Can anyone with a 44" Swisher rough cut mower tell me a specific make and model of battery you've bought? It seems like I've looked everywhere for a "12N12A" type motorcycle battery, but I can't find one anywhere.

Thanks for your help!

 

While I can't offer any specific battery ordering options I was wondering if a guy could use one of the small portable car booster pacs. I got one on sale for about $30. If you were wanting to mount a battery directly on the mower I would be looking for a gel filled one that would probably handle the vibration of the mower better in heavy cutting. I was also wondering if your mower has a charging coil to keep a battery going or just the starting motor?
This is my second season with the swisher RT44 maintaining road banks and field borders and all the places you can't get into with a tractor. I got the manual start sans hitchbar which I built with the help of the pdf. from swisher's website. The motor mount is pretty weak, mine cracked right along the bend lines, looked to be no thicker that 11ga so a 1/4" welded replacement is working nicely. To their credit swisher sent me a new one at no charge. I didn't care for the mount just using tapped holes in rather thin angle so matched the bolt pattern and tapped some 3/8" threads in some 1/2x3/4 bar stock and sandwiched it.
I tore a sidewall on one of the tires and had them filled with solid foam which may have contributed to breaking one of the wheel mounts last fall, excessive travel speed using it and towing it 4 miles between farms behind the pickup didn't help either. Looks like they formed them with a press brake, the die left a real sharp indentation on the inside of the bend creating a stress riser.
A couple weeks ago was rushing to get some weeds knocked down and the angle clips on the front torsion tube tore out of the square tubing, it's pretty thin stuff so may be making a replacement for that too.
The belt they call for is a BA50, I think thats a dual profile belt and hard to find so tried a B50 from the auto parts store and it works just fine. The only place I could find an air filter that fits properly on the Briggs 10.5 was from a place in Plano Tx, I found some that fit the tapered oblong inlet but were too tall for the cover and wasn't too keen on an open element.
I have a oversize moose rear rack and was having problems with the rubber flap on the front so removed it, I feel like the rack gives me very effective protection from flying objects, the flap was so stiff it just pushed stuff over and didn't let the blades cut it. I think the ultimate would be to have rear discharge and hanging chain guards like batwing mowers.
All the bolts on the wheel brackets and torsion tubes are 3/8" fine thread with steel locknuts under the deck that gall the threads and it's a fight all the way, some vice grips and an impact make it tolerable.
Another little addition was making a housing for a 12v flexalite 1900 cfm engine cooling fan bungeed in the front for operator comfort. I run it off a blem deep cycle battery fused with a toggle switch, probably be using it for the spot sprayer too and not tax the wheelers battery and charging system. The fans pretty loud, but so is the mower and I always wear earplugs and eye protection, the deep cycle runs the fan for at least 6-8 hrs.
It may sound like I have had lots of problems but this is definitely the low buck alternative to a tractor and brushhog for small jobs. It's definitely not been babied and theres nothing that can't be loaded up and hauled home and fixed at my leisure vs several thousand pounds of tractor setting dead in the middle of nowhere.
That's probably more than you cared to read, just wanted to bring attention to what you need to keep an eye on... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Thanks for the detailed reply about what to watch for on this! I have the 12.5HP electric start, and I'm just using it to control brush on my 5 acre lot. I don't envision any extreme usage for it, since my property is pretty flat and I won't be towing it over long distances. I ended up finding a battery at NAPA - I always forget about that place! At least I still hope there's one on the shelf when I get there tonight.

Thanks again for the info!!

 

Katbeanz it sounds like you are doing a "test to destruction" field test on your Swisher! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Thanks for the info, it will be filed away for future referance. We have the 12.5 HP eclectric start Rough Cut and it is being used for some heavy cutting. Nothing like you are doing but we are knocking down some heavy sagebrush and oak saplings. Seems like if its green and the quad will run over it the Swisher will mulch it.

The electric start version has a charging circuit to maintain the battery. We have had no electrical problems at all.

I found by extending the hitch point on the quad, Prairie 360 4X4, to the rear 6" and shortening the tongue on the mower 18" I was able to get into a lot tighter spots. Also made the mower easier to back up. I changed the attaching method to use a standard 2" ball hitch at the same time for compatibility with our other pull behind equipment. I intend to extend the hitch another 5 or 6" to the rear on the quad to make backing and turning even better. So far I have had no mechanical failures with the mower but like the idea of filling the tires with foam.

