Rear finish mower to pull type?

[Suess]

Any one make a 3 pt rfm into a pull type? Reason for this would be to eliminate side draft on the tractor on steep slopes and also avoid the swinging normal to the 3pt design. I know they make pull types in the larger sizes but was unable to find any in the 72" size which is the max I can pull. We have a 72" land pride. My plan would be to take the rear swivel wheels off and ridged mount them with a provision for adjustment leave the front wheels on and build a pull frame hitch that pulls off the lift pins on the mower with sort of a A frame and put a cylender in the top link position which would be aloud to float when mowing but could be extended to raise or just locked for transport? The frame for the pull hitch would have to have clearence for the pto shaft. Any one do this, have ideas or know of a factory unit? Thanks

 

[Henro]

Suess,

I'm a little confused by your question. When I had a 60 inch RFM it had four wheels, one at each corner, and although it did hook to the 3PH, it was essentially pulled by the lower lift arms and ran on the ground supported by its wheels, and not by the lift arms. This sounds like what you want, and it is the way what I want to remember most RFMs that I have looked at being designed.

Now if you were wanting to convert a rotary cutter, where the front of the cutter is supported by the lift arms, to a pull type, that would make the light go on in my head...

My RFM was a woods 60" cut...it sounds like the way it worked is exactly the way you want yours to work... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Suess]

Henro,
Sorry, I guess I was not exactly clear on what I am looking for. The Mower we have now is exactly like your 60" pull on the 3 pt. Around here we call 3 pt equipment "mounted" and what I guess may be called drawn equipment (like a trailer you pull with a pickup truck) "pull type equipment". Different area different names for things? I would like to convert the mower from 3pt to drawn like a trailer. I'd prefer the way a trailer type would follow also a trailer type would handle some of the down hill side draft it self, lessening the effects on the tractor. Safer operation. A mid mount would of been the best but not a option in our situation. Most flex wing cutters are set up similar to what I'm thinking of but when I do searches for finish mowers 12' was the smallest I found in a trailer type. Our tractor handles a 72" well enuff but a 12' would kill it off not to mention the budget. Thanks

 

[bobodu]

The pull mowers I have seen have the wheels mounted rigidly midway on the outside of the deck.Like a trailer.Allows for dips in the yard.You could put a pin (or ball) through the drawbar and a QD pin on the toplink for lift when traveling.Probably want some sort of stay bar to keep it from swinging into a fence..or car...or barn door!

 

[Soundguy]

I'm wondering why you are getting side to side 'sway'.

There should be adjustable chains or bars on your tractor that keep the implement right in line with the tractor, once the 3pt implement is mounted... no right or left movement is permitted with the sway bars/chains.

I've seen lots of 3pt rotary cutters converted to pull type..My 5' KK mower has the instructions on how to assemble it as either type, using the same parts. I've not seem a finish mower like that.. but don't doubt you could fab something up if you really wanted to..

As for slope mowing safety... if it is a slope that your fixed mower bothers you on.. I think it would be best to mow up and down then..

Soundguy

 

[Suess]

I have the sway out of the tractor arms compleatly. The sway I'm refering to is the mower swinging with the tractor when I turn. I like to use as much of the mower with as I can and a little sway when I steer to correct can leave strips. I end up over laping alot to avoid this. A pull type won't swing with the tractor near as much. I'm mowing dikes on a sanitary stabilization ponds and up and down is not a feasible option. I have tried it in the steeper areas but far too time consuming with limited space to move around. Since I last mowed I've ballested the rear of the tractor and now have a set of duals instead of moving the inside wheels in and out. The dual 12-16.5 R4's make the outer with of the tractor 70" and very stable. It isn't going to tip too easily now. I just feel that a pull type would put less stress on the tractor and be nicer to use in my situation. I have a design worked out on paper. If I do it the way I've drawen it out, it will have a rock shaft on the back with a hyd cylender for the wheels and lift. the wheels will be in the rear twards the out side I may dual them up to float over holes better the front hitch will have to free float for mowing and lock for transport using a hyd cylender in float or a box tube in a box tube with holes drilled for a pin to lock. I have all the parts from old feild cultivators we cut up. It's just the matter of finding the time to do it. Thanks

 

[Tractors4u]

If you are mowing on a slope that is steep enough to justify putting duals on the tractor, is there any risk that the mower itself might want to slide down the incline?

 

[cleatus]

Suess, I understand your reason, but you may still leave some strips tho not as many. The trick will be not making sharp 90's.