Attachment for mowing a pond waterline....

[number9L]

Guys, I have an idea about a contraption to mow the water edge of my pond bank with.

Something on the 3pt like a carryall or pallet forks, but with a frame of square tubing that extends out to the sides of the tractor XX Feet. Attach a push mower deck on one side and counter weight on the other side. This would allow driving along the water edge 2 or 3 feet up on the bank and mow the grass right at the water line.

Was thinking that I could use differnet size of tubing and drill holes and use a pin to allow sliding the mower / weight in and out for adjustment. Also, this would allow to switch sides with the mower if needed - or also to collapse to narrowest width for storage while it wasn't being used.

I don't need some big elaborate contraption, as it would only get used maybe every other mowing or even if it was every mowing, it would only be a max of maybe 10min use each time. Plus, a used push mower should be able to be found cheap.

What do you guys think?

Here's a crude sketch of what I am thinking of.....

 

[bcp]

Here are a couple of similar ideas:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/281715-hydraulic-motor-mower-deck-2.html#post3336514

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/246732-pond-edge-maintainence-4.html#post2910420

Bruce

 

[Deerherd]

A lot would depend on how steep your bank is, if muskrats or other critters were burrowing into the bank and if your life insurance is paid in full were the thoughts that sprang to mind first.

It looks from your sketch you would have to drive along the bank versus backing down which would be much more prone to a roll over. I would think a regular rotary cutter might be safer if the bank were steep. If the slope is fairly mundane, I would pick up a used sickle mower in lieu of the "push mower on a plate" thingy you are contemplating. But I'm just old and have lost most of my sense of adventure when it comes to rolling a tractor. It could make a good You tube video though......

 

[Oliver1655]

If you do a search through this forum you will find some bank mowers others have built.

Have fun designing & building your own!

John

 

[Oliver1655]

If you do a search through this forum you will find some bank mowers others have built.

Have fun designing & building your own!

John

 

[Larro Darro]

I like your idea. Like the fellow on the other thread said, starving the carb of gas will be your biggest concern. So the steepness of the bank will determine if it works or not. I have so many old push mowers around that I wanted to rig five of them up like a batwing, in rows of two and three. The problem was getting them all running again after setting up. We got around the pond problem by bringing the water level up closer to the level ground. That way we have less to mow.

 

[number9L]

I mow driving across the pond bank now, from (close to, not too close though) the waterline up to about 3/4 the way up the bank, then it gets too steep for my pucker factor and I back up the hill at that spot. I used to mow it all up and down but it takes forever.

Mowing sideways it's anywhere from 15-20* on my tilt meter on the tractor. Down by the water it's 15* which is fine. However, I don't want to put a lot of heavy weight like a sickle mower hanging off the down hill side. I figured the push mower deck would be much lighter, even more so with a counter weight on the other side.

...

 

[jwmorris]

I figured keeping the motor from stalling would be the hard part. Roundup seems to work pretty good for us.

 

[number9L]

I figured keeping the motor from stalling would be the hard part. Roundup seems to work pretty good for us.

Wouldn't Roundup kill my fish though? The pond is fully stocked....

..

 

[CNC Dan]

Wouldn't Roundup kill my fish though? The pond is fully stocked....

..

The weed killer in Roundup won't, but the surfactant in it might.
Use Rodeo, same weed killer, no surfatant.