Old Toro Reelmaster Project

[Robert128]

I bought an old Toro Reelmaster and got it running. 38 HP Puegot Diesel, 5 cutting reels. I want to use it to cut around the farm, But as I suspected, The reels don't cut the higher grass. I want to build a cutting deck to replace the reels in front. I would like to power the deck (or decks) with the existing hydraulic lines. -Has anyone ever tried this and can you give me some tips up front. I read that blade Rpm are around 3600. Is this about right. Where do you find Hyd. Motors for Cutting Decks. - Can you run the motor directly to the Mandrel or better with a pully setup
Thanks

 

[Johndeere3720]

You could buy a brush hog but they run at 540 RPM. You can get the hydraulic pto on an advertiser on this site. I would do some research on it.

 

[Robert128]

 

[forester2]

If you look, many of the manufactures make machines like this now with mult. rotary or even flail heads on them with hyd. drive. Think you'll find it takes lot more HP to run a rotary than a reel but that doesnt mean you can't have a narrower width of cut than you have now.You need to know the rpms of the blade not what the gear box going to the blade takes. I don't know but would be curious to find out. Sounds like a fun project.

 

[schmism]

why not a old rear finish mower and direct drive the spindals instead of the gearbox/surptine belt.

 

[J_J]

I bought an old Toro Reelmaster and got it running. 38 HP Puegot Diesel, 5 cutting reels. I want to use it to cut around the farm, But as I suspected, The reels don't cut the higher grass. I want to build a cutting deck to replace the reels in front. I would like to power the deck (or decks) with the existing hydraulic lines. -Has anyone ever tried this and can you give me some tips up front. I read that blade Rpm are around 3600. Is this about right. Where do you find Hyd. Motors for Cutting Decks. - Can you run the motor directly to the Mandrel or better with a pully setup
Thanks

The pump/pumps on the machine apparently has the volume to run those motors. Is that a single pump, or a series of three or four pumps. Those motors might be high speed, and low torque. Like this one below.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=3516012517214269&item=9-7073-100&catname=hydraulic

The pump would have to supply the same volume to all three hyd motors in a three motor deck. So if each motor needs, 8 GPM, then the pump would be rather large. What is the engine HP , from that, you can figure the max pump displacement. Never mind, I see the HP above at 38 HP.

Just an example.

This small high speed motor above will develop about 10 HP , and if turning a 32 in blade, it should work quite well. So if three hyd motors develop 30 HP, then that means that the pump has to develop more HP, maybe around 35 HP. The engine to pump loss is about 95 %, so the engine to power this setup, should be about 40 HP, allowing some HP for ground travel.

If you had only one hyd motor, then you would use the motor/pully belt setup. Since you have three motors, I would direct couple them using standard couplers.

There should be a relief valve across the motor to help with shock loads.

The motors appear to have a motor case drain line, and you don't wantany back pressure on it.

The drains usually go to sump/reservoir.

 

[dodge85rc]

I had a shot at getting a reemaster 5300 at one point and had thought about trying to find a way to run a 72" deck off of it. At that time, it was not a feasable project. If you still have the reels, sell them quick, you can get some nice $$ for them and you will need the money. One thing I thought of after the option to get it, passed, was to take 5 smaller mower decks and run them individually, say 5 38" or 42" decks, depending on the spacing required between. The hydraulics on that machine should be able to power a setup like that. Wish I would have thought of that when I had the shot. Shortly after I was given a reelmaster 216, and used that to mow the lawn. It can be done with a reel, if you keep it sharp and keep it cut. The front anti scalp rollers had to come off too. In the end it got me by for a while, didn't have that golf course look but I live in the middle of nowhere and the deer don't care.

 

[Robert128]

Thanks Guys for all the great Info. This site is awesome. Here is my rough sketch of the cutting decks
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=153316&stc=1&d=1264610322

I am planning for 3 30" cutting decks. There are 4 pumps on the Motor. The two that are now being used for the Reels appear to put out 7 GPM each for a total of 14 GPM @ 3000 psi. The larger pump is used for the wheel motors (26.3 GPM)
There is also a pump for the lift (4 gpm) - I am hoping that the 14 gpm will going to 3 motors will give me the torque and speed I need for 30" blades. If not maybe there is excess available capacity in the Wheel motor pump - Not sure how that works...
and the lift pump is not used during cutting so there maybe is an extra 4 gpm.
The question I am dealing with now is the Needed blade tip speed for a good cut - I read somewhere it is around 16,000 fpm - Is this about right.
Also - I am going with 3 indivual, unconnected round cutting decks. The mounts on the machine are already set up and pivot in all directions. - Also - All hydraulics are controlled by selenoid valves and there is a circuit board that, when you push the joystick forward, it drops the deck and starts the blades in one action - Reverse the other way.

