Alternate sickle bar mower?

[8ntruck 7,782]

While using a brush saw on our Ky. property recently, I decided that a garden tractor sized sickle bar would make that chore much easier.  Last night, I stumbled on to a YouTube video of a guy using a Sthil shaft trimmer with a hedge trimmer head on it to clear underbrush.  I'll have to look into that to see if it will fit my Sthil trimmer.

 

Today, while walking the dog, I got to wondering if that Sthil hedge trimmer attachment could be adapted to a Wheel Horse for use as a light duty sickle mower?  Might be an alternative to the relatively rare sickle mower attachment.

 

 

[ebinmaine 72,426]

Interesting thought process....

[8ntruck 7,782]

I stopped by the local Sthil dealer this afternoon and asked about the hedge trimmer attachment that might fit my power head.  Ended up having two counter guys and a Sthil rep on the phone trying to figure out what might work.  No immediate answer, but they think what I want to do is possible.  One of the counter guys will continue to research and text me if he comes up with anything.  Looks like that attachment will be somewhere between $200 and $300.

[Achto 29,374]

Always figured that a flail mower on the front of the tractor would be more useful than a sickle mower. Specially if you have tall grass with unknown's hiding with in it. I have seen some on the front of garden tractors but have never really seen any for sale. The right sized one should be easily adaptable to a .

 

One example of one.

 

They seem to give a good looking rough cut.

 

 

 

Edited June 17 by Achto

[c-series don 9,973]

I think @Handy Don has the only one that I’ve seen in person. His hydraulic setup to raise it is rather impressive. 

[Stepney 2,354]

Having cut plenty of brush, and being lazy and preferring to sit down whilst doing it .. gotta say, nothing works better (for GT size machines) than a high wheeled old fashioned walking machine with a front sickle. I have a '51 David Bradley with a 34" sickle and that bugger will go literally anywhere. I had a SMS50 on my Electro 12 for years. It was awkward and put a lot of side stress on the machine. Rocks hiding would break cast guards fairly often. I sold it off before I managed to destroy it. 
You could quite easily adapt a antique walking tractor front sickle though. Almost all of them are belt driven off the left side just like a WH. I had one from a Waterbury rigged up at one time. ..But again, a few rocks and holes and most garden tractors are fetched up again. Depends on your definition of brush cutting I guess. They're slick when they're right. 

[kpinnc 14,585]

I've always wanted a flail mower attachment. Mounted front or towed would be fine. 

 

A sickle bar cuts very well, but leaves the full height of the material cut left behind. This is good for tedding and bailing hay, but not for clearing brush. 

 

A flail mower pulverizes whatever is cut, and is less likely to be damaged by obstacles. It is a true clear cut machine. 

[Lane Ranger 11,394]

Dan:  handy Don has a very neat flail mower setup he brought to the Big Show a couple years ago! Maybe he can post some pics.  We mowed five acres every Saturday with an International Cub and rear flail mower !  They work great!

[Handy Don 13,982]

Just about to jump in the car to head to the show but here’s one picture I could find quickly.

The lift brings the flail closer to the tractor so the drive belt needed a wide-capacity tensioner!

This Haban flail was originally made for a 10hp Bolens. Haban also made them for JD. 

The tractor is a 520 chassis with a 518 engine & topsides and I extended the Eaton 1100 hydraulics to add the front lift while keeping the stock hydraulics intact. 

I’ll try to find some of the videos of it in action. it’s at my son and daughter’s camp and its jobs are to clear the green area quaintly referred to as “the lawn” and also to remove weeds and scrubby brush from the logging trails on the property. It is a beast.  

Edited June 23 by Handy Don

[ebinmaine 72,426]

6 hours ago, Handy Don said:

the green area quaintly referred to as “the lawn”

 

 

[8ntruck 7,782]

I got a reply from the Sthil dealer.  They don't have a direct fit for my power head, but the hedge trimmer attachment for their current quick change system can be made to fit.  It lists for $279.  That would be a pretty expensive experiment.  This idea has lost a bit of luster.