Unbend rotarty mower skirt

[SPYDERLK]

If you try the wrenches youll need some ~1/2" shim metal to extend the jaws to the point you need to bend. Two 24" cheap china "crescents" with 6' pipes can give you good control. A helper would be good too. Kinda tuf alone.
larry

 

[rsallen]

Good luck bending that business back to shape!
I vote for cutting it out and welding another piece in...or.....once you have the piece cut out you'd have a chance to straighten it out then weld it back together.

Any ways that's my vote.

 

[JerryG]

Cut it out and add new metal. Then slit a 2" pipe to place over the edge to strengthen it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I bent mine up once, not as bad as yours, but it was touching the blades which chewed a hole in the skirt. I used my FEL to flip the mower upside down with the bent spot on the ground. Using a 16# sledge hammer, I beat it back in shape. You can get the full swing and force of the hammer this way rather than sitting underneath. I think you will find that the quickest way.
I didn't have to heat mine, but yours may be thicker.
If you have a concrete slab to set it on, it may also work better. While I had mine upside down, I removed the blades and gave them a sharpening. I did have a helper to work with me removing/installing the blades.

 

[FredH]

When my neighbor did the same thing to mine by backing into a stump , I gave it some thought , then ended up doing what several here already suggested .

Cut it out and either weld in a new piece , chain , or even a piece of old conveyor belt . Does not save time per say by going that route , but if saves my energy as opposed to beating the tar out of it and yourself .

Fred H.

 

[KenB2920]

Great ideas,

I get narrow minded sometimes so tis definitely helps. In may try the stump and chain idea first, I can see the tractor running out of weight and spinning the tires but this should be the fastest and easiest attempt.

Then i think I'll flip her over and try and bend it back with a pipe wrench ( I like extending the teeth with metal shims) makes perfect sense I would not of thought of.

I will leave the cutting and rewelding it to the last resort. This is still an option though. Then I will read reviews if chains, rubber edge ( I'd like to find the top rubber flap of a snow plow), or more metal is suggested.

It still works fine, just causes clumping. I still used it on a few jobs this way last year as it hasn't interfered with the blades.


As for sharpening my blades, they need it bad. I feel like I am swinging a baseball bat at grass blades to cut them.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[KenB2920]

Well, as stated, I tried hooking a chain the the skirt and pulling it with the truck. Really this method should of worked but didn't. Between the chain falling off and trying to do it myself without a spotter it was on so/so.

I slid the skirt over a short stump and it slid right over it. I found another stump a little false and tried again. Well, it was rotted and tore it out of the ground. I tried another stump and did it numerous times. I don't think it made her perfect by any means, but this was definitely the most successful way and easiest by far. Slow and easy.

I would eventually like to make if even better but it worked out.
















Thanks again guys for the ideas!!! It truly saved me.

Now I need a convenient way to sharpen these blades.

 

[bjr]

If you have a shop/garage. Using a chainfall/come-along or whatever lifting facilities available, get the deck up on its side with the afflicted portion on the floor and start beating/heating back in to place. You may have tie the blades up out of the way. Get the biggest sledge hammer you can find. You probably aren't gonna be be able to enter it in any beauty contest when your done but you'll get most of the real bad spots out. Option Two: If there's a farm welding shop locally, take it to them and ask if they can pick it up and beat out some of the major dents. bjr