sandman2234
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2005
- Messages
- 6,008
- Location
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Tractor
- JD2555 and a few Allis Chalmers and now one Kubota
In one of my early days as a tractor owner, I got a job mowing a field of about 10 acres. My tractor was a Ford 1100 4x4 with a 4' bushhog. The owner had a Bolens about the same size, but with a finish mower, which wouldn't handle the high grass, and they didn't mow it often enough for the finish mower. Anyway, I got the bright idea of building a larger deck, and powering with a gas motor. I had a 20 hp Wisconsin to power it, so I got busy. Built a deck, built the shafts for the spindles, so I could use cheap low cost bearings. Later I got to wondering if the tractor would have any trouble pulling it. So I loaded the motor, gastank, pulleys, etc on the deck, hooked it to the 3pt hitch, and it made the tractor VERY LIGHT in the front end. Figured with 5 gallons more in gas, I was wasting my time. Pushed it off in a corner of the yard, and forgot it for a while.
An electrician came over to give me a quote on a couple grand worth of work. He saw the deck, and wanted to know what it would take to finish it. I said a couple hundred dollars and about a day. (thinking of hooking up gas motor) He said he would give me the electrical work, the $200, if I would finish it for his Duetz 40/06. He said keep the motor, just run it off the PTO, and he would supply the driveshaft.
Used some pulleys I had, paid a guy $15 to build me some adjusters, used one of the right angle gearboxes and I was done, money ahead.
It was an 8' mower with 3 blades, from a gravely bushhog?? (29" long and half inch thick)
The interesting thing about it was I made the spindles on a lathe, and the bearings were just boat axle hubs bolted to the deck. Nothing special about the spindles, almost any machineshop can build them in nothing flat. I think I made 3 extras, and ought to post pictures of them.
I later got word back that the guy had bent a spindle, and paid someone to build him a few spares. Thought it was a shame since I had spares already.
Just thought someone would appreciate a way to build a grooming mower without having to spend a years budget on one.
I realize this isn't much information, pictures would be better, but as stated, the mowing deck is long gone.
David from jax
An electrician came over to give me a quote on a couple grand worth of work. He saw the deck, and wanted to know what it would take to finish it. I said a couple hundred dollars and about a day. (thinking of hooking up gas motor) He said he would give me the electrical work, the $200, if I would finish it for his Duetz 40/06. He said keep the motor, just run it off the PTO, and he would supply the driveshaft.
Used some pulleys I had, paid a guy $15 to build me some adjusters, used one of the right angle gearboxes and I was done, money ahead.
It was an 8' mower with 3 blades, from a gravely bushhog?? (29" long and half inch thick)
The interesting thing about it was I made the spindles on a lathe, and the bearings were just boat axle hubs bolted to the deck. Nothing special about the spindles, almost any machineshop can build them in nothing flat. I think I made 3 extras, and ought to post pictures of them.
I later got word back that the guy had bent a spindle, and paid someone to build him a few spares. Thought it was a shame since I had spares already.
Just thought someone would appreciate a way to build a grooming mower without having to spend a years budget on one.
I realize this isn't much information, pictures would be better, but as stated, the mowing deck is long gone.
David from jax
