mrcaptainbob
Platinum Member
That is so cool! I must make one! Is that tow bar rh/lh? That is, can you flip it over so as to pull that mower from the right if you wanted?
I am building my own pull-type finish mower.
- Thread starter jimgerken
- Start date
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bobodu
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
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- 960
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- Whitley County,In.EIEIO
- Tractor
- Farmnought.Gravely Model L,Gravely Model LI,1941 Clinton two wheeler
I had a moment of terror yesterday with my pull behind mower setup.I had rigged two old push mower decks to a frame with casters to drag around behind my Gravely.Backed it into the shed to drop off the mowers.Shut them down and pulled the pin on the hitch,but it didn't come free right away.I reached back to give it a yank by one of the decks.For some reason...THAT MOWER WAS STILL RUNNING!!! Must have missed my fingers by a inch.I couldn't hear it over the tractor.Did some mighty fast "Thank you,God" praying right there,then went in to change my pants! Just wanted to relate this show of my own personal stupidity because I'm still shaken.I'm not in the habit of doing things like this.Always disconnect the plug when working on them and walking the yard before mowing.That mower has never failed to shut off and I'm too darned scared of it to figure it out for awhile!I feel silly mentioning mower safety here ,but because of my own hubris,I came close to losing my fingers 15 miles from help.
Now back to my mower do dad.I just took two old push mowers that I had laying around and pulled the wheels and handles off them.Welded up a frame without a pivot(I made it to swivel horizonally) to attach to the back of my steering sulky.I built two casters out of 8 inch pneumatic tires to mount to the outside rear of the decks.It does look kinda funky..but with the 30 inch brush hog on the Gravely I can make a 66 inch cut.The mower out front gets under the trees!!It'll miss quite a bit if you don't get a straight run,but with the steering wheels being center mounted,I get a really tight turning radius.I just get the first couple of passes best I can then do a 450 degree turn at each corner.Sounds like a lot of turning but I see fellas with the ZTRs do stuff like that all the time.I used to hate the corners with the belly mower,but now it's more like one of those stomach turning carnaval rides.The noise doesn't seem to be a problem and I actually use less fuel than running the wife's 18 horse.It'll do that acre and a half in an hour.I'm just grateful that I learned my lesson and still have my left hand!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Now back to my mower do dad.I just took two old push mowers that I had laying around and pulled the wheels and handles off them.Welded up a frame without a pivot(I made it to swivel horizonally) to attach to the back of my steering sulky.I built two casters out of 8 inch pneumatic tires to mount to the outside rear of the decks.It does look kinda funky..but with the 30 inch brush hog on the Gravely I can make a 66 inch cut.The mower out front gets under the trees!!It'll miss quite a bit if you don't get a straight run,but with the steering wheels being center mounted,I get a really tight turning radius.I just get the first couple of passes best I can then do a 450 degree turn at each corner.Sounds like a lot of turning but I see fellas with the ZTRs do stuff like that all the time.I used to hate the corners with the belly mower,but now it's more like one of those stomach turning carnaval rides.The noise doesn't seem to be a problem and I actually use less fuel than running the wife's 18 horse.It'll do that acre and a half in an hour.I'm just grateful that I learned my lesson and still have my left hand!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
OP
jimgerken
Veteran Member
I hadnt thought about flipping the tow bar over to pull it on the other side. It could be done by welding on a couple more tabs. Not sure why you'd want to do that. The clippings from the belly mower would then blast over onto the non-mowed lawn, where the trailmower would have to mow through them. It could take a lot more power.
I am thinking the absolute neatest would be rear discharge on both the belly mower and the trail mower. Then the trail mower could be put left or right, depending on what you were mowing up to, etc. Then, the hydraulic actuation would be a very usefull feature!
I am thinking the absolute neatest would be rear discharge on both the belly mower and the trail mower. Then the trail mower could be put left or right, depending on what you were mowing up to, etc. Then, the hydraulic actuation would be a very usefull feature!
jwstewar
Elite Member
I used to have a 60" pull-behind rear-discharge made by Agri-Fab. I used to use it behind the old Sears with a 42" off to the right w/o any problems it typically could mow at the same speed the tractor did even though it was "re-mowing" the clippings from the tractor. Then when the old Sears finally died I was pulling it with a Wizard Lawn Tractor - well pull occasionally usually it was me off pushing it as I left the tractor in gear because I was stuck /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. Anyway when I got the NH w/ the rear discharge MMM I wanted to use the both of them together, but a combination of things prevented that from happening. I had hit a buried fence post with the Agri-Fab and done a lot of damage. After replacing everything on it - some a couple of times and several belts of a period of a couple years I think I finally had it going again, but by this time now the mower wasn't running right it kept bogging down and wouldn't/couldn't keep up with the tractor. So I got mad and sold it. Talked to the people the other day and said they are using behind their mowers just fine. Sometimes I wish I would've tinkered more and kept it going. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif After seeing this thread it has me wanting another one, but I think I want to build it a little bit different than the way the Agri-Fab was built.
