Homemade mowers/brush hogs

[Turbo Twister 545]

10 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

What about different size pulleys on the mandrel / spindles  on the engine to make it spin faster and some different blades 

It's a possibility I guess, I would just have to put a smaller pulley on the driving drum shaft, the only issue I have is getting a 1inch bore pulley with 2 internal notches within the bore, the pulley I'm currently using only has 1 key and isn't the proper pulley for it, but it works for now.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

5 minutes ago, Turbo Twister said:

It's a possibility I guess, I would just have to put a smaller pulley on the driving drum shaft, the only issue I have is getting a 1inch bore pulley with 2 internal notches within the bore, the pulley I'm currently using only has 1 key and isn't the proper pulley for it, but it works for now.

I re-read my post and one letter was misspelled , I  wrote " on " the engine , I meant "or " the engine , meaning >  maybe change the engine pulley ,  ---- but think that increasing the speed with a pulley is going to be a lost of power 

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

i would agree....on the engine pulley size ... higher rpm would make a defrence but the engine still has to have the power to maintain ... that rpm.... under a load ... for now ... I'd go with the setup....and lower tow speed, and use 4 blades instead of 8 .. 

[TBRider 1,406]

14 hours ago, Turbo Twister said:

Yes, I have an adjustable shimmed bolt that can be undone to start the engine without rotating the drums, although we have found out after chewing through 2 V belts, that it seems better go start the engine with the drums engaged

 

I got into a habit of idling engines down when engaging belts, i do it on my wood chipper and lawn tractor, saves belts and makes them last a bit longer...

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

i do the same .... i see people engage ... at high rpm even with those magnetic clutches ... which still causes belt slip ....

[Turbo Twister 545]

9 hours ago, TBRider said:

 

I got into a habit of idling engines down when engaging belts, i do it on my wood chipper and lawn tractor, saves belts and makes them last a bit longer...

This is what I was doing, engaging the drums when the engine was ticking over. I would have thought you'd get s lot of burning of belts if attempting to engage the belt at high rpm's..

 

But the engine also seems to start easier when the belt is already engaged  so I'm just going to make a belt cover to protect every moving part.

[_Wilson_™ 6,564]

that will work... with a fresh engine, and starter.... but... but looks like it will shorten the starter life ...then again... i don't know the weight or torq needed to turn the driven parts ..