RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:59 am
Thanks for your comments @JSinMO and @DavidBarkey The rambling story and photos of Maxine's repairs help remind me of time spent figuring out her attitude problems and appreciate all the hidden stuff that will hopefully give me years of use with fewer headaches.
They definitely don't make them like these anymore, and I know that the shiny, mostly plastic riding mowers on display outside the big box stores will have a shorter lifespan, with a much quicker trip to the scrapyard when the time is up. For me, there is a lot of enjoyment in finally seeing something running and knowing I solved some problems and learned some new stuff along the way. Funny thing is that despite having 3 garden tractors with mower decks, none of them are likely to cut much grass... But I'm sure there will be some interesting GT fabrication projects to share in the near future
Gerry , you need a mid mount sickle bar for one those tractors . The problem is finding one small enough . Or something like this to do along the side of the driveway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BBZYEpSeJw
RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:59 am
Thanks for your comments @JSinMO and @DavidBarkey The rambling story and photos of Maxine's repairs help remind me of time spent figuring out her attitude problems and appreciate all the hidden stuff that will hopefully give me years of use with fewer headaches.
They definitely don't make them like these anymore, and I know that the shiny, mostly plastic riding mowers on display outside the big box stores will have a shorter lifespan, with a much quicker trip to the scrapyard when the time is up. For me, there is a lot of enjoyment in finally seeing something running and knowing I solved some problems and learned some new stuff along the way. Funny thing is that despite having 3 garden tractors with mower decks, none of them are likely to cut much grass... But I'm sure there will be some interesting GT fabrication projects to share in the near future
Gerry , you need a mid mount sickle bar for one those tractors . The problem is finding one small enough . Or something like this to do along the side of the driveway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BBZYEpSeJw
I know I dont get a vote on this, but I say sickle bar mower!
I don’t know how available something like that is. I know around here there’s not much but up in your area there’s a lot more stuff.
RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:59 am
Thanks for your comments @JSinMO and @DavidBarkey The rambling story and photos of Maxine's repairs help remind me of time spent figuring out her attitude problems and appreciate all the hidden stuff that will hopefully give me years of use with fewer headaches.
They definitely don't make them like these anymore, and I know that the shiny, mostly plastic riding mowers on display outside the big box stores will have a shorter lifespan, with a much quicker trip to the scrapyard when the time is up. For me, there is a lot of enjoyment in finally seeing something running and knowing I solved some problems and learned some new stuff along the way. Funny thing is that despite having 3 garden tractors with mower decks, none of them are likely to cut much grass... But I'm sure there will be some interesting GT fabrication projects to share in the near future
Gerry , you need a mid mount sickle bar for one those tractors . The problem is finding one small enough . Or something like this to do along the side of the driveway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BBZYEpSeJw
That’s what I’m talking about. One of those would get me in high cotton. Thanks for posting David. Harry
Ha! It's almost like you were watching my daydreams... a mid mount sickle mower would be awesome! Especially if it would cut in the "upright" vertical position. I have been looking at big hedge trimmers to clear the sides of pathways through the forest. If I could ride a tractor and trim while I go that would be awesome!
To continue this rambling morning post - my other thoughts, potential projects (in no particular order) would be a - belly mount grader blade, a "Johnny bucket" for the front of one of the tractors, a log grapple, log arch/trailer and finally some sort of mini crane to mount on either end of a tractor. Lots of wild and crazy ideas bouncing around inside my head...
'68 Case 195, '84 Case 446, '88 Ingersoll 222 - and 1965 Case 530ck (fullsize backhoe)
JSinMO wrote: ↑Sun Feb 25, 2024 11:12 am
I like the way you’re thinking Gerry! Sounds like some fun projects. As far as the vertical sickle mower, here’s a guy that is doing that.
I’m having a couple of safety concerns watching it but it does work.
@JSinMO Great YouTube link Pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking. A sickle mower would be good for clearing the weeds in the clearing where we are going to build our house. It's really rough in there with lots of rocks and little stumps. It takes a day to clear with a weed whacker and blade. It would be much nicer to drive in there with a GT and cut everything down to ankle height. As far as running it vertically I also have some safety concerns over how the debris was packing around the belts and pulleys of the drive mechanism - maybe a hydraulic motor would work better? - or just build a frame to hold a couple of cordless electric hedge trimmers My thoughts for the trails were that if I could trim back all the new growth along the sides they wouldn't get overgrown so fast.
