Ditch/Hillside Trimmer project
Started working on this to mount on the front of my X728. it will have a battery powered string trimmer motor and spool at the head but the electric actuators will be run from the tractor electric.
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Thanks Mark! I always try to get into my head how to make things work before I start buying stuff. It does feel good to get some progress under way. Probably going to pull the LBL off the X728 and the adapter plates for it so I can verify the spread (I definitely cut the top plate wide) of the arms before attaching to the top plate. I've got some angle iron available and some box tube, but I need to get some rod to put on the top so it drops into place in the upper forks.
Just got home, my mother is doing much better than expected by any of the doctors.
You would not like that DR trimmer even if you have a rear PTO and three point.
I used one on Kubota to do the job it was designed for, mow under a board/split rail fence.
Yes it was slightly better than a string trimmer, but it left a lot to be desired.
According to the directions, drive straight down the fence row, it is spring loaded and has a guard that when it makes contact with a fence post it swings around the post. Once past the post it swings back in under the fence, or it is supposed to. Well it don't. I think if a person kept messing with it adjustment wise it might actually work right. But the one I ran did not.
The string it uses comes in 18" pieces, you bend it in the middle, slide it in a slot and hook it over a post. If I remember right there are 4 pairs of strings on the mow ball. The diameter is close to .25" and it lasts a good long time mowing rather tall weeds and grass.
That part of that DR Fence line trimmer would be a good thing for you to use.
You would not like that DR trimmer even if you have a rear PTO and three point.
I used one on Kubota to do the job it was designed for, mow under a board/split rail fence.
Yes it was slightly better than a string trimmer, but it left a lot to be desired.
According to the directions, drive straight down the fence row, it is spring loaded and has a guard that when it makes contact with a fence post it swings around the post. Once past the post it swings back in under the fence, or it is supposed to. Well it don't. I think if a person kept messing with it adjustment wise it might actually work right. But the one I ran did not.
The string it uses comes in 18" pieces, you bend it in the middle, slide it in a slot and hook it over a post. If I remember right there are 4 pairs of strings on the mow ball. The diameter is close to .25" and it lasts a good long time mowing rather tall weeds and grass.
That part of that DR Fence line trimmer would be a good thing for you to use.
Did you try adjusting the travel speed at the post or did it not make a difference?
Made no difference. I think the springs needed some serious adjustment. Drive down a line of 15 posts, spring back like it is supposed to for 5 of them. Spring back late for 7 more, not spring back at all for at least 3. Backing up or raising it was the only way to get it to go back most of the time.
After mowing with it twice, for the money it cost, I would not waste my money.
They lady that owned it had horses, well her daughter had horses, lots of board fences everywhere on her farm.
She is also the lady with the goats.
She had trouble with her Kubota, we fixed it for her.
Then she was having trouble with the fence mower, we tried to fix it for her.
She was a very good customer, house basement, horse barn, access road to her farm, show arena for the horses, cleaning out a pond, ripping out a lot of underbrush and landscaping everything when it was done.
That fence line mower is a real fine idea, but that one, the only one I ever ran, needed some work to make it work right. It was brand new, I don't know who put it together or if it was assembled at the factory.
I just know it did not work as advertised.
After mowing with it twice, for the money it cost, I would not waste my money.
They lady that owned it had horses, well her daughter had horses, lots of board fences everywhere on her farm.
She is also the lady with the goats.
She had trouble with her Kubota, we fixed it for her.
Then she was having trouble with the fence mower, we tried to fix it for her.
She was a very good customer, house basement, horse barn, access road to her farm, show arena for the horses, cleaning out a pond, ripping out a lot of underbrush and landscaping everything when it was done.
That fence line mower is a real fine idea, but that one, the only one I ever ran, needed some work to make it work right. It was brand new, I don't know who put it together or if it was assembled at the factory.
I just know it did not work as advertised.
That's great to know. Always wondered how well they worked.
So a little more assembly, basically just tack welded at this point, going to pull the LBL off tomorrow and take the adapter plates out so I can verify fit on the front mounting locations. I ordered spring latches for it so it will drop in and quickly latch in place:
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I can't wait to see this thing working.
And I'm just hoping it works! 🤞 🤞 🤞
Tested the fit this morning and made sure that the spring latches will work on the quich hitch mount:
It is designed to actually slide a bit more forward, but to keep it balanced to take the picture I slid it back.
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It is designed to actually slide a bit more forward, but to keep it balanced to take the picture I slid it back.
Progress. Hope it works out or you'll have to resort to:
MikeC
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MikeC
Looks like it is getting close to the shakedown trials for this .....it looks well thought out and it should work well 👍
Just a platform, made it really heavy so it could be re-purposed if need be. I picked up some 5/8" rod yesterday for the top hooking, not sure if I'll put it all the way across or just make some pins and weld them in.
Ground the welds on the support arms so it would fit the frame mount area and started getting the holes drilled out. I started with both plates on the drill press to make starter holes but did the enlarging once assembled. They are at 1/2" in this photo, I didn't have a 5/8" bit except for step drill:
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Looks like you have things under control.
Different pieces of the puzzle are coming together.
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