SPIKER
Elite Member
hey al:
wanted to add my 2 cents worth:
good job! looks nice, now you need to dissassemble, clean & take it to be Powder Coated! where are you located? I can maybe get you a name/number of someone we sold a set up to.
MarkM /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
wanted to add my 2 cents worth:
good job! looks nice, now you need to dissassemble, clean & take it to be Powder Coated! where are you located? I can maybe get you a name/number of someone we sold a set up to.
MarkM /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
OP
jimgerken
Veteran Member
We have a local powder coater, but it seems very expensive. Spray cans will do it just fine.
I obtained actual ground ball bearings with seals to replace the open junk "bearings" those harbor freight wheels originally came with. Finished installing them last night. Turned out great. I put in a grease zirk in the sidewall of the hub, picked off the inner seal of each bearing before pressing in, lathe-cut an inner race preload spacer to drop inbetween the two bearings. Now they work SWEET! Then, mounting them onto the deck, I added supports to both sides of each fixed wheel at the back of the deck, instead of support from one side. And more custom spacers so only the inner races contact the mounting surfaces. Looks like it will last now. I made a couple other changes as well. I added a swivel to the hitch, full 360 degrees, right up next to the tractor end, so the mower could swivel compared to the tractor (like the tractor could be on level ground next to a bank and the mower could be on the bank sidehill itself, and any angle without bending anything). I added a couple more mounting positions to the hitch, so it can overlap 3 inches to a 60 inch belly mower, or 2 inches to a 40 inch belly mower. And I made the clutch lever a bit smaller as it was hitting the one tire. Installed the grease zirks in the caster pivots, and added holes for cotter pins here too. And added 1" square tube gussets across each of the two 22.5 degree angles in the hitch tube.
Saturday is the big test, my wife will mow the yard and orchard with it and give me feedback (or break it). I will be watching and photographing. Then I will load it onto the trailer and take it to mow my 1.5 acre airstrip behind my little TSC Husky 38" rider, which usually takes 1.25 hours. If all goes well, I will then build belt gaurds, a permanent throttle lever mount, and add a kill switch extension to the tractor, before dissassembly for paint.
I obtained actual ground ball bearings with seals to replace the open junk "bearings" those harbor freight wheels originally came with. Finished installing them last night. Turned out great. I put in a grease zirk in the sidewall of the hub, picked off the inner seal of each bearing before pressing in, lathe-cut an inner race preload spacer to drop inbetween the two bearings. Now they work SWEET! Then, mounting them onto the deck, I added supports to both sides of each fixed wheel at the back of the deck, instead of support from one side. And more custom spacers so only the inner races contact the mounting surfaces. Looks like it will last now. I made a couple other changes as well. I added a swivel to the hitch, full 360 degrees, right up next to the tractor end, so the mower could swivel compared to the tractor (like the tractor could be on level ground next to a bank and the mower could be on the bank sidehill itself, and any angle without bending anything). I added a couple more mounting positions to the hitch, so it can overlap 3 inches to a 60 inch belly mower, or 2 inches to a 40 inch belly mower. And I made the clutch lever a bit smaller as it was hitting the one tire. Installed the grease zirks in the caster pivots, and added holes for cotter pins here too. And added 1" square tube gussets across each of the two 22.5 degree angles in the hitch tube.
Saturday is the big test, my wife will mow the yard and orchard with it and give me feedback (or break it). I will be watching and photographing. Then I will load it onto the trailer and take it to mow my 1.5 acre airstrip behind my little TSC Husky 38" rider, which usually takes 1.25 hours. If all goes well, I will then build belt gaurds, a permanent throttle lever mount, and add a kill switch extension to the tractor, before dissassembly for paint.
hazmat
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2002
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- 4,051
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- West Newbury, MA & Harrison, ME
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- Kubota L5460HSTC
You've been hard at work. I hope wifey's test run goes well.
kuby
Silver Member
Bobodo do you have pics of your setup?
