Abstract: A shock absorbing motor mount for heavy duty rotary cutting machines equipped with a frame and a hydraulic motor, or the like, mounted on the frame for driving a rotating cutting blade is disclosed. The shock absorbing motor mount includes a bearing for rotatably mounting the motor to the frame and a torsion arm for limiting the rotation of the motor with respect to the frame to permit an effective transfer of drive force from the motor to the cutting blade while maintaining the motor in a neutral position. The torsion arm includes a resilient shock absorber such as a compression spring mounted on one end of the torsion arm for progressively decelerating the rotation of the motor when the cutting blade strikes an object that possesses sufficient inertia to induce a rotation of the motor with respect to the frame, and returns the motor to the neutral position after the impact.