Self-Propelled 72-In. Deck Mower

2006 - Volume #30, Issue #3, Page #34

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When Tony Hargreaves mows roadside ditches, he has power to spare. If just looking at his self-propelled 72-in. deck mower with its 30 hp Wisconsin engine wasn't enough, Tony can give passersby a blast of the rig's big air horns.
  "My son bought them for me," says Hargreaves. "He figured they should be extra loud to match the power of the big engine."
  Hargreaves originally built the mower as a pto-driven pull-behind unit. When he converted it to a hydraulic drive, his Cub Cadet wasn't big enough to handle it.
  Hargreaves' son had the 30 hp Wisconsin engine, which he had pulled off an old swather and completely overhauled. Hargreaves tried mounting it on the mower as a power source, but it was too heavy.
  Not one to waste either a mower or an engine, Hargreaves decided to build a mower around the deck. He cut an old Simplicity garden tractor in two and removed the engine and gas tank. He then mounted the deck mower with the Wisconsin engine on it, between the front and rear ends.
  The mower deck has three 25-in. blades that overlap slightly to give it a 72-in. cut. The center blade spindle has a four-belt pulley on it. One belt goes to the right blade, one to the left and two go back to the motor.
  A double-grooved pulley on the engine runs two belts that go down and change direction to power the mower blades. A third pulley welded to the double pulley powers the Simplicity's drive train.
  Although Hargreaves is able to use the clutch and transmission on the Simplicity, the mower is direct-driven from the engine. Once it starts, it goes. For both safety and convenience, he plans to put a clutch on the motor or on the center spindle to control the blades. He also plans to put hydrostatic drives on the rig's rear wheels.
  Hargreaves did make another addition to the mower. He added a big bumper in front that's really just a headboard from a twin bed.
  "When I am mowing my road ditches, this machine gets people's attention," says Hargreaves.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tony Hargreaves, 19413 65th St. NE, New London, Minn. 56273 (ph 612 235-4394; ahargreaves @charter.net).

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Self-Propelled 72-In. Deck Mower MOWERS Mowers (31H) 30-3-34 When Tony Hargreaves mows roadside ditches, he has power to spare. If just looking at his self-propelled 72-in. deck mower with its 30 hp Wisconsin engine wasn't enough, Tony can give passersby a blast of the rig's big air horns. "My son bought them for me," says Hargreaves. "He figured they should be extra loud to match the power of the big engine." Hargreaves originally built the mower as a pto-driven pull-behind unit. When he converted it to a hydraulic drive, his Cub Cadet wasn't big enough to handle it. Hargreaves' son had the 30 hp Wisconsin engine, which he had pulled off an old swather and completely overhauled. Hargreaves tried mounting it on the mower as a power source, but it was too heavy. Not one to waste either a mower or an engine, Hargreaves decided to build a mower around the deck. He cut an old Simplicity garden tractor in two and removed the engine and gas tank. He then mounted the deck mower with the Wisconsin engine on it, between the front and rear ends. The mower deck has three 25-in. blades that overlap slightly to give it a 72-in. cut. The center blade spindle has a four-belt pulley on it. One belt goes to the right blade, one to the left and two go back to the motor. A double-grooved pulley on the engine runs two belts that go down and change direction to power the mower blades. A third pulley welded to the double pulley powers the Simplicity's drive train. Although Hargreaves is able to use the clutch and transmission on the Simplicity, the mower is direct-driven from the engine. Once it starts, it goes. For both safety and convenience, he plans to put a clutch on the motor or on the center spindle to control the blades. He also plans to put hydrostatic drives on the rig's rear wheels. Hargreaves did make another addition to the mower. He added a big bumper in front that's really just a headboard from a twin bed. "When I am mowing my road ditches, this machine gets people's attention," says Hargreaves. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tony Hargreaves, 19413 65th St. NE, New London, Minn. 56273 (ph 612 235-4394; ahargreaves @charter.net).

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