Zero-Turn Rack Makes Trimming Easy

2015 - Volume #39, Issue #2, Page #43

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When Vernon Austin mows a cemetery, trimming close around gravestones is easy with his homemade trimmer rack. At 87 years, getting on and off to use a trimmer was giving him trouble.
    “I took a standard trimmer and attached it to the mower, so when the trimmer head is on the ground, the mower pulls it along backwards,” explains Austin. “I can trim around stones in half the time it used to take.”
    The trimmer hangs from a T-bar made from lengths of pipe mounted just ahead of the front wheel. The vertical section of the T is held in place by a C-clamp. It angles slightly forward. The horizontal section has a short length of steel strap at one end. The other end of the strap is bolted to the trimmer just below the motor.
    When the trimmer is in use, the strap lets the trimmer head ride along the ground beside the mower. When not in use, the trimmer head rides on a rod mounted ahead of and below the seat. It extends out from the deck adjustment bracket and parallel to the ground. A simple welding clamp mounted to the end of the rod holds the trimmer shaft in place.
    “I have a pipe mounted to the shaft of the trimmer,” explains Austin. “When released from the end of the rod, the pipe lets me move it away from the mower or bring it back up to be remounted.”
    Austin removed the trimmer head shield to keep it from catching against gravestones. At the same time, he mounted a round piece of plastic to the trimmer head. It keeps the trimmer head from bumping into stones and other objects and maintains a minimum length of string.
    When Austin knows he will be using the trimmer, he starts it up and locks the throttle open. As he drives along, he can drop the trimmer head to the ground as needed.
    “It really works well,” says Austin. “I don’t use as much string, and it has saved me lots of time and trouble.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Vernon Austin, 68 Lakewood Village, Medina, N.Y. 14103 (ph 585 798-2611).

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Zero-Turn Rack Makes Trimming Easy CROPS Weed Control When Vernon Austin mows a cemetery trimming close around gravestones is easy with his homemade trimmer rack At 87 years getting on and off to use a trimmer was giving him trouble “I took a standard trimmer and attached it to the mower so when the trimmer head is on the ground the mower pulls it along backwards ” explains Austin “I can trim around stones in half the time it used to take ” The trimmer hangs from a T-bar made from lengths of pipe mounted just ahead of the front wheel The vertical section of the T is held in place by a C-clamp It angles slightly forward The horizontal section has a short length of steel strap at one end The other end of the strap is bolted to the trimmer just below the motor When the trimmer is in use the strap lets the trimmer head ride along the ground beside the mower When not in use the trimmer head rides on a rod mounted ahead of and below the seat It extends out from the deck adjustment bracket and parallel to the ground A simple welding clamp mounted to the end of the rod holds the trimmer shaft in place “I have a pipe mounted to the shaft of the trimmer ” explains Austin “When released from the end of the rod the pipe lets me move it away from the mower or bring it back up to be remounted ” Austin removed the trimmer head shield to keep it from catching against gravestones At the same time he mounted a round piece of plastic to the trimmer head It keeps the trimmer head from bumping into stones and other objects and maintains a minimum length of string When Austin knows he will be using the trimmer he starts it up and locks the throttle open As he drives along he can drop the trimmer head to the ground as needed “It really works well ” says Austin “I don’t use as much string and it has saved me lots of time and trouble ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Vernon Austin 68 Lakewood Village Medina N Y 14103 ph 585 798-2611

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