Of course it would probably make a big difference if I trimmed things up on a regular basis. Doing one big cleanup last fall after a full summer of growing weeds was crazy
'68 Case 195, '84 Case 446, '88 Ingersoll 222 - and 1965 Case 530ck (fullsize backhoe)
It's amazing what you can find on FB marketplace if you go looking for it... take something like this, put a hydraulic motor on instead of the PTO shaft and the 7' cutting length/height would be perfect for clearing trails...
Not going to happen right now, but it's a concept that is certainly worth considering...
'68 Case 195, '84 Case 446, '88 Ingersoll 222 - and 1965 Case 530ck (fullsize backhoe)
@RoamingGnome I think you would want to find one that is belt driven with the eccentric at the bar end. The one you found on marketplace has the eccentric at the PTO end with a pitman stick to drive the knives. I don’t know if that would be able to be converted to run vertically.
A couple of other safety things.
1) anything that gets into those knives is getting cut in two, there’s no stopping it in time. Running it vertically next to you like a belly mower, or right behind you like a pull type I’d be very cautious about not getting into those knives!
2) the bar is made to break away if it meets an obstruction I’m not sure it would be able to do that running it in the stowed vertical position. If it hits something it can’t cut something is going to break.
One other thing to keep in mind, you mentioned your building site has a lot of rocks and small stumps. Those are probably the two worst things to run a sickle bar in. They like a cleared area with none of that in it. You might be able to run it higher but hitting a rock or stump will stop if for sure and there will be some down time making repairs!
I realize this is just in the “thinking about” it stage, but these are some point to consider before you jump into anything.
Thanks @JSinMO for taking the time to explain the workings of a sickle mower. You are correct that it's more in the wishful thinking/daydreaming stage. I definitely don't have anywhere on the property that would need a 7' swath cut. - I can also appreciate the potential for danger with open, unguarded knives sliding back and forth - a couple of YouTube videos I watched just screamed "danger, danger" when the PTO was engaged and things started moving. Nobody wants to "Shake Hands With Danger" (that was such a great campy safety film when I was in Trade School years ago)
The reality is that I will most likely be walking the trails this spring with a gas weed whacker and a cordless hedge trimmer. Then once I fix all of the hydraulic leaks on the big backhoe I'll grade the clearing enough that I can run the 446 with the mower deck over it and not destroy anything in the process.
'68 Case 195, '84 Case 446, '88 Ingersoll 222 - and 1965 Case 530ck (fullsize backhoe)
and appreciate all the hidden stuff that will hopefully give me years of use with fewer headaches.
Harry
Ha! It's almost like you were watching my daydreams... a mid mount sickle mower would be awesome! 
post - my other thoughts, potential projects (in no particular order) would be a - belly mount grader blade, a "Johnny bucket" for the front of one of the tractors, a log grapple, log arch/trailer and finally some sort of mini crane to mount on either end of a tractor. Lots of wild and crazy ideas bouncing around inside my head... 
Pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking. A sickle mower would be good for clearing the weeds in the clearing where we are going to build our house. It's really rough in there with lots of rocks and little stumps. It takes a day to clear with a weed whacker and blade. It would be much nicer to drive in there with a GT and cut everything down to ankle height. As far as running it vertically I also have some safety concerns over how the debris was packing around the belts and pulleys of the drive mechanism - maybe a hydraulic motor would work better? - or just build a frame to hold a couple of cordless electric hedge trimmers 
My thoughts for the trails were that if I could trim back all the new growth along the sides they wouldn't get overgrown so fast. 
You are correct that it's more in the wishful thinking/daydreaming stage. I definitely don't have anywhere on the property that would need a 7' swath cut. - I can also appreciate the potential for danger with open, unguarded knives sliding back and forth - a couple of YouTube videos I watched just screamed "danger, danger" when the PTO was engaged and things started moving.