Counterweight Problem?

Does the relationship between the unit,counterweight, and the piviot point have anything to do with my problem?
Quite possibly...
If you tell us what that relationship is, then maybe we could comment?
Del

Can you send a photo? Is this a solid bar that pivots, sort of like a teeter totter?

Can you move the weight closer to the front? Where is the hydraulic cylinder?

Stiga is a new name for me. I live in the SW USA, my mower's a Toro.

Welcome to the site.

Now, a piece of advice from one who has seen the results.

NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, visit the Bath Breaking post. It will drain all the logic from your brain and turn you into a vulgar boor who fritters away hours engaged in senseless drivel.

Remember, You were warned!!!!!!!

Del, I see that you're here, too. This could be your chance to save a possible intellect from becoming jelly at the bath.

Tell him to stay away from "you know where".

" ... a vulgar boor who fritters away hours ..."

He said "fritters"!

M'Ah ha ha ha ha hahahahahahaha.

(Don't say he didn't warn you).

Hi Lynlynch

NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, visit the Bath Breaking post

Hey! I must'f missed that one unless it's the one from a few years ago!

Have you got a link to it????

There would be no danger of ill effects as I'm already there! And I wouldn't hold you responsible!

I can't hear you.

Sure enough all that stuff will make a difference, but springs in the right places sound called for.

How the devil are you going to be able to maintain 50lb ground pressure if you have already added so much extra weight that you are exceeding the lift capacity by 300 pounds?

Have you ever done basic mathematics? Of course there is a relationship between the unit, counterwight and the pivot point. The location of the pivot and/or the value of the counterweight are critical to the achievement of balance. Like Dell said - show us a picture and we might be able to help you - keep all the details to yourself and I am afraid that your problem may remain unresolved.

All previous extraneous comment aside it would indeed be helpful to know more specifics for this situation. Not being better informed the only obvious solution I can see would be a set of spring loaded caster wheels attached to the load. If this would afford the lift height you need, the proper spring tension would maintain ground pressure, lift capacity, steerage and eliminate the enormous additional stress you are putting on the machine by adding counterweight. Remember, your pivots, lift arms etc are all engineered for a given load. It sounds like your arrangement vastly multiplies that. Leaving everything on the casters effectively eliminates most the additional stresses except perhaps the load on your articulated steering joint. But once again, a picture or more info would be helpful.

Its a long time since I have had anything to do with Stiga mowers, but by memory I think the Operators seat is just behind the front wheels and the cutting deck is on a spring loaded cantilever in front of the wheels with caster wheels at the front corners. The motor and transmission is in the rear half behind the centre pivot and with the centre of gravity slightly behind the rear wheels. The centre pivot I think is just about right below the operators seat.

Anyway it is something like that. The problem about putting anything heavier up front is that it will tend to overbalance the unit as you turn a corner - this would also make it difficult to use a counterbalance. I would think that investigation into heavier springs and possibly wider front wheels would give the best possibility of handling the extra loadings. If you are thinking counterbalances still, I would seriously consider using wire rope and pulleys to relocate the counterbalance or spring assist arrangements to somewhere it can be more readily accomplished.

As another reader pointed out earlier, you really don't want to add too much more weight to your machine and counterbalances would certainly do that - springs on the other hand could do much the same thing at much lower additional weight. Remember - the more weight you add the higher the ground pressure is going to be.

Cheers,

Pete.

Ahhhhhhhhh! The bells are ringing in Hawick!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a centre pivot, articulated device. Leastways mine was. Go fer 'im. Stu.

Sorry but I'm not sure exactly how to reply on these forums.But if you check the original posting I added another posting along with a pic.If you have a look at it and let me know what you think, it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Marc

Sorry for the lack of info as this my first attempt at a posting on any such forum.This time I attached a photo of my prototype.It works great other than the fact of having the lifting problem.The back part of the unit actually contains about 300 lbs for the counter weight. The pivot point is the front axil of the stiga mower as would any other attachment ie;mower deck.Hopefully this might help clarify my problem.

Thanks

Marc

Marc,

Thanks for the photo. I think that first of all you have to get rid of all the superstructure. It seems to me that you are continuously adding to your problem. For starters the rotating drum is probably sitting much further forward than the original deck was, compounding the problem. I assume the framework is all aluminium? If so my advice would be to fit two long action tension springs, one each side, to reduce the "weight" where the device meets the ground. Secondly, I would seriously look at fitting dual wheels at the front axle so that you reduce the ground pressure. The device is probably giving you up to three times normal ground pressure there at the moment. By reducing the mass and fitting dual wheels (on the front only otherwise you will not be able to turn the Stiga), and besides it is not needed on the back anyway. If it is too awkward to find a mounting for the springs, cantilever them with a cantilevered stay. By this I mean perhaps attaching a spring about 600mm up the vertical stays shown just behind the paddle wheel, and attaching the other end somewhere just ABOVE the front wheel. If you use a long eye bolt on one end of the spring you can then also adjust the tension to suit (it would probably make it a lot easier to get in and out of the thing too!) If you do this, and have removed the rest of the superstructure, you would also need to reinforce the stay so it doesn't bend.

I hope you understand what I am saying here, springs weigh a lot less than all the extra pounds of superstructure that you are adding, even if it is aluminium it still gets heavy if you use enough of it - and it looks like you have!

Cheers,

Pete.