Zero Turn Hydrostatic Floating Deck Mower

Zero Turn Hydrostatic Floating Deck Mower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 10-2-8 Al Manternach, Cascade, Iowa wasn't satisfied with the performance and quality of commercial lawn mowers so he developed his own "zero turn" floating deck mower that's designed to have the benefits of both zero turn mowers and garden tractors. The mower features an up-front 50-in. wide Deere mid-mount deck that rides on a free-floating subframe that also pivots back and forth on up-front wheels. The mower is equipped with a Briggs & Straton 18-hp. twin cylinder engine and mounts sideways to eliminate the need for gearboxes. The drive consists of two Eaton hydrostatic transmissions coupled to each side of the engine and then through chains and sprockets to the axles. Uses standard off-the-shelf parts. "It's built strong with a 2-in. box steel frame that makes it much stronger than other mowers on the market. It does a better job mowing because it floats to fit the contour and also grass doesn't get compressed by the tires ahead of the mower deck as on many mowers," says Manternach. The mower uses heavy-duty Eaton motors with built-in oil coolers. He built in a hydraulic lift to raise and lower the deck. "I wanted a mower that would last virtually forever," states Manternach. He's interested in building the mower and says he can build it for several thousand dollars less then existing commercial mowers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Al Manternach, Rt. 1, Box 72, Cascade, Iowa 52033 (ph 319 852-3737).

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