2013 - Volume #37, Issue #3, Page #29
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Zero-Turn Mower Fitted With Front-Mount Dethatcher
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He started with two new Sears 40-in. wide, pull-type dethatchers that he bought on sale. He cut one dethatcher in half and welded it to the other one to make a 56-in. wide unit. “I wanted the dethatcher to be narrower than the 61-in. mower deck on my Grasshopper. That way the deck can vacuum up all the dethatched material when I go around corners,” says Steffen.
He used 2-in. sq. tubing to build a frame that supports the dethatcher. The frame is welded to a pair of hinged metal arms that pivot on brackets bolted to the mower deck, allowing Steffen to lift the dethatcher back out of the way for transport.
“The caster wheels cause the dethatcher to follow the ground contour without digging into the ground. The entire dethatcher can be removed by pulling two bolts,” says Steffen.
He also built spindles for the caster wheels and clevises to hold them in place.
“I paid $69.99 apiece for the dethatchers, $40 for 12 ft. of 2-in. sq. tubing, and $9 apiece for the caster wheels. The least expensive factory-made unit I could find cost more than $700, and mine works just as good,” notes Steffen.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Matthew Steffen, 85 Moon Lake Trail, Kalispell, Mont. 59901 (ph 406 755-0825; mjstef@gmail.com).
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