Mowing Video

I’ve worked on my still photography skills since I was 8, but my video skills are lame. My video editing skills are even lamer.

So in an effort to keep learning/stretching, I have been pushing myself to learn video. Mowing the baby field (of three) was a good chance to try some things. It’s only 7 acres.

Remember: mowing isn’t interesting. I was just looking for a subject.

This exercise started with 5 cameras and 1 drone—the exercise ended with 4 cameras and 0 drones. :) I had one camera mounted under the deck to try and capture the big decapitators, but it succumbed to something and I never found it. It was a really old GoPro 3 that was worthless anyway. The drone ended up stuck in a tree 80’ in the air (after I lost track of it). I was able to locate it via the GPS coordinates before the battery ran out, and then later that day I shook the tree enough to force its fall. It still works fine and all is good. While shaking the tree, I shook some big ol’ ticks down, too, two of which latched on: one around my waist and another where you don’t want any additional information.

Before you make fun of me for doing this video of a mowing exercise, remember that I’m just trying to learn. Okay, I know you’ll make fun of me anyway.

We live on 61 acres, of which 25 are open, rolling hills (a few steep).  This field is about 7 areas. I’m mowing with a Kubota M5-111, a diesel 24-speed 4WD tractor that (thankfully) has an air-conditioned cab.

The rotary cutter is a LandPride RC3615. It cuts a 15’-wide swath and has 6 aircraft tires. The sides both fold up (it’s called a “batwing” mower). It’s a complete, terrifying beast. The steel is ¼” thick, it cuts from 2-4”, and will regularly cut through 2 ½” trees. It weighs 4,000 lbs and has a tongue weight of 1,250 lbs. I recently modified and installed a hitch that allows it to pivot on two axis. The six blades rotate at 15,000 rpm. The wings float to follow the surface curvature well.

What I’m happy with: the quality of the footage and the variety with multiple cameras. It’s actually a little challenging to operate a drone while trying to operate the machinery safely. If you look closely at me in the cab at the end, you’ll see me controlling the drone.

What was pretty lame: my abrupt control of the drone. I should have been smoother. The audio, too, could have been a lot better. I just used the onboard camera capture.

All in all it was fun.