Blade drive/clutch question

[Curmudgeon]

My yard has exposed roots and some very large limestone rocks that are not worth the trouble to remove. As you already know, this causes some serious vocabulary issues when the blade hits one and bends the crankshaft. I have an old Toro Commercial deck with a Tecunseh engine on it right now. It works very well until I find a root or a rock. Usually I can avoid them, but sometimes we are gone to visit the grandchildren, and it always rains while we are gone, then the grass grows up over the little surprises, and that is when I bend the crankshaft. Some days you are the pigeon, some days the statue.

Anyway, I am playing with the idea of putting some kind of clutch arrangement on the end of the crankshaft, so that it might slip when it hits something that won't move. Problem with that is calibrating it so that it will slip when it hits a root, but not slip when it hits heavy grass or weeds. Maybe build a small belt drive like the Exmark 26.

We have a riding mower, but true to my user name, I can't see buying a riding mower and then a treadmill when I can simply walk behind the mower. BTW, my wife rides the mower. I get pretty scornful of those who have riding mowers that cost more than my first car, then spend wads more on exercise equipment, while the lot their house is on is 50x170.

Can anyone shed more light than heat on this? Thanks in advance

 

[StarTech]

If were in Aussie land you could access a swing blade system like on bush hogs. You might come with something similar.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

My yard has exposed roots and some very large limestone rocks that are not worth the trouble to remove. As you already know, this causes some serious vocabulary issues when the blade hits one and bends the crankshaft. I have an old Toro Commercial deck with a Tecunseh engine on it right now. It works very well until I find a root or a rock. Usually I can avoid them, but sometimes we are gone to visit the grandchildren, and it always rains while we are gone, then the grass grows up over the little surprises, and that is when I bend the crankshaft. Some days you are the pigeon, some days the statue.

Anyway, I am playing with the idea of putting some kind of clutch arrangement on the end of the crankshaft, so that it might slip when it hits something that won't move. Problem with that is calibrating it so that it will slip when it hits a root, but not slip when it hits heavy grass or weeds. Maybe build a small belt drive like the Exmark 26.

We have a riding mower, but true to my user name, I can't see buying a riding mower and then a treadmill when I can simply walk behind the mower. BTW, my wife rides the mower. I get pretty scornful of those who have riding mowers that cost more than my first car, then spend wads more on exercise equipment, while the lot their house is on is 50x170.

Can anyone shed more light than heat on this? Thanks in advance

Spray rocks and roots with orange marker paint, or install little marker flags. Problem solved.

 

[StarTech]

In

Spray rocks and roots with orange marker paint, or install little marker flags. Problem solved.

Or install devices with small hammers that smack the operator when they get too close. Just kidding here.

Actually the only real solution is to remove the roots and rocks. Yes it is work but necessary at times.

 

[Forest#2]

What I did to save mowers and blades.
and not much sweat involved.

I had the big rock/root issue. (several)
I carried the survey flags on the mower for immediate markers.

I use a heavy post bar about 5 ft long and sharp on one end. I can pry out the rocks or use the end to chip the top off. I'm talking about rocks no bigger than a basket ball.

For the roots I used both a post bar, a pick or maddox pick axe and shovel to get the root completely exposed and use a battery operated reciprocating saw with a wood blade and cut the root. Chainsaw blades do not like rocks and dirt.
You can buy this stuff for the wife as a Xmas present.

 

[sgkent]

labor is cheap these days. Mark the rocks, and hire someone to remove them. As for roots, that is a species and soil compaction issue. Often digging the root up can damage the tree. So have to make a different kind of decision on that. Maybe make some planter beds around the root areas that are the worst, and put in small shrubs or colorful flowers.

 

[slomo]

I use a heavy post bar about 5 ft long and sharp on one end. I can pry out the rocks or use the end to chip the top off. I'm talking about rocks no bigger than a basket ball.

Think they are called rock bars. I have a couple in the garage. Stout heavy steel with a chisel end and the other is a hammering like blob of steel.

Guess they are called different things depending on manufacturer.

 

[slomo]

A rock bar or two and a couple 4x4 wood blocks can move mountains. Or some cinder blocks for jacking vertically.

 

[mcspeed]

If you don’t want to remove the obstacles, add some fill dirt to cover them. Like Ted Nugent once said “ If you can’t lick’m, lick’m.”

 

[robertschemenauer]

My yard has exposed roots and some very large limestone rocks that are not worth the trouble to remove. As you already know, this causes some serious vocabulary issues when the blade hits one and bends the crankshaft. I have an old Toro Commercial deck with a Tecunseh engine on it right now. It works very well until I find a root or a rock. Usually I can avoid them, but sometimes we are gone to visit the grandchildren, and it always rains while we are gone, then the grass grows up over the little surprises, and that is when I bend the crankshaft. Some days you are the pigeon, some days the statue.

Anyway, I am playing with the idea of putting some kind of clutch arrangement on the end of the crankshaft, so that it might slip when it hits something that won't move. Problem with that is calibrating it so that it will slip when it hits a root, but not slip when it hits heavy grass or weeds. Maybe build a small belt drive like the Exmark 26.

We have a riding mower, but true to my user name, I can't see buying a riding mower and then a treadmill when I can simply walk behind the mower. BTW, my wife rides the mower. I get pretty scornful of those who have riding mowers that cost more than my first car, then spend wads more on exercise equipment, while the lot their house is on is 50x170.

Can anyone shed more light than heat on this? Thanks in advance

You could add soil to cover roots and rocks or try a steel cable instead of blades.