Gage wheel choice

[Bill_C]

I'm going to convert my mid-mount mower into a rear finish mower...actually a relatively easy conversion, since it already attaches to the 3PH and runs off the PTO. I'll be fabbing new brackets, relocating the drive belt, and welding on some gage wheel mounts. But before I do, I need to buy some decent gage wheels. The local Harbor Freight occassionally has some great deals, but most of their wheels are pneumatic, as well as ball-bearing hubs.

I'd prefer solid rubber, to avoid the issues of tires going flat, but my real question is the bearings on them. I suspect for a mower application, these bearings are constantly going to be blasted with sand, debris, cuttings, etc. Will a ball bearing hold up, or would a plain ordinary sleeve bearing be better? Can anybody with a finishing mower give me advice on what their gage wheels are?

Naturally, money's tight...

 

[shaley]

Just to clarify in my mind, are you talking anti-scalp wheels or pull behind gauge wheels.

 

[AlanB]

Depending on what you are willing to spend, I would suggest that you look for a front wheel unit off a commercial ZTR mower. Last time I was at my dealers he was changing out the caster assemblies on the Hustlers over to the new suspended ones as quick as they would come in. You could probably pick up the removed Yokes (nothing wrong with them, just not suspension units) for the cost of buying the wheel assemblies from him.

Anyway, nothing will compete with the HF units on price, but I bet you will be in replacing them before too long as well.

Good luck, sounds like a neat project.

 

[thcri]

I'm going to convert my mid-mount mower into a rear finish mower...

Why would you want to do that?? A mid mount is tougher to put on and off but will make a job of mowing easier. My neighbor is a New Holland/Cub Cadet dealer and he came home with a New Cub two years ago with a rear finish mower. That lasted one summer and now has a mid mount on his. He said he didn't think the rear finish mower did that good of a job and mostly was a pain to mow with especially getting around things. If you have nothing to trim around I think the rear is ok, but if you have things to trim around I would not change your mower out.

just my opinion,

murph

 

[Bill_C]

Pull-behind gauge wheels (I'll keep the wide anti-scalping rollers on the leading edge of the mower deck. I was actually thinking of suspending the deck from 4 gage wheels, one on each corner, kinda like the King Kutter brochure shows.

I'm changing for 2 reasons--first, the mid-mount is such a PITA to take on/off that it makes having a 3PH and PTO almost useless, but more importantly, I have no ground clearance with the MMM in place. I'm talking almost zero clearance. My tractors a Ford 1100, on level concrete I've measured the maximum ground clearance I can get--it's less than 2 inches with the mower raised all the way up (the mower deck hits various tractor components). From having the deck on the concrete, to raised up where it hits various tractor stuff, is less than 2 inches. Now my yard isn't exactly a rough pasture, but it's not a golf course either...just driving around with the mower deck up, it scrapes stuff and bangs into things, it's even gotten me stuck (high-centered). As much as I like the concept of a MMM, for this tractor it's not a great idea.

 

[AlanB]

Bill, just realized you are in Gallatin, I am up in Clarksville, the dealer I was speaking about is Bryant Equipment in Clarksville, TN.

I bet many Hustler dealers have this going on though.

I did see 4 beat to crap wheels off a scorpion mower laying beside the church, not sure what they replaced them with, but they were cheap Chinese stuff and apparently did not hold up to the job.

 

[Bill_C]

Thanks, I may have to take a drive up there to see if the yokes might be useful, if nothing else I can see how Hustler makes their wheels adjust for height...

 

[thatguy]

Isnt a mid pto around 1,000 rmp while a rear pto is 540? Would this conversion require some sort of A-Dap-Ter kit?

Brian

 

[Bill_C]

Perhaps I didn't make it clear, my MMM runs off the rear PTO, I don't have a mid PTO. The PTO shaft drives a right-angle gearbox, which drives a belt that goes all the way under the rear axle up to the MMM. Basically I'm just fabricating new brackets to relocate the mower deck, shortening the drive belt, and adding gage wheels, plus adding a chain or link so the deck can change angle with respect to the toplink.

 

[AlanB]

The commercial ZTR's will not move the wheels to change heights, you just raise or lower your cutting deck to adjust cut height.

I was in TSC an hour ago and saw the wheel and tire that KK uses on the wall, I think it was $40.

I would think that you may need to extend the spindle shaft of the Hustler yokes, then just cut some spacers to stack over or under a pipe mount to change your cut heights.

I would also bet that you almost always mow at the same height (3.5" or so I would bet) and If you set it up to be that height, I think you would be fine and not have to worry much about adjustment.