deck lift for changing blades

[Landgreen]

When swapping blades on the mowers I have always used a high lift jack. It's good for working on one or two mowers but with five I need something that will do the job quicker. Our two walk behind mowers can be picked up by hand and a jackstand slid under but the rider's are far too heavy. I was thinking of a beam with chainfalls on each end and then chain each deck to the beam so all would lift at the same time. Any ideas?

[MCV]

Buy a Walker. The deck flips straight up. :D


http://www.walkermowers.com/images/Tiltupdeck.gif


Seriously though, do you only do blade swaps back at your shop, or out in the field, too? If just back at the shop, I'd be inclinded to build a service ramp that would allow you to work under the machine.

[pbeering]

How about a motorcycle lift?

see: http://www.completehydraulic.com/

Tell them I sent you.

[Landgreen]

Buy a Walker. The deck flips straight up.

I was waiting for a smartass to chime in but assumed Oomkes would be the first.:D

No blade changes out in the field. Only at the shop. I'll consider the ramp. I don't have much room in my shop though. It would have to fold up or something.

Peter- Lift is cool. I think for individual repairs it would be slick.

[MCV]

No blade changes out in the field. Only at the shop. I'll consider the ramp. I don't have much room in my shop though. It would have to fold up or something.
Well it would have to be flat for the length of the machine wheelbase, plus a ramp at a reasonable angle, so probably that length again...BUT, it would only need to be ~ 2' off the ground so when storing it, you could stand it up on end (like the deck of a Walker :D ) and it would only poke out from the wall that 2'. Of course the height of your shop would have to be accomodating -- OR you could make it in two pieces: the flat portion and the ramp separate, so it wouldn't be nearly as tall when storing vertically.

Some 2x6, some ply and some screws and you're done.

[potato chip]

chain fall work good. we have a frame with a i-beam on it and the chainfall is on wheels on the i-beam. but at the new shop i have more room and we are going to add three more chain falls and that way i can change 5 mowers at once without leaving the creaper.

[nick13]

even a small portable car lift might work

[nick13]

i was just doing some reaserch for you and i found this sight i dont know if it will help you but here it is

http://www.specialtymotorsmfg.com/basiclift.htm

[EIB]

Took me a few minutes to find this. Check it out http://www.junglejimsap.com/jack.html

[pcarlson]

I start with the mower perpendicular with the trailer. Swing the mower up with one caster on the gate, one off. Chock the rear wheels, put a jack on the sidehanging off if you want. two blades from one side, one blade from the other. Only the arm under the mower. easy to scrape, and change. Bestof all no extra equip needed. at the shop or in the field.

[Prosno]

Took me a few minutes to find this. Check it out http://www.junglejimsap.com/jack.html

Now thats slick!

[jbutch83]

I start with the mower perpendicular with the trailer. Swing the mower up with one caster on the gate, one off. Chock the rear wheels, put a jack on the sidehanging off if you want. two blades from one side, one blade from the other. Only the arm under the mower. easy to scrape, and change. Bestof all no extra equip needed. at the shop or in the field.

I do the same thing, use the ramp on the mower to lift them up. Works better with the 72, the 48 was a little hard to get to the last blade. Won't worry about that one anymore, got rid of it and picked up a 60.

[Landgreen]

chain fall work good. we have a frame with a i-beam on it and the chainfall is on wheels on the i-beam. but at the new shop i have more room and we are going to add three more chain falls and that way i can change 5 mowers at once without leaving the creaper.

Hey Jay. Congrats on the new shop. Chainfalls on trolleys is a good idea. I think northern tool has some decent ones for reasonable prices. How did you attatch the beam to the ceiling?


Took me a few minutes to find this. Check it out http://www.junglejimsap.com/jack.html

I remember seeing those advertised in a trade mag. Looks like a quick way to get the deck in the air.

I start with the mower perpendicular with the trailer. Swing the mower up with one caster on the gate, one off. Chock the rear wheels, put a jack on the sidehanging off if you want. two blades from one side, one blade from the other. Only the arm under the mower. easy to scrape, and change. Bestof all no extra equip needed. at the shop or in the field.

We do that for scraping decks between jobs. It's hard to reach the third blade though. The mesh on the gate is like a cheesegrater on the knuckles. Sometimes I'll move the mower to the other side of the gate.

[potato chip]

we have some frame from a assembly line they 4x4 steel tubing. they are 11' wide and 10' tall took two and took two more 4x4 and stringers and then put casters under it so we can rool it around the shop. then put the i-beam on top.it works well for unloading things out of the back of trucks.

[Mark Oomkes]

Took me a few minutes to find this. Check it out http://www.junglejimsap.com/jack.html

We've had one for a few years now. Works awesome.

Chris, you never change blades in the field? Must be better than my guys, at least 1 every couple weeks gets bent.

[Landgreen]

we have some frame from a assembly line they 4x4 steel tubing. they are 11' wide and 10' tall took two and took two more 4x4 and stringers and then put casters under it so we can rool it around the shop. then put the i-beam on top.it works well for unloading things out of the back of trucks.

Ok. I remember seeing that in your shop. At the time I was too busy drooling all over the backblades.

We've had one for a few years now. Works awesome.

Chris, you never change blades in the field? Must be better than my guys, at least 1 every couple weeks gets bent.

Wow. It's rare that we damage a blade. How thick are the blades you use? Hopper blades are 1/4" thick.

I remember sucking up a croquet ball one time. It went though all three blades and launched into the side of the neighbor's house. It was a hell of a clatter. Vinyl siding is some tough stuff. A vise and a BFH straightened the blades good enough.

[irlandscaper]

http://www.ballard-inc.com/superjack.htm