Re: (ET) elec-trak front mower capabilities?

Yes, if you run it over the edge, the blades will have only whatever the clearance is between the deck edge and the blades in which to turn. Usually, there is something that sticks up and jams the blade. This will pop a circuit breaker and heat up the motors. Then you have to shut down, open the cover, reset, back off, repeat.

I had problems with the edges of my homemade deck running into the ground when they would go over rises in the ground, since the casters are closer to the center. Taking a cue from the elec-trak advertisements, and assuming they knew a thing or two about making a good deck, I added sled runners to the sides like they have in the pictures, such that a minimum clearance is always maintained between the ground and the blades. It works great! Something like that might help, but due to the difficulty in manuvering the front mount deck, I think the sickle bar would be a much better solution. There are several on here that are using one.

David Brandt

From: Charlie <medievalist gmail com>
To: Elec-Trak <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2011 3:46 PM
Subject: (ET) elec-trak front mower capabilities?

I'm trying to scratch up the money to buy a late model large-frame
elec-trak with a 42" front mower.

I have a 38" belly mower on a gas lawn tractor, and there are parts of
my property, particularly heavily undercut stream edges, that I can't
currently mow except with a string trimmer. If I get too close to the
edge with the tractor, it will collapse and I'll end up in the water
or worse. If I don't mow those edges, the annual japanese stilt grass
takes over, shades out and kills the perennial grasses, and over the
winter I lose a foot of stream bank (repeat yearly until no property
left).

What are the limitations on how far the Elec-trak front mower deck
travels? That's a strange question but I don't know how else to put
it. If I accidentally run the front rollers off the edge of an
undercut bank, is the blade going to get driven into the ground at the
edge, or will the deck hang out over the stream?

I understand sickle-bar mowers are near impossible to get for small
tractors these days, or I'd go that route.

Thanks in advance for any insights,
--Charlie

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