OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Four Stroke Lawn Mower Frames Hardbull Mowers Prototype Slasher

Hi all. It's been a while since I've put much on here, it's a bit of a silly season this time of year!

But here is one of the machines I've been working on, the idea came when the girlfriend suggested about mowing her 8 acre paddock! She's got a 27166 Rancher, her neighbour's got a John Deere LX172, and I've got a 1755 Rancher. Still a big job for the three machines, so I got to some designing, and this is it!

I've designed it to be fully self contained so it can be towed by more than just a ride on.

It's powered by a 5 HP Briggs and Stratton and has a 24 inch cutting deck running at 2/3 engine revs, (my spare Mobilco deck actually), 4.10 x 4 solid rubber tyres, and an 8 position height adjustment, (matched to the 8 height positions on the 1755 Rancher). Bear in mind this is the prototype, so some refining and safety guards etc will be on subsequent machines.

I've had a lot of interest in it so far, quite a few customers have said they would much prefer to buy one of these to add on to their existing machines, as opposed to buying a bigger machine.










The engine can easily be removed for servicing as it is contained in a cradle that is adjusted for belt tension. I'm planing for the machine to be supplied with the tow bar modification so it can be towed on either side of a ride on too. I'll end up with a few diferent kits when it comes to that.

But anyway, feel free to leave your comments, and be critical if needed

I have a suggestion and a question, Greg. First, the suggestion: I think you may need caster-type dolly wheels on the main frame, positioned in front of the cutting deck. Otherwise when the front wheels of the tractor tip up on a grade or bump, the front of the towed unit might dip down far enough for the deck to dig into the ground. I know this effect won't be all that severe because the tow bar on the tractor is up close to the rear axle, and the dip of the towbar therefore won't be all that great, but sooner or later someone is going to try it with a home-made towbar that sticks out further. A dolly wheel would also keep the front of the deck out of the mud when the unit is parked, not connected to the tractor. Second, the question: does the fitting at the end of the extendable boom have a simple lift-off towing pivot, and is there another similar pivot at the center of the tractor, so you can tow the unit to the mowing area with it in line with the center of the tractor? Then you could pass through gates on the way, and just pull the tow point over to the end of the boom when you are ready to start mowing. This seems like less of a hassle than sliding the boom in every time you come to a gate.

Thanks Grumpy, input appreciated. I did consider the option of having a wheel, or in fact two, at the front. The issue I had to weigh up was do I keep it as simple as possible with like you said the shortest possible drawbar, or do I put wheels at the front which would inturn require another pivot point in the drawbar, in the horizontal plane above the front wheel mount to allow for undulations. I also considered a king pin steering type design as well. However in the end I went with the KISS principle, (Keep It Simple, Stupid!), hahaha.

As for the tow points, Yes, the slasher is of the fixed pin type hitch, and the towbar boom does have a single eye tow point at one end. Hence the reason for having it removeable so it be utilised on either side, and yes, the ride on does have a tow point in the centre for the very reason you suggested, (although I also have a 50mm tow ball for it too). When in this position, the towbar boom can be slid in and located in the centre position, so as to eliminate any protrusion on either side.

When in this position, the ride on cutting deck is the widest part of the whole configuration. This allows for initial clockwise travel around a particular area, then travelling anticlockwise with the slasher trailing to the left leaving an even spread of clippings over the mowed area, or it is possible to begin in the centre of an area, with the slasher trailing to the right, and clear the mowed area of the clippings.

The ride on and slasher combined give a total 52 inch cut.

How about some simple safety wheels on the deck itself, like on this toro deck:


There not needed to run along the ground, but the hover at just the right spot to stop the blades damaging the ground, and also help prevent the front of the deck digging into anything, like lumps or inclines.

Was that engine or cowling atlease "borrowed" from a MTD by any chance? I have a similar motor up the back here

Anyway for a first run at it its a tidy looking unit

Thanks Ty and Joe, after giving it many trials, there isn't an issue with the front edge or the blades digging in. Even with the slasher at it's lowest setting, the front wheels of the ride on need to raised 6 inches before the slasher blade touches the ground.

