Pull Behind ATV Mower Made Out of Old Mower

Pull Behind ATV Mower Made Out of Old Mower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 16-5-35 Old riding lawn mowers can be easily converted into heavy-duty pull-type API mowers, according to Jim Taylor, Pratts Hollow, N.Y., who modified an old Ahrens riding mower that he pulls with his Polaris ATV 4-wheeler. "I use it to mow lawn and also to get into hard-to-reach areas of pastures so I can clear away brush and weeds and to mow trails in our woods for gathering fire-wood," says Taylor, who farms part-time and also teaches agricultural engineering at a local vocational technical school. "The 28-in. wide mower deck is built rugged. I bought the riding mower for $30 at an auction. I saved a lot of money because commercial pull-type mowers for API's cost hundreds of dollars." Taylor cut off the riding mower's seat, steering wheel, and hood and then welded a length of steel rod to the front axle to serve as a hitch. The mower's original 8 hp engine was worn out so he replaced it with a 31/2 hp Briggs & Stratton gas engine (salvaged from an old rotary lawn mower) that he bought at an auction for $25. The mower blade is belt-driven off the engine. Taylor drilled a hole in the center of the spindle that supports the pulley and mounted a grease zerk so he can lubricate the pulley bearings. He stripped out the drive gears on each wheel so the transmission free-wheels. "It works great, but if I could do it over I'd install a larger engine so I could mow taller grass. It has manual start, but it would be nice if it had electric start so that I could start and stop it from the ATV," notes Taylor. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, J.D. Taylor, Rocks Rd., Box 87, Pratts Hollow, N.Y. 13434-0087 (ph 315 495-6204).

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