Rotary Cutter New to rotary cutters, have questions, help please

[AlanB]

I would not use it, it would just not be worth the risk too me. I would want to do something at the very least to figure why the pulley arrangement is that way.

That said,

a turnbuckle hooked to a trampoline spring is a very handy belt tightening device.

Trampoline springs can usually be had for free if you look around a bit. I probably have about 50 right now from an old tramp

 

[studor]

It looks a lot like an old finish mower I saw a while back except it had a guard covering the belts and gears, two tailwheels and a bracket to allow the toplink to swivel -- no signs of who made it on it either. I am pretty sure the belt setup is to add speed to the blade rotation with the added benefit of just slipping and smoking if the blades get stopped. Inherently it is probably less dangerous than your average chainsaw -- course I would not mow within a great distance of anything I valued but that is the same rule I follow with my four foot modern rotary cutter, lawnmower and garden tractor mowing deck.
You asked about getting the pto shaft off the blower -- can you not just take out the shear bolt and drive it off? Some times they get a liitle rusty and the shear bolt does not let go when its supposed to (don't ask how I found that out) so its a good idea to check them every once in a while anyway (like before it snows again)

 

[pycoed]

You guys aren't helping If you're this scared by just seeing the pictures you'd prolly poop yourselves if you saw it in person

Dang it, I was hoping this thing would work out. But now I'm thinking it's going to be a death wish to fire it up. *&^&*(*&^$!!
j

I'm guessing whoever built this needed a step up in speed from PTO to the gearbox hence the big pulley on the PTO & the small pulley on the gearbox. Probably not a "pukka" brush hog gearbox then.

It doesn't look to me as if there is nearly enough angular contact for the belt with the PTO pulley or particularly the gearbox pulley.

Any heavy cutting I'd guess would quickly result in belt slip & a ruined belt. There's only about 60 deg of contact on the gearbox pulley which is not nearly enough to cut anything other than a lawn!

I would use a short belt that would just stretch over the PTO & gearbox pullies & then tension that with a flat pulley running on the BACK of the vee belt. That way you could get say 200deg of contact with the gearbox pulley & perhaps 185deg with the PTO pulley

 

[N80]

You guys aren't helping If you're this scared by just seeing the pictures you'd prolly poop yourselves if you saw it in person

You are probably right, but we won't be the only one's with brown undies if one of those rusty blade bolts gives way! There just seem to be too many things ready to fly off that thing at hight speed.

I'd search real hard for a name plate or ID on that thing............mostly to make sure it doesn't say 'Christine' on it anywhere.

Seriously, I can see the fun of the challenge and it would be interesting to see it run.....but if I needed a rotary cutter I wouldn't want to spend much of my budget on that contraption.

If you do get it running, take your movie camera, I think it would be a popular YouTube flik.

 

[Glowplug]

I'd have to say that thing is very "interesting". Definately looks homemade. I hope you have a tractor with a cab if you start that thing up! If you do decide to start it I would do so at the very lowest PTO rpm speed possible and then verrrryyyy slooooowly creeeep the speed up while ducking behind your seat. Seriously, you may be okay with that. But me, personally, I wouldn't get near it when it's hooked to a PTO shaft. It's just not worth the risk. Definately don't put any significant amount of money into trying to get that thing running. If at all possible it would be worth it to get a light-duty 4' cutter like King Kutter before trying to "restore" that contraption. You could probably get one new for ~$600. I would love to hook up and play with some old implements like moldboard plows, disks, and such. But with something that is going to have thick hardened, but rusted, steel flying around at a very high speed would be out of the question in my book.

 

[StrangeRanger]

Ok guys, I'm torn. I spent some time looking this monster over last night w/ a person who's a skilled welder and "knows" metal. He doesn't know tractors, but knows metal. He poked and prodded and the good news is the deck is actually very sturdy. Pronounced: should contain things that go flying off

As I looked at the pulley set up my thinking is it's there for 3 reasons.
1.) probably to speed things up so the PTO can be run at a lower speed.
2.) More importantly I think it's there to reduce the angle the PTO comes in at. If I look at new or newer cutters the gear boxes are considerably raised off the deck so the PTO shaft comes in at a pretty low angle. Not sure if you can tell from the pics, but on this thing the gear box is basically sitting right on the deck. If you were to run a PTO shaft to it the angle would be so steep you'd eat PTO shafts in no time.
3.) The belt system I'm sure is there for some "give" when/if you hit something.

The gearbox and bearings appear ok. Obviously they'll need some cleaning and grease but there's very little play if any at all in them.

The plate the blades attach to also appears to be in dirty, but decent shape. Not bent or mis-aligned. Again, some TLC should make it useable.

The blades...well, they're basically worthless. Along w/ the "bolts" that mount them. Probably depends on size etc., but does anyone have any idea what a beater set of mower blades for something like this would cost?

So I'm thinking I'll remove the blades, clean and grease her up and spin her up at a low speed w/ no blades. If it seems to be in ok balance and doesn't shake herself to death I'll proceed from there. That would include buying some new blades and mounting bolts. I have a wheel laying around I can rig up as a tail wheel. I'd think a wheel rated for 300lb should be fine. I think I'm willing to invest that much $$ to see what happens. Plus, it's tinker time!

I realize these machines are very dangerous, but the deck is solid and spinning up slowly w/out blades to begin I think is reasonable. My question though is w/ that pulley system I'm thinking I better not be turning 540 on the PTO and I'm not sure how to calculate a "safe" operating speed.

Pycoed: I have no idea what you're talking about. What pulley angle are you describing.

To all who suggest buying new/used: I know $600 in the scheme of tractors is not much, but it's about $550 more than I have Seriously, one of my sons has some severe disabilities so basically all of our spare $$$ goes to paying medical bills our insurance company refuses. And that is quite a pile.

 

[Soundguy]

I like old and antique stuff.

if the deck and mount brackets are good, then replace those blade bolts and check the baldes for cracks.. Past that.. lube the boxes and see if it spins.

soundguy

 

[Runner]

Being the chicken that I am, I'd at least invest in some kind of rubber or chain guards over the openings before using it. Might at least help slow down any high-speed projectiles. Seems like I've seen rubber belting for that purpose fairly cheap at TSC.

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

truck mud flaps used to be 4$ at truck stops.

soundguy

 

[StrangeRanger]

Actually the only opening is the side discharge chute. The front and back are closed. And the side opening is about maybe a foot wide, so I'm not even sure a blade would fit through it But adding some chain or thick rubber mat is probably a better safe than sorry idea I should do. Plus if it works, I will probably plug the side chute and open the back. I'd think that would help w/ clogging issues.
The blades are totally shot. They have to be replaced. Hmm... think I'll see what happens.
j