Inventions Needed

[JackC 617]

I love my horses which has caused me to accumulate far too many and now I find a few things that I would like to see to improve my time with my horses.

Below are suggestions for devices, solution, or inventions that may benefit me and others.
If I had the time I would work on them myself but as you read the posts you see that we have many very clever dudes among us.
If we can tap that resource we may be able to come up with some handy things that can assist us in maintaining and enjoying our horses.
Someone might even be able to make a few bucks selling them to the rest of us or at least feel good about performing a public service for us.
Matt's foot control is an example of a device made just for us that we all appreciate.

I propose that this thread be used to suggest things that will help us in that regard.
I have 3 areas that I would like to find solutions for.

1. A vented funnel for filling our hydro transmissions.
Some remove a bolt some leave the filter off but what I would like to have is a narrow neck funnel that has some kind of a vent tube that goes down into the transmission case to vent  air as the oil goes in.  Perhaps a length of thin copper tubing along the side of the funnel bent just right at the bottom and the top would work?

2. A quick change battery holder.
The garden tractor batteries they make for our horses, for the most part, appear to be pure crap.  I tend to buy the $45 420 Amp batteries since they seem to last a bit longer. With all the horses I have, they don't get used often enough to maintain charge over long periods of time and the batteries do not last. Changing a battery requires undoing and redoing the hold down brackets which is not the worst thing in the world but tends to make us buy more batteries than we need to avoid the inconvenience of using one battery and swapping it among the horses.  I would rather use the extra time riding my horses. I do use wing nuts to make it easier to connect and reconnect cables. Therefore, what I would like to see is some kind of a battery fixture that allows a quick change snap in snap out procedure for batteries.  I would then be able to just have a few good batteries and snap them in and snap them out as I rotate and use my horses.  Maybe a quick connect disconnect for the connections and more convenient battery hold down device?

3. Fixture for our ONAN powered tractors to minimize grass accumulation on those huge volume air, and sometimes grass clippings, suckers.
We have discussed the issue a number if times and there have been a number of good solutions proposed and illustrated. I would like to be able to buy something that looks like it was made for the job rather than a Rube Goldberg looking device that may even work well. Perhaps an attachment for the deck rather than the tractor? I have used a piece of card board to deflect the clippings from the left side of the deck from being sucked onto the screen but it is an insult to the beauty of the horse.

I would like to find devices that one may even sell on eBay or at the next annual show or at all the shows in between.

I just thought I would toss those out and see what other things members would like to see or invent.

JackC




 

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

For #2: I plan on wiring in a golf-cart charging plug to my tractors to make it easy to pull out batteries (then you can just keep one side wired on the battery and swap it around).


I would like to see a somewhat reasonably priced locking differential for these 8 speeds. And maybe at the same time it could be made to fit a more standard size bearing...

[Forest Road 594]

My tractors are kept at the family vacation house. They're used sparingly. In the winter it was common to have to jump start one with another half dead horse. Once running if leave the jumpers hooked up and start the other horse.

A few years ago I purchased $20 solar battery chargers from northern tool. For each tractor. Haven't had any battery problems since.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tunahead72 2,403]

...  Maybe a quick connect disconnect for the connections and more convenient battery hold down device? ...
 

The quick connects exist already, although I haven't actually used any yet.  Does anybody have any in particular they can recommend?

And I would love to see a better hold down device.  I tighten mine as much as I dare to avoid cracking the battery case, but the battery tray still manages to slide around a bit anyway.

[AMC RULES 37,127]

Maybe you mean...
something like these?  

[JackC 617]

How about some kind of very secure spring loaded clips designed specifically for the application. The battery cables connect to the special clip and then the clip to the battery terminals.  That would proved quick clip on / clip off connections and take care of the battery connection issue. They may only be used an the less used tractors and not on your everyday workers.  Or, something specifically designed and shaped to quickly secure to the terminals of a garden tractor battery?

The next problem is a quick attach / detach hold down bracket.  Something better than a bungee cord although a right sized bungee cord may work if the tractor is a non worker? Something with a handle that attaches to the battery may help for removing the battery from the vehicle and also having some kind of mechanism to secure into the holes that the side supports go into. It would have to fit the various sized and brands of garden tractor batteries.

