Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Heavy Duty Trimmer?

It's a very cool rag if you are into "creative welding" and fabricating. As you have probably read in here, I have built my own aerator and 40 gal fish feeder for dirt cheap with a gast science (oiless) air pump and a Remington scatter feeder. My motto is, Whatever Works... The weed-eater-holder-thingy is a simple, home-made, light framed unit with 2 wheels and a handle. It has 2 vertical "stands" that the weed-eater clamps onto, holding the weed-eater at the same angle you normally would, letting the entire weight be held on the wheels. You then use it in the same fashion as pushing a vaccuum cleaner around. It's actually quite functional, and more so the older I get.

Does anyone have experience with the powered mowers that you pull behind a 4 Wheeler? I saw one that has an offset pull that looked interesting...

Alligator, i saw the one you are talking about in a northern catalog i think you can offset it to either side or straight behind you. I have used one many years ago behind a 4-wheeler and it worked very well.

wicked - was yours top heavy? did you use it on a slope?

Most of the ones Im looking at have speck that they can be used on up to a 20% slope - I figure they have a fudge factor in there, if so a 4:1 slope may work?

The atv i used wasnt top heavy at all if you already have an atv that would probably be your best bet. What degree slope will you be using it on?

This is what you need. mower

This is the arsenal that we use in an attempt to keep the green under control.

Hey thanks guys, thats the one we are looking at. Swisher at TSC. I am supposing for mowing around the ponds I need a rough cut, we mow about three times a year + I need something that will get all the way down to the waters edge.

My dam is 4:1 on the water side and inbetween 3:1 to 4:1 on the back side.

wicked - Do you you think the mower is top heavy? From looking at Dwights pictures it look like the weight is low (enough) to the ground to hadle slopes just fine..

That mower will do just fine. You will fall off the 4-wheeler before the mower would turn over. LOL

Those pull-behinds are nice. And don't let the 11hp fool you. It probably mows like a 16hp because all the power goes to the blades.

Thanks guys, I just bought a Swisher 12.5 hp rough cut model...I cant wait to play with my new toy!!

I looked long and hard at 1 of those, then, due to needing to get in a thicket and cut underbrush, decided on the Predator. A rough cut pull behind would be nice. As bobad said, all power goes to the blade.

Gator let us know how it works. I have been looking at one also but don't know anyone who could give me a first hand experience report.

I searched off and on for two years trying to find a ZTR mower that would satisfy my needs. A landscaping friend recommended that I should check out Walker mowers http://www.walkermowers.com/index.htm1?section=mower I ended up getting the Model B with a 54" deck. It has no trouble mowing my 3:1 slope and trims within 1/4". Since the deck is front mounted the mower is very low to the ground and the deck is wide enough to get under bushes and my vinyl fence. Reducing the amount of trimming a great deal. The deck is all gear driven and the blades in a straight line across and makes nice stripes. The best thing about the design is you just pull two pins and lift the deck up to service or clean it out. I can mow my 3 Acre property in a little over an hour. I have an Echo string trimmer to touch up with that only takes about 15-20 minutes to go around the 600' of vinyl (80 posts) and 200' of t-post farm fence that the mower doesn't get.

Will do ewest. I dont know who is more giddy about the whole thing, me or my Dad. We are like a couple of kids on Christmas Eve.

Hey Ryan - that is a nice lookin mower you have there. Thanks.

Hey guys I have the 60 inch Swisher finish mower. I like mine alot, and got a good deal on it used $650. I spent about $40 getting the carb rebuilt but it runs like a champ. If money was not an option I would get the biggest hp they offer in the mower (I think it may be a 14hp but I am not sure.) I have the 11.5 B&S I/C and it does fine but I would love to have a 15 or on it. The cut on it is awesome, just like a golf course and it mows behind the damn with ease. If yall have questions give me a shout.

Donnie

DJ,

I couldnt go the extra $$$ for the big boy 60" cut - sounds like you got a great deal on yours! I will be trying mine out this weekend, prolly mow half of Anderson County.

Weekend Swisher Mower test = very positive.

I have a 12.5 hp, 44" cut (pictured above - thanks Dwight), it puts all the power to the mower, never bogged down. I ran it through medium sized grass and weeds + a couple of strips of 2' high density field brush, no worries on power.

I was able to mow both ponds down past the water line and in spots that I prevoiusly could not safely reach with a tractor/brush hog. I never felt like I was tipping. Excellent on rough/steep terrian.

Can mow at about 5 mph.

Easy to use, simple design. Rugged. We set it up for the first time and was mowing in 30 minutes. Can disconnect and reattach in about 5 minutes.

Has offset pull behind capabilities, works fine.

Additional comments:
- Pull start, no problem, but, the electric start would be nice too.

- It would be optimal if you have a 4 wheeler dedicated to pulling the mower as the setup and disconnect is a little extra work (5 minutes).

- They offer two cutting types, rough cut and finish cut. Make sure you get the right mower for your intended use.

All-in-all, The mower is is a work horse. Built for the job. Think of it in terms of a small brush hog. My dad was absolutly giddy over the whole thing, said its the best thing we bought in all our years of equipment. (I think he was extra happy that he dosnt have to risk his life mowing dams with the Kabota!)

Gator

The Swisher gets two claws up from Gator.

: )

I have the same mower as you Gator. That mower is stout. I have run it over two foot high manzanita bushes and it demolished them. That may not sound like much but for those that don't know manzanita is tough stuff!

The mower works great!

Agreed on the Swisher mower, sweet!