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To weld or not to weld


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My AC712H has a 48" mower deck. The front yokes are completely lifted so the front blade is about 2 3/4" the back blades are about 2 3/8. I was hoping more of about 3"(or more) of deck height. The bar going across the deck hits the shell when the roller bar is pushed as far as i can get it down. Am I doing something wrong? Am I expecting to high of a cut? Thank you in advance for the replys to this and to my question about the engine which appears to be in good shape.
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No. You are probably not doing anything wrong. You are close to the max height. Been my experience you can only get close to 3" with NEW rollers (yours are probably 25 years old and worn) and the front tires fully inflated. Brent
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What i did was to turn the clevis that are in the front of the deck out. This raised the front of the deck. I had thought of putting bigger rollers in the back if that did not work. I know this is not the correct way and that it was not designed to mow higher
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This is a pretty common complaint on that 48" deck. I've got one, and I mow year 'round with it as high as it will go. The thing that really bugs me is that it seems as if you lose the "floating" technology when you have it cranked clear up to the top. New rollers and completely inflated tires are your best bet to get it up past 2-1/2". I've heard of people putting bigger rollers on and turning the front clevis in as far as it will go, but I've always thought that would put a bad angle on the deck drive pulley. I heard about someone who actually turned steel rollers on a lathe to the exact dimension they wanted. I bet they had really good stripes on their lawn!
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I've got an AC 914 H and have the same problem, once you've got the front as high as you can that's about it. My 4211H Simplicity 36" deck is about the same, I ended up welding onto the two rollers to get it a little over 3" (St. Augustine doesn't like to be cut short). I would say the only way to make it higher would be figure out a was to raise the back, ie. bigger rollers but you would still be limited buy the front. Mike
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On my 1964 9hp. Landlord I drilled holes on the top part of the flat bars that bolts the roller assembly to the deck so it would mount the roller assembly lower..Then I had to adjust the front clevis to get the deck level according to the manual (I belive 1/8 -1/4 higher in front) anyway I still have the old worn rollers and now get a 3 1/2 in cut with it...I can't mow real rough/hilly lawn as the belt will rub something and smoke it...but here on my flat lawn its fine...I cant get it any higher as the deck will hit the frame on the tractor on uneven ground....
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Is it possible to put bigger tires and rims on? Doesn't Case have bigger wheels?
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quote:
Originally posted by hufhouse
This is a pretty common complaint on that 48" deck. I've got one, and I mow year 'round with it as high as it will go. The thing that really bugs me is that it seems as if you lose the "floating" technology when you have it cranked clear up to the top. New rollers and completