return to:
Brown Manufacturing Corp.
6001 E. Hwy 27
Ozark, AL 36360
Name: ____________________
Address: ___________________
City: ____________ State: ____
Model:
Serial No.: _ _ _ _ A _ _ _ _
Date Purchased: ___/___/_____
Dealer: ____________________
Owner Registration
5
WARRANTY NOTES
•All parts returned to Brown Manufacturing Corp. for warranty inspection must be received
freight prepaid.
•If a warranty claim is approved, replacement or repaired parts will be returned to the cus-
tomer freight prepaid.
•If a dealer makes any type of approved warranty repair, only parts and labor will be cred-
ited by Brown Manufacturing Corp. No service call or transportation charges are war-
rantable.
•No returned parts will be inspected for warranty claims if not received with a Return Autho-
rization Number. Without a RA#, Brown Manufacturing Corp. cannot and will not be
responsible for any returned goods.
•Drive shaft / slip clutch warranties: Many factors can cause a slip clutch to fail. Most
failures are not caused by the quality of workmanship or of materials used in the compo-
nent. Therefore, all warranty claims on drive shafts / slip clutches are sent to the manufac-
turer of the component. All warranties approved by the component manufacturer will be
handled and settled by that manufacturer.
•Use of any replacement parts other than original Brown replacement parts will void
all warranties.
WARNING: The use of aftermarket replacement parts will change the operational condi-
tions of the machine, shorten the life of other components, lead to failure of the machine,
and create safety hazards to all persons near the machine. Brown equipment is designed
to use original manufacturer replacement parts meeting the exact specications of the
machine and crafted from high-quality materials. Aftermarket replacement parts are neither
engineered to meet the machine’s exact specications nor manufactured to the same high
standards as original Brown replacement parts.
For Your Records
Model:
Serial No.: _________________
Date Purchased: ___/___/_____
Dealer: ____________________
Date Registered: ___/___/_____

Please use envelope.
6
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
OWNER’S MANUAL STORAGE CONTAINER
* Brown Manufacturing provides an Owner’s Manual storage container
on all equipment.
*This holder is mounted in a convenient location and provides the
owner with the proper safety and operation information.
*Two (2) copies are provided with each unit.
*One copy is for the owner to have at ofce for review
when not operating the equipment.
*Second copy is to stay with the unit at all times. This will
provide the operator the information needed for
safe and proper operation of the unit.
*If the Owner’s Manual becomes lost or damaged, contact
Brown Mfg. or your local Brown dealer for free replacement.

Equipment Safety
7
WARNING
Before operating your machine, stop
and read this owners manual. Do not
attempt to operate the unit until you
fully understand the material covered
in this manual. Without the knowl-
edge contained in this manual, injury or
death can result.
Each operator of the equipment should review this manual every six (6) months. You
are encouraged to duplicate this manual and to distribute it to each operator of the equip-
ment for their training and reference. Additional copies are available from Brown Manufacturing
Corporation at no charge.
Warning: Read this manual before operation.
Operators of the equipment must read and understand this manual. Failure to read this
manual and follow these safety and operating instructions could result in serious bodily
injury or even death.

CAUTION
Follow safety instructions
• Read owner/operator manual.
• Replace missing or damaged safety decals.
• Safety decals and this manual must be considered a permanent part of your
equipment.
• Should ownership of the equipment be transferred, this manual must also be
transferred.
• Unauthorized modications to the equipment are not recommended. This could
impair the function, safety, and life of the machine.
• For any part of this manual that you do not understand, contact your dealer or
Brown Manufacturing Corporation at [phone].
• All implements with moving parts are potentially dangerous. Due to this fact, there
is no substitute for a safe, knowledgeable operator. It is important that all persons
operating this equipment read, understand, and follow the instructions provided in
this manual.
Equipment Safety
Recognize safety information
This is the safety alert symbol. When you see this symbol on
your equipment or in this manual, be alert to the potential for per-
sonal injury or injury to others.
Understand signal words
CAUTION used without the safety alert symbol indicates a po-
tentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in
property damage.
CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury.
WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
DANGER indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
WARNING
DANGER
CAUTION
8

