Dangerous ATV mower

[shanehobson]

I bought a tow behind ATV mower to pull behind my Honda TRX300 quad.

The mower sits on 4 caster wheels with a draw bar to the quad and a 15HP engine sitting on top of the mower driving three blades through a belt.

The problem is that on flat ground when going around corners the mower will swing outwards rather than follow my quad.
It get's worse on uneven ground. Even riding down the road, if the road has a crown and is not perfectly flat the mower will head toward the side of the road (downhill from the crown in the middle of the road).

When taken off road onto sloping ground it get's positively dangerous.

While testing it today riding slowly down a slope the mower tried to overtake me going down the hill. It only stopped when it jack knifed against the quad tyre.

Surely these mowers can be used on sloping ground.

Has anyone encountered this problem and solved it ?

 

[redman135]

I am assuming it is brand new(photo), so take it back as this design failure make the machine unfit for purpose. This is an accident waiting to happen. The atv mowers I have seen all had fixed rear wheels and castor on the front and corned like a standard car trailer.
If you want to keep the mower then set the rear wheels straight and drill a hole through the shaft and bolt it up.

 

[rdinatal]

I 2nd changing the rear Castors to fixed or take it back. Having all four Castors to rotate makes no sense with a non fixed hitch.

-R

 

[Gunny]

Another vote for fixed rear casters, with a ball hitch you don't want all four wheels to swivel

 

[zzvyb6]

Wrong hitch. Should be receiver type with 4 casters. Or, the 2 check chains are missing. My Woods came with check chains. The weight of this unit behind an ATV with a fixed hitch will be just as exciting.

Was this mower home made ? Welding looks very Rube. Let me guess: The Sum Ting Wong Steel Making Machinery With Motor Collective Co.

 

[shanehobson]

You're very perceptive. It's Chinese made and you're right, the welding is not as good as what I'd expect from an New Zealand craftsman.

I can't easily return it because I've already started welding extra steel onto it (in order to try to stop the wheels turning), so I'd be in for a fight with the retailer. I've also swapped over the tyres to pneumatic from the solid tyres it came with. I will ask them if they'll take it back, but the next best option is $1000 more expensive, so I'm probably better off just making it work.

I like the idea of check chains. I'll try that today.

Here's an example of a British made mower which is the same design as my Chinese mower.
ATV Finishing Mower - YouTube

Take a look at this one, rigid, front mount mower.
Tondeuse - Debroussailleuse pour Quad atv mower - YouTube

I don't need to easy hitch system, but I like the idea of it being front mount (so the quad tyres don't squash the trying you're trying to mow) and rigid so it goes where you point it, not where the mower wants to drift.
I suspect I'd need to buy new tyres and fill them with water to use the mower like this.

 

[aczlan]

I would weld a piece of angle iron to the top of the rear caster "arch" and bolt that to the side of the frame that the wheel rides on. That way the rear wheels cannot pivot and stay "facing forward"
Failing that, I would unbolt the front hitch and make a new hitch that uses the same tabs and connects to the quad in two places.

Aaron Z

 

[olPete]

In the words of Paul Henry, ' that's a bit sh!÷ ', don't think the designer/copier of a good design really thought much about much. I'd pop a small hole for a shackle on each side of the tow bar on the bike and run some chains to slow it down a bit

 

[redman135]

If you use check chains I think the tail would wag the dog on a slope. Interesting times for the rider.

 

[olPete]

If you use check chains I think the tail would wag the dog on a slope. Interesting times for the rider.

Hmm could be... Mower doesn't look real heavy. No rally driving!!