Tow behind batwing mower

[Mith]

Thought some folk may be interested in the mower I made over about 2 months this summer.
Its got Wheelhorse blade mandrels, blades and pulleys. The engine is a Briggs I/C 10HP, its a bit of a monster really, plenty or torque. The rest is home made.
It'll cut 30" folded up, and 56" folded down.
There are lots of pics from building here

 

[Dutch445]

That's a nifty project,
but a lawyers dream.

let me guess, when the side wings are folded up,
those blades still turn?

ouch

 

[Mith]

No, they dont, that would be dangerous.

 

[Dutch445]

i guess so...........

 

[Joe1]

I take it you're going to put some kind of blade shield/housing for safety and quality of cut. If you hit a rock or chunck of wood, it will be something to behold (from a great distance).

 

[Mith]

The guarding that is on there is the guarding it has. I'm going to be building a cab with mesh on the rear of the tractor to keep stuff hitting me.

Quality of cut isnt an issue, the idea is just to cut as much junk down as quick as possible.

I might put some guarding down the sides as that might help prevent it clogging up. Putting guarding on the front and back of the cutters would mean that the grass would be knocked down before it got cut so it wouldnt cut as well. The way it is, as soon as it gets cut its thrown out so less HP is used.

 

[LBrown59]

Can you mow out over ditches and banks with it?

 

[Mith]

It'll mow up to 14" over ditches. With banks I just put the duals on the tractor and drive across them if they are too steep to go on normally.

 

[Thomas]

Morning Mith.
Hey that's pretty cool idea you got there...and I would have to agree about some sort of protection...your back side must be every shade of green when your done mowing.

 

[LBrown59]

With banks I just put the duals on the tractor and drive across them if they are too steep to go on normally.

*******I'm not talking about banks you can drive on.
I'm talking about banks 4 to 12 feet high and nearly straight up and down.

 

[Mith]

Hi there Thomas,
the seat takes most the stuff, not much flies up high enough to hit me. Hoping to have a cab done by spring when I'll be using it next. Thanks.

LB, if it is almost straight up then 14" should be plenty to mow out across them. The tractor with the duals is good up till 45 degrees across slopes, after that I worry about the engines ability to keep oiled.
Do you have a picture of these banks? Youve pretty much rejected almost every possible way of mowing banks for some reason or another. I dont think I would put any machine of mine near the top of a near vertical 12' bank. Too much chance of landslide. You should build a wall to support it.

 

[LBrown59]

Hi there Thomas,
the seat takes most the stuff, not much flies up high enough to hit me. Hoping to have a cab done by spring when I'll be using it next. Thanks.

1*LB, if it is almost straight up then 14" should be plenty to mow out across them
2*You've pretty much rejected almost every possible way of mowing banks for some reason or another.
4*I don't think I would put any machine of mine near the top of a near vertical 12' bank. Too much chance of A landslide.
5*You should build a wall to support it.
>>> >>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>> >> >
.

1*I need up to about 3 or 4 feet to reach out over a road ditch.
2*Excep a telescoping mower.
4* That's the reason for the telescoping feature-to keep the tractor further away from the edges of the banks and ditches.
5* Wall not really practical as the long range plan is to fill the area in.