Ground-Driven Mower Made From Car Axle

Ground-Driven Mower Made From Car Axle FARM HOME Cars 19-3-13 Used car axles make great ground-driven mowers, says J.E. Thele, Ada, Okla., who built his first ground-driven mower over 25 years ago and has used it ever since to mow grass, weeds, and brush on his farm. "It cuts a swath as clean as any mower you can buy, but is definitely a lot cheaper," says Thele. "It cuts a 48-in. swath without the need for a pto shaft or a ,big tractor. I built my first one for $25 and recently built another one for less than $100." To make the rigs, Thele removes a rear axle from a rear wheel drive car and positions the rear end so it faces down. Then he bolts one or two 3- or 4-ft. long blades to the yoke coming out of the gearbox. A heavy-duty frame made out of 2-in. dia. steel pipe supports the rear-end mower with a tongue on front to pull it. The wheels on the axle reverse-drive the rear end which rotates the cutting blade. "Any time the axle's wheels are moving, the blade is turning. It really does a good job. I use it on my farm to keep brush down in my pasture. I've never tried it for chop-ping corn stalks but I don't see why it wouldn't work." Thele says he usually runs the mower at a 3- to 4-in. height. Blade height adjusts by removing a pin from a pipe extension on the yoke and raising or lowering the blade. Blade speed depends on how fast the mower is towed and on tire size. "The smaller the tire, the faster the blade turns and vise versa," says Thele. "The blades are covered by a shield made from two car hoods welded together, keeping rocks and brush from flying at the driver. There's no way to keep the blade from turning in trans-port so you have to be careful at all times." Thele sells complete drawings and instructions on how to build a ground-driven mower. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, J.E. Thele, Box 2614, Ada, Okla. 74821 (ph 405 332-3540).

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