3PH side arm weed wacker on a bx2200-need ideas

[ralph47]

Hello Everyone,
I have this weird idea, what's new, according to my wife !Mount a pto driven weed wacker arm off to the side of my tractor. I have lots of big evergreens on my acreage and I like to mow at least close to them. I have a Kubota 60" mmm, which we LOVE. However when mowing close to the trees, they like to fight back and scratch the hood on the bx. PLEASE forgive me! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I walk into my local farm store one day last summer and walk past one of those power weed wackers on wheels and KABLAM /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif it hits me!! A trimmer on the rear of the bx, offset to mow under them. How am I doing so-far?? I have thought about this a little and have ruled out hydro driven, I think it would overheat the tractor hydraulics, according to some of the info I have read on TBN about the BX. Plan B, pto driven, pto to a gearbox, then either belt or shaft drive to another gearbox or spindle, then to a saucer or round plate hanging down with the plastic whips on it???? Surround this with a protective guard and maybe even make the arm this is on spring loaded and capable of swinging back when it hits something. Have it spin so the leading edge spins away from the tractor, maybe even mount a piece of plexi-glass on the ROP to the side of the driver. Do they already make something like this, or did I just make someone some dough?? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I have seen the motorized side arm mower on TBN, and also the big offset mowers, but nothing on the order of a weed wacker. What do the engineers out there think? Am I crazy? I better not let the wifey answer that one! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Ralph

 

[Mosey]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have seen the motorized side arm mower on TBN Ralph)</font>

I assume you mean this Side arm cutter. Is there any particular reason you don't want to go with this setup? It will handle heavier stuff than a weed wacker. I thought about trying to do the same thing a while back. I ended up with a sickle bar mower, which so far has worked OK. It can get up under low branches.

 

[hazmat]

ralph,

While your PTO powered idea is cool, it is a bit complex = pricey. A less elegant solution, but dirt cheap, would be to get a briggs & stratton 3-5HP engine off a garage sale lawnmower for $20. Mount your saucer & whips under the briggs.

Your shield & swivel plans sound good.

You may want to consider some kind of caster wheel for height control. If you make it "towable" vs. three point hitch, you can use it simultaneously with the mower.

 

[Dozernut]

My neighbor took a regular 3.5 hp. push mower and simply built a frame and hooked it to the side of his garden tractor. It is connected to the frame by chains and or cable, I will have to look closer. He mows the banks of his pond with this and under low branches. It appears to work quite well. The mower, since it is not rigidly attached, conforms to the ground contours. He has no means to raise or lower it, and none are needed. When he is done he simply unhooks the mower so the tractor is free for other uses.

 

[ralph47]

Hi Mosey and Hazmat,
Yes, that is the sidearm mower I saw. I was thinking that a weed wacker setup would be a little safer as far as rocks etc.
I wanted to power (control) from the tractor, and thought I would scout the local tractor salvage yard for gearboxes and/or a spindle to keep cost down. Also thought the gas motor route hanging on the end of the arm might make the bx tipsy. I have thought about a sickle style mower from an auction, but that wouldn't involve any MAD scientist stuff ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Thank you for your thoughts guys, much appreciated,
Ralph

 

[Mosey]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( MAD scientist stuff !)</font>

OK, here's a thought. The sickle mower has trouble with fine grass because it just bends the grass. It also has trouble with tall grass that's down in a hole or something so I can't get near the base of the grass, so again it just bends the grass. Since the sickle mower uses a wobble box (in my case) or a pitman arm (on other types) to convert from a rotary motion to a back and forth motion, maybe there's a reasonable way to convert it back again at the end of the cutter bar? So, the power from the PTO is already at the end of the cutter bar and that would save the work of fabricating pulleys, belts, gearboxes, etc. All that would need to be done is to convert the back and forth motion to a rotary motion to power a weed wacker or mower deck.

 

[ralph47]

Hi again,
Another reason I forgot to mention was we have a lot of younger (10 to 15 year old) ash an maple trees. I thought with the spring loaded weed wacker arm it would maybe help reduce my trimming responsabilities. With my health problems, that hand held weed wacker REALLY wears me out. I try hard to keep things looking nice for the wifey, any little thing that makes things easier helps.
Ralph

 

[beenthere]

I spray around the base of some of the trees with roundup. I think your idea of a trimmer that would work itself around a tree is great, as I have had similar "mental flashes" along the same line (for my yard tractor though). The rotary cutters discussed here were along those lines, but not quite what I was thinking. My thoughts were along your train of thought too.

I thought it would be necessary to have a control bar that would contact the tree but not allow the blades or string to reach the bark of the tree (would kill it or injure it).

But, alas, only in the "thinking" stage now. Good luck applying your ideas.

 

[MossRoad]

How about one of these?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Or one of these?