Grasshopper-Type Riding Mower

Grasshopper-Type Riding Mower FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 20-5-35 FARM SHOW readers might be interested in this mower I built back in 1966 and still use today to cut most of my lawn. It operates on the same principle as Grasshoppers, which didn't come out until years later. The mower is powered by a twin cylinder 18 hp Wisconsin engine. It drives through a 3-speed transmission out of a 1941 Chrysler car to a countershaft with a rubber reverse roller off a Minneapolis-Moline combine. Steering levers connect to a pulley and re-verse drum. When levers are pushed ahead, drive belts tighten for forward and when levers are pulled back, the drum pushes against the combine roller for reverse. By varying forward pressure with the levers, you can slip the drive belts to provide variable speed drive. Roller chains drive the 15-in. front wheels which are off a 1951 Pontiac car. It has an 8-in. rear caster wheel that al-lows the mower to turn around and come out of any spot wide enough for the deck to fit through. The deck "floats" on four 6-in. dia. caster wheels and has three 21-in. in-line blades, which are timed and driven with a roller chain. The in-line blade and roller chain drive design provides a very compact deck considering it has a 60-in. cut. What I like most about the mower is its exceptional maneuverability. It also cuts much heavier grass and weeds than any commercial mower I've ever seen. This is its 31st year and it should provide many more years of trouble-free service. By the way, that's my 1-year-old grandson, Tommy, posing with me on my mower. (Ron Roesch, Rt. 2, Box 162, Ada, Minn. 56510; ph 218 784-4734).

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