Pull Type Sickle Bar Mower

[pfunk]

At my age I can no longer do the weedeating I used to do and it's harder and harder to find someone to pay to do it. So, I started working on a method to mow the bank of our dam. I tried using a belly mount Haban, but it always pulled the front end around towards the lake (water!!) no matter what kind of weight distribution I used. I finally decided I needed a pull type mower that wouldn't pull the front end of the tractor sideways. I started on it last fall and finished it at the beginning of the summer. As you'll see if you watch the video, I may have to do a little more tweaking -- or maybe just fill in the hole the dogs dug. I have 75 pounds of weight in those two wheels on the left and 50 pounds of weight on the front to prevent the front from sliding sideways. I'm pretty happy with the results. Unfortunately you can't get an appreciation as to just how steep that bank really is from the video, but here's the link:



Hope the link works and you enjoy the video.

 

[digger]

At my age I can no longer do the weedeating I used to do and it's harder and harder to find someone to pay to do it. So, I started working on a method to mow the bank of our dam. I tried using a belly mount Haban, but it always pulled the front end around towards the lake (water!!) no matter what kind of weight distribution I used. I finally decided I needed a pull type mower that wouldn't pull the front end of the tractor sideways. I started on it last fall and finished it at the beginning of the summer. As you'll see if you watch the video, I may have to do a little more tweaking -- or maybe just fill in the hole the dogs dug. I have 75 pounds of weight in those two wheels on the left and 50 pounds of weight on the front to prevent the front from sliding sideways. I'm pretty happy with the results. Unfortunately you can't get an appreciation as to just how steep that bank really is from the video, but here's the link:



Hope the link works and you enjoy the video.

 

[jstorma]

 

[mgwin]

Super job!
I know what you mean about the weedeating. I can look at a weedeater and my back will start hurting!
How did you get the mower to raise and lower?
Isn't that a strobe light on top? You need to mow at night, so we can see it flashing!

 

[pfunk]

The bar is raised using a linear actuator I picked up at a flea market. The strobe light is for mowing the roadside. Seems like people like to buzz me when I'm mowing the roadside and I don't like that!!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Paul, that is pretty cool.

 

[pfunk]

Thanks, Kraig. It's saved me a lot of back trouble from weedeating.

 

[gchunnett]

We need someone to figure out a Diff Lock.... foot pedal activated, like big tractors have, if it exists already I would like to know....

looked like you were powering the sickle bar from a rear PTO.....??

 

[kmcconaughey]

Gordon, it looks like Paul used a tiller gear box setup turned 90° to provide for the rear PTO power.

Paul, my internet connection at home was having issues last night and I was only able to get about 40 seconds into your video. This morning I watched the entire video from work, beautiful place you have there, and yes, that looks a bit on the steep side. How deep is that lake?

 

[tkhoffman]

I have the same scenario. Would love more details on the entire sickle trailer build

 

[pfunk]

Kraig, you are correct. That's a tiller gear box rotated 90 degrees. And, thanks for the compliments on the place. We own 15 acres and raise miniature Herefords. The mowing and Herefords keep us really busy -- even in a Pandemic!!

The lake was 14 feet deep when it was built but that was several years ago and I'm sure it's filled in a lot since then. I know the dam side has gotten steeper so the dirt is going somewhere.

 

[wkashner]

That's a pretty slick setup and beautiful property. Thanks for showing us.

 

[mfrade]

nice job mr. funk.. crafty of you.

 

[mwmacdonald]

I may be totally wrong here, but would an old ground driven horse mower be any good in these situations? That way you're just pulling it and it's driving itself for power-no hook ups just a thought, if it wouldn't work feel free to say so

 

[kashaver]

Its been over 40 years since I saw someone actually try to mow with a horse-drawn mower. My relative was using a full-size farm tractor for power and he was having problems with the drive wheels wanting to slip on the mower. He was trying to cut weeds over a foot tall, so it may have worked better in regular grass.

 

[mwmacdonald]

Fair enough. If someone was to try may have to add weights to represent a driver. Then it might he too heavy. Think I see the problem with my suggestion

 

[lbuttke]

After watching the video, I would want a dual wheel on the down hill side also, that bank is quite steep.

 

[pfunk]

I thought about putting a dual wheel on the down hill side, but that just puts me further up the hill and that 4 foot bar is just barely long enough the way it is. But, having said that, I would feel a lot more comfortable with that extra wheel!!

I've seen a lot of horse drawn mowers but never used one. I know a guy that uses one at an old iron show and I'll talk to him, but if there's any resistance at all, I'd have a hard time pulling it without spinning. It took me 4 iterations to just be able to pull the mower across the dam without getting stuck. The main change was adding the linear actuator for lifting. Without that I couldn't get anywhere. That steep bank takes all the weight off the uphill wheel and with just a little extra drag on the cutter bar it becomes impossible.

Mike Frade, good to see you post.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Paul, you just need more weight on the Cub.

 

[hydroharry]

Kraig - you got the right idea. Paul just needs to add about 14 to 16 weights on the left side. Then he probably won't have to worry about sliding nor rolling.