Bush-hogging with my L2501, while flying a quad-copter

[savoy9020]

Was playing around a little while it was cooler yesterday morning.. I was going to add sound but it would have had to been dubbed in, as the quad camera has no audio capture.

Tractor:
L2501, 26 hours, 60" deck.

Quad Copter
Hubsan H501S X4 (black transmitter in my hands with FPV).

Yes, I am using GPS hold, then in the middle I turn on Follow-me..

https://youtu.be/IsoAClTgdFM

 

[85Hokie]

despite your dexterity - I think you should drive one or the other!

Kinda like driving and texting!

 

[Thorny]

thanks for posting that. it shows exactly what I needed to see regarding that tractors ability to handle a mower of that size through decent grass and the speed that it can cut at.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It's a Brush Hog not a Bush Hog, Bush Hog is a Brand name.

 

[Boo]

Was playing around a little while it was cooler yesterday morning.. I was going to add sound but it would have had to been dubbed in, as the quad camera has no audio capture.

Tractor:
L2501, 26 hours, 60" deck.

Quad Copter
Hubsan H501S X4 (black transmitter in my hands with FPV).

Yes, I am using GPS hold, then in the middle I turn on Follow-me..

https://youtu.be/IsoAClTgdFM

That is pretty good video. I've considered doing that when doing something that is a heavy task; one of those things that I am surprised that my tractor can do.

Well done!

 

[clay45]

Nice video. Like your rig too. I cut similar with my SCAG Tiger Cat and call it my yard.

 

[NEPA Guy]

Great video using that kubota! I gotta get me one of them drones!

Hey clay45 I got a SCAG 52" tiger cat with the Kawasaki engine. . Fast as all heck and great for cutting underneath all my fruit trees

 

[ipz2222]

I just wonder how many people are going to die or get seriously hurt from these drones. May turn out to be as bad as cell phones.

 

[savoy9020]

Thanks for the comments, all of them. Yes I agree, they can be dangerous, but I set this up pretty carefully, as it was big open field, nothing else around, with relatively short grass, an little wind.

Would it have been nice to had someone else piloting the aircraft, while I was cutting with my "bush-hog".. Of course Bush Hog is a brand, just like every soft drink is "a coke"..

The biggest risk here was mowing over the quad.. What I tried hard to do was keep it out of the taller cedar trees, on the edge of the field.. What you don't see in the video, was me headed back to the shop, with the quad nicely following behind, and to the right, when I drive it right into some 30 foot tall cedars. Now that was when I thought, this is dumb. I've just lost it.. The X4 has a GPS in both the aircraft, and the transmitter, and i was able to find it, about 18 feet up in the branches.. Unhurt, and the video recovered.. lesson learned from that.

Don't have much desire to do it again, but this was the first time to really try out the follow-me mode, and it really worked as expected. I've got some really good pictures of the property up about 160 meters (not on the tractor, or piloting anything but the aircraft.)

 

[Boo]

Well, Savoy, I have parked a few drones in trees as my yard and field are covered with them. I have learned to be more conscious of them now.

I have registered them with the FAA as required, and I have the app for my cell phone that tells me if I am OK to fly in whatever area I am in. As for getting a "birds-eye" view of property, they are great.

I have yet to hear of anyone being hurt by these toy drones, and I have never attempted to drive a car while flying a drone. Actually, my drone also has the follow-me mode, but I don't have the clear space to use it that way.

Now, I am wondering what kind of tractor operation that I should do that demonstrates the capabilities of my rig. Hmmmmmm......

 

[ehenry]

I have to admit that was pretty slick. After you set the drone up doing the "follow me" trick, it was flying itself at 18 feet?

 

[savoy9020]

Hee.. Saturday I was mowing some parts of my place that haven't been touched in at least 16 years.. taller than me standing on the tractor, and very thick vines, and branches.. Would be neat to get an aerial shot, but no helpers, and that required way to much concentration.

