# Extended reach picker upper thingie and umbrella



## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Call me blind but I could not find the original posrt, so here is the image of the mount Argee (IIRC) asked to see that I made for that picker upper thingie as well as the home brew throw to gether in a hurry roller and my umbrella....

I have to say it again. Cut grass today again, and that umbrella sure was nice. Being green in color it has reduced any glare that transmitts through the fabric, and it actually creates a sort of draft under the umbrella that you can feel as you cut. At first I thought I was crazy, but I removed the umbrella, and tried it, and it was just a bunch of air and dust when cutting, but adding the umbrella back it sort of diverts airflow up and over, and in the process it pulls air from downlower that travels up and over you more concentrated. But anyway it sure was nice today with temps in the low 90's and not a cloud in the sky.........next on the list is a Camel Pak of about 4 liters of cold Budweiser filling it, and strpped to my back, then I will be set for an all day mowathon, only having to stop for fuel!:dazed: 

The umbrella mount is comprised of 3/4" sq steel tube welded to the rear carrier frame and it extends up as high as the milk crate does. The actual extension to h old the umbrella is made of 1" sq steel tube with a piece of 1/2" PVC conduit inserted and retained by epoxie in the tube itself. The handle on the umbrella was just slightly larger than 1/2" and it was a nice snug but moveable fit inside the PVC conduit, and it will save the handle from being eaten up by steel. I just found out Harbor Freight has a 60" umbrella on sale as well as a 72". My umbrella does ot look like it but its 54" in diameter, just large enough that it does not extend out past my deck. To remove it, all I have to do is pull up on the 1" tube and slide it off the 3/4" tube.

Also seen in the picture is the hlder I made for my picker upper. The bottom mount is simply 1/4" round rod bent in a U shape and then the closed portion of the U is bent at a 90 to the open end, and welded on the carrier frame on the bottom. I placed rubber hose over the bend rod to eliminate rattling etc. You can see the single heat shrink covered spring clip mounted on the vertical piece.

The roller, well its original intent was a one time deal, when I laid some sod, so it was made as fast and cheap as possible as I did not want to use up any of my prime scrounge supplies so it has no bearings or bushings of any kinds, its simply a stub axle riding in a piece of 1" square steel tube. However after using it a few times to flatten out and disturb the moles hills I have been getting lately, I am on the look out for 3 more water heater tanks. I want to make a triple tandem roller, using shorter length of tanks instead of one wide roller. A lot of my land was row cropped and has ruts and a wide roller spans a lot of areas, but a narrow roller would follow and firm up the soil a bit better IMHO. Main aim is one roller perhaps 30 to 42 wide inches directly behind the tractor, and a wing roller off each side of perhaps 24 inches that are free to float up and down to follow contours suck as when rolling the drainage ditch along the road, after folks make ruts in it when they pull off the road or when the county idiots try and cut grass, they make a real mess. SO if I wait until it rains and gets somewhat wet or damp soil it should flatten out fairly easy. The fraame is 16 ga 1 x 2 steel tube salvaged from treadmill frames........the tongue is a piece of 1" iron pipe I bent up on my bender with the typical drop pin hitch plate on the end.

Image is overall tractor with roller attached and umbrella mounted.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

*Closeup of picker upper bottom mount*

Here is a close up of bottom picker upper mount


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

*The roller*

Here is acloser view of the home brew roller. Less than an hour in making it. It has worked fine however for as simple and cheap as it is made.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Pretty cool set up you have there Chip! :thumbsup:


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Chipmaker…

You never cease to amaze me :thumbsup:


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Thanks for the picks Chipmaker....I still thing I'm going to use some kind of clamp on the side of the hood.


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## balmoralboy (May 22, 2004)

*what's a bottom picker upper?*

Hey, Chip

What's it for? Moving out rocks from the Seat?


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*Re: what's a bottom picker upper?*



> _Originally posted by balmoralboy _
> *Hey, Chip
> 
> What's it for? Moving out rocks from the Seat? *


<img src=http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/115100_1.jpg?>


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

good job chip.. you incorperated about 3 different thread into one set.. showing the roller/umbrella and the picker upper all rolled into one photo.. 


looks good..


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

I like how you made the roller out of the old water tank. Looks like your all set just need Freebirds LT radio setup


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jodyand _
> *I like how you made the roller out of the old water tank. Looks like your all set just need Freebirds LT radio setup *


Actually its made from two water tanks (inner tanks from electric hot water heaters) Since the top is domed and had a perfectly centered hole to utilize for a stub axle, and the opposite end was slightly concave, I cut the top out of another identical water tank I had and mig'd it in place of the bottom concave piece. I get these tanks free for the asking. They are rejects from the Rheem plant here in town, and on occassion I can get tanks that have not been rejected as well. I normally use them to make foundry furnaces out of, but when the need arose they seemed like a perfect choice for the application.

Speaking of radios on L & G equipment, I used the wifes walkman and also her disk player with headphones, and even with the volume turned up all the way its still hard to hear good over the sound of the deck and engine on that GX335 of mine. I need to come up with a rack to mount that 200 watt amplifier and speaker boxes I took out of my sons car when I had to repo it on him. Could not make payments but could afford a $1700 stero for in it! duh!


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Chipmaker _
> *Speaking of radios on L & G equipment, I used the wifes walkman and also her disk player with headphones, and even with the volume turned up all the way its still hard to hear good over the sound of the deck and engine on that GX335 of mine. *



i have earmuffs with speakers built in...that plugs into a walkman or CD player.. you hear it fine then..


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Heres freebirds LT.
<img src=http://www2.whidbey.net/freebird/cub/YMHOODUP.jpg>


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## balmoralboy (May 22, 2004)

*Purpose of Roller*

Hey, Chipmaker

It must be my day for dumb questions. Do you use the roller and mower together? If so, does it give you good stripes?


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

*Re: Purpose of Roller*



> _Originally posted by balmoralboy _
> *Hey, Chipmaker
> 
> It must be my day for dumb questions. Do you use the roller and mower together? If so, does it give you good stripes? *


No not really. I just hooked the roller up that day to flatten out those mole hills, and to satisfy a request to see a picture of it. I guess other than flattening out mole hills or laying sod, pressing in seed, flattening out ruts made by the country right of way grass cutters etc, the only other time I might use it would be to flatten out ridges and ruts made during the rainy winter season. I know folks used to have their lawns rolled up north after the ground thawed to get the frost upheavels back down. This is why I made it cheap and quick as I really did not see a long term or future need for it, so I wanted to invest as little time and $ as possible.


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## Fusion1970 (Feb 23, 2004)

Looks good, Chipmaker. Very innovative. The umbrella and grabber thing is cool, but the roller takes the innovation award. That would be perfect for what I need. I wouldnt use a roller too often either, but could use one for a bumpy section in my back yard. I definately cannot justify buying one, and will probably never go "into town" to rent one. A welder is something I need, but i'd also have to learn how to use it. LOL

As for the umbrella, you need to incorporate a Barco Lounger.  

Greg


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## balmoralboy (May 22, 2004)

*Lawn Rollers*

Thanks Chipmaker,

I didn't think you needed to roll your lawns down there for frost heaves like we do, so I just wondered..... If I don't roll my lawn every year or two, I'll end up scalping every few feet when the tractor wheel goes in a hole.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Fusion1970 _
> *snip
> 
> As for the umbrella, you need to incorporate a Barco Lounger.
> ...


Hmmmmmmmmm, good idea there. Have to give it some consideration.


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