Mower Has Built-In Trimmer

Mower Has Built-In Trimmer MOWERS Mowers (31H) 27-3-27 Marty Garrett, Louisville, Ill., thought it would be neat to have a lawn mower equipped with a built-in grass trimmer. He couldn't buy one, so he built one. "The trimmer extends about 2 in. beyond the left side of the mower. It lets me mow my lawn without leaving a thin strip of grass next to sidewalks, building foundations, and flowerbeds," says Garrett. The trimmer consists of a vertical shaft and bearing that goes through the deck, and to which is attached a Teflon spool that holds the trimming line which is located underneath the deck. The rotating spool is belt-driven by the same engine that drives the blade. An idler pulley, connected by cable to a lever on the handlebars, is used to engage or disengage the spool. Garrett used 1/8-in. thick sheet metal to build the 21-in. wide deck. The blade is powered by a 3 1/2 hp Briggs & Stratton gas engine. "It does a nice, clean job and works great around trees and flowerbeds as well as sidewalks and building foundations," says Garrett. "We tested this in a cemetary that had been mowed but had growth around the stones that was 5 or 6 in. high. This whacked that off like no one's business. Whenever I need more line I just shut the engine off and pull more line out." Garrett is looking for a manufacturer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Marty Garrett, 845 Garden St., Louisville, Ill. 62858 (ph 618 665-4508).

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