Anti-Scalp Roller Mod's?

[Junkman]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Interesting picture........ there is no grass where the lawn mowers are standing.... the down side is that when you step into a pile of the fertilizer, it gets all over the bottom of your shoes. Then there is the problems of having the "blades" sharpened... very expensive and difficult!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[5030]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Junkman:

Maybe I should be more specific, that's a "winter" picture. As far as the "blade" sharpening, we have never sharpened them. The seem to be cutting quite cleanly. These "mowers" aren't the newest models. My wife sold the "newest" models at the Draft sale in Lansing Michigan this last spring.

As far as stepping in the fertilizer, that shouldn't be a problem. The fertilizer pile is quite a bit larger and more noticeable than your dogs deposit!! Because the "mowers" are grain and grass fed, the fertilizer smells much better than your meat fed animals.

I actually fertilize the lawns on my rental houses with aged manure from our "mowers". Our "mowers" make it fresh daily and lots of it!!

Besides, have you ever been able to scratch your mower near the blades while it was running without loosing your fingers or a hand?? Or for that matter, hitch your mower up to a buggy after you were done mowing and go for a ride? I bet not. After you are done with your mower, you put it in the garage or barn and go in and relax. Our "mowers" like to go for a drive while we relax in the buggy!!!

 

[PineRidge]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Daryl maybe you can be a bit more specific. I would like to purchase one of your mowers to hook to my 3-point hitch but I'm not sure where to plug the PTO shaft in. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[5030]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Mike:

These "mowers" are self contained. They have an on-board engine and driveline so they don't need to be attached to a PTO shaft except maybe every 9 months and 21 days for a little rejuvenation, so to speak. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The great thing about our "mowers" is that other than a little hay, oats and water, upkeep is minimal. No fuel filters, oil changes tires or any other costly parts. Our "mowers" are basically a "point and shoot" deal. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Heck, they even "mow" in the rain, day and night. Basically anytime and all the time. Best of all, the make very little noise so they don't disturb anyone. They do "backfire" on rare ocassions, however. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Junkman]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

One problem that I see is that if one of them has an engine failure, you can't just leave it in the field like a normal mower, without it attracting a lot of flies, maggots, and other undeseriables..... not to mention the odor..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Junkman I'm starting to see the real beauty in these self contained mowers. You can work them hard one day and have steak the next. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Junkman]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Only if you have not had a tetanus vaccine in the past 6 - 8 years.

 

[5030]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Junkman:

On that subject, it allows you to have a large backhoe to retire the failed "mower". The "mowers" that are not failed then compact the newly excavated area and make it level again!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The leveling process can be hastened by the addition of copious amounts of Ag. lime applied in the excavation. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[5030]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Mike:

The "steak" part is out of the question in Ohio. In Canada though, it's "chic".

I can't let my wife see your post. She'd drive down to your place and do terrible things to your being!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

<font color="blue"> I can't let my wife see your post. She'd drive down to your place and do terrible things to your being!!
</font>

My wife is the same way. If she sees it breathe she won't eat it. We stopped by the neighbors a month or two back because she saw a sign fresh chicken & duck eggs. You guessed it, it was weeks before she would cook eggs again cause see saw they were real live creatures laying them. She never thought about it before that. Cows are out, I'm not turning into a vegetarian. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Junkman]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( .......... stopped by the neighbors a month or two back because she saw a sign fresh chicken & duck eggs. You guessed it, it was weeks before she would cook eggs again cause see saw they were real live creatures laying them. She never thought about it before that. Cows are out, I'm not turning into a vegetarian. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>

Where did she think eggs came from?????? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Don't ever show her an eggplant and a chicken near by.... she might faint!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Got back from Disney last night....Thank God!
Couldn't wait to get to to the shop this morning to spend some Q time with me, myself and I.
Looks like Moweraxle has been on the ball and has a good solution.
I finished one wheel of my version of the solution this morning.
This attachment is the wheel as it arrived from Castercity.com. Hat bushings are for a 3/4" axle. After finding it impossible to find off-the-shelf 3/4" axles that would step down to the OEM threads, I decided to go with the OEM axle, so I ordered more parts.
See folowing posts.

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

woops. pic did not attach.

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

I ordered 1" by 3/4" sleeve bushings from McMaster.com.
Surprise....when I removed the original hat bushings from the
wheels this morning, I found out the the ID of the wheels is actually something like 1 3/16".
So, to get creative, I decided to use the hat bushings and sleeves together. To make them fit, I bored out the hat bushings from the original 3/4" to 7/8" (largest bit I had) on my drill press. Then, I mounted the sleeve bushing on my drill press and sanded the OD from original of 1" down to 7/8". ALso, I mounted a new OEM axle on the press and ground/sanded the axle OD down to 5/8" (removed ~0.004" according to moweraxle's SAE/metric conversions).
Attached is a pic of this step of the process completed.
Note that I have already drilled a hole in the sleeve bearing for greasing later. I bored all the way through so there are 2 holes. Note that there will be a hollow space between the hat bushings that will be full of grease at all times.

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Here's a pic of the completed wheel, including grease fitting.
There's a 1/16" washer bushing on one side and a 1/8" washer on the other. I had to grind/polish the 1/8" washer down to ~3/32" to get a good fit. There is only a TINY side to side looseness to this assembly and the wheel turns freely. I wanted minimal play in hopes that will help keep dirt out.

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Another view .

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

last view

 

[RET]

Re: Anti-Scalp Roller Mod\'s?

Forgot to mention another thing....the hat bushings are VERY snuggly friction-fitted to the spanner bushing (think hammer and 2X4). There is no movement between those bushings.

Obviously, this is a 'make do with what you've got' solution since I had already bought bunches of parts and did not want to go order more.

This solution will work great if we do one of 2 things below:
1) Find hat bushings that will reduce from the ~1-3/16' ID wheel to the OEM 16mm diameter. Then, installation would be a 10 minute job.
2) Talk Moweraxle into machining new axles with 3/4" axle dia. and OEM threads for attachment to the column. Actually, the threaded end could be made slightly larger, requiring only some minor boring of the columns. I think this would be the best of the best solutions. Then, we would have a vastly superior wheel, larger (stronger, more wear resistant) axle, and minimal work to install.
Moweraxle, got time to machine me some axles if I provide some dimensions?
roger
comments?