All-Hydraulic Heavy-Built Mower

1996 - Volume #20, Issue #2, Page #11

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"It's the best mower, leaf pickup, and snow-blower tractor I've ever seen," says Don Roe, Hazel S. Dak., about the all-hydraulic lawn and garden tractor he built from the ground up.
In the 8 years since he built the tractor, he's added a number of attachments, including a large slant-bottom box on back for picking up leaves and grass that self-unloads out the back with a hydraulic-driven apron chain. He also fitted it with a 14-gal. spray tank and 12-volt pump, and a 48-in. snow-blower powered by a hydraulic motor.
The tractor was built from the front axle from a 4-wheel drive IHC, a 20-hp. Kohler engine, and a surplus hydrostat drive unit. Roe designed it with 4-wheel coordinated "crab" steering so the front and back wheels turn in opposite directions for tight turns. The tractor is all hydraulic, including power steering and power lift on front. In winter he switches the large front wheels, putting on a set that has fluid to provide extra traction. The tractor has a tilt steering wheel.
A Grasshopper blower unit is used to moved chopped leaves and grass from the up-front mower deck to the big box on back. The box quick-mounts on back of the tractor when needed. It has a rubber cover on top to keep out rain, and a canvas curtain over the back that pushes out of the way as the apron chain unloads. Because the box slants upward, Roe can unload into a large pile, unlike some tow-behind boxes which are built low to the ground.
For spraying, a short boom mounts on back of the tractor. Roe's up-front snow-blower is chain-driven by a hydraulic motor that mounts right behind the blower.
The innovative yard tractor is the second one Roe has built. "I built my first one 30 years ago. It was 10 to 15 years ahead of its time since it had a front-mount mower deck, which no commercial manufacturer came out with till much later."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Roe, P.O. Box 78, Hazel, S. Dak. 57242 (ph 605 628-2977).

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All-Hydraulic Heavy-Built Mower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 20-2-11 "It's the best mower, leaf pickup, and snow-blower tractor I've ever seen," says Don Roe, Hazel S. Dak., about the all-hydraulic lawn and garden tractor he built from the ground up. In the 8 years since he built the tractor, he's added a number of attachments, including a large slant-bottom box on back for picking up leaves and grass that self-unloads out the back with a hydraulic-driven apron chain. He also fitted it with a 14-gal. spray tank and 12-volt pump, and a 48-in. snow-blower powered by a hydraulic motor. The tractor was built from the front axle from a 4-wheel drive IHC, a 20-hp. Kohler engine, and a surplus hydrostat drive unit. Roe designed it with 4-wheel coordinated "crab" steering so the front and back wheels turn in opposite directions for tight turns. The tractor is all hydraulic, including power steering and power lift on front. In winter he switches the large front wheels, putting on a set that has fluid to provide extra traction. The tractor has a tilt steering wheel. A Grasshopper blower unit is used to moved chopped leaves and grass from the up-front mower deck to the big box on back. The box quick-mounts on back of the tractor when needed. It has a rubber cover on top to keep out rain, and a canvas curtain over the back that pushes out of the way as the apron chain unloads. Because the box slants upward, Roe can unload into a large pile, unlike some tow-behind boxes which are built low to the ground. For spraying, a short boom mounts on back of the tractor. Roe's up-front snow-blower is chain-driven by a hydraulic motor that mounts right behind the blower. The innovative yard tractor is the second one Roe has built. "I built my first one 30 years ago. It was 10 to 15 years ahead of its time since it had a front-mount mower deck, which no commercial manufacturer came out with till much later." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Roe, P.O. Box 78, Hazel, S. Dak. 57242 (ph 605 628-2977).

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