[C-101plowerpower 1,605]

how about a box around the battery, one the battery is locked down in, that you slide in somekind of rail on the tractor. then something like the quick connect shown above

[Digger 66 3,478]

I have to comment on your battery dilemma though I have no solution to the quick change idea .
The average lifespan of the batteries in my toys & garden equipment is somewhere between 6 and 8 years .
I religiously use a http://www.batterytender.com/Dion/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A.html Battery tender jr .
I have these little 2 pole plugs hardwired to all my toys so it's as simple as plug each one in every now & again .

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Can't help much but I certainly feel some of your pain!

I'm considering little trickle chargers for the batteries and even a small wire gauge connector would be fine for that.  Just needs to handle an amp or so.

I must say I really feel your pain for the Onan grass collecting flywheel screen.  Every blade of grass or leaf comes around the tractor and lands in the engine!  I read that somebody came up with an improvement but I just stopped mowing with my 418H...

Maybe some good ideas will pop up here?

[Digger 66 3,478]

I'm considering little trickle chargers for the batteries and even a small wire gauge connector would be fine for that.  Just needs to handle an amp or so.

 

Not a "trickle charger". The one I use is a "float" type or maintainer .
0.75 MA/h .

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I have to comment on your battery dilemma though I have no solution to the quick change idea .
The average lifespan of the batteries in my toys & garden equipment is somewhere between 6 and 8 years .
I religiously use a http://www.batterytender.com/Dion/Battery-Tender-Junior-12V-0-75A.html Battery tender jr .
I have these little 2 pole plugs hardwired to all my toys so it's as simple as plug each one in every now & again .

I use the BatteryTender manufacturer's leads as they include a fuse. You just never know!

[doc724 925]

OK, so I have a couple of hare brained ideas for the Onan grass problem.  I have an Onan and I don't have anywhere near the problems I have seen (pix) that some of you seem to have.  However, I only use a RD deck.  I have more of a problem on my 314 Command Pro.

So, that being said, here are two ideas

1.  A fender over the left front tire that pivots with the tire.  This will mitigate the grass that gets kicked up by the front tire.  JD has these fenders on some machines, but I think they are for aesthetics.
2.  Use bypass air from the engine and direct it down like one of those Dyson hand dryers to make an air curtain.  I don't think you need a lot of CFM, but velocity is important.  I would pull the air from the front cylinder (it runs the coolest) but anything you put in the airstream will subtract from engine cooling, even downstream of the cylinder could result in some stagnation of the airflow (much like the belt guard does on the rear cylinder)

There may be a few variants on #2 such as a PTO driven blower or an electric blower to make the air curtain or even a blower driven off the deck (not really an elegant solution).  Might be useful for proof of concept.  For members with metalworking and welding skills it could be a good experiment.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I'm considering little trickle chargers for the batteries and even a small wire gauge connector would be fine for that.  Just needs to handle an amp or so.

 

Not a "trickle charger". The one I use is a "float" type or maintainer .
0.75 MA/h .

Digger, I started to expound upon that a bit and didn't,  but you did, so good.  Yes, while "trickle" beats the crap out of nothing, "float" or "maintainer" beats the crap out of trickle!

A bigger deal for a more expensive battery, and the better technology will cost more, which needs to be weighed here for a cheaper battery, but yes, you are most correct!

OK, so I have a couple of hare brained ideas for the Onan grass problem.  I have an Onan and I don't have anywhere near the problems I have seen (pix) that some of you seem to have.  However, I only use a RD deck.  I have more of a problem on my 314 Command Pro.

So, that being said, here are two ideas

1.  A fender over the left front tire that pivots with the tire.  This will mitigate the grass that gets kicked up by the front tire.  JD has these fenders on some machines, but I think they are for aesthetics.
2.  Use bypass air from the engine and direct it down like one of those Dyson hand dryers to make an air curtain.  I don't think you need a lot of CFM, but velocity is important.  I would pull the air from the front cylinder (it runs the coolest) but anything you put in the airstream will subtract from engine cooling, even downstream of the cylinder could result in some stagnation of the airflow (much like the belt guard does on the rear cylinder)

There may be a few variants on #2 such as a PTO driven blower or an electric blower to make the air curtain or even a blower driven off the deck (not really an elegant solution).  Might be useful for proof of concept.  For members with metalworking and welding skills it could be a good experiment.

