They rebuilt it into a low-cost mower that they pull behind their Kubota utility vehicle. The riding mower's engine, hood and dash mount on top of the 60-in. deck they made out of 5/16-in. thick steel plate.

"It's a low-cost, built-tough mower," says Brian. "The deck has a 4-ft. long tongue equipped with a pintle hitch, and my Kubota utility vehicle has a ball hitch both on front and back so if I want I can also push the mower deck on front.

"Most of the stuff that I used to build it either came off the mower or I already had it. I reused all the pulleys and belts that I could. Commercial pull-behind mowers sell for much more than what I spent to build it."

The 1980's Mastercut riding mower had a 12 hp gas engine and a 42-in., two-blade deck. They mounted the original pulleys and driveshafts on the new deck and added a third blade to increase cutting width to 60 in.

The deck has 10-in. high wheels on back and smaller caster wheels on front. A pair of 1-in. dia. spindles serve as the rear axle. Back-to-back metal plates at each corner on all four wheels are used to adjust deck height. Ricker simply pulls out two bolts and adjusts one of the plates up or down.

An idler pulley off the original mower deck is used to engage the belts.