String Trimmer for your Tractor???

[VirginiaEd]

I'll see if I can post some pictures of my Swisher Postmaster in action.

 

[VirginiaEd]

The first picture shows the Postmaster in the tow mode. The second picture shows how it runs under the fence. The last two pictures show how it cuts along and around posts.

 

[VirginiaEd]

Here's another look.

 

[VirginiaEd]

I agree that mid-mount and 3ph hookups would be nice, but this thing is so simple and easy to use. Just hook it up to the lawn tractor and go. Doesn't tie up the tractor. Now -- if I could just get my wife interested in running it, I'd be all set. Hope these pictures were useful.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="green"> I've made a couple of field modifications to the Postmaster and sent the ideas to Swisher. </font>


Ed do you think you could post some photos of your modifications? Or at very least describe what you did. So far I am pretty happy with the Swisher Postmaster, but I also have some slipping issues, and I'm always looking for things to modify, even if they don't need it!

 

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 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. )</font>

VirginiaEd,
Uhmm, would that be adult beverage? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[VirginiaEd]

HF: ADULT beverage while operating equipment??? Oh my no, never, uhhhhh not me. It's illegal to drink and drive you know. And besides, I'd never want to spill an adult beverage. 8<)

Bob: The modification is nothing glamorous. Just an old farm boy "field fix" as we used to say in the Army.

The problem I encountered was that the return spring got hang up on the tow-mode stabilizer (or whatever they call that piece of metal that keeps the unit stable in travel mode). Once the spring was hung up, it would stretch out of shape when the cutter head encountered a post and would not completely return to the correct operating position. It tended to sort of drag along behind at an oblique angle instead of 90 degrees to the direction of travel.

To fix the problem I looked around the shop for whatever I had on hand and found a piece of 1 1/2" Schedule 80 PVC. I cut off a piece long enough to enclose the spring and keep it from getting hung up on the stabilizer. Basically a sleeve over the spring.

Then, I put a QuickLink on each end of the spring and fastened them to the original locations. I piddled around with a bunji cord to get the PVC spring sleeve out of the way when I towed the unit, but that was more trouble than it was worth. So, I put a QuickSnap onto the QuickLink and now when I'm finished trimming, I simply unsnap the spring, pull off the sleeve, put the unit into travel mode and stow the sleeve on the upright stabilizer bar (I knew it was good for something).

My next improvement will be to put on something like sway chains or rods to keep the unit aligned with the direction of travel of the lawn tractor and thereby reduce or eliminate the tendency to slip. My thought is to put on something like I use on my rotary cutter to keep it level and straight.

I'll post some pictures of my modification. Wish there was a way to put them all with this message, but I don't know how to do that.

Hope they pics are useful.

Later,
Ed

 

[VirginiaEd]

Another view of the spring hung up.

 

[VirginiaEd]

The sleeve installed over the return spring.

 

[VirginiaEd]

The chain extends out the end of the sleeve, but the spring remains inside. The sleeve rides against the stabilizer bar and sometimes against the tire, but the sleeve just harmlessly rotates when it touches the tire.

 

[VirginiaEd]

Once in a while the spring will snag on the end of the sleeve, but not very often. I filed and rasped the inside of the sleeve somewhat and by making it smooth, the occasional snag went away.

 

[VirginiaEd]

By using a SnapLink in place of the bunji cord, I can quickly unhook the spring, put the unit in travel mode and drive off.

 

[MicroPilot]

I received an email fron the Kosch company regarding the price of the Weed Chopper. They quoted me $1295.00 - %10. They also said that they would accept orders direct from the customer.

 

[RalphVa]

Biggest problem I had with the DR trimmers is it's too easy to jerk the strings out if you hit a heavy stob. Also, mine wasn't self-propelled. They've a self-propelled model now.

Replaced the DR with a Gravely and now the Gravely (mostly) with my JD 4010 and LX4. Sold the DR. Still have the Gravely.

Would like to see vertical grass whips out on the sides of the LX4 that would take away overhanging stuff on trails that I do.

Ralph

 

[Tom_H]

Mine is the commercial version, but like you, I got it before the self propelled model came out. I also have problems with the strings coming out; it didn't do that when new. Vertical would also be good for sidewalk edging.

Would be interested in hearing more about your "natural gardening". We are in the process of creating a woodland garden on the 5 acres that surround our log home. The back 2 acres are established and we're preparing to plant the front 3 acres.

 

[Jstpssng]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you could find a way to cap the end so it couldn't fray )</font>
I'm not sure if it would work on that sized cble, but I stopped the 3/8 inch cable on my winch from fraying with my welder. I put the welder on the highest setting and just cut a short section off the cable.

 

[Gravy]

Danger,Danger, Will Robinson!

High speed projectiles of steel wire will PENETRATE! I had a friend who lost an eye to a wire wheel on a bench grinder. Never felt it go in, and by the time the pain from the infection drove him to the doc, it was too late. He almost lost the other one due to some kind of secondary infection, too.

Gravy

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Does this even make sense?

<font color="teal">Kosch Company Farm Equipment Manufacturing</font>
Click the "Products" tab.

<font color="red"> What do you think?

</font> )</font>

It don't have enough reach because it's to short.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 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.

)</font>

The advantage of a tow behind is you can tow it with anything or any tractor ATV etc.

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="blue"> IMHO, this thing would be much more desireable if:
it were mid-mounted 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 </font> ). /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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Yeah more like PowerTracs boom mowers.
Wonder if a power trac boom mower could be adapted to work on other tractors.
Anybody know or have any ideas on how to do it.?