8' Trailer type mower converted to 3pt.

[Rustyiron]

Well I've been beating up this old 8' Mohawk mower for many years, and it has proven it self worthy of a new life. My needs (and property) have changed and I decided to convert it to a 3pt hookup from the trailed type that is has been. I needed the manuverability & to be able to raise it high to clear stumps & rocks. I started at the front removing the hitch & related parts that raised & lowered the mower, built the typ. A frame 3 pt. and bracing, shortened the driveshaft. Now at the rear of the mower, it had this neat assy. that used to have 2 wheels bolted to it as part of the height adjustment (by hyd cyl) that I just could not bring myself to cut off & junk, just to add the typ. laminated tail wheel. I wanted to use this to have a hydraulically adjustable tail wheel. My problem was coming up with a way to keep the tailwheel's pivot shaft oriented vertically through it's movement to keep the wheel "tailing" properly. After several sessions sitting on a 5 gal bucket staring at my problem I came up with an idea. I built a paralell bar arangement. The shiney red paint in the photo's are the new parts.
It works well, and it's nice to be able to change your mowing height without having the mower hanging off the tractor, or having to change the tail wheel's height manually/mechanically. I have already bent the heck out of the tail wheel, the only part I didn't make. Beefing that up is next. This mower now can be laid down with the side rails on the ground, or adjusted up to about 16" while still riding on the ground. For backing into the nasty stuff, with the mower way up in the air, and you can't see anything, I retract the cyl. to bring the tailwheel up & out of harms way.

 

[Soundguy]

have you looked at the way howse did it on their hd 8 and 10' cutters. I also liked the jd mx 10 semi mount style as well.