The radiator mesh gets plugged up so fast, and man does it suck the fuel when I'm working it that hard. Once the temp starts to get in the upper part of normal, it's time to clean the mesh again.

Well, Savoy, I have parked a few drones in trees as my yard and field are covered with them. I have learned to be more conscious of them now.

I have registered them with the FAA as required, and I have the app for my cell phone that tells me if I am OK to fly in whatever area I am in. As for getting a "birds-eye" view of property, they are great.

I have yet to hear of anyone being hurt by these toy drones, and I have never attempted to drive a car while flying a drone. Actually, my drone also has the follow-me mode, but I don't have the clear space to use it that way.

Now, I am wondering what kind of tractor operation that I should do that demonstrates the capabilities of my rig. Hmmmmmm......

 

[savoy9020]

Yes, up to this, I had just had it follow me walking around.

The follow-me mode, uses the GPS for measurement, so if you aim aircraft at you, parked at whatever altitude, orientation, from you, it will maintain that as you can see when I'm turning in the video. The flight management controller handles everything including wind and drift, keeping in position.

the camera on the X4 is angled down 5 degrees, so setting it about 6-7 meters up and about that distance gives a decent view.

There are several reasons I went with the Hubsan H501S X4

* Flight time - ~20 minutes per battery
* Full GPS features, altitude hold, follow, etc
* Decent HD camera video/image
* FPV analog screen on the controller
* Range/altitude from controller - 300 meters ($15 kit extends to 1200 meters)

That's a lot of the features that a $1000-1200 DJI provides for ~$250 or less.

I have to admit that was pretty slick. After you set the drone up doing the "follow me" trick, it was flying itself at 18 feet?

 

[Missouribound]

I have thought about getting a drone more for fun than anything else. I live in a pretty rural area and a birds eye view would be interesting. But if I saw one flying over my house I would think it was pretty neat.....for the first couple of times.
If it started hanging out over my property it would have a 12ga. catastrophic mechanical failure.
I moved out here for privacy.

 

[NEPA Guy]

My house is surrounded by 10 acres of grass. It gets tiresome at times but if I tie a leash to the drone, do you think I can walk my dog with it? From my living room?

 

[KenB2920]

Great video!

Bush hog, brush hog, rotary mower rotary cutter...: whatever ....

I've not yet used my drone to take photos while driving but that's a good idea. May need to get me a pilot to film work in progress .... I have taken before and after shots of jobs but in action makes me think of making a commercial lol... great job

 

[Missouribound]

There are several reasons I went with the Hubsan H501S X4

* Flight time - ~20 minutes per battery
* Full GPS features, altitude hold, follow, etc
* Decent HD camera video/image
* FPV analog screen on the controller
* Range/altitude from controller - 300 meters ($15 kit extends to 1200 meters)

That's a lot of the features that a $1000-1200 DJI provides for ~$250 or less.

Thanks for the review.....now I want one.
I checked out the specs on the Hubsan site and it's hard to beat for that price.
Any problems yet?

 

[adventure bob]

Everyone wants to be a rockstar!

That's actually pretty cool. You could do that and use it for advertising if you had a mowing business.

 

[savoy9020]

MissouriBound, have had no problems.

A couple of notes. buy extra batteries for longer fun..

I bought 4 AA rechargeable for the controller as well.
By extra props, you will break them, at some point. I've crashed it quite spectacular, and it's survived.

No problems. In fact I replaced my first set of blades last week,
after the little tractor/tree incident. I have the $15 kit to extend the range, but have not installed it yet.

Took it on a fishing trip to Port O'Connor Texas last week, and found a day when the wind wasn't blowing quite as much. Got the nerve to fly it way out over the water. My apologies, I couldn't figure a way to put my tractor in this video

I have some heavy 'real' heavy mowing to do, so I'll post a picture if I can get my son-in-law to pilot it for me..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPMpZBTlAY0

 

[clay45]

video is private. Bummer.