Strimmer/Brushcutter Wheel Support Bracket for 26mm Shaft.

thingiverse

If you suffer from back injuries or Ankylosing Spondylitis like I do, this DIY project is for you. To make it easier to use a strimmer with your current mobility issues, we'll create a custom bracket that will help you handle the weight of the machine. You'll still need to do some work yourself, but this design will give you a head start. Unfortunately, the original wheels and legs are no longer available for purchase, so we'll have to get creative. I want to thank Daniel Melin, a talented designer from Sweden who designed this bracket for me in just 15 minutes over email. He's kind enough to share his expertise with others, and I'm grateful for his help. The idea was simple: take an old plastic wheel design and update it using flat steel bar, which is widely available. We'll need to drill 8 holes, each 8.5 mm in diameter, into the stays (bars) to align them with the bracket's holes. One hole will be for attaching the wheel, another for the cross member, and two more for the sides of the bracket. The cross member is crucial as it keeps the wheels apart and prevents the strimmer from collapsing. This design calls for a bit of bending or cutting, but you can use aluminum if you don't have access to heavy-duty tools. Since everyone's height and weight are different, we'll need to make adjustments to the bends in the stays and cross member according to your needs. Daniel and I are just providing a starting point to make life easier for those with mobility issues. Most strimmers or brushcutters use a standard 26 mm shaft, so we can attach this bracket near the head of the machine and create our own legs, crossmember, and wheels. The bolts used are M8 8mm Metric, and it's recommended to use Loctite Red, spring washers, or Nylocs due to vibrations. If you're unable to find suitable wheels online, you can try using child stabilizer wheels from eBay or even adapt this design to run on a single ball wheel for a 360-degree strimmer with the weight on the ground. You could also repurpose the front wheels of an old wheelchair from a scrap merchant. This setup will transfer the strimmer's weight to the wheels, allowing you to use the shoulder harness and move the machine around more easily without putting excessive strain on your lower back. For me, this means less pain and discomfort, and I'm grateful to Daniel Melin for his help. Feel free to tweak or modify this design as needed, but if you share it with others, please credit Daniel Melin, the 3D designer who created it for a disabled person like myself. Thank you!