Jimgerken that setup is slicker than cat crap on a linoleum floor.
Jimgerken that setup is slicker than cat crap on a linoleum floor.
bobodu
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
- Messages
- 960
- Location
- Whitley County,In.EIEIO
- Tractor
- Farmnought.Gravely Model L,Gravely Model LI,1941 Clinton two wheeler
Oh Dear....I was afraid that someone would ask for a picture of my mower setup. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif It truely is one of the cruder things I have cobbled up in recent memory.On the other hand,does adding 38 inches of cutting width for $10 really figure into the beauty category? AWYEP /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I just took the wheels off two "junk" mowers , blocked them up to the same cutting height and bolted two lengths of angle between them,fore and aft of the motors,leaving a space for the front mounted mower on the Gravely to do it's thing.My steering sulky has a pipe sticking out of the rear,so I just slide a piece into that and fastened it with a pin.Bodgered up a swivel using the next sized pipe for horizontal movement and welded that to the leading piece of angle.The rear is supported by two casters I made out of wheels from TSC ($5 each,hence the $10) that are welded to the aft running angle.I had placed these to the ends of the angle but I am going to move them inward so they will trail the mowers.While they do leave a nice reference line for the next path,it tends to drop into the gardens and kills the mower!
When/if the flood subsides,I'll redo the casters and post some pics.I am planning to go down to Portland,In. today to the gas and steam show with the wife.This was HER idea...she's up to something /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I just took the wheels off two "junk" mowers , blocked them up to the same cutting height and bolted two lengths of angle between them,fore and aft of the motors,leaving a space for the front mounted mower on the Gravely to do it's thing.My steering sulky has a pipe sticking out of the rear,so I just slide a piece into that and fastened it with a pin.Bodgered up a swivel using the next sized pipe for horizontal movement and welded that to the leading piece of angle.The rear is supported by two casters I made out of wheels from TSC ($5 each,hence the $10) that are welded to the aft running angle.I had placed these to the ends of the angle but I am going to move them inward so they will trail the mowers.While they do leave a nice reference line for the next path,it tends to drop into the gardens and kills the mower!
When/if the flood subsides,I'll redo the casters and post some pics.I am planning to go down to Portland,In. today to the gas and steam show with the wife.This was HER idea...she's up to something /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
OP
jimgerken
Veteran Member
Casters: I built them. Cheap harbor Freight wheels and fabricated everything else from cold rolled steel. Eventually the bearings in the wheels were shot and I replaced them with sealed ball units for 5 bucks apeice. So 5 dollar wheels became 15 dollar wheels. I can post a better photo of the caster area , if you wish.
Nah, that is all right. I see how you did it now. I have some of those cheap wheels (from TSC though) on another project and they look like good wheels exept the bearings. I put a grease fitting on mine and I think that will help a little.
djradz
Veteran Member
How about an electric clutch, much like that used on most lower-priced lawn/garden tractors sold today. That way, you can start the engine, and forget about it. Just flip the remote switch (which you'd locate somewhere near your seat) and the blades would start and stop on demand.
LBrown59
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2004
- Messages
- 16,904
- Tractor
- 2003 Kubota BX1500/2004 Kubota Bx23/2005 Kubota BX1500
Does anyone make an off set Rear mount mower.
LBrown59
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2004
- Messages
- 16,904
- Tractor
- 2003 Kubota BX1500/2004 Kubota Bx23/2005 Kubota BX1500
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( so don't have to much trouble mowing under them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )</font>
..........<
TractorByNet.com - I am building my own pull-type finish mower.
Nice setup for mowing fence lines, but in my yard when I walk up to a mature tree and a limb knocks my hat off the limb is cut so don't have to much trouble mowing under them.
TOM DUALLY
**********************
I trim the branches as they get to low to drive the tractor under.
The thing I could use his mower for is trimming along ditches.
..........<
TractorByNet.com - I am building my own pull-type finish mower.
Nice setup for mowing fence lines, but in my yard when I walk up to a mature tree and a limb knocks my hat off the limb is cut so don't have to much trouble mowing under them.
TOM DUALLY
**********************
I trim the branches as they get to low to drive the tractor under.
The thing I could use his mower for is trimming along ditches.
oliver28472
Veteran Member
If you are thinking about trimming fence lines check this one out: http://www.swisherinc.com/postmaster.html
