Mini-Mower Built For Custom Tractor

Mini-Mower Built For Custom Tractor MOWERS Shortly after designing and building a one-of-a-kind custom mini-tractor Matt Castagno decided that the shiny little gem needed an attachment Castagno says he originally thought about a belly mower but that idea morphed into a pull-behind reel mower Castagno searched several online sale and auction sites for a mower that he could modify and rebuild in a smaller size to match his tractor That search turned up reels from golf course mowers power reels gang reels and manual push reel mowers but none seemed to fit his needs Eventually he bought an old Craftsman push mower as a parts donor from a New Hampshire collector Shipping it to him cost more than the actual mower but that didn’t deter him To scale the mower for his tractor Castagno needed to reduce its width by 4 in He disassembled the old Craftsman removing the hubs wheels drive mechanism cutting bar reel and roller He says cutting and shortening the hardened steel reel shaft and knife bar ruined several bandsaw blades Eventually he got the parts sized to the proper length He removed the mower’s original push handle and fabricated a new hitch from sheet metal and tube steel It hooks directly to his tractor and looks “factory made ” Castagno says the original wheels and gear drive mechanism were in good shape and just needed a thorough cleaning to function well To complete the project he painted all the mower parts to match the tractor patina and reassembled it with the new hitch He says the mower and tractor are now museum-quality pieces and won’t be used for actual work Completing this project was so successful Castagno says that he plans to build another tractor that he can use for work get dirty and then get it cleaned up to drive in parades Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Matt Castagno grnlark@cox net

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