Mower with Hybrid Prime Mover Having Fuel Cell, Brushless Electric Motors for Driving Cutting Units, and Electric/Hydraulic Actuator for Lift and Lower System

A reel type cutting unit of a mower, which comprises:

• (a) a cutting unit frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced side plates;
• (b) a rotatable cutting reel cooperable with a fixed bedknife to sever grass, the cutting reel being rotatably journalled in the side plates for rotation between the side plates;
• (c) an electric motor carried on an exterior of one of the side plates for powering the cutting reel, the electric motor comprising:
• (i) a motor housing having a rotatable motor armature;
• (ii) an output shaft driven from the motor armature with the output shaft being coupled to the cutting reel for rotating the cutting reel;
• and
• (iii) wherein the output shaft is lower than the motor armature when the output shaft is coupled to the cutting reel.

A mower, which comprises:

• (a) a frame;
• (b) a plurality of ground engaging wheels attached to the frame for supporting the frame for movement over the ground;
• (c) a traction system operatively connected to at least one of the ground engaging wheels for propelling the wheel to provide traction for the frame;
• (d) at least one grass cutting unit carried on the frame for cutting grass;
• (e) a lift and lower system for lifting the cutting unit out of engagement with the ground and for lowering the cutting unit into engagement with the ground;
• and
• (f) an actuator for powering the lift and lower system during lifting of the cutting units out of engagement with the ground with the actuator being unpowered during lowering of the cutting units into engagement with the ground.