Front mount flail mower from mid PTO

[Chanceywd]

@Russell King I tried your suggestion of taking weight off the mower with the loader to transfer weight to the front wheels of the tractor. The difference was like night and day. Without it I couldn't turn uphill. With it I could turn uphill like the mower wasn't there. Thanks again for the suggestion.

@Chanceywd Bill, I also tried using the independent rear brakes but it didn't seem to have much if any effect. Not sure if this is a limitation of the idea or the operator.

It appears from my seat that maybe the roller area is the dragging problem.
You mentioned adding caster wheels to the back so maybe that might be the solution?

I'm impressed by this build and your working out the kinks.

Bill

 

[Russell King]

Thanks Russell.

Adding a couple of chains from the FEL to the mower to shift some weight from the mower to the tractor front wheels is a great idea. I'll give that a try today and report back.

Haha - hydraulic steering on the mower would be fancy. Are you thinking a couple of drive wheels on the mower and also steering them ?

Glad that lifting the mower helps. I was thinking of lifting the front not the rear. Perhaps it is the rear roller that is causing the issue in turning, I had imagined the front wheels being the issue.

The suggestion to add hydraulic steering to the mower was for just a cylinder to steer the wheels but adding hydraulic steering and drive to it would be “super fancy” and the first step in a remote controlled mower that you could drive from the comfort of your couch!

 

[Paul Allwood]

It appears from my seat that maybe the roller area is the dragging problem.
You mentioned adding caster wheels to the back so maybe that might be the solution?

I'm impressed by this build and your working out the kinks.

Bill

Thanks Bill

 

[Paul Allwood]

Glad that lifting the mower helps. I was thinking of lifting the front not the rear. Perhaps it is the rear roller that is causing the issue in turning, I had imagined the front wheels being the issue.

The suggestion to add hydraulic steering to the mower was for just a cylinder to steer the wheels but adding hydraulic steering and drive to it would be “super fancy” and the first step in a remote controlled mower that you could drive from the comfort of your couch!

Funny thing, I was thinking that too, even with a drone overhead following so I could see what the mower could see. But don't think I'll go that far. I've got a few other things on the list before something like that....hydraulic steering for the tractor, backhoe, grapple. And I still have to finish the mower.

Watching the mower when I tried to steer it uphill, it didn't look like the caster wheels were causing any problem, but trying to push the rear roller sideways across the grass definitely looked difficult.....I guess that why I assumed that's what you meant.