First-Of-Its-Kind Mower Uses Center "Power Deck"

First-Of-Its-Kind Mower Uses Center "Power Deck" FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 32-3-3 You've never seen anything like this first-of-its-kind pull-type mower that's equipped with a "fake" middle deck that looks like a third mower but is actually the power source for the two wing decks. Tim Schnell, along with Terry and Dale Strickland of Strickland Bros. Engineering of Spring Hope, N.C., came up with the patented machine. Schnell mows with a Deere 17 hp, 54-in. riding mower. With the two 42-in. wing decks he has a total cutting width of 11 ft. 4 in. Each wing deck is equipped with two rotary blades and rides on four 8-in. wide, 9-in. high solid molded plastic tires, while the power deck has a pair of caster wheels on front and two narrower wheels on back. The center power deck is equipped with a Honda 16 hp engine which belt-drives the wing decks. The wing decks are connected to the center deck by a rectangular metal frame with three U-clamps under it. By adjusting the position of a telescoping spring tensioner in the frames, the decks can be adjusted to cut anywhere from 9 to 12 ft. wide. The wing decks automatically adjust up or down to follow the ground contour and also from side to side. Each deck is attached to the frame on the power deck by a metal arm that's free to swivel up or down on a pipe. A spherical rod bearing allows each deck to tilt up to 20 degrees to either the left or right. A hand-operated crank is used to raise the wings up vertically for transport. The operator reaches back from the riding mower seat to a control box located on front of the power deck. The control box is used to start the engine and engage the clutch and throttle. "It's a totally new design that works great and results in less cost and less maintenance. Everyone who sees it is amazed at what this machine can do," says Schnell. "It does an incredible job of hugging the ground contour which results in a wonderful finish cut. The machine is balanced so well and rolls so easily that I hardly know there's anything behind me. "I came up with the idea because my wife complained about our 3 1/2-acre lawn every weekend. It would take us three hours on two riding mowers. I had two discontinued new mower decks that I had bought to pull behind my Wheel Horse 8 hp riding mower. I decided to remove the engine from my wife's riding mower and mount it on a separate power deck. Now it takes less than an hour to mow by myself. I can mow one acre in eight minutes. "My wife really likes how easy it pulls. When she hits a tree or post, the mower moves over and realigns itself. Our lawn is hilly and uneven but with the 3-pt. articulation of each deck, contours are mowed perfectly." The spring-loaded wing deck arms keep the correct tension on the belts at all times. "The only time I have to adjust the belts is when I move the wing decks in or out, and I do that by simply loosening six screws. The pulleys are wide open with no guides, so there's nothing in the way if I need to replace a belt," says Schnell. Each deck rides on four solid molded plastic tires, while the center power deck rides on a pair of caster wheels on front and a pair of solid foam rubber tires on back. There's a metal bar on front of each wing deck. "The design allows me to mow up close to buildings so I don't have to do any trimming afterward. With the caster wheels on the power deck and the arms on front of the wind decks, I can bump up against a tree and the entire machine will slide around and then reposition itself." Schnell is looking for a manufacturer. He estimates that his current model, if manufactured commercially, would sell for $4,500 to $5,000. "I'd like to build a smaller version and keep the price under $2,500," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Schnell, 7259-D Hwy. 42 E., Macclesfield, N.C. 27852 (ph 252 291-0230; Timoth44270 @earthlink.net).

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