Tweaking a rotary cutter

[MESSMAKER]

I just picked up a new rotary cutter, or at least, new to me. It is a Hawkline five footer. It is a little longer than the cutters I have had previous to this. It has a single tube tail wheel assembly rather than the a-frame type that I am used to. It sticks out about 18" behind the rear of the cutter. Can I cut this down a few inches so to move the tail wheel closer to the rear of the cutter? I can cut off about a foot with out clearance issues with the wheel. Am I missing something?

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I haven't ever seen one with that configuration, can you post a pic? I can't of any reason you can't shorten the tube but like I've said I'm not familiar with that type of rear wheel.

 

[ovrszd]

Not missing anything I know of. Shorten it as much as you can and still get rotation.

 

[rod330]

I'm not sure what advantage you'd get by shortening it. If you do, be sure you're not compromising the ability to adjust the tailwheel height.

 

[4570Man]

If you shorten it make sure it can still turn 360 degrees.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I'm not sure what advantage you'd get by shortening it. If you do, be sure you're not compromising the ability to adjust the tailwheel height.

It is a good bit less maneuverable because the tail wheel will hit when you turn in corners. Never had that problem before. It will change the angle a bit on the back but I can adjust that.

 

[MESSMAKER]

http://www.farmstar.com/mower/srtc.jpg


This is the same setup as my mower

 

[Midniteoyl]

So why would you want to shorten it? If you do, the height adjustments will be off and changing to a new hole will have much less effect in height. It'll probably effect the way the wheel rolls/turns and weight on the wheel due to the shorter moment arm.

 

[MF283]

Wider turns:thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

The biggest thing is adjustability. Most cutters list a cut-height range of something like 1.5 or 2" up to 10" in height.

that means the height you can set the mower to cut and STILL have the tailwheel on the ground.

Shorten the wheel, and that "range" decreases. Say, you might only be able to mow as low as 3" and maybe only up to 6" and still have the wheel on the ground.

Other than that.....no reason you cannot modify it. On any of the cutters I have owned, its impossible with a normal tractor to make the tailwheel hit anything when going forward. Just not a short enough turning radius. If the cutter body clears, so will the wheel.

If yours is not that way, then go for it. But no point in shortening it beyond that point.

 

[brown40]

I can't see why you couldn't... but I don't understand why you want to. If storage is an issue you can remove the tail bolt and pivot the arm to store above the cutter. The A-frame designs are supporting a lot more weight on the rear wheel, but serve the same purpose to maintain height and avoid slicing into the substrate during turns and dips. Change the wheel location and you change the dynamics. There may be a margin where you don't affect performance, but you'd definitely lose range on your height adjustment.

 

[ovrszd]

LD1 described this issue very well. Properly designed, when turning, if the cutter body clears an obstacle the wheel should as well. If the tail wheel assembly is too long the wheel will swing out and contact obstacles the body didn't.

One of my cutters is a 6' Rhino SE6. The tail wheel never hits an obstacle the body misses. Perfect design.

 

[Fallon]

If you are backing up to a fence or other obstacle, you want to get the deck as close as possible. A long tail wheel frame works against that.

With my HST I find myself cutting in reverse in tight areas quite often & see the advantage of a more compact setup.

 

[MESSMAKER]

LD1 described this issue very well. Properly designed, when turning, if the cutter body clears an obstacle the wheel should as well. If the tail wheel assembly is too long the wheel will swing out and contact obstacles the body didn't.

One of my cutters is a 6' Rhino SE6. The tail wheel never hits an obstacle the body misses. Perfect design.

My other cutters work as you described. You could not hit something if you tried. The new cutter has a longer body and a longer wheel assembly. This does not let the cutter clear the corner in a tight turn. It also comes very, very close to the tailgate when loaded on my trailer. I think I am going to measure the distance of my other cutters and cut it down to the same or maybe a tad less.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

http://www.farmstar.com/mower/srtc.jpg
View attachment 475799

This is the same setup as my mower

Looking at the pic you posted, it doesn't look like you've got much room to shorten it. In the pic, the tailwheel is rotated as it would be when the tractor is moving forward. When you reverse the tractor and the tailwheel rotates 180 degrees, it looks like it will only be 3 - 4 inches (at most) from the rear of the cutter deck.

Lift the cutter off the ground, rotate the tailwheel to the position it will be in when you are backing up, and see how much space is between the tailwheel and the cutter deck.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I think I have 5.5 inches to spare. I thin I am going to shorten it by 4 inches. The photo was not of my cutter ,but one I found on images that had the same setup.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I think I have 5.5 inches to spare. I thin I am going to shorten it by 4 inches. The photo was not of my cutter ,but one I found on images that had the same setup.

It looks like the one in the photo offers two sets of holes in the forward bracket for the tailwheel bar. Is yours that way? ... You may not have to mod the bar at all.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think I have 5.5 inches to spare. I thin I am going to shorten it by 4 inches. The photo was not of my cutter ,but one I found on images that had the same setup.

Don't forget to allow a little slop in the wheel for when the mounting pin wears a bit as they all do from use and not enough grease. After a bit of wear, the wheel will get a bit closer to the frame when reversing than it does when new.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Took off 4.5 inches. Works great, no problems. Made a good bit of difference on loading it on trailer.

 

[LD1]

Hydraulic toplink also makes loading on trailer or traversing hilly terrain real nice.