Next hairbrain idea ... anyone know about hydraulics?

[Julian]

I rather fancy making a powered lawn roller (you can tell works a bit thin on the ground at the moment).

I have a ancient pull push cast iron roller seized and rusting at the bottom of the garden and a pretty good 3.5hp Tecumseh engine sitting in the garage which I keep tripping over.

Initial thoughts were to make it chain drive with a clutch, but I recon a reverse gear would be really useful for making several passes over particularly high spots and backing out of her flower beds on the occasions I'm not paying full attention.

So I'm basically describing one of those pedestrian rollers they used to roll new tarmac on pavements in the days when they bothered to resurface pavements.

Hydraulic drive would seem the way to go but I really need to do this on a budget (ie zero or minimal cost).  I found Youtube video where a guy had rigged up a power steering pump to drive a bidirectional hydraulic motor via a simple leaver valve. 

I can probably pick up a power steering pump cheap but does anyone know places or ways to obtain the motor, valve and hoses cheap.  Stuff on ebay seems very pricey.

How are these components specified?  I've seen motors quoted at so many cc per rev which seems to make sense.  I've not played with hydraulics before so I'm on a steep learning curve.

[Jamesrl]

I've got a steering pump sitting on a shelf you can have foc.

[photoman290]

i don't know a lot about this but i do know there is not a lot of difference between a  motor and a pump. so you could  use 2 PSP pumps with the right valves. this sort of thing should be in a decent scrapyard. they will also know a fair bit about them as well.
how about using an automatic gearbox? al the valves are already there. just stick the motor on the drive shaft and away you go. bet those ones they used to use on the pavements don't have 4 gears and reverse. you could even drive it remotely from the shed if work gets really thin on the ground.

[Julian]

I've got a steering pump sitting on a shelf you can have foc.

Cool ... thanks Jim.  I'll swap it for the proximity switches that keep falling off the dashboard in the Discovery.

[Julian]

i don't know a lot about this but i do know there is not a lot of difference between a  motor and a pump. so you could  use 2 PSP pumps with the right valves. this sort of thing should be in a decent scrapyard. they will also know a fair bit about them as well.
how about using an automatic gearbox? al the valves are already there. just stick the motor on the drive shaft and away you go. bet those ones they used to use on the pavements don't have 4 gears and reverse. you could even drive it remotely from the shed if work gets really thin on the ground.

I did think of using another power steering pump, but wasn't sure if it would work in reverse.  I assumed the suction port would be a low pressure connection, but thinking about it I guess it could be tapped to take a thread ... need to do some reading up.

A 4 speed turf roller would be fun ... could add cruse control!  But I want to keep it small, about lawn mower size.

[dgs]

I bought one of these beasts a few years ago;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Ransomes-Mastiff-36-6-Blade-Cylinder-Mower-Grass-Box-Kubota-GS300-/331838757202?hash=item4d43219952:g:nlsAAOSwdU1W8yE3

I have always had visions of having an accident with it. If it is put into reverse you have to be very carefull to know what is behind you!

It is so heavy, 4 people can't lift it, but makes an amazing job of striping the back lawn, just takes me a couple of days to recover from using it!

[photoman290]

i've got one of these. no good for rolling ,but would decimate the flower bed,fence, dog , next door neighbours garden. i could go on....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/allen-scythe-rough-cut-finger-mower-cutting-long-grass-four-stroke-engine-/131807331790?hash=item1eb05445ce:g:dbcAAOSwQNRXL6wW

[Dickjotec]

For diy pump and motor are the same. The problem is the valves they have to take serious pressure as do the pipes. We are talking thousands of psi. When he valve is off it has to direct the oil back to the tank a shuttle valve is what we are talking. If you have access to a lathe it is possible to make one, it will probably leak but will work.

[K.H]

Only trouble with rollers are that they compress the low spots as well as the high

[K.H]

i've got one of these. no good for rolling ,but would decimate the flower bed,fence, dog , next door neighbours garden. i could go on....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/allen-scythe-rough-cut-finger-mower-cutting-long-grass-four-stroke-engine-/131807331790?hash=item1eb05445ce:g:dbcAAOSwQNRXL6wW

Love those, mind you safest place is behind them, you can get all sorts to fit them, water pumps, hedge trimmers, snow plough to name a few

[Julian]

I bought one of these beasts a few years ago;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Ransomes-Mastiff-36-6-Blade-Cylinder-Mower-Grass-Box-Kubota-GS300-/331838757202?hash=item4d43219952:g:nlsAAOSwdU1W8yE3

I have always had visions of having an accident with it. If it is put into reverse you have to be very carefull to know what is behind you!

It is so heavy, 4 people can't lift it, but makes an amazing job of striping the back lawn, just takes me a couple of days to recover from using it!

That's got to be the meanest looking mower I've ever seen.

It looks like a well armored battle tank!

So if it's got a reverse gear how does that work ... all mechanical and are you breaking it for spares any time soon?

[Julian]

i've got one of these. no good for rolling ,but would decimate the flower bed,fence, dog , next door neighbours garden. i could go on....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/allen-scythe-rough-cut-finger-mower-cutting-long-grass-four-stroke-engine-/131807331790?hash=item1eb05445ce:g:dbcAAOSwQNRXL6wW

The private school (beautiful old rambling country house) I collect oil from has a couple of those.  I asked how they get on with health and safety and the facilities manager said they hide them whenever they get any sort of inspection and added that they are so useful they'd never get rid of them.

[Julian]

For diy pump and motor are the same. The problem is the valves they have to take serious pressure as do the pipes. We are talking thousands of psi. When he valve is off it has to direct the oil back to the tank a shuttle valve is what we are talking. If you have access to a lathe it is possible to make one, it will probably leak but will work.

Even power steering pumps?

I worked for a spell in the high pressure water jetting industry, so yes I know how critical valve and seal tollerances need to be ... so much so I don't think I'd attempt to make a valve with the kit I've got.

[Julian]

Only trouble with rollers are that they compress the low spots as well as the high

Not talking about leveling on a Capability Brown scale, mainly the little lumps and bumps that develop with worm hills, ant nests and tufted grass (until I can eradicate it).

[Jamesrl]

This appears to be a lawn mower boasting thread, "my mowers bigger than yours".

I've got the cheapest Argos rotary mower available, beat that.