I read about the issues well before buying my 416 and experiencing it first hand!  It's awful with a side discharge!  Awful!  Now I know why Kohler has a rotating screen!  I mean if you train yourself to reach over and wipe the cover off after each beer I suppose you would be ok, but...  Yes, just kidding, I seldom drink and mow.  But seriously, it's bad with dry grass or leaves and a side discharge deck!

[953 nut 55,059]

 

 

A few years ago I purchased $20 solar battery chargers from northern tool. For each tractor. Haven't had any battery problems since.

 

 

 

     I had a solar battery charger from HF and found that it was dehydrating the battery, had to keep adding distilled water every month. Since this was on a 1055 I needed to remove the battery each time.

[sorekiwi 761]

Those quick disconnect battery terminals that Craig posted a pic of are known as "Anderson plugs"  They come in two sizes, the small ones (50 amp) would work fine on our horses.  The terminals are sized for different gauge wires so think about that before ordering them.  Ebay has a bunch of sellers.

I have for years toyed with the idea of adding an Anderson plug in parallel to the battery on every one of my tractors, to make it quick and easy to jump start them.  I could keep dead batteries in the tractors and just jump start whichever tractor I need with one good battery.  I think it would work fine as long as I dont run out of fuel, or forget and shut the engine down when I jump off to get another cold beverage...

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Those quick disconnect battery terminals that Craig posted a pic of are known as "Anderson plugs"  They come in two sizes, the small ones (50 amp) would work fine on our horses.  The terminals are sized for different gauge wires so think about that before ordering them.  Ebay has a bunch of sellers.

I have for years toyed with the idea of adding an Anderson plug in parallel to the battery on every one of my tractors, to make it quick and easy to jump start them.  I could keep dead batteries in the tractors and just jump start whichever tractor I need with one good battery.  I think it would work fine as long as I dont run out of fuel, or forget and shut the engine down when I jump off to get another cold beverage...

Charging is very different than jumping!  Though not as different with these little engines vs a truck or auto.    I'd want at least the bigger "Anderson " plug for jumping!  Most any plug would be OK for charging.

[JackC 617]

If you have several tractors near each other you may be able to cable their batteries together and connect them all to one maintainer.
You would have a positive cable with branches off to each battery and a negative cable with branches off to each battery.
Has anyone tried that?

[Forest Road 594]

 

 

A few years ago I purchased $20 solar battery chargers from northern tool. For each tractor. Haven't had any battery problems since.

 

 

 

     I had a solar battery charger from HF and found that it was dehydrating the battery, had to keep adding distilled water every month. Since this was on a 1055 I needed to remove the battery each time.

I'm going on 3 years. No problems here.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

If you have several tractors near each other you may be able to cable their batteries together and connect them all to one maintainer.
You would have a positive cable with branches off to each battery and a negative cable with branches off to each battery.
Has anyone tried that?

Last winter I had four batteries on part of the workbench. I made jumpers with ring terminals  to tie them together and connected to the maintainer. One day I hope to have a shelf that I can dedicate to the batteries that is mounted to the wall.

  I have more of a problem on my 314 Command Pro.


2.  Use bypass air from the engine and direct it down like one of those Dyson hand dryers to make an air curtain.  I don't think you need a lot of CFM, but velocity is important.  I would pull the air from the front cylinder (it runs the coolest) but anything you put in the airstream will subtract from engine cooling, even downstream of the cylinder could result in some stagnation of the airflow (much like the belt guard does on the rear cylinder)

 

My two Blackhoods with Kohler  K-series engines have the muffler and exhaust discharge to the left side. Perhaps a re-route of the exhaust could provide an "air curtain."

[cleat 5,809]

Of all my 520's and 416 the only one that really causes this issue is the one with the 42" deck.

48" deck barely does it and 60" deck does not do it at all (good thing as this deck really works that Onan).

Cleat

[JackC 617]

OK, so I have a couple of hare brained ideas for the Onan grass problem.  I have an Onan and I don't have anywhere near the problems I have seen (pix) that some of you seem to have.  However, I only use a RD deck.  I have more of a problem on my 314 Command Pro.

