String Trimmer for your Tractor???

hobbyfarm · Aug 10, 2005

Does this even make sense?

Kosch Company Farm Equipment Manufacturing
Click the "Products" tab.

What do you think?

Bob_Skurka · Aug 10, 2005

I purchased a Swisher Postmaster which is a tow behind string trimmer that is powered by a gas engine. The concept is the same, only not PTO driven. It trims under fences and right up to the fence posts. If you have an electric fence you need to keep the grass/weeds off the wires, the string trimmer does that.

hobbyfarm · Aug 10, 2005

Bob,
I've seen the Swisher, and that makes more sense. Does it work well, Bob?
This thing doesn't look like it pivots to get around obstacles.

Maybe I'm missing the point. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Tom_H · Aug 10, 2005

I have a 6.5 hp commercial grade DR wheeled string trimmer. It is well built. The thing I don't like is that when I trim along edges (planter in middle of lawn, interface of lawn and rock cobble lined streambed), the strings don't reach past the wheel. I have to approach the object perpendicularly, swivel and cut about one foot, back away, move down, turn and approach perpendicularly again. It can tilt off center on the axle, but that still doesn't "cut it" very well. At least this thing is offset. It also fits my philosophy of maintaining as few internal combustion engines as possible.

I wonder if its offset design throws the center of gravity off so much that it's hard to get on/off the 3ph. Do you have any idea on the price? Do you know whether it will pivot to the opposite side?

Bird · Aug 11, 2005

Tom, I bought the biggest electric start DR string trimmer/mower they had when I bought mine several years ago. I had a bit of the same problem you have, and I'm certainly not going to recommend you do anything different than what the manufacturer says to do, but personally, I cut all my string 2" longer than the manual called for and never had any ill effects.

hobbyfarm · Aug 11, 2005

( At least this thing is offset. It also fits my philosophy of maintaining as few internal combustion engines as possible.

I wonder if its offset design throws the center of gravity off so much that it's hard to get on/off the 3ph. Do you have any idea on the price? Do you know whether it will pivot to the opposite side? )

WHOA /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif - Tom_H,
I have no idea the price etc.
My pat on the back comes from just digging this thing up! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
This thing is less than 200 lbs. I doubt it does much more than sit and spin.

Now for the armchair engineering /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif -
IMHO, this thing would be much more desireable if:
it were mid-mounted ( I'd hate to be driving looking over my shoulder for trimming purposes) running off the high-speed of a mid PTO, and had various hydraulic adjustments for tilt, angle, pitch, swing-back, extendable offset etc. (you get the idea). /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

This idea is a great start though.

Inspector507 · Aug 11, 2005

I saw one at the Louisville EXPO show a few years ago that mounted to the deck of a ZTR. I failed to pick up their literature, dang it. It was 12V powered through a foot switch. It was spring loaded so it would swivel back out of the way if you got too close on that side. I could see it being able to mount to any MMM without any trouble. I really wish I had picked up that brochure /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Tom_H · Aug 11, 2005

( IMHO, this thing would be much more desireable if:
it were mid-mounted...)

That's for sure. Of course most mid-mounts are proprietary design rather than industry standard. (i.e. Cat. 1 specs are all the same industrywide as are Cat. 2 and Cat. 3, whereas one couldn't just stick a Kubota MMM beneath a JD.) Still, if Kubota would build one for a reasonable price that'd sit mid-mount on the suspension for my MMM, I'd buy it.

Bird, thanks for the suggestion, I'm gonna' try that. Thing is, the cords fray down so quickly as it is when I trim around my concrete & cobble planters.

hobbyfarm · Aug 11, 2005

( That's for sure. Of course most mid-mounts are proprietary design rather than industry standard. )

You mean: the neat thing about standards is - there are so many to choose from /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif?

( ...the cords fray down so quickly as it is when I trim around my concrete & cobble planters. )

Tom_H,
I used to get real tired of breaking and replacing line, but now I use the biggest, baddest line I can find - .177".
Really tough stuff. Rocks, pavers, and the dreaded chain link fence all are no big deal now. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I wonder what size string the tractor-mounted one takes?

Pooh_Bear · Aug 11, 2005

I wish I had one of these for my tractor.
This would be perfect for mowing along the road along the guardrail.
And around the river and near the treeline.
I have been trying to dream up something like this.

Pooh Bear

Eric_Phillips · Aug 12, 2005

Their web site says 0.155".

hobbyfarm · Aug 12, 2005

Pooh,
Well, this is a good start to a great idea. This one just needs refining a little.

If you make something, don't forget the pics! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

hobbyfarm · Aug 12, 2005

Eric_Phillips,
You know, I skimmed across the specs and didn't notice the string spec.

I wonder what some 1/8" stainless cable would be like? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Knute · Aug 12, 2005

( Eric_Phillips,
You know, I skimmed across the specs and didn't notice the string spec.

I wonder what some 1/8" stainless cable would be like? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif )

My dad tried using cable on a gas powered string trimmer once. It didn't work well at all, the cable starts to fray almost instantly and doesn't cut well. If you could find a way to cap the end so it couldn't fray and with the much higher power of a tractor maybe it would work.

John

KirkMcD · Aug 12, 2005

( Do you have any idea on the price? )

$1,295.
http://www.beavervalleysupply.com/sectionb/kosch.htm

fig · Aug 12, 2005

Well I guess I will just have to stick with the "weed wacker" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif!

Fig

ScottAR · Aug 12, 2005

Besides, steel cable would strip the hide off all your trees and bushes... Probably you leg in case of accidental contact. This assuming a hand held or walk behind trimmer.

Pooh_Bear · Aug 12, 2005

I was thinking piano wire or guitar strings would work good.
If you could keep them from fraying apart.
And you couldn't cut up against anything that you wanted to live.
Such as any of those trees the wifey planted.

Pooh Bear

RonR · Aug 12, 2005

I wouldn't want to do it on a hand held, but if the trajectory was NOT in line with me, I'd consider using small diameter Grade 70 chain............ It wouldn't fray............

But that's only me. And as a buddy of mine is fond to say: "Anything worth Engineering is worth Over Engineering!"

Ron

VirginiaEd · Aug 12, 2005

A couple of years ago I bought a Swisher Postmaster to pull behind my garden tractor and keep the weeds and grass out of my board and hi-tensil wire fences.

I paid about $500 for the Postmaster through Northern Tool. It works very well, but has a tendency to slip downhill on sloped ground and once in a while the unit gets hung up on a square post -- usually the result of operator error while consuming a cold drink while driving the garden tractor.

My neighbor hires a crew of several kids who spend all day running weed whackers along his fences. Meanwhile, I drink a cool beverage as I ride along keeping an eye on the cutter head. On my place, I spend about an hour or two every couple of weeks keeping the fence lines trimmed. Not hard at all and the heavy nylon cords are easy to change.

I've made a couple of field modifications to the Postmaster and sent the ideas to Swisher. Sometimes I get lazy and let the grass get too tall and then I have to use my 6HP DR trimmer to go along and clean up around the posts. Not fun on a hot day, but my own fault.

Hope this helps.

Ed