If I put them into production, they wont be leaving here until I have fitted the towing boom to ensure it is done correctly.

And Joe, yes, you're correct. However it's the cowling cover only. I just thought it looks better the standard Briggs variants. It also got a coat of paint as well to pretty it up.

Cheers.

Our Victoria Trip is well and truely comming up (likely first weekend of Dec, maybe second)

We should be stopping by to see you across that weekend Greg, would it be much to ask to see this one in action?

Definately not a problem Ty. I try to have the Mobilco cutting by then too, if I get time, hahaha. Look forward to meeting you.

There's a park not far from here, be able to do some free mowing for the council! hahaha

Same here mate!

I've got a nice pile of Victa stuff here too! Pick it over.

On that note, Is there anything you are trying to track at the moment that we might be of service with?

Thanks, but no, I don't think so. Only that stuff for my old Victa Corvette, Oh, and a catcher for a 1958 Qualcast Royal Blade Deluxe cylinder mower! hahaha.

I'll try to have my next little "project" at least operational by the time you get here too. It'll be a while before it get's shown on here though...... You and Jeff will get a sneak preview.

Let's just say that you, Jeff, and myself will have something to do. hahaha. It'll have to be a case of "mum's the word though", hahaha.

Cheers.

I'm getting excited now!

This could be quite interesting!

I'll pop all the corvette stuff in a box. I do have one unknown cylinder mower catcher here, but i'm not sure it's what your after!

Here's a pic. It's got a J.A.P. engine fitted original. I've also got a spare engine, just the Wipac coil doesn't want to work properly.



Thanks, but I don't think they'd be too easy to come across. The're a photo in the gallery under Restorations to Come, 1 of the 4.

Cheers.

I don't think that's the catcher I have spare sadly, but I'll take a close look on the weekend just in case.

Looks the goods. Simple but effective.


The anti scalping wheels on the front could be a good idea.
Wheels at the front would mean that you would need to hinge the drawbar, that would make it more complicated.
I did think of the Greenfields walk behind i have here, its got one single castor type wheel at the front. That might make stability issues.

Not sure how you are testing it Greg but ive found there are a few people around that mow grass to a 10mm height and leaving it any longer, 'well its just not worth mowing if your going to leave that much grass'. My dad is one of them. No wonder the ride on chews belts, its as max capacity for the engine power delivery more often than not.



My only question with the tow behind slashers or your new 'side to side and right behind', is how do you know when the thing konks out?? Well other than constantly watching where you have been to see the grass is as long as when the slasher went over it.


Whats the saftey implications as far as it being a constant tension drive belt? Should it have a clutch and a deck brake???

Thats one fancy prototype. Where it mine it would never be painted, id have to test it to death before i was content that it was finished and worth of a coat of paint. lol.


I had thought of doing something similar but more converting a rear engined ride on mower into a walk behind slasher.

Thinking about it that might be a good idea to build soemthing similar for my dad. That way he can use his Ranger out in the rough stuff and mow an extra Colt deck width.

Thanks Bob, I've set it up so that when it's at it's lowest it cuts at the same height as the 1755 Rancher, 15mm. I have been thinking about a modification for it though, although more the towing boom than the slasher, although the slasher will need a longer drawbar to allow for turns. That's to have the towing point in line with the centre line, both vertically and horizontally, of the drive axle. That way, the drive wheels will act as the front wheels of the slasher, and it will give the slasher approximately the same wheelbase as the ride on. The ride on doesn't seem to scalp anything out of the ordinary, so therefore the slasher shouldn't either. Thanks for your input here Grumpy. As in the drawing below.

As for it cutting, it's no great drama to monitor it. Apart from doing the ol' head turn, you can easily hear the engine, so if it stops cutting for some reason, like a belt breaking, the engine revs will increase. Also, The height adjusting lever is within easy reach of the operator's seat, so you can feel it too.

