Belt for 48" deck

[J_J]

Or, has anyone any experiance with something like this?

Yes, I have a Troybuilt sickle bar mower, but it is only for rough stuff.

 

[J_J]

Just wondering....

Would it be hard to find one of those rotary blade mowers, like you see on a golf course, and fabricate it to a quick attach plate.

I have mostly flat ground.

It sure would be nice not to have to worry about the hydro motor, spindles, bearings, etc. just to mow grass.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Those rotary/reel mowers that you see on Golf courses, are hydraulic driven. There is also the old push reel mower where the wheels turn the blades. I have an old one just rusting away.

 

[J_J]

Here are some pictures of manual and pull behind reel mowere. You probably adapt these to a QC plate.


http://www.promow.com/products/residential_light_commercial_mower.htm

 

[SnowRidge]

Here are some pictures of manual and pull behind reel mowere. You probably adapt these to a QC plate.


ProMow, Inc. ::: Residential/Light Commercial Gang Reel Mower

You should be able to pull the ganged reel mowers behind the PT without any trouble. They only take a few horsepower. Northern Tool has a bunch of them on their web site. I can't imagine why you would want them on the QA.

On the PT mower: I learned the hard way to check mine after every mowing. I raise the mower up as high as it will go, then I grasp each blade firmly and try to rock it. If the bearing is bad, you can feel it. It only takes a few seconds and will save a lot of money.

If you run with a bad bearing, it doesn't take long to destroy the spindle and/or hub.

You can't hear the problem until it is too late. The hand check is the safest way. The bearings aren't that hard to change, and they are readily available at reasonable prices. I order from Skate Bearings in Miami.

 

[J_J]

The QA plate is so you could pick them up and not drag them the complete time you are moving.

 

[SnowRidge]

The QA plate is so you could pick them up and not drag them the complete time you are moving.

Okay.... I don't see how that would gain you a whole lot.

Here's what I would do. I would whack the pin hitch off of the mower and weld on a 2" coupler. That would give me articulation when I towed it behind the PT. I have a receiver adapter for the PT. It takes a 2" ball mount.

If I needed to move it around without mowing, I would just hook it to my existing QA ball mount plate (almost everyone has one), which would let me push it to wherever it needed to be pushed. Every reel mower I have ever seen freewheeled going backwards, so it wouldn't be a problem.

No QA plated needed on the mower.

 

[ldabe]

JJ, yes that is the type I was talking about, the "reel" mower. I do have some acrage that the "sickle" mower would be useful, but I don't know how much (diameter) it could handle with saplings.

Snowridge, the test after each mowing is a very good idea. And I plan to institute it.
Also, the reason I would want the "reel" mower in front is to be able to see what I am mowing and how the mower is doing. If it was behind, if something went wrong, or got caught where it stopped it from turning, you might not know for quite sometime.

I just like things in front. That was one of the big appeals of the PT's to me.

 

[MossRoad]

You probably do not want a reel mower out front. They toss the clippings pretty far up forward and backwards. You will be covered quickly.

I agree that they should be towed behind. And by putting them on a ball hitch, they can swing left-right, up-down and twist independently of the tractor.

Also, many of them do not have the height adjustment that I like.

 

[washita]

why doesnt someone make a flail mower for a pt, probably be best of both worlds, (take the 48" tiller put hammer flails on it increase the rpms roller out front it might just work)

 

[SnowRidge]

why doesnt someone make a flail mower for a pt, probably be best of both worlds, (take the 48" tiller put hammer flails on it increase the rpms roller out front it might just work)

I think Power Trac makes a flail for the big machines.

 

[J_J]

why doesnt someone make a flail mower for a pt, probably be best of both worlds, (take the 48" tiller put hammer flails on it increase the rpms roller out front it might just work)

I have the 72 in flail. They aren't cheap. $4700

You can also change out the finish blades for the axe type flail.

Mower Parts

Under Sub Catorigorys, select blades. From finish to axe type blades.

 

[ponytug]

They do. It takes a lot of HP to run a fail.

All the best,

Peter

I think Power Trac makes a flail for the big machines.

 

[J_J]

It takes about 23 HP to run the flail that I have.

 

[washita]

j j does your flail work as good as everyone claims ie: is it worth the money ?

 

[J_J]

j j does your flail work as good as everyone claims ie: is it worth the money ?

Yes, it works real good. I haven't had a chance to try out the axe blades yet, they are kind of expensive. but the machine is well made, and the blades are easy to change. For most of my finish work, I use my Dixie Chopper ZTR.

Some states/counties require them to be used around schools and play grounds. They don't throw things like a bush hog.

 

[washita]

maybe after i get some of my other projects done ie: trencher-logsplitter, might try building one, after looking aroung I beleive rpm is around 2100 not sure it that is tip speed or shaft speed? but would be nice to eliminate /one less implement to maintain,next will be size of hrdraulic motor to drive it at correct rpm/torque + the idea of not hurling projectiles at mach 2 velocity is real appealing to me

 

[J_J]

maybe after i get some of my other projects done ie: trencher-logsplitter, might try building one, after looking aroung I beleive rpm is around 2100 not sure it that is tip speed or shaft speed? but would be nice to eliminate /one less implement to maintain,next will be size of hrdraulic motor to drive it at correct rpm/torque + the idea of not hurling projectiles at mach 2 velocity is real appealing to me

I admire your [ want to ], but that shaft has to be well balanced. Even when you lose one blade, you can feel the vibration. There are about 160 lugs that you would have to weld on for the hangers. You could also use the single lug and different hangers.

 

[washita]

maybe a shop that builds driveshafts could balance it adequately, I wonder what the blade overlap is ? came across a thread where a fellow who claimed to only have 22 knives/cutters on his 72" flail , makes me think a typo but there are rough cut and finish cut flails available

 

[SnowRidge]

I'm not sure a PT-425 has enough power for a flail. Agri Supply sells Caroni flails at reasonable prices. Take a look at the horsepower requirements for even a small 47" flail.

If you are determined to build one, Agri Supply sells a flail rotor as a separate part. I think it comes with the knives attached.

 

[washita]

time for more research, my gravely 10a commercial will operate a 30" flail, thats probably why I was thinking the pt could handle a 48" flail, will break out the calculator and start figureing, draw it out on paper, then figure in "the real world factor" and see how it turns out, off the top of my head I am thinking their is only about 8.5 hp available to power attachments