By: Frank Rysanek [ Frantisek DOT Rysanek AT post DOT cz ]
I've copied the principal idea for this sliding cable guiding arm from an MTD 48 ESP HW (an electric monster lawnmower). My version on the Rotak works even better than the original by MTD.
Material: zinc-galvanized glossy steel rod, sold in 1m length around here, thickness 6mm (the arm) and 5 mm (the cable clip/carabiner). The carrier shaft is made of a 20mm PPR freshwater pipe (the hot-water variety, as it's got a thicker wall that the "cold" one). The grey plastic comes from a PP plumbing (wastewater) pipe, DN50 (cut up, bent using a hot air blower etc). The slider clamp is made of grey PP plastic, reinforced by two rectangular pieces (washers) made of 2mm sheet steel, held together by M8 bolts.
When mowing "fence to fence" (turning back at the fence), the sliding arm seamlessly guides the cable away from the mower's footprint and path, typically it also prevents you from running over the cable during occasional reversing. The condition is, that you mow "starting from the wall socket and away from it", i.e. you drag the cable behind you across the area that you've already mowed.
