Rotary Cutter Rotary Mower - Plan B - Adjusting FRONT DECK HEIGHT with LIMIT CHAINS

[pacerron]

These are in the AW Towing catalog. 5/16ths thick. Cut a V notch in a piece of flat bar and weld in. Done! Shape as you see fit...

Banjo Eye for 3/8 | AW Direct

That would do it, however, he is using 5/16 chain. He already has the chain slot hooks. He showed them the other day. They were a cable to chain transition. We covered the discarding of the cable piece and bolting
a flat steel extension, bent to get the hooks and chains beyond the width of the PTO guard similar to the Woods brackets or the other lighter ones shown by Gregg.

Even if he wanted to make the chain hangers from one piece of 3/16 to 1/4" thick steel bent to the same profile, using the most basic of tools he would need a 1"hole with a slot 3/8" wide by 1" deep for the chain grab end and a hole for a bolt at the 3pt top link attachment for a bolt which does not need to be as big as his
Category? pin. His upper link attachment is nothing more than 2 stationary pieces of angle iron.
On bigger tractors with draft control controlled from the upper link, which most older tractors were, a bolt smaller than the link attachment hole is used on purpose, so the brackets can remain in place, even when using implements where draft control is used.
With the collection of bikes he has on the wall he most likely has many more tools than the basic method
I described to make the hole and chain slot end, however a 1" hole is nothing more than 6 - 3/8" diameter holes drilled around the inside edge of a 1" hole and the bumps cleaned up with a file. The 1" deep chain slot
is nothing more than one 3/8" hole drilled to form the bottom of the slot and the slot itself hacksawed, in 2 passes, between the 1" hole edge and the 3/8" bottom hole, cleaned up with a file if needed.

If he has a step drill bit or a drill press and a 1" bit then it is very quick for the slot end and link end.
If he has a cutting torch, extremely quick but perhaps not as pretty.
If he has an angle grinder and welder as you suggest, he probably has a lot of tools, and is laughing over his
coffee, while reading these last few posts.

I think the main reason anybody replied to his question, and pictures of his solutions, were from an interest
in his safety and the safety of an unsuspecting newbie somewhere that just copied his method without giving it any thought or seeing conflicting reasons not too.
He has stated that he is happy with his "plan B" set up. The thread should have closed then, but was continued by a new picture of the same type bracket and his interest in it by asking where it came from.

On another note, it looks like the site admin folks have made some good improvements and corrections to the site during the shutdown yesterday:thumbsup:

 

[BlacknTan]

Sometimes I just throw options out there.. For the OP's edification, someone else's and often my own. One can never have to many options or ideas for future reference.

And, I agree, the new look looks great!

 

[djradz]

Now I'm confused. I thought he was asking about the link at the top of the mower, but I see others are refering to the tractor end. Anyway, all Woods parts on my setup.

The tractor-end chain-link bracket is part #23898. They may make a heavier version for their older brush-hog/rotary cutters, but I don't have that number.

Pivot/Toggle assembly at the mower end is part #23880.

 

[pacerron]

Now I'm confused. I thought he was asking about the link at the top of the mower, but I see others are refering to the tractor end. Anyway, all Woods parts on my setup.

The tractor-end chain-link bracket is part #23898. They may make a heavier version for their older brush-hog/rotary cutters, but I don't have that number.

Pivot/Toggle assembly at the mower end is part #23880.

The pics are confusing and I thought he was talking about the top link at the mower swivels too at first, from the question.
If you look at his 0366 image at about 400% you can see there is a swivel bracket that looks like an upside down U in place there. Can't really tell if it is loose to swivel to keep the back caster on uneven ground, as it should be or not. It looks like the top link is just resting on the lower bolt, for the picture, rather than being attached with a bushing collar over the bolt, ( should be link pin).

 

[pacerron]

Sometimes I just throw options out there.. For the OP's edification, someone else's and often my own. One can never have to many options or ideas for future reference.

Absolutely. Yours are great and very appreciated:thumbsup:

 

[greg_g]

Unfortunately, Jeff hasn't been around for 2 days. Hopefully he's just indisposed. Cuz in the many years I've been workin' these forums, there are too many folks who start a thread with a pre-ordained concept - then subsequently exhibit zero tolerance for constructive criticism.

//greg//

 

[BlacknTan]

I'm not trying to get under anyone's skin, but I always felt that these threads tend to take on a life of their own after the OP questions have been satisfied, and I've found that sometimes nuggets of good info can be found in them from the members' give and take.