Wolvy: If you need to replace that battery again consider buying a small car battery. Cost will be less and it should last longer. It would be a simple matter to construct a battery box to fit. I have considered doing this and using a deep cycle battery and inverter to run an electric weed whacker for touch up work away from the house.

Anyone know of an aftermarket source for cutting bars for these mowers? Couple of thing these mowers won't chop up are rocks and scrap iron. But they do scuff them up some.

Overall I am very satisfied with our Swisher equipment, we have the mower, snow plow blade and mount and the bucket attachment for the plow mount. I did modify the mount system some but that's another story. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

You shouldn't have much trouble finding a 12N12A series battery. I believe that was the same battery that my '86 Yamaha Radian used and I bought it at Walmart last time. You should also be able to find one at your local Auto Zone or O'Reilley's Auto Parts store, or other chain auto parts stores. I think I paid about $27 last time I got one.

JC

 

I am pretty sure it was Northern Equipment's catalog that had replacement blades for these, might have been cabela's. I have touched mine up once with a 4" grinder and it's probably time to look at them again. That's something I would never ever consider making myself.
I'd like to have some taller tires for the mower, on uneven ground the blades dig in and either kill the motor or throw the belt off running it as high as it will go.
These are really kind of fun to use, and it's gratifying waging my own personal war on weeds, thistles and honey locust. The hitchbar I built I just made a clevis hitch, the swisher one appeared to use a rod end or heim joint.
I wish the blade spindle had a grease fitting, but so far so good. For the money I am very well pleased with what these will do. I bungee my ammo can toolbox in the corner of the rack, set the control box on it and use a pair of large capacity vise grips to hold it to the rack tubing. I've read that it's better to have the front of the mower slightly lower than the rear since you only have to cut it off once.
The cooling fans aren't rated for continuous duty, I burnt one up last year but may have been not using a heavy enough clip on the battery. My temp light has come on a couple times, but usually when it's in the mid 90's and going real slow in heavy stuff.
I rode my buddy's 360 prarie yesterday, it's all camo, very nice machine. I'll keep you all updated with anything else I manage to tear up, take care. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Makes sense about setting the front lower to cut the stuff just once, never thought of that. I was at the farm yesterday and just had time to take a quick look at the mower. I wonder about building some kind of intake chute with some chain hanging in it to offer protection if the front shield is removed. I can see what you mean about the front shield laying stuff down and making it hard to cut.

I have been clamping the control lever to the rear rack with the Swisher system but now have a rear cargo box and am going to have to come up with some other system.

Thanks for the idea of checking Northern Equipment for blades. I have had to sharpen our blades twice due to "finding" some trash in the weeds.

Taller tires should be easy to come by, you may have to put bigger axles on the trailing arms as most of the larger self bearing wheels I have seen have larger center bores in the bearings. Since you are trailing this on the road you might consider putting 12" car wheels on it. By welding cut off spindels to the trailing arms and using the original hubs it would be plenty tough to tow on the road. With 4 ply tires you could run very low air pressure and have some "suspension" to protect the mower from impact shock.

 

Hey TENCUBED, just got a new northern catalog today, the blades you are looking for are Item# 2500269-1407 and are 24.99 each. Geez, that's a rip, selling them individually when they know you need a pair! Anyway if you want some that bad, their number is 1-800-533-5545.
I managed to knock a hidden but rather solid red granite rock loose last saturday and broke almost all the welds on the right side loose. It's going to take the engine hoist or a trailer to get it down to Mom's home place to weld it since the front corner of the main deck is dragging the ground! Had to use some baling wire and a ratchet strap to hold it up to drag it to a hiding spot until I can retrieve it.
I better take my metabo to cut some tubing or gussets for reinforcement, looks weak in the front since all the welds are in a single plane until you get towards the back end. Best Regards [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Katbeanz:

I found the blades you listed, that is kind of high priced all right. I have a brother-in-law that runs a small engine repair shop and he can't find a better price but hasen't done much searching yet. Will post it if I get a better price.

Sounds like the red granite won that round. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/img] hope you are able to repair the damage without too much trouble.

Thanks for the blade info.