Ford 951 Special Mower- what to do?!

[lloyd430]

Hey folks here is a pic of my mower the deck is getting beat, and I was planning on replacing it this winter, but some thing have changed. I was using it last week and noticed I couldn't pick it up all the way? The arms where up but not the back wheel? After I unhooked it this is what I noticed -----"One of these thing is not like the other!" I'm thinking the upper left brace and the lower right brace are correct, and the opposite are bent. Is it worth it to remake the entire more? I figure it will be $300 in steel, and a whole lot of time.

 

[Creamer]

Its a bushhog - there is nothing wrong with those bars that a little reforming couldn't take care of adequately.

 

[Ed of all trades]

The deck looks fine to me, so what if it is not perfect. The 3 ph needs braced or replaced but I don't see $300 worth of iron needed there. Fix the 3 point and run it.

 

[boggen]

some braces, a toruch, and a hammer, maybe a cheater bar could most likely bend the pieces back around

wondering if you also haven't set the 3pt hitch (top link and side link) up correctly to lift the rotatory cutter correctly.

man on second thought LOL those braces are all mangled up! deck is good just the braces that goto the 3pt hitch...

pull the bars off take it to a metal fab place near you, and they could either make you new and bend the stuff to angles ya need, or rework what you have there.

you might be able to take some measurements, and call around to see if you can just buy replacement parts from some other "rotatory cutter" to fit yours.
SCRATCH THAT. i see a nice little "name plate tag" in first picture, right up near the front of the mower deck, if standing at pto shaft, and looking back on mower, it would be on left hand side,
the name plate should give you model number and manufacture.

 

[lloyd430]

Yep the make and model is there but no dealer around here says they can get parts! Even the oil seal I went to NAPA for. Could this be caused from backing while brush hogging- changing the force on it? The deck does look good in the pics- but its not- it looks more tike swiss cheese fill with holes, and the previous owner did a lot of patch work to it. I'm thinking the 800 pounds is a little too much for the hitch over time. The only time I really picked up the entire thing was during transport (friction bearing in the caster didn't want to burn that out.

I'm concerned about bending back the braces- they have been bent once and that will make it easier to bend next time. I know its a brush hog- I just don't really want it cobbed too bad.

 

[Sportsman762]

I would make new pieces for the part of the top-link mast that is near the tractor. The two long braces that go from the mast back could be replaced with chain.
here are some photos of what I am talking about, however they are using cable.
Rear Rotary Mowers | Diamond Mowers
This would allow the rotary cutter to pivot back so the mast would not bend. Another option would be for you to replace the tractors toplink with a piece of chain. That is what I did to get the flex I needed.

 

[lloyd430]

Sportsman762- can you still mow backwards with the chain? I push mower a lot into the hedge to get rid of the burdock. Noe that I think about it, it would just allow the top link to have more movement, WOW thanks thats a great idea!

 

[jmc]

I've got a 5ft 951 Special parked out in the field. Would you like a picture of an unbent one?