Mowing PT 60" Mower

marrt · Jan 12, 2003

Re: PT 60\" Mower

 they in turn shared the problems not having a clutch when starting their test model with it's own motor. 

Han, from this comment, I assume the factory has been testing a wing mower? I often wondered why PT doesn’t produce a wing mower (they make every other attachment after all). I would like to get a wing mower, but I still think the professional ones like you use are too expensive for my use. Would be great if the factory decided to make one at an affordable price.

With regard to adding an engine to the PT mower, I have considered this idea as well. Don’t take offense, but for me, each hour I spend mowing is a wasted hour that I could use doing something else. I don’t like mowing and want to get it over with as quickly as possible.

It seems like an easy exercise to test whether adding an engine to the PT mower will significantly increase your ground speed. Just have someone time you going up a hill using the PT mower on. Then add 120 lbs or so weight, and take the same hill with the PT mower off. Should get you pretty close. I don’t know what kind of load the PT mower puts on the PT engine, but it must be significant.

Anonymous Poster · Jan 12, 2003

Re: PT 60\" Mower

RE - your post

tipspeed is what you should, would like to have your blades rpms to be.

you will see if you read the recent postings of Charlie and if i am not mistaking even Sedgewood are hinting that they could use some more umpf when mowing on an inclination.

as i indicated i am by no means changing to a bigger machine, because that uses more power to operate to get the optimum tipspeed wanted.

commercially or not commercially mowing is not the problem, the problem is more power when mowing on an incline with another 700 pounds of mowers dragging behind. in this situation is, where eventually i loose my ground and subsequently my tipspeed of my blades.

contrary to you i have several ztrs, that way out perform the pt 400 in constant tipspeed, quality of mowing, and ground speed. but they are not warranted to pull 700 pounds of other mowing equipment behind.

I know what tip speed is - and I know why it is important in maintaining cut quality

Was only inquiring - because I have not had this specific issue
- I also have not been dragging around two additional 60 inch mowers behind - so it does not surpirse me that you are having these issues and I would be surpirsed if simply adding an engine to the PT deck would solve your problem - Sounds like way too much for the unit - be interested to see the outcome

I understand that mowing is probably the most demanding use - and there IS a very big difference in using a unit commercially -

i also was not suggesting that the large ZTR would mow faster etc - just that the PT had more deck power vs the 14hp Buton and that the cut with both blades razor sharp was just as good or better on the PT - I mow no more than 4hrs without sharpening the blades

If quality mowing, though, is what I need a machine for - RE 95-99% of the hours - I don't think the PT is a good choice for many many reasons -

Look at the large golf course commercial units by Jac, Toro - etc - with wings etc to cut 12 or 14 ft - they try and keep weight down and the speed and hp to the deck way up
- just a different application

Well good luck - I really hope the it works

bubenberg · Jan 12, 2003

Re: PT 60\" Mower

Look at the large golf course commercial units by Jac, Toro - etc - with wings etc to cut 12 or 14 ft - they try and keep weight down and the speed and hp to the deck way up
- just a different application 

i think you are not quite right on the wing mowers you quote above. they are heavy and very costly and can't be used like our set up when the ground get's very wet.

those are the reasons why some 600 mowing hours i went with this less costly solution ... and now i am only improving on the existing rig .... that is all.

please look at these pictures and imagine the 400 with it's own mower (in the near future with it's own engine) and two commercial 57" acrease out to the rear left.

have a nice Sunday

hrl

MossRoad · Jan 12, 2003

Re: PT 60\" Mower

Hans,
Why don't you just give up the PT mower deck and tow(or push) another Acrease? Just asking /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

bubenberg · Jan 12, 2003

Re: PT 60

the cost of another acrease is way more than what i will spent on installing all the modifications on the pt mower. another aspect is the acrease are built a slant and the makes it harder to push and turn. but i have tried because each of them have a pt q/a plate welded on for easy loading and unloading. but based on your suggestion i will try some more ... thank you for the encouragement.

Sedgewood · Jan 13, 2003

Re: PT 60

Hans, here's a variant - put an adapter plate on a crossbar with an acrease at each end and pull two up front where you can see them and tow a third behind.

bubenberg · Jan 13, 2003

Re: PT 60

Sedgwood, we (Francis my mechanic/inventor/welder and I) have found out that pushing mowers is harder than pulling. the only reason to have a mower up front is to get under bushes, make a cleaner pattern at the edge of the area to be mowed. otherwise i would, as quit a few of you suggested, pull them all behind.

one thing you got to remember is the weight of the 1050 pounds is only at the start up, and since i put larger tires on the acrease the rolling of the mowers is a cake walk. to quote Chris Ashbury, the former VP of Sales and Son in Law of the owner of pt, mowing is the hardest thing you will ever do, the biggest power drain on a motor which powers a hydraulic system.

ergo, i am now testing the hypothesis: adding an engine to the front mower should reduce the power drain from the pt motor, since the only thing it has to provide is an optimum ground speed.

one option is to pull all the mowers behind the pt, but as i said the edges of a mowing area are going to be traveled over more often each week (compactation etc). if pulling all three mowers behind works better, that solves one thing, the chaffing coming into the motor area of the pt is going to be less (i hope, depending on the prevailing wind).

bubenberg · Jan 13, 2003

Re: PT 60

Hans, from this comment, I assume the factory has been testing a wing mower? I often wondered why PT doesn’t produce a wing mower (they make every other attachment after all)

as far as i know from my conversations with Chris and Terry, that was not a wing mower they were testing. they powered the 60 inch finish mower and run into problems not having a clutch to engage the belt which powers the blades. the acrease, other than the roughcut mowers, don't have a clutch and Francis and i are going to copy their setup for the 60" pt finish mower conversion.

Sedgewood · Jan 13, 2003

Re: PT 60

hans: have found out that pushing mowers is harder than pulling

actually what I envisioned was the wing mowers trailing off the ends of the transverse boom if that might make a difference.

i am now testing the hypothesis: adding an engine to the front mower should reduce the power drain from the pt motor, since the only thing it has to provide is an optimum ground speed. 

This presumes that the ground speed loss is from a horsepower limit rather than a wheel motor torque limit. My uphill experience seems to indicate I reach the wheel motor torque limit before loosing rpm ie: disconnecting the mower doesnt help. I recommend a test run with the mower off before you spend too much time on the conversion, unless of course like me ya just gotta do it anyway */

Sedgewood

bubenberg · Jan 13, 2003

Re: PT 60

i am only using this rig for mowing large areas not exceeding around 15% slopes (guestimate ain't got the tiltmeter) . for the steeper portions i turn my ztrs and hydro walkbehinds loose.

here is an example 1.8 miles of driveway on a 185 acre estate. we have to mow 40 feet wide around the total property and on both side of the drive way. this is an excellent assignment/example for pt/acrease hook-up. another property is 11 acres (my ex ... non paying .... no alimoney .... no child support ... no messing around ..... just a nice guy) and a 20 acre horse farm. before the acrease hook-up we were very tired doing these large properties. today they can be done with a three man crew in one day including trimming.