A contour following mowing apparatus and associated methods are described that include a mower platform. A rotational coupling can be configured to couple to a motor, wherein the rotational coupling includes a fixed portion and a rotatable portion, and the fixed portion of the rotational coupling is attached to the mower platform. A shaft can be operably coupled to the rotatable portion of the rotational coupling, wherein the rotational coupling is configured to rotate the shaft, and the shaft is configured to translate axially from a first location to a second location with respect to the rotational coupling. A blade can be coupled to the shaft and positioned outwardly from the shaft, wherein the blade includes a cutting edge. In one example, the elements above can be included in a mowing module that is coupled to the mower platform with at least one fastener.