So, that being said, here are two ideas

1.  A fender over the left front tire that pivots with the tire.  This will mitigate the grass that gets kicked up by the front tire.  JD has these fenders on some machines, but I think they are for aesthetics.
2.  Use bypass air from the engine and direct it down like one of those Dyson hand dryers to make an air curtain.  I don't think you need a lot of CFM, but velocity is important.  I would pull the air from the front cylinder (it runs the coolest) but anything you put in the airstream will subtract from engine cooling, even downstream of the cylinder could result in some stagnation of the airflow (much like the belt guard does on the rear cylinder)

There may be a few variants on #2 such as a PTO driven blower or an electric blower to make the air curtain or even a blower driven off the deck (not really an elegant solution).  Might be useful for proof of concept.  For members with metalworking and welding skills it could be a good experiment.

OK, I think doc724  may be on to something. I am feeling vibrations of excitement for some reason.
1. A fender or deflector of some sort painted the same color as the deck and the tractor is getting very warm. Exactly what form and shape and how to attach it remains to be determined in order to solve the puzzle. Vinylguy can make the official Wheel Horse decal for it.
2. Bypass air or "air" of some sort is also getting very warm.  Solve an air intake problem with air. Just makes total sense. The air idea is new and unique and well worth looking into. The "air" could be the means to keep the clippings away from the ONAN air intake. A switch controlled fan of some sort under the tractor or somewhere out of sight and pointed in the right direction just might do the trick.  The fan could kick on when the PTO is engaged and enabled only when a side discharge deck is underneath.  Maybe the fan attaches to the deck and plugs into a connector under the tractor? We already have one switch in the loop and plenty of 12V juice to spin the fan blades like gangbusters. That idea excites me. The fan itself must also not get clogged with clippings and it will need to suck its air from a safe source. There are all kinds of high volume 12V fans out there. Thanks doc724 and you will get the Patent on that idea if we can prove it works.

Edited October 21, 2015 by JackC
Add further comments.

[doc724 925]

Not much to do here in MA, so I made a proof of concept prototype of the left front fender out of scrap materials (5 gallon pail, piece of step flashing and scrap aluminum).  Pix are attached.  I do not know how well it works (no grass to mow here and the SD deck has been cleaned and put away), but if someone wants to make one and try it, be my guest.  As it stands there is one design deficiency, the small anodixed bracket which attaches the fender to the spindle arm can rotate on the arm (it is only held in place by the tie rod end).  However, if this was bent over on the end, it would prevent unwanted rotation and would always be in a fixed relationship to the tire.  If someone wanted to commercialize this, the fender could be molded from HDPE or Nylon 6.  ABS would work but the first time you whack it on something it would crack.  The anodized bracket could be 1010 steel, zinc plated and pop riveted to the fender (I only used one pop rivet-you need two).  Installation is simple, unbolt the tie rod end, drop this on and rebolt.  I thought about making this from one piece of plastic and while it can be molded, there would have to be a metal insert (molded in) where the tie rod end goes through it (you cannot bolt thru plastic because the plastic will creep over time).  Tooling for the insert molding will be a more costly and it limits where you can get it molded.   BTW, JD gets $155/pair for something similar to this-definitely a high profit margin accessory for them!

[JackC 617]

doc724, it looks excellent. I may want one over each front wheel.  A horse with front fenders? They may sell just for their looks?  They will need to be chrome plated for the LSE tractors. Like you said we need grass and dry condition to test it out. Based in its position relative to the ONAN air intake, it looks it could keep a lot of clippings away. That is definitely one of the best looking ideas I have seen. We do have form but do we have function? Need to pass the prototype on the the test and evaluation department. Maybe next year?

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Actually the fender will also keep snow from accumulating under the floorboards with a wet snow. It should clear itself with the tire rotating.

[doc724 925]

I will plan to put the SD deck on the Onan and the RD deck on the 314 and let you all know.  Probably take a few pix after a few passes in the front yard, with and without.  If it works, it may need some stiffeners where the step flashing is now.  With some clever part design we could get the holes molded in and not have to get a cammed mold which will keep the tooling low and cycle time short.  Meanwhile, I tossed it into a box which I will carefully store in the shed until next spring.