Walk behind mower to pull behind

[saltbranch]

I got this old 20 hp Bunson walk behind 50" commercial mower I want to convert to pull behind. I want to be able to pull it behind the 4 wheeler to mow our camp area, so my kids or I can use. I dont want to use a sulky.. So my thoughts are to remove the drive belts at the wheels, weld a hitch on the front of the mower. Then take the key switch and rewire to extend and mount in a box that can be taken on/off 4 wheeler so if you need to, you can turn the mower off from the seat of 4 wheeler. I am thinking ,just leave the trottle as is on the mower, most of the time running it at full throttle. Have approx. 4 acre camp area to mow.
Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[BeezFun]

Not sure how to do it, but if there's a way to rig it out front of the ATV that would seem better to me. Easier to see, easier to get under trees and obstacles, no tires mashing down the grass before the mower gets there. The only easy way I can think of to hook it up would look goofy: run a long rod of some kind that would stick out beyond the front of the mower and pull it. I can't think of any way to push it that wouldn't force the wheels on the mower to go sideways.

I'd also hookup a deadman switch so if it comes disconnected it would shut the thing off. My trail mower has a simple toggle switch with a long wire attached to it, like the emergency wire on a trailer. I loop it on the tractor hitch.

 

[brokenot]

Making the mower towable behind the four-wheeler will probably make mowing a more fun endeavor, and therefore an easier task to talk the kids into helping with...but....a sulky is a much better setup. You'll be able to get into smaller areas, turn tighter, you won't be mowing grass flattened by the four-wheeler's tires, etc.

I'm not a fan of the sulky hitches that use a pin or clip to attach them to the mower, so on my "Gravely Craigslist Special" 50" walk-behind, I used a 1 7/8" trailer ball. I can couple and uncouple the sulky with a flip of the coupler latch. I even do it on the fly when I get to the trees or other obstacles that need tight trimming.

I have about 2 1/2 acres of yard to mow, and I considered a towable-type mower myself for a while, but thankfully I talked myself out of it. Used ones are always listed for sale around here, (many times only a year or so old), so it certainly seems like users have tried 'em...and found out how ungainly a setup they really are. Areas requiring tight turns can make the four-wheeler's tires tear up the lawn, (especially if your ATV has a solid rear axle), slopes or areas requiring backing up can be a pain, you're burning fuel with two engines to do one job, etc.

 

[saltbranch]

Making the mower towable behind the four-wheeler will probably make mowing a more fun endeavor, and therefore an easier task to talk the kids into helping with...but....a sulky is a much better setup. You'll be able to get into smaller areas, turn tighter, you won't be mowing grass flattened by the four-wheeler's tires, etc.

I'm not a fan of the sulky hitches that use a pin or clip to attach them to the mower, so on my "Gravely Craigslist Special" 50" walk-behind, I used a 1 7/8" trailer ball. I can couple and uncouple the sulky with a flip of the coupler latch. I even do it on the fly when I get to the trees or other obstacles that need tight trimming.

I have about 2 1/2 acres of yard to mow, and I considered a towable-type mower myself for a while, but thankfully I talked myself out of it. Used ones are always listed for sale around here, (many times only a year or so old), so it certainly seems like users have tried 'em...and found out how ungainly a setup they really are. Areas requiring tight turns can make the four-wheeler's tires tear up the lawn, (especially if your ATV has a solid rear axle), slopes or areas requiring backing up can be a pain, you're burning fuel with two engines to do one job, etc.

I am not going to use a sulky because I do not want my kids using a mower that you have to use clutches to make turn etc. For that matter i did not like using a commercial walk behind that my neighbor has, just for that reason. I have a small mower for mowing tight areas. This is a campground area that was bulldozed out in the middle of brush. I am still trying to get grass growing and keep weeds knocked down. Still spraying new brush growth and pulling that up. I am not worried about the small amount of damage if any that my 4 wheeler may cause.
Currently I am using my tractor to shred the area except for right around the camping trailers. Hopefully in a couple years I will have this area nice enough to not want to drive the 4 wheeler..that will be my excuse to buy a ZTR