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Lawnmower wheel on counting wheel

Buzzie8

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I did this once and it worked for years. The second time I did it it... it didn't work so well. For some reason, after few months, I kept getting wrong counts. It ended up the distributor replaced the wheel and charged me $600 after their second visit to troubleshoot the problem. I am thinking that I must not have drilled out the holes precisely enough. I also noticed that the design on their replacement was different than the original. Just some observations on my experience.
 

Reds

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I would also be carefull about the outside diameter of the wheel. The prox's measure wheel counts and determine where the gantry is based on those counts, which are governed by the distance traveled per revolution. If the wheel is bigger or smaller it will not turn the same number of rotations in travelling down the track. Consequently it will fool the gantry into thinking it is somewhere that it is not.
 

Reds

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a 5" wheel will travel 15.7" per revolution. a 6" wheel will travel 18.8" per revolution. Your prox's will count this as one revolution, compare it to the original amount of wheel travel, and determine where the gantry should be.
 

Tom Thumb

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I just hold my old wheel beside the new one at the local hardware store make sure the same dia. use old plate to drill holes and go with it, has been working for 2 years.
 

pitzerwm

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Doesn't the PLC count the "impulses" on it travel in the one direction and then just mimics them on the way back?

If that is the case, any diameter will work.
 

Greg Pack

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This is THE wheel coleman uses. I was in a pinch and my dealer dropped shipped one from Coleman. The sticker of the wheel and model number was left on it . I haven't had trouble with the one I made, but who knows what the future will bring. It makes life exciting! Although I would recomend a wheel count test when you replace it.
 
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