Rear Finish Mower Finish-mower Fix-up project(pics)

Learning to Farm · Jun 20, 2011

Hi Everybody!

As some of you may know, I am new to this. I thought you all would get a kick out of my newbie perspective.

I got my help out with my first fix up. While I was weed-eating a little while ago I found a finish mower in the weeds (the prior field person was a lazy drunk and that is being nice). Mowing the fields with the brush hog is a bit of over kill, so I asked the owner if it could be fixed it up and used. He said he would have the part-time farm mechanic work on it and I volunteered a second set of hands (because I want to learn about it).

So, the mower deck was covered in tree litter and there was a wheel part that looked like it lost a lynch pin. We picked it up with the fork and placed it where we could clean it. It was power-washed to remove the leaf litter and in places 1 inch of caked grass. The belt covers were removed and although the belt are stretched they still have some life left in them (whew not rotted). One of the belt covers had a dent that was beat flat. When spun by hand everything was free and clear.

We had to find a "PTO linkage" (not sure what real name is, the part that drives the attachment from the tractor). The one that was found the female part of the shaft was warped. The mechanic heated it up and straightened it, I was amazed (I am easily awed). Once it moved smoothly he realized that the end that attaches to the mower was the wrong one, we needed one with notches, this one was smooth and had a place for a pin. Well, I know when to let a professional sweat and swear on their own so I put the wheel on, with a new lynch pin and hooked up the now cleaned mower to the tractor (greased all the zerks that would take grease, checked the gear oil level) and went for pizza while he removed the round end for a grooved one.

When I got back the ends were exchanged, we attached it to the mower and tractor and started it slowly. After a few minutes I tried to grease the zerks that didn't take grease and they all did. We removed the blades and he sharpened and balanced them(I am going to learn next time), by that time we put the belt covers and blades back on.

It took 4 hours and no new part

! I have added to my wish list an impact wrench. I won't get to try it out until this evening, but I am not sure as we had rain all morning.

The farm owner said I was like a kid at Christmas, all over a rusty mower... I had my head and hands in everything. :laughing: I can't understand why someone was allowed to trash a perfectly good mower?

Any tips on using the mower is appreciated, pictures will be posted in a few.

Learning to Farm · Jun 20, 2011

Start to finish!

Oh, it is a BEFCO Cyclone.

Learning to Farm · Jun 20, 2011

Oh, I will need to add that to my signature!

AndyG · Jun 21, 2011

Good deal. That finish mower will leave a nicer looking job and probably mow a lot faster than the bush hog. I have an older Befco and it is a fine machine. Just do not try to use it for bush hog jobs! You did really good on fixing up the mower. I want you and the mechanic to check one more thing before you use it very much. The gearbox on top must have a vent to let air in and out as the temperature changes. The vent is usually built into the filler plug on top. Make sure that the vent is open and is not clogged by rust or bugs. If the vent is clogged the expanding air an oil will push the seal out of the bottom of the gearbox and all of the oil will leak out. I have unfortunately done this twice. No major damage but changing the seal is a pain and it makes a real mess when the oil leaks out. I make it a point to check the vents when I check the oil in my bush hog and finish mower at the beginning of the season every year.

AndyG · Jun 21, 2011

Do the grass clippings come out of the side of this mower or out the back?

Knight9 · Jun 21, 2011

In one of the pictures, it says "rear discharge" on the mower.

JD5210 · Jun 21, 2011

Nice job! It always nice working with someone that you can learn something useful from.

If you have the time, I would sand/wire brush off what rust you can, prime it and paint. It would not be that hard to take it apart to do even a better job of painting. I googled Befco and here is a URL if you want to determine the exact model and see the color. The second URL may or may not be the manual for the mower. If you do paint it up, please post the picture.

BEFCO - Products

http://pdf.germanbliss.com/C50 RD4 RD5 RD6 RD7 Finish Mower.pdf

Learning to Farm · Jun 21, 2011

Thanks Andy, I didn't have to do a lot, was a great learning experience. Knight, I just go what he was asking, I was like they cut and fall down. I guess the grass does "discharge" from the rear.

Got to mow about an acre after work last night. AMAZING! It was easier to turn and it was a much better mow (didn't feel like the back-end bounced as much as with the brush-hog). One thing I did learn, harrow the manure BEFORE mowing! We have a draft horse that lives part time in that pasture and I gave quite a few piles of manure a buzz cut, ewww.

Learning to Farm · Jun 21, 2011

JD5210 said:
Nice job! It always nice working with someone that you can learn something useful from.

If you have the time, I would sand/wire brush off what rust you can, prime it and paint. It would not be that hard to take it apart to do even a better job of painting. I googled Befco and here is a URL if you want to determine the exact model and see the color. The second URL may or may not be the manual for the mower. If you do paint it up, please post the picture.

JD5210, I can not agree more. Steve the mechanic is so nice, he also doesn't mind the "Why's?" that are constantly streaming out of my mouth. I did buy a container of GoJo and shop towels for the tractor shed when I started and he says there are really nice reasons to have a girl around, he is not sexist in saying that... he means that the tractor steering wheel stays un-greasy. Also, I have my stash of safety glasses, sun block, and bug spray which he has used. I also stock the shop fridge with water and mini candy bars and as I said above bought pizza for us (I really appreciate all of his hard-work).

I also appreciate your links, based on the fact that the mower has 2 belts I think it is a C50 (with mulching rings), which means that user manual is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much. As for the painting, that may be a fall/winter project, if I do I will be sure to post pictures. All the attachments I use are color coded: rust. I am not sure if it is that I get those in case I break something it is not new :laughing:. I do need to order two new belts, the ones are not broken yet but who knows when they were put on, they are not cracked but stretched.

Quick question, what is the mowing difference between hard wheels and air tires? I would like to put on air tires for more lift, the hard wheels are really low to the ground.

Thanks again!

JD5210 · Jun 21, 2011

I am also always asking people questions. I make a point of telling people that I am asking the questions to learn from them and not questioning them. What is nice about learning from people like Steve is that their answers are based on experience and not just book learning.

On the tires, before purchasing my finishing mower I looked at Landpride, Woods and John Deere all of them had the solid tires. I also think Bush Hog and Rhino mowers have solid tires. I did find with my finishing mower when I set to the height to over 5 inches, the grass would fall over after I cut it, but it just might be my grass.

I find that often it is easier is just go around in a circle, if I miss a spot, then it is to back up. I do not have to slow down, shift into reverse, look back and to me it is easier on the mower since the wheels do not have to spin around.

Enjoy your new attachment.