Mower Built From Self-Propelled Spot Sprayer

Mower Built From Self-Propelled Spot Sprayer HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Mowers 38 Daryl Dixon wanted a front-mount mower so he repurposed an old Schweiss spot sprayer The old field buggy had everything he needed: hydrostatic drive hydraulic drive wheels and a solid 4-in sq steel tube frame that articulated Even the driver’s platform and controls were in good shape “I cut the height down by 2 ft and brought the wheels in for about a 6-ft width ” says Dixon “It’s about 6 ft long without the mower deck ” Dixon fabricated the mower deck with 2-in sq tubing for the frame and cross members He welded on bearings for the 5 blades that give him an 8-ft cutting width He also fabricated a cowling for the engine and a canopy over the driver’s seat The Schweiss sprayer had a little 8 hp Kohler engine to power the hydrostat and spray pump Dixon replaced it with a 30 hp diesel that he mounted on the rear of the frame “I mounted it backwards with the hydrostat hanging over the articulating hinge ” says Dixon “This kept the length of the machine down I dropped power off the front of the engine to a driveline that runs forward to belt drives on the header for the blades ” Dixon mounted the deck to the frame on pivot points with a hydraulic cylinder to control the cutting height He says that comes in handy especially in tall weeds “I can lift the header up about 2 ft and clip the growth and then come back a second time and get the stubs ” he says “With the articulation it is great for mowing under the bottom wire of a fence and swerving around posts ” Dixon has mowed a lot of lawns and acreages since he built the tractor/mower Now 92 he thinks it is time to retire from his mowing business having retired from farming in 1995 His mower tractor is for sale with a price of $8 500 Dixon has no plans to retire from fabricating equipment “I’ve got a second mower in the shop that I’ve just completed ” he says “It is just like the first I’m also rebuilding a 1942 Studebaker pickup to go with the 1950 Studebaker car I rebuilt 10 years ago ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Daryl R Dixon 1835 State Highway 194 Plainview Texas 79072 ph 806 729-3917

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