Mowing Side Mower

[LBrown59]

<font color="white"> It would be nice if these could be modified to work on other tractors. </font>
Deleted
Posted before I saw JJs reply.

 

[MossRoad]

Many companies make boom mowers for 3pt hitch tractors. Don't know the prices, though.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have lots of uses for the side mower. Pond banks and road ditches are the main ones. )</font>
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I don't have a pond but I do have ditches.
For the ditches I've been kicking around the idea of replacing the handle of an ordinary push power with a side mounted tow bracket that telescopes in 2 places and attaches to the end of the tractor MMM, FEL or BH buckets or somewhere along the side of the tractor frame.
Perhaps even towing it with the tractor hitch as a tow behind unit.

I was thinking of using a string trimmer till it dawned on me they are designed to reach down not out.

 

[stray]

If you get the chance post some pics of what you would be mowing and maybe one of your tractor. What ever you build I suspect you would want it to lift and float the deck.

 

[J_J]

Could something like this work. You just sit up on your tractor or PT and guide it with remote control.

 

[stray]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This is what I found at Surplus Hydraulics tech help
8 gpm at .77 cu in hyd motor=2400 rpm
Torque at 2500 psi .77cu in =306 in lbs
Is that enough torque? That's only inch lbs

)</font>
I hope so. I guess it will do what it does. I will let you know as soon as I finish and try it out. As I understand it to get the rpms up one will have to sacrifice torque.

 

[Marks481]

Notice that the pt1430 above with the knuckle broom mower has an extra set of selector valves mounted over the steering wheel. Must be a part of the mower, since by my count it requires at least one more hydraulic circuit then comes standard with the PT. Anybody got a better picture of this arrangement, since I am still debating how I want to add a dedicated circuit in addition to the quick attach circuit (yes, I have read the archives and seen the innovative joystick pushbutton, etc.)

 

[J_J]

Why not do what they did. Looks to me like a 3 valve hyd control similar to the one used on the PT, except for the joystick.
You could also use 12 v electric valves.

You would want to connect it in parallel.

 

[Sedgewood]

<font color="red"> Notice that the pt1430 above with the knuckle broom mower has an extra set of selector valves mounted over the steering wheel. Must be a part of the mower, since by my count it requires at least one more hydraulic circuit then comes standard with the PT </font>

Charlie, Hans & I witnessed a demo of the then new-to-the-line boom mower when we spent a day at PT a few years ago and as best I can recall they used the quick-attach circuit by somehow attaching the boom valve bank up by the dash, hooked the usual quick-attach hoses to it as a power source, and then clamped a bar to the dash that pushed or pulled and held the normal quick-attach lever open. Maybe Charlie or Hans has a clearer memory and can fill in some details.

It looked more like something I would jury-rig than I thought it should /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

My feeling in general, from watching road crews at work, is that boom mowers are a fickle and tricky to operate and require a great deal of operator attention and finesse. I know, I know, it beats a scythe but what tiring way to spend the day.

Sedgewood

 

[J_J]

In picture # 1 , they are definitely using a three valve control.

In picture # 2 , they are using the quick-attach circuit. There is only one cyl on the boom mower for up/down which is control by the quick-attach circuit, In one of the pictures on Pt web site, you can see the guy reaching down to adjust the lift. Of course the hyd motor is connected to the PTO,

It would be a very tiring job with either mower.

It would seem like a boom pulling one of those tow behind mowers, like Swisher with the engine mounted on the mower would be the better way to go.