Hydraulic Ditch - Bank Brush Hog - No PTO

[sequoyah101]

Admired your craftsmanship. You didn't torch cut all those nice long tapered pieces and shapes did you?

What did you use for a spindle, what size motor is that, pump. Looks like about 20 gpm for the pump, what blade did you use? Most large spindles have a blade bolt that runs all the way through which is a problem if you want to use a shaft connector or lovejoy coupling to the motor. I hope to get around that by using a cap screw that has a head less than the ID of the couplers. I had thought about using a piece of DOM tubing and cutting bearing recesses in it but the commercial grooming mower or larger ZTR spindles should be plenty rugged for a 30" non-brush cutting blade.

Looks like your power pack is pretty simple. Big cartridge filter, bypass relief valve. Did you really need that big a suction? I guess you have not had any cooling issues. The ROT is one gallon of tank per gpm of capacity to cool acceptably. Think the isolation ball valves are a good idea.

I'm working on a fence mower and realized that all I am really doing is cutting grass so no need to build a massive blade assembly. A 30" mower blade should do just fine. My mission is not to chop down all the gopher mounds and trees since we are now completing a 3 year fence replacement program and everything is dozed pool table flat, I wish but flat enough. All I want to do is maintain what I have now and not go through the last struggle again before I shove off.

 

[jmjeffers]

Admired your craftsmanship. You didn't torch cut all those nice long tapered pieces and shapes did you?

What did you use for a spindle, what size motor is that, pump. Looks like about 20 gpm for the pump, what blade did you use? Most large spindles have a blade bolt that runs all the way through which is a problem if you want to use a shaft connector or lovejoy coupling to the motor. I hope to get around that by using a cap screw that has a head less than the ID of the couplers. I had thought about using a piece of DOM tubing and cutting bearing recesses in it but the commercial grooming mower or larger ZTR spindles should be plenty rugged for a 30" non-brush cutting blade.

Looks like your power pack is pretty simple. Big cartridge filter, bypass relief valve. Did you really need that big a suction? I guess you have not had any cooling issues. The ROT is one gallon of tank per gpm of capacity to cool acceptably. Think the isolation ball valves are a good idea.

I'm working on a fence mower and realized that all I am really doing is cutting grass so no need to build a massive blade assembly. A 30" mower blade should do just fine. My mission is not to chop down all the gopher mounds and trees since we are now completing a 3 year fence replacement program and everything is dozed pool table flat, I wish but flat enough. All I want to do is maintain what I have now and not go through the last struggle again before I shove off.

The steel was mostly cut using a 8" metal cutting circular saw. The spindle and blade are for a DR brush mower. Since the spindle was designed to have a belt pulley it was already keyed, therefore it was ready to accept a lovejoy coupling. The ball valves are to isolate the tank during filter change. The unit has a cooler and fan under the fuel tank and does not exceed 120 degrees while cutting. It does run hotter when cutting high grass vs brush. Engine is 20hp and operating pressure is 2000 psi. Blade tip speed is 16,000 fpm. I have all the part numbers and specs should you need any.