It only takes me less than 2 minutes to hook up and start the mower. Cost me about $40 for the metal and I already had the mower. The bolts stay on the mower and it can still be used by hand as a push mower. Wife says she was afraid of snakes around the pond and I did see a small one while I was mowing.
Attachment for mowing a pond waterline....
- Thread starter number9
- Start date
Picked these up today off CL. Got them both for $50. Green one runs fine but deck is rotted at one of the rear wheel mounts. Red one runs but smokes like a freight train and the muffler looks to be full of oil. Haven't looked at it much, but am hoping it's a simple fix. Either way, one (or both?) of these will be the donor for the pond bank mower 
Now just gotta work on finding the square tubing and deciding on how I want to build this thing.
I am keeping my eyes out on CL for some free weights to be the counter weight, as well as maybe adding weight to a ballast box if I ever make one or to the tractor somewhere if needed.
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Now just gotta work on finding the square tubing and deciding on how I want to build this thing.
I am keeping my eyes out on CL for some free weights to be the counter weight, as well as maybe adding weight to a ballast box if I ever make one or to the tractor somewhere if needed.
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So I farted around with the red mower tonight. Found that it was WAY too full of oil. Changed the oil, started it up and let it run about 10 min.....and it seems to run perfect....and it no longer smokes I'm gonna keep it to trim with and use the green one for the pond mower. Can't believe that dude bought a new mower and sold me that one for $25 when all he had to do was drain 1/2 quart of oil back out of it.
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I'm gonna keep it to trim with and use the green one for the pond mower. Can't believe that dude bought a new mower and sold me that one for $25 when all he had to do was drain 1/2 quart of oil back out of it. ...
Number 9,, I have a friend whose son works on a garbage truck. The boy has brought home so many mowers and chain saws that were tossed out with he trash that he was just going to scrap them. My bud had nothing to do one weekend and started fooling around with a couple of the chain saws. By Monday morning he had half of them running (5 or6) and most were just gunked up carbs,, the mowers the same thing, to much oil gunked up carbs, fouled plugs simple stuff,, they made enough, selling all the stuff he picked up, to take a fishing trip to Canada
Picked up the steel Friday for the pond mower project.
What I've thought up in my head on the design of this had the mounting looking not far off from a CarryAll, so thinking about it more, I decided to just go ahead and build a CarryAll, and then make the pond mower seperate, like a pallet. I'll also make a floor pallet for the CarryAll. My thinking is, I'll just back under which ever one I need to use with the CarryAll, pin it in place and take off with it.
So far I've got the CarryAll all but done. Still gotta build the pond mower and then paint everything. Hope to get it knocked out in the next couple days.
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What I've thought up in my head on the design of this had the mounting looking not far off from a CarryAll, so thinking about it more, I decided to just go ahead and build a CarryAll, and then make the pond mower seperate, like a pallet. I'll also make a floor pallet for the CarryAll. My thinking is, I'll just back under which ever one I need to use with the CarryAll, pin it in place and take off with it.
So far I've got the CarryAll all but done. Still gotta build the pond mower and then paint everything. Hope to get it knocked out in the next couple days.
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Oh yea, looking good !! I've been waiting to see what you come up with since you started. this is going to be cool.
I don't even have a pond and want a mower like your putting together.
I don't even have a pond and want a mower like your putting together.
I need help mowing the banks on my pond. I can only get so close before the "pucker factor" keeps me away. Not spending $5,000 on a sickle bar mower. I looked into a boom mower for my B3200....it was as much as my tractor and FEL new....
**would insert photos but no longer have a website for that...bummer**
**would insert photos but no longer have a website for that...bummer**
Got the mower "pallet" done last night. Originally I was going to use two square tubes per side to hold the mower and the counter weights, but I am going to try it first with just one and see how it does. I'll add the other if it's not stable enough.
I angled the edges of the CarryAll so I can tilt the hyd toplink and back under the "pallet" like a forklift (that's the idea anyway). The tabs on the front of the "pallet" have 1/2" holes so I can drop a pin through to keep it from wanting to slide off when in use.
I am thinking of adding 2x10's on the headboard of the CarryAll. Then making a "floor pallet" with 2x10's mounted on it. That would allow the CarryAll to be used as a CarryAll, or drop the "floor pallet" and pick up the "mower pallet" when it's grass cutting time. This opens up the ability to make other "pallets" for other uses.....though I can't think of any right off.
I got some "Machinery Grey" paint at Tractor Supply, it's not even a close match to Kubota Gray, but I don't think I want to paint everything I make with that $11 a can Kubota Paint.
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I angled the edges of the CarryAll so I can tilt the hyd toplink and back under the "pallet" like a forklift (that's the idea anyway). The tabs on the front of the "pallet" have 1/2" holes so I can drop a pin through to keep it from wanting to slide off when in use.
I am thinking of adding 2x10's on the headboard of the CarryAll. Then making a "floor pallet" with 2x10's mounted on it. That would allow the CarryAll to be used as a CarryAll, or drop the "floor pallet" and pick up the "mower pallet" when it's grass cutting time. This opens up the ability to make other "pallets" for other uses.....though I can't think of any right off.
