I can't see why you couldn't... but I don't understand why you want to. If storage is an issue you can remove the tail bolt and pivot the arm to store above the cutter. The A-frame designs are supporting a lot more weight on the rear wheel, but serve the same purpose to maintain height and avoid slicing into the substrate during turns and dips. Change the wheel location and you change the dynamics. There may be a margin where you don't affect performance, but you'd definitely lose range on your height adjustment.
Tweaking a rotary cutter
- Thread starter MESSMAKER
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ovrszd
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LD1 described this issue very well. Properly designed, when turning, if the cutter body clears an obstacle the wheel should as well. If the tail wheel assembly is too long the wheel will swing out and contact obstacles the body didn't.
One of my cutters is a 6' Rhino SE6. The tail wheel never hits an obstacle the body misses. Perfect design.
One of my cutters is a 6' Rhino SE6. The tail wheel never hits an obstacle the body misses. Perfect design.
Fallon
Super Member
If you are backing up to a fence or other obstacle, you want to get the deck as close as possible. A long tail wheel frame works against that.
With my HST I find myself cutting in reverse in tight areas quite often & see the advantage of a more compact setup.
With my HST I find myself cutting in reverse in tight areas quite often & see the advantage of a more compact setup.
OP
MESSMAKER
Veteran Member
My other cutters work as you described. You could not hit something if you tried. The new cutter has a longer body and a longer wheel assembly. This does not let the cutter clear the corner in a tight turn. It also comes very, very close to the tailgate when loaded on my trailer. I think I am going to measure the distance of my other cutters and cut it down to the same or maybe a tad less.
Poopdeck Pappy
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Looking at the pic you posted, it doesn't look like you've got much room to shorten it. In the pic, the tailwheel is rotated as it would be when the tractor is moving forward. When you reverse the tractor and the tailwheel rotates 180 degrees, it looks like it will only be 3 - 4 inches (at most) from the rear of the cutter deck.
Lift the cutter off the ground, rotate the tailwheel to the position it will be in when you are backing up, and see how much space is between the tailwheel and the cutter deck.
OP
MESSMAKER
Veteran Member
I think I have 5.5 inches to spare. I thin I am going to shorten it by 4 inches. The photo was not of my cutter ,but one I found on images that had the same setup.
SPYDERLK
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It looks like the one in the photo offers two sets of holes in the forward bracket for the tailwheel bar. Is yours that way? ... You may not have to mod the bar at all.
Gary Fowler
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Don't forget to allow a little slop in the wheel for when the mounting pin wears a bit as they all do from use and not enough grease. After a bit of wear, the wheel will get a bit closer to the frame when reversing than it does when new.
OP
MESSMAKER
Veteran Member
Took off 4.5 inches. Works great, no problems. Made a good bit of difference on loading it on trailer.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Hydraulic toplink also makes loading on trailer or traversing hilly terrain real nice.