Small shop projects.

[MercuryMac]

I've never liked my lawn-sweep and this fall when it broke down, I found another cheap one and started making it better.
First I took the wheel drive sprockets out of the drive wheels. One wheel needed to be moved out so I could put a V-belt pulley on one end of the shaft that turns the brush that flicks up the grass clippings. [pic one]. Now I'm going to mount a hydraulic motor on the framework to turn the previously mentioned pulley. The ground driven brush would not turn quite fast enough and the narrow, hard, plastic wheels would slide on uneven ground if the brushes caught on the ground.

[MercuryMac]

That lawn-sweep is coming along now. Here is a picture of my hitch, my hydraulic hose holder and the base mount for the hydraulic ram [that lifts the clippings basket]. The second picture is the hitch gismo mounted and the red ram connected.
Picture 3 is the mounting bracket for the hydraulic motor to turn the brushes.
#4 is the motor mounted and bolted down.

[MercuryMac]

The first picture is showing the spring loaded belt tensioner.
The next pic is the hydraulic ram compressed and holding the litter basket open.
The third pic is the ram extended and the basket closed.

[dutch]

what`s the purpose of a lawn sweep...? Not sure I ever saw one before

[DozerII]

Originally Posted by dutch

what`s the purpose of a lawn sweep...? Not sure I ever saw one before

You pull it behind a riding lawnmower and it sweeps up grass clippings and leaves.

Nice job MM, that took a few nights of imagineering.

[bob w]

Even big projects, like the roadster build now dominating my time, I break down into little, bite-sized projects. Keeps me from getting overwhelmed.

There's a satisfaction in fixing/repairing/improving something instead of buying an inferior new gizmo. You guys are demonstrating that.