Interested in the topper...but where in the UK are you?
If you can send me an e-mail with your area, and how much your after for it, I'll see if we can work something out?
Bizarre, but had a phone call yesterday from the nice girl at Ashcroft's, they've now got a high ratio transfer kit in stock??
So going to start a new thread "which is best" high ratio vs overdrive? hoping to get some guidance on what the kit's like to drive?
Kindest Regards

Ken.

ken.coupland@virgin.net

I'll happily relieve you of £50 for the topper if you're interested ...

HOWEVER!
It does need a little bit of love.

It's just had new bearings on the rear turret, but the pulley at the top is loose on the keyed shaft, and it is prone to throwing the rear belt off (has three belts, one to each turret). Really needs someone with a lathe to turn down the shaft slightly, ream out the pulley slightly, and make up a sleeve to mate the two back together properly.

AND ... the wheels are made up a bit like car wheels, although thinner steel. If you can imagine ... the rim is fixed (riveted?) to two pressings, each making up one half of the wheel, sandwiching the tyre in between. One has already been repaired, but another has come apart (rust) at the join. Needs a bit of welding.

AND ... (there's more!) ... one of the bits of frame underneath has rusted through. It's always been like this since I've had it but has been on the back of my mind for repair!

It's tatty - probably at least 30 years old - last used in summer 2008. Raising/lowering mechanism works well (that's the handbrake-thing on the top) and you'd get the PTO shaft with it. I do have the covers for the rear belt ... but they're not fitted in the pic as it kept throwing the belt off that day!

PM me if interested .... we're in Pembrokeshire, SW Wales.

Benz R'over said:

Your right, I should buy a compact tractor, but then, looking at your photo’s I started to dribble all over the keyboard!!!
We’re currently cutting 2.5 acres with a “Ken modified” Westwood 16hp “LAWN TRACTOR”!!!!!!!!! which is real fun...not! with the problem being, 2.5 acres, doesn’t quite justify a compact tractor?
So, after seeing yours, I’m now even more determined to continue with the Agri-Rover conversion?
My hope was that with the three point linkage I can easily raise and lower the topper, I’m currently fitting a 12 volt hydraulic pump from a lorry tail lift, under the rear floor, with a switch in the cab, and one on the back panel to raise and lower, I’m also wiring in some emergency stop buttons front and back, while she’s in the workshop, thought these were a sensible idea, especially with the sawbench??
I like yours, very tidy outfit, but what’s the little extension pieces between body and chassis? You seem to have raised the body a little?
I’ll post some good photo’s of mine when it makes it into service, for any other daft b*gger who might be interested?? as I had a few e-mails from the 2005 thread wanting info on PTO's and towbars?
Sadly, I don't seen to have any showing the landy coupled to the sawbench, but found this one, taken not for the water pump, more to show the truck cab rebuild if I remember?
Of course, to make life real easy, I should buy a VW Lupo and eat the horses!!
Ken.

Click to expand...

Hi, I am thinking about buying a Series 3 diesel and adding a rear PTO. The reason is that I have bought a set of Ransomes trailed 3.5 metre hydraulic gang mowers model TG 3400 (Try Google to see the type). Perhaps I am being rather optomistic in thinking that a Landy would cope with such a large and heavy mower. I have not tried the mowers on a tractor yet so don't really know how much power they need or how much pulling/stopping. But hopefully the live PTO would not be an issue as I could just start moving with the cutters raised and then lower them using the cabled levers, thus avoiding over-stressing the landy transmission. Has anyone any thoughts on how practical this setup might be? Would be nice for transporting the mowers by road, compared to by tractor or low-loader. What is the likelyhood of being able to source all the rear PTO components? Regards.

I have a hydralic PTO in the for sale section if its of interest

The rear PTO kits are getting fairly rare. I sold mine last year - the whole kit from gearbox to final drive including towbar - for £500.

As for whether the Landy would be powerful enough - you may be able to find out the required HP to drive the gang mowers (data plate?), and do some sums as to whether the Landy would provide enough HP at the shaft.

I ran mine with a 6ft 3-blade topper, and it was OK-ish, but wouldn't have managed much more. Adding the losses in a hydraulic system might tip it over the edge.

For what it'll all cost you - by the time you've bought the mowers and the PTO kit - I'd still recommend a compact tractor. We replaced the Landy & PTO/Topper for a John Deere 755 & underslung 5ft mower. Incredibly manoueuvrable, excellent finish. The whole tractor, with mower, was found locally for £1600 (actually it came with a demountable backhoe and front loader too). And it's small enough to go on a trailer behind the Landy.

Many thanks for comments, I agree. I already have the mowers so will flog them and buy a compact tractor.