Equipment Safety
Safety Decals
The following safety decals should be attached to the equipment at all times. Should any decals
become damaged or lost, it is the responsibility of the owner to replace it. Additional decals may be
obtained from the dealer or Brown Manufacturing Corporation at no charge.
Part No.: SD-010.
9
ADVERTENCIA
ADVERTISSEMENT
WARNING
Antes de probar la unidad por primera vez deben
remitirse a las instrucciones contenidas en el manual.
S’assurer de bien comrendre toutes les
consignes du manuel de propriétarie avant
d’utiliser la unité.
Read and understand
owner’s manual before
operating unit.
Part No.: SD-001A.
THROWN OBJECT HAZARD
To prevent serious injury or death from
thrown objects:
•Stay clear when blade is turning.
•Operate only with all guards
installed and in good condition.
•Stop operation if bystanders
come within several hundred feet.
WARNING
To prevent serious injury
or death:
•Operate only at 540 RPM PTO.
•Keep guards and shields
in place.
SD-008A, Standard models*
WARNING
To prevent serious injury
or death:
•Operate only at 1000 RPM
PTO.
•Keep guards and shields
SD-007A, Standard models*
DANGER

Equipment Safety
10
Tighten blade bolts
as prescribed in
owner/operator’s
manual.
Part NO.: SD-002.
Part No.: SD-SW2.
CAUTION
To Avoid Injury or Machine Damage:
•When servicing machine use
proper tools and equipment.
•Refer to operations manual for
instructions.
DANGER
ROTATING BLADES
To prevent serious injury or death
from rotating blades:
•Stay clear when blades are
turning or engine is running.
•Do not place hands or feet under
deck when the engine is running.
Part No.: SD-005A.
DANGER
ROTATING DRIVELINE -
CONTACT CAN CAUSE DEATH
KEEP AWAY!
DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT -
•All driveline guards, tractor and equipment
shields in place.
•Drivelines securely attached at both ends.
•Driveline guards that turn freely on driveline.
Part No.: SD-006A.
WARNING
To prevent serious injury or death:
•Read and understand Operator’s Manual
before using.
•Do not permit riders on the tractor or cutter.
Never carry child on the tractor seat.
•Operate with guards installed and in good condition.
•Operate only with tractor equipped with ROPS
and seatbelts.
•Keep away from moving parts.
•Stop engine, set brake and wait for all moving parts
to stop before dismounting.
•Be sure lights and reectors required by law are
clean and in good working order before transporting.
•Do not allow children to operate cutter.
•Travel with SMV and lights that follow local codes.
•Clear debris from operational area.
•Do not operate in the raised position.
•Support securely before working beneath unit.
•Review safety instructions annually.
Part No.: SD-009A.
Safety Decals (continued)
DANGER
SHIELD MISSING
DO NOT OPERATE
Part No.: DC-3-5-018.
DANGER

Equipment Safety
11
Safety Decals (Folding Deck Models)
Safety decals must be positioned as illustrated below. Use this diagram to correctly identify missing,
damaged, or illegible decals for replacement.
Ref. No. Part No. Description
ASD-001A Safety Decal: Thrown object hazard (2 req.)
BSDL-020 Safety Decal: Lexan Combo
DSD-005A Safety Decal: Rotating blades (2 req.)
ESD-006A Safety Decal: Rotating driveline (2 req.)
FSD-007A Safety Decal: Operate at 540 RPM
GSD-008A Safety Decal: Operate at 1000 RPM.
JSD-011A Safety Decal: Missing deector hazard
KSW-202 Safety Decal: Frame pinch point

Ref. No. Part No. Description
A SD-001A Safety Decal: Thrown object hazard (2 req.)
B SDL-020 Safety Decal: Lexan Combo
D SD-005A Safety Decal: Rotating blades (2 req.)
ESD-006A Safety Decal: Rotating driveline (2 req.)
F SD-007A Safety Decal: Operate at 540 RPM
GSD-008A Safety Decal: Operate at 1000 RPM.
JSD-011A Safety Decal: Missing deector hazard
Equipment Safety
12
Safety Decals (Open Deck Models)
Safety decals must be positioned as illustrated below. Use this diagram to correctly identify missing,
damaged, or illegible decals for replacement.

