Work Car 1009 ("ROWMOW1") - Official Work Thread

[Terry Harper]

Mike.  Don’t forget the bee-proof canopy. 

Ha, Ha,  Reminds me of the time I cut through a ground wasp nest with a sickle bar mower attached to an old Farmall - Never thought I could bail off a tractor so fast!!

[Mike Fox]

I have to make a correction. I found there is a break away setting on the mower. I will need to take the mower apart and check things out. I want to make sure the break away parts aren't frozen so it will break away just in case. There is no spring involved, just a pin of some sort. And I want to make sure the modifications I made won't affect the break away feature.

[Terry Harper]

One day in his youth my Dad was working at Haines Equipment. I farmer walked in and bought a new sickle mower. He said the boy's had un-hitched the old one after haying last year and he couldn't find it.
A few days later he came back with an arm load of broken parts. When asked what happened to the new mower he replied dryly "Found the old one."

[Mike Fox]

I have been doing some painting lately. Taking all the metal parts inside to warm them enough to paint. Initially I was going to do the brackets, but today while waiting for the phone man all day, I took the whole mower apart. I wanted to clean and lube the break away, so I took it apart at that joint, and I just kept going.

Now my train shed is full of parts waiting to be painted, with some drying now.

All I have to make I think is a guard for the mower belt. The guard for the motor belt is done, painted and drying.

[Mike Fox]

Today, I decided since it was about 60 and the snow is melting quickly, it was time for a few photos. I also got the belts on and tried the machine again. The mower belt used to fall off. My new reconfiguration prevents that. I do need to put a tension pulley on that longer belt with a spring to keep the belt from flapping. And I'm thinking about putting a strip of wood, 1 inch tall or so, around the deck to keep things on it from shaking off. And lastly, I am going to make an extension for the handle, because most of the mowing will be below horizontal. But other than that, I think it is ready for some grass.

Guard on, in transport position.


Guard off, Mower head lowered and arm down, ready to mow.


Crank Handle on the winch is removed when not in use


Yellow handle to the left of the storage box is supposed to engage the belts. The belts are new now so hopefully after a little use, it will function properly.

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Looks great!  Hopefully it will work as well as it looks. 

Richard

[Dave Buczkowski]

Mike;
Excellent job! I can't wait to sit in seat and try it. And Bill can't wait to push it! Don't forget the drink holder and canopy.
Dave

[Stephen Hussar]

Fantastic! GREAT job, Mike!!

Stephen

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Mike,

   To echo everyone else ... yep, looks super!  Are you going to have it at the railroad for the Spring Work Weekend??  There won't be anything to mow but we'd love to see it in person.

Stewart

[Mike Fox]

Thanks for the kudo's.

That's the plan Stewart. Maybe even sooner. I would like our regular bunch to look at it real close before we need to use it.

[Fred L. Kuhns]

   Mike     The mower car looks great, looking forward to seeing it in action on the railroad.  How fast will the mower operate while cutting grass?
               Questions / Questions   Thanks  Fred L. Kuhns

[Mike Fox]

Fred, it is not self propelled. I am hoping that the Brookeville can push it at an idle in 1st gear, and cut just fine. So an answer to you question is unknown at this time. Watching some you tube videos, those tractors with the same mower move pretty fast.

Could shoot for 2nd at an idle if things work real good. But I'd rather go slow and not break anything than hurry along and break something that we would have to manufacture.

[Mike Fox]

Thanks to the help of Brad, Rowmow is now loaded on my trailer and ready for it's Saturday morning ride.

[Stephen Hussar]

Cool!! Thanks, Mike!

Stephen

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

When I was growing up in North Beverly in the late 40s and early 50s, a local farmer cut hay with a sicklebar mower like this, pulled by his horse, "Sam".  I watched them do it many, many times.

Maybe a farm horse could be used to pull this rig along the track, sort of like a canal boat.  It would pull easily and at a slow pace.  I'm half serious about this.  If it worked in a hay field, why wouldn't it work here?  It would save diesel fuel from having a locomotive push it. It would definitely be "green", and would lend a true old-fashioned atmosphere to a mundane task. 

Richard