Hydraulic power without belts

[jmfox]

Is there a finish mower attachment that is powered without belts? I suspect that this would require 3 smaller hydraulic motors rather than one large one.

jmf

 

[UFM82]

I don't know of any off the top of my head due to one issue- cost. The most expensive item on a mower is the drive motor and no manufacturer wants to build a unit that won't be price competitive. Also, most motors won't run well at the higher RPM's required by the blade spindles for good cutting performance I don't think. The over-driving characteristics of a belt-driven system increases your blade tip-speed simply through running a big drive pulley and small driven pulleys.

I believe that weight and complexity would be an issue as well.

UFM82

 

[jmfox]

Good point about synchronizing blades, but as for the economics of hydraulics, I'm not convinced that 3 small motors are three times the price of one large one.

jmf

 

[odleefs]

I do not know of any finish mowers that have a direct drive feature, however, the best rough cut mowers offer this as synchronization isn't an issue. The only possibility of a direct drive finish type mower may be a flail type mower, like the Bobcat or RockHound models
http://www.rockhound.com/72F Mower.pdf
While these mowers can shred larger brush with industrial style hammers, changing these to finish knives can offer beautiful cutting of lawns and these mowers are safer as there is a much reduced tendency to throw rocks or debris. Good luck!
Steve

 

[jmfox]

Dad had a flail mower when they first came out. They didn't throw rocks but would wing a golf ball. It was a high maintenance noisy contraption. Has anything changed in the last 30 years?

jmf

 

[Bob999]

Is there a finish mower attachment that is powered without belts? I suspect that this would require 3 smaller hydraulic motors rather than one large one.

jmf

I am not aware of one. I think there are at least two issues:
1. Cost--I think you will find that belts and pulleys cost less then hydraulic motors and the associated hoses and fittings but even if the cost were the same or the hydraulic motor cost less the second issue brings cost back into play
2. Performance--if two or more hydraulic motors were powered from the same source any time one of the motors encountered resistance (high grass on one side of the mower for example) that motor would tend to slow down and the others would tend to speed up because the fluid flow would go toward the motor with least resistance. This is exactly the opposite of what is desired and it would be expensive and complex to design controls to prevent it happening.