Equipment Safety
13
POTENTIAL DANGER AREAS OF ALL TREE CUTTERS
A. EXPOSED ROTATING BLADES
B. MATERIAL DISCHARGE
C. ROTATING DRIVESHAFT
D. PRESSURIZED HYDRAULICS
E. FOLDING DECKS
F. PINCH POINT
G. HOT SURFACES

WARNING
Transport with care.
Use slow-moving ve-
hicle emblem
and ashing light.
Follow local
trafc regulations.
Warning! Transport with care.
Before transporting to a new location, make
certain that the slow-moving vehicle (SMV)
emblem is installed and is clearly visible. Use
ashing lights and follow local trafc regula-
tions.
Equipment Safety
14
CAUTION
Keep machine
clean of debris.
Flammable debris
on machine poses
re hazard.
Danger! Protect bystanders, clear
work area of debris.
Do not operate the cutter near people. Debris
can be thrown hundreds of feet. Clear work
area of foreign objects such as wire, glass, and
other debris. Debris thrown by the cutter can
cause serious injury or death.
Warning! Parking and dismount-
ing.
The rotating parts of this cutter continue to
rotate even after the PTO has been disengaged.
The operator should remain seated until rotation
has stopped. He should then set the brake, turn
off the engine, and remove the key. See tractor
manual for proper parking procedure.
Caution! Avoid res.
Keep the machine clean of debris, trash, and any
other ammable material.
WARNING
Wait for all rota-
tion to stop before
dismounting
tractor.
Do not operate cutter
near bystanders. Clear
work area of debris
before operating.
DANGER

Equipment Safety
15
Rotating blades.
Keep hands and
feet from under cutter
deck.
Warning! Prepare for
emergencies.
Keep re extinguisher and rst aid kit available.
Inspect re extinguisher and check for charge
daily. Check rst aid kit for expired contents
and keep stocked.
Warning! Check equipment
before operating.
Tighten all nuts and bolts before operating.
Make certain that equipment is lowered to
ground before attempting to make adjustments
or perform maintenance. Replace or repair any
safety device, bolts, etc., if damaged or worn.
Danger! Stay clear of rotating
blades.
The cutter is designed to cut grass and brush up
to 6” in diameter on 5’ models or 8” in diam-
eter on 6’ models. Keep hands and feet from
under cutter deck!
WARNING
Check equipment
before operation.
Tighten all nuts
and bolts.
WARNING
Prepare for
emergencies.
Keep re extinguisher
and rst
aid kit available.
Fire
Maintain safety dis-
tance of at least 300 ft.
Failure to do so may
cause
serious injury or
death.
Danger! Maintain safety
distance.
The cutter creates a serious discharge hazard.
Always maintain a safety distance of at least
300 ft. Never operate cutter with bystanders
present!
DANGER
DANGER

WARNING
Wear protective
clothing.
Warning! Wear protective
clothing.
Wear close-tting clothing and other protective
devices appropriate for the job.
Equipment Safety
16
Warning! Slopes and rough
terrain.
When operating on slopes or rough terrain,
decrease travel speed. Do not operate in an area
where the tractor could roll over. Be sure to
fasten safety belt when operating tractor!
Warning! Roll-over protection.
Do not operate the cutter on any tractor not
equipped with a certied roll-over protective
structure (ROPS).
WARNING
Slow travel speed
when operating on
slopes or rough ter-
rain.
WARNING
Use only with
tractors equipped
with a certied
roll-over protective
structure.
Danger! Tighten blade bolts.
Blade bolts will stretch with use and must
be tightened. Follow maintenance instruc-
tions in this manual (see page 31). If
the cutter is operated with loose blade
bolts, blades and blade carrier will be
damaged. Operation with damaged
blades and blade carrier will lead to
blade ejection and will cause serious
injury or death.
Tighten blade bolts as
prescribed in owners
manual. Ejection of
blade will cause seri-
ous injury or death.
DANGER

