Thread: Mowing season again

There is ratchet drive thingy for grey ferries to stop them being driven by the slasher. (http://www.bareco.com.au/files-pto2002-pto66)I've got a small kubota (40HP)and a finishing mower for our acres.I got the mower, worn out, fairly cheap for what it is, then got it fixed up. the deck was fine, but it needed new bearings throughout. Another option for you, now that spring has sprung, would be to disc thoroughly, then harrow your plot, so it's smooth to mow. With all the rain about, the grass should come back quickly.
Don.

Originally Posted by Don 130

There is ratchet drive thingy for grey ferries to stop them being driven by the slasher. (http://www.bareco.com.au/files-pto2002-pto66)I've got a small kubota (40HP)and a finishing mower for our acres.I got the mower, worn out, fairly cheap for what it is, then got it fixed up. the deck was fine, but it needed new bearings throughout. Another option for you, now that spring has sprung, would be to disc thoroughly, then harrow your plot, so it's smooth to mow. With all the rain about, the grass should come back quickly.
Don.

actually I have thought about levelling it ....... But for that .... You need a tractor That over-run device is quite interesting. Red Fergies seem to be a massive upgrade in everyway .... yet worth similar money. It's probably better to find one of them in the first instance.... ( after all I'm so knowlegable on this stuff, I can almost pick the difference between them ... Yes I'm not colour blind ).

There is a diesel Fiat 411R on ebay dissassembled at the moment. For some strange reason it appeals. That main thing that puts me off if it's a 24volt diesel. and I don't want to have another $500 worth of batteries sitting here that need constant upkeep and replacement ( stupid reason right ).

Do you have a budget for your next mowing machine? Have you looked at s/h out front mowers, or are you set on a tractor with slasher/deck?

Another option is a tow behind mower.
I have acquired the bits except motor to make one - now its just the time I need to build it.
I have two dismantled rover ranchers if you need parts?

Originally Posted by Sitec

Do you have a budget for your next mowing machine? Have you looked at s/h out front mowers, or are you set on a tractor with slasher/deck?

No budget yet ... just looking around. I have seen the mowers you speak of. The 2meter deck is most appealing. And there wheels are big enough for rough ground ..... They are also far more expensive than an old tractor and slasher, and likely nowhere near as reliable ( ?? ). I figure something that has run for 50years ... probably wont' die due an expensive failure any time soon ... if it tests ok

But I know next to nothing about tractors either.

what you need is a S1 Land Rover & you could tow a slasher behind it

Originally Posted by crash

Another option is a tow behind mower.
I have acquired the bits except motor to make one - now its just the time I need to build it.
I have two dismantled rover ranchers if you need parts?

The rover rancher is one of the last aussie made machines with an 18hp motor, single cutter deck and much improved version of the greenfield heel toe system. My father bought it as it was everything a "useful" lawn mower needs to be. Pitty it turned out to be a useless peice of **** that will not cut grass. He bought this mower brand new ... as he'd had crappy old ride-on mowers for years ... and was sick to death of repairing them. So bought a brand new rover ..... then 12months later shifted into town ...

I'll try to explain better. It's probably not even done 100hours work from new. Our ground is so rough the mower often bounces the front wheels off the ground. The biggest issue is rover completely screwed the cutter deck. The highest possible heigh is "scalp the **** out of the grass ... unless it's a bowling green the blades hit the ground"... It also simply would not cut grass... you could go over the same bit of grass 10 times in a row... just just "kind of" bent it over and hacked it up. When I first got the mower from him (probably 20hours work and 2 years old). It immediately ****ed me off to the point where I pulled the cutter deck off and compared it to the old Victa super 600 that would actually cut grass.

I found the deck was designed to "bend grass over" ... not "cut grass". The level height all the way around, and the blades are deeply recessed. I ended up cutting 1 inch out of the front 1/2 of the deck so it would cut grass. It still sits so low that I'm forever bending the blades as it's always hitting the ground. There is no way I can see of lifting the deck up either. The is a hole huge range of un-used deck adjustment there. If I could make the mower sit 4 inches higher, you could actually use the adjustment (as it is, the deck sits basically on the ground unless the height is set to "fully up").

I've tried quite a few ride-ons ... there all junk that clogs to deck and won't cut grass (unless it's a bowling green)..... Well I lie, the COX and Greenfields still look ok. The american mowers would fail in one season given I"ve managed to break the big chassis on an australian made rover rancher.

The rover rancher still works, so long as I keep the blades "unbent" ... the steering is very heavy and sloppy though. the motor is like new... still has the original cutter belt fitted ( the big single decks don't destroy cutter belts as a passtime like the american mowers).

So that brings me back to small tractors. Anything with a wheel say ... twice the diameter of a standard ride on mower would roll over our land like it was dead flat... A tractor is a massive, massive overkill. But seems to be the cheapest and easiest way to solve this issue. Certainly we'd never wear a tractor out givne the tiny usage it has. batteries and tires would be the big upkeep item.


seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by 1950landy

what you need is a S1 Land Rover & you could tow a slasher behind it

You can buy tow behind flail mowers too ( i mean powered anything can tow them). OK for a big square paddock without trees. You'd need a 4wheel motorbike to tow it with, it would drive the insane and be hopeless otherwise. Think of it, one legth of the paddock.... 27point turn ... where you can't see the slasher your are trying to back up ... so you would jacknife and damage the car and slasher with every attempt. They probably work ok for doing roadsides where you never go backwards or turn

seeya,
Shane L.