ATV Connection Magazine

pto drive for front mower

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Posted by: CaptainQuint

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Originally posted by: squeege
Why can't they design a mover that is powered by the quads engine




Because as much as we like to use the capability to justify the purchase to our wives and girlfriends or maybe even ourselves, the truth of the matter is that an ATV is a piss poor substitute for a tractor or even a lawnmower.

There are a few specific instances where it is better. Dragging a powered rough cut mower through the timber where the terrain is too rugged and dangerous for a tractor. The mowers are hideously expensive especially when compared with tractor PTO mowers. Same with lawn mowing. The mowers are astronomically priced and do a marginal job when compared with a dedicated rider. A rider which will do it faster and isn't much more than what you paid for the one you push or pull around with the atv. The ATV implements you drag around behind one are marginally useful at best and don't even compete with compact tractor implements or stuff you could pull with your old Ford N. And for the price they want for them you could buy a three or four used pieces sitting in someone's fence row or behind their barn or machine shed. Again, if it is all you can get to a inaccessible area then ATV implements may be useful but I wouldn't be buying them. I'd go to the rental center and rent the stuff they rent for garden tractors.

Plowing snow is something an ATV does pretty well and does economically. They're really suited for it too. Of course there are the other thousand and one indispensable jobs they do around the place. I think where they kinda come up short is when you try to make them into something they're not.




Posted by: Terrapro

I have used a Terrapro for quite sometime and I'am very happy with it. Most people have not used one and don't understand how well they really do work.

Posted by: Doctorturbo

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Why can't they design a mover that is powered by the quads engine

In a word.................Horsepower.
It takes a lot of horsepower to turn over even a small mower in thick grass.

Posted by: tencubed

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Originally posted by: econdave
Is it true they have mowers that mount on the front of your atv now so you dont have to keep looking behind you? My lawn is 3 acres and flat. I was thinking of putting a mower on the back of my new quad to help the wife out. She mows with a rider but it takes her a long time. For $1,000 I can get a trail finish mower and help out. On second thought maybe keep her busy on the rider... Just kidding......


Swisher makes a mower deck that sets in front of the quad. Swisherinc.com will get you there.

Posted by: RSeb

Yamaha tried it back in '88. -> Link

It wasn't terribly successful.

Posted by: squeege

Why can't they design a mover that is powered by the quads engine...that is the only thing holding me up from running a mower attachment on a utility.....why run two engines?

Given I would expect honda to be more geared to this

Posted by: squeege

Yep one on ebay right now...not far from here

Posted by: squeege

Well I am surprised that yamaha was the one to give it a shot....more than a few people have asked the question....I think quads are going more sport-ute than ute-sport or full ute

Posted by: nailzscott

I also have a terrapro and you would be amazed at how well it mows. I have a tractor with bushhog now so I may be selling the terrapro in the future since the mower is just taking up space. I would rather just trade it for a similar size utility atv. I also put a trailer hitch ball on it and pull around my 8x16 trailer to pickup trees and limbs. And I was able to drag some trees a few hundred feed to a burn pile.

Posted by: Fear

yeah really, why hasn't any of the quad makers engineered a front/rear pto, or even hydraulics for a wood-splitter, mini log loader ect. ?

Posted by: econdave

Is it true they have mowers that mount on the front of your atv now so you dont have to keep looking behind you? My lawn is 3 acres and flat. I was thinking of putting a mower on the back of my new quad to help the wife out. She mows with a rider but it takes her a long time. For $1,000 I can get a trail finish mower and help out. On second thought maybe keep her busy on the rider... Just kidding......