WARNING
17
Danger! Keep riders off
machine.
Riders can be seriously injured or killed by en-
tanglement or by falling.
Riders can be
injured or killed.
Keep riders
off machine.
DANGER
Danger! Stay clear of rotating
drivelines.
Entanglement in driveline can cause seri-
ous injury or death. Keep driveline shields
in place at all times during operation. Drive-
line must turn freely inside shields. Driveline
shields must be chained to prevent rotation.
Stay clear of
rotating drivelines.
Keep driveline shields
in place.
DANGER
Warning! Hazardous service
conditions.
While working under the cutter deck, be aware
of safety hazards. Follow safety precautions
specied in this manual (see page 32). Failure
to exercise caution may lead to serious injury or
death.
Exercise caution
while working under
cutter deck. Failure
to heed warnings may
lead to serious injury
or death.
Equipment Safety

Assembly
18
WARNING! The driveline shield and bell shield must be kept in good
operating condition.
Failure to maintain safety shields can result in injury and death.
6. Remove the two-piece bridge clamp from the clutch hub assembly. Slide the hub onto the input
shaft of the gearbox. Align the groove of the input shaft with the bolt grooves on the hub. Reinstall
the two-piece bridge clamp with the two bolts provided and tighten securely. Retorque lock bolts ev-
ery hour for the rst eight hours of use. Failure to do so will result in decreased life of the clutch
hub and gearbox shaft splines.
7. Slide aluminum bell shield and bell shield clamp over drive shaft and attach bell shield to mount-
ing plate with the clamp. Adjust clamp as needed to assure proper attachment.
8. Check the drive shaft for proper length:
a. Hitch the cutter to the tractor, please refer to page 21 “Attach equipment to tractor”..
b. Lift the cutter to the tractor’s maximum lift position.
c. Measure the distance from the PTO of the tractor to the input shaft of the
cutter’s gearbox.
d. Push both halves of the drive shaft together fully. Measure the overall
length.
e. If the length of the compressed drive shaft is greater than the length
between the PTO and input shaft, then the drive shaft must be shortened.
Please NOTE: Equal amounts must be removed from each section of the
drive shaft.
1. Install tailwheel stem, Item D next page, into fork holder tube, Item E next page, placing collar, Item F
next page, over stem and inserting roll key, Item G next page, through collar and stem.
2. Raise A-frame from its shipping position to its operational position (almost perpendicular to the cutter
deck) . Install A-frame braces to the mounting brackets at the top of the A-frame with the provided bolts and
tighten securely, Item H next page.
3. Open Deck - Bolt the rear end of the A-frame braces to the mounting brackets near the rear of the deck
and tighten bolts securely. See Item A, next page.
3a. Folding Deck - Bolt the rear end of the braces to the inside of the outside hinge - see Item B, next page.
Assemble hydraulic hoses BEFORE the installation of drive shaft. See diagram 20-1, page 20.
4. Separate the male and female halves of the drive shaft. Apply heavy grease to the telescoping portion
of the male drive shaft. Recouple the drive shaft.
5. Locate the slip clutch bell shield, clamp, and mounting plate attached to the machine. Remove the mount-
ing bolts, at washers, and lock washers from the gearbox face plate. Position the bell shield mounting plate
(at side up) over the input shaft and align it with the threaded holes in the gearbox face plate. Secure with
bolts, at washers, and lock washers previously removed.
Standard Assembly

19
Assembly
Standard Assembly (continued)
B
D
E
F G
H
A

Assembly
20
Standard Assembly (continued)
20-1
FOLDING DECK MODELS
HYDRAULIC HOSE DIAGRAM
Route Hoses to Inside of A-Frame
Brace & Secure With Nylon Pull Ties
4 FPX Tee
Into Nipple
14” Hose Assembly Into
Tee & Cylinder End
T14” Hose Assembly Into
Tee & Cylinder End
4 FPX Tee
Into Nipple
Longest Hose Assembly
To Rear Tee
Note: Hydraulic Hoses
MUST be under input shaft!