«Previous    Next»
Homemade “Slip Clutch” Keeps Lawn Mower Going
Ordinarily when you’re mowing your lawn and the blade hits a solid object such as a rock, the blade will stop instantly, most likely ruining the blade and bending the crankshaft. Then you either have to buy a new mower or pay a pretty penny to have yours fixed.
Roy Dillahunt came up with a preventive solution by making a slip clutch for the blade out of “compressible” washers.
“The idea is that if the blade hits something and suddenly stops, the crankshaft will slip a little and won’t get bent,” says Dillahunt. “I’ve used a product called Bakelite for the washers, which is a plastic made from synthetic components. Bakelite can be hard to find but I think other kinds of compressed material, such as 1/8-in. thick wall paneling, would also work.”
He removes the hold-down nut, metal washer, and blade from the crankshaft. Then, using one of the washers as a pattern, he makes 2 washers out of the Bakelite. “After installing the washers on top of each other, I replace the nut on the bolt.
“If the mower blades accidentally strike a hard object, the crankshaft will slip a quarter or half turn or even a full turn to keep the crankshaft from bending.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roy A. Dillahunt, P.O. Box 367, Pullman, Wash. 99163 (ph 509 432-1030).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
2020 - Volume #44, Issue #2