Good question about the clutch and brake, I have contemplated that as a future mod. It wouldn't be hard to hook up an electric clutch that is linked to the seat switch to stop the blades when you get of the seat. I also have all that's required to make the slasher engine electric start too, all it would need is it all to be connected to the ride on via an automotive trailer plug / socket, and all the controls could be located on the ride on and utilise the ride on battery. Even the throttle could be operated by means on an electric solenoid. After all, it just needs Idle, and Run (with the primer bulb setup), and an ignition switch for the start / stop.

I've given it some pretty rough treatment before the paint, hahaha, don't worry. Full noise in top gear over some pretty rough ground to see if anything was going to break. I think the only thing that broke was my back! hahaha. It bounced a bit, but no-one should ever be mowing like that.

But thanks for the input Bob, cheers.

Greg, I agree that if it has the same effective wheelbase as the tractor, it will have the same ramp breakover angle, and with zero rear overhang (tow pivot at centerline of tractor axle) much the same risk of bottoming in the center of the wheelbase as the tractor has. However the effective wheelbase must be measured from the center of the ride-on axle to the center of the trailer's axle, rather than the way you've shown it in the sketch. The offset boom increases the effective wheelbase of the trailer - it's a simple Pythagoras calculation.

In my opinion what you have now is a better design, but I believe you still need an easy, convenient way to bring the trailer axially in line with the tractor, so you can go through gates. That can still be done - say, with a square-inside-a-square sliding boom and a vertical locking pin - but it may add slightly to the cost and weight. You have reduced the need for nose wheels on the trailer's cutting deck to the same level as for the tractor, but I think you still need an easy way to park the trailer without the front of the deck resting on the dirt and getting muddy and rusty.

It's looking better and better, Greg, but if you really go for the remote electric starting and declutching, with a separate battery and electricals for the trailer, I think it will become rather expensive, and rather heavy. Can you sell them for the price you would have to charge?

I assume that deck you have there (is that the one off the Jacobson) has skid straps rather than wheels??

Anti Scalping wheels on the deck would help when at rest and not hooked to the mower. Stop it sitting in the dirt.


So would two posts down with anti scalping wheels. Just long enough to stop the deck touching the ground on the highest setting.



Actually thinking about it, being able to do everything from the drivers seat would be great, but the costs and complication makes it into something other than the KISS it started out to be.
Yeah sell the plebs a budget job and build a never finsished, infinately refined, luxury model for yourself.

If you are needing to have it tow behind, you are probably transporting. So youd switch the motor off. so getting off and switching the hitch position is not such a big chore after all youve mowed nearly %50 extra time wise over what you would have done without the inconveniance of having to get out of the seat to move the hitch.


On the saftey thing. Easy enough to get a brake band/pad for that motor. You could cable fwd and have the saftey of being able to kill the engine that way. Perhaps a bike lever on your height control. Reverse the setup at the engine so pulling kills rather than releases it. Pushbike cable would work.




I would have it rear and LH tow only. You sould be able to curve or bend the drawbar or something to get it to bring the tow point fwd (not right to the centre line of the axle but closer than the tow bar) when out the side cutting and then have it tuck back in behind for moving/towing/transport. It wont matter so much about the wheel base etc then.



I did see a tow behind slasher on ebay a while back, it had twin spindles and they didnt meet in the middle, not sure how big the gap was but it was built to tow behind a ride on.

Heres your idea for MkII Greg.
2x36" spindles, 20hp+ motor, steering so it tracks and misses no grass when towed behind a 32" or wider. Hell it can even be adjustable so it can go from 28" to 42" centre gap. It folds up in the middle to make a triangle to get through gates and storage. Electric everything and all controlled from the drivers seat. a few linkages and some cables and electric motors/winches, its a do-able idea.

Plenty of food for thought there Bob, Cheers. I've also got the flywheel brake system here too.

But anyway, after a couple of hours work, more the whole day actually, lol, I've come up with this...... Deviated from the KISS principle a LONG way!!!!












I think it was a bit of an exercise in futility looking back on it now it's finished. While the slasher blades don't touch the ground in any position, it's introduced quite a few more failure points in regard to all the pivots, three axis. But oh well, you get that on the big jobs! lol

Next episode.... King pin steering with a floating drawbar! hahaha