Combine-Mounted Mower Cleans Up CRP Acres

Combine-Mounted Mower Cleans Up CRP Acres MOWERS Mowers (31H) 30-4-34 Tough CRP weeds and grass can give any mower a workout, what with hidden washouts and gopher mounds. That's why John Herren mounted his Brillion flail mower on an old Case combine. With the hybrid unit, he can adjust mowing height on-the-go and slow ground speed to see what trouble lies ahead. "The combine gives me variable speed on the drive wheels while maintaining high rpms on the mower," says Herren. "Best of all, I mow everything before I run over it." To mount the 12-ft. mower to the combine, he first stripped the 2-row cornhead down to its frame. He then flipped it upside down and reattached it to the pivot brackets mounted on the axle. A single cylinder mounted on the combine lifted and lowered the cornhead. Herren simply welded a new bracket to what had been the underside of the cornhead and reconnected the cylinder arm. To prepare the Brillion, Herren stripped it down to the cutting head and welded angle irons on it to mount to the cornhead. He also removed the pto shaft at the mower gearbox and replaced it with a sprocket. A sprocket on the combine beater shaft drives a sprocket mounted on the main shaft of the cornhead. A second sprocket on the cornhead shaft is connected by roller chain with the sprocket on the end of the Brillion mower. Herren stripped off the grain tank and all other belts and drive chains, but left the rest of the combine intact. He needed weight on the rear to balance against the 2,200-lb. cornhead/mower on the front. "The cylinder lets me raise the mower as high as I want to go, but I usually mow at about 12 in. off the ground," says Herren. "It's ugly, but it works great." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John R. Herren, 9020 Stonestreet Rd., Louisville, Ky. 40272 (ph 502 937-7349).

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