Development of Walking Type Mower for Ridges of Paddy Fields (Part 1)

Mowing Devices and Performance

Abstract

Bush cutter is the most popular for mechanical weeding on ridges of paddy fields.
But there is the problem that low work efficiency and unstable work posture by using bush cutter caused heavy work load. Then, we developed the new self-propelled walking type mower, which could mow the top and one slope surface of a ridge simultaneously.
The mower has mowing devices, which at the mowing width for the top surface was 30cm, and that for a slope surface was possible to adjust within the range from 30 to 70cm. Its traveling unit has 2-wheel drive system with front-wheel steering mechanism, which could work and move stable on the ridge. As the test results, the mower worked smoothly, and the work efficiency by the mower was about 2 times that of weeding by a bush cutter, when the width of top surface was 45cm, and the widths of slopes were 70cm and 30cm.