 

[Robert128]

Here is a closeup of the Motor
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=153323&stc=1&d=1264611197

 

[forester2]

You might want to see if you can score several old 30" Gravely commercial decks. Darn heavy duty.

 

[Robert128]

Thanks Forester2
I took a look at some and that might be just what I need. If they are not too expensive..

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=153528&stc=1&d=1264784185

 

[forester2]

There's a commercial 42" too that is multi bladed

 

[kebo]

Those gravely 30" decks would work but I'm guessing there is probably about 2" from blade tip to the adacent blade tip. Unless you can figure a way to actually "marry" the decks together with some overlap like you did in your sketch, you're going to have two narrow strips of uncut grass on each pass. I'm pretty sure it can be done.

Btw, I was cruising my local craigslist's and came across an old Toro reelmaster with NO reels for $500. It had the 38hp diesel motor in it as well, and it also still had the hydraulic motors in it to run the reels. That one would be a great candidate to do something similar to what you're doing but I just don't have a need to conjure up something that would cut that much grass. If I did, I'd go buy a 6ft 3pt finish cut mower and be done with it.

This is an interesting project, I hope you keep us informed on how it goes.

 

[ray66v]

WHO PAINTED A REELMASTER GREEN????

I own one of these, and have kicked this idea around myself.

The cost estimate seems to kill the project every time I consider it.

I think I will make a fork lift out of mine, when I retire it from mowing.

 

[Robert128]

When you've got a couple of gallons of John Deere Green Paint Around - Who can resist - ha ha
Assuming I can get the 3 cutting decks to work, I have some other things I would like to add to it. One is a side mounted arm with a hydraulic tree trimmer that I could control with the Joy Stick. Kind of like an extended arm that goes up about 15ft with a large Shear, that could be closed and opened by a hydraulic cylinder. - But, I am getting ahead of myself.
I've got a question. Does anyone know if you can switch the hydraulic lines on a motor to make it spin the other way = Or does it have to be made to specifically do that.

 

[ray66v]

Does anyone know if you can switch the hydraulic lines on a motor to make it spin the other way = Or does it have to be made to specifically do that.

I don't know about any motor, but I do know the ones on the reelmaster will go in reverse. That's how you backlap the reels. Hence the 3rd hose.

 

[Robert128]

What I am considering doing is running the hydraulic lines from the back two reels (which I have removed) to the front cutters. The hydraulic schemata shows that 2 of the four pumps run the reels @ 7gpm each. I am wondering if I can use the extra capacity from pump 2 to spin the front motors faster. Do you know anything about that?

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=153841&stc=1&d=1264989550

 

[ray66v]

Sounds like a plan. it should work, volume is volume.

 

[J_J]

When you've got a couple of gallons of John Deere Green Paint Around - Who can resist - ha ha
Assuming I can get the 3 cutting decks to work, I have some other things I would like to add to it. One is a side mounted arm with a hydraulic tree trimmer that I could control with the Joy Stick. Kind of like an extended arm that goes up about 15ft with a large Shear, that could be closed and opened by a hydraulic cylinder. - But, I am getting ahead of myself.
I've got a question. Does anyone know if you can switch the hydraulic lines on a motor to make it spin the other way = Or does it have to be made to specifically do that.

Some hyd motors will turn either way. A valve called motor spool valve will do this, either manual or solenoid valve will work. Some manual motor valve have detent. The motor circuit is also used to allow the motors to coast to a stop.

On the third hyd hose on those motors, is that not a case drain. Trace it back and see if it goes to tank/reservoir.

I have never seen a hyd motor with three hoses to control direction. That don't mean that don't exist.

Due to the size of the hose on the third hose, I am almost postive about this being a case drain.

 

[Robert128]

Thanks J_J and Ray66, - I checked the Hydraulic Schemata and there are two high pressure lines coming out of the Selenoid valves for the back reels. Those valves open in sequence with the front selenoid valves when you drop the reels. - It automatically starts the reels - slight delay on the back reels.
So I would have 5 lines going into a some kind of convergence block or something - and then going to the 3 front motors (spinning the blades) - 5 lines going in, 3 lines coming out, and that 3rd motor line - which I am not sure where it goes yet. This is a great site, I really appreciate the help!