I got some "Machinery Grey" paint at Tractor Supply, it's not even a close match to Kubota Gray, but I don't think I want to paint everything I make with that $11 a can Kubota Paint.
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Took the mower out for a test run last night. I wanted to see how it would work with just one stick of the square tube instead of two per side. It did fine, so I am going to leave it with just one. It DOES however need counter weight for sure. Also, I found it needs a gage wheel I think - and some skirting around the deck to keep from launching rocks. I hope to finish up tonight and hopefully get paint started. I'll post some more pics tomorrow.
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Lawnmower is cutting backwards, may want to mount that set up on the other side of the tractor and have the mower traveling forwards while the tractor does too.
Hey here's a froggy thought! What if you create a hinge point on the arm closer to the mower and mount a hand crank boat winch to the pallet platform. It would allow you to angle the deck and let it float a little bit down hill but with the cable on it, wont flip down all the way.
Does it matter which way the deck is facing? Blade still cuts the same, it don't know which way it's traveling....
I added the wheels back on the outside of the deck and put the inside wheels on the mount side - toward the tractor. Set them at 3" so it will match the finish mower deck. Also built the counter weight section tonight and washed everyone down so it'll dry tonight. I'll paint tomorrow and post pics of the finished product.
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I added the wheels back on the outside of the deck and put the inside wheels on the mount side - toward the tractor. Set them at 3" so it will match the finish mower deck. Also built the counter weight section tonight and washed everyone down so it'll dry tonight. I'll paint tomorrow and post pics of the finished product.
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It does matter which way the deck is faceing. It will cut both ways but a lot easier the correct way, just like you were pushing it into the grass. You will for sure need the wheels on there, sticking that far from the tractor, every slight wiggle from the tractor is amplified. One inch wobble at the tractor becomes a foot at the mower. You'll work the 3ph a lot. The mower does not need to be parralell with the extension bar but the inside needs to be dropped down about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. The tilting of the tractor on the bank makes the outside too low, digs into the ground. Just mowed my pond this evening and it was a whole lot easier than a weed eater or back and forth with the mush mower. You also need to consider, do you want the grass blown into the pond or away from it. I have hybrid grass carp in mine so it's food for them. They just scoop it up like vacumn cleaners.
Well since blades are single sided and yours is running backwards on the blunt edge, yeah it tends to make a little difference when it comes to the thickness of the grass.
You ever mowed thick tall grass with a push mower backwards while walking it?
You ever mowed thick tall grass with a push mower backwards while walking it?
Not sure what you mean running backwards......While the machine will be constantly mowing in a reverse motion, the blades themselves still turn the cutting direction. The only issue I could see with this is if you're doing 'finishing' mowing of tall grass with the deck on the ground. Grass may not want to go out the side of the deck as easy. Though, it probably won't be an with what you're using it for. If it was a rear discharge, it would probably be an issue.
By the way, have you considered replacing the gas engine with a Hyd Motor? Hopefully this winter I will start on a project using a snapper 30" deck with a Hyd Motor to power it, mounted on a custom arm.
I mounted the deck to the tube as it is because the deck is rotted a bit at the LH rear wheel, the reason the guy sold it. Also, the whole idea is to be able to use the mower and weights on either side of the tractor, so if it's on the other side it will be "going the right way".
I'm only using this to cut the weeds / grass along the pond waterline. It's not a manicured lawn by any means. As long as a motor is spinning and a cutting blade is turning, grass is getting shorter and that's all that matters.
I've not considered a Hyd motor. That would mean I've got to buy the motor, hoses, another valve, etc. then I'd want a hinged boom, then another cyl....and another valve.... Wanted to keep it cheap and simple with this. If I was cutting my whole yard with it, yea, but I'm only cutting the grass at the waterline and I may do it every other yard mowing. Maybe 150yd of mowing once a week or two weeks. Just not worth it to me.
At most, I've thought about (maybe later on) putting the motor in the middle and a pulley on its shaft to belt drive a string trimmer out on the end of the tube. May work good or better, but adds complexity that I'm not sure is worth it. As it is now, all that matters is gas in the tank and the motor running.
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I'm only using this to cut the weeds / grass along the pond waterline. It's not a manicured lawn by any means. As long as a motor is spinning and a cutting blade is turning, grass is getting shorter and that's all that matters.
I've not considered a Hyd motor. That would mean I've got to buy the motor, hoses, another valve, etc. then I'd want a hinged boom, then another cyl....and another valve.... Wanted to keep it cheap and simple with this. If I was cutting my whole yard with it, yea, but I'm only cutting the grass at the waterline and I may do it every other yard mowing. Maybe 150yd of mowing once a week or two weeks. Just not worth it to me.
At most, I've thought about (maybe later on) putting the motor in the middle and a pulley on its shaft to belt drive a string trimmer out on the end of the tube. May work good or better, but adds complexity that I'm not sure is worth it. As it is now, all that matters is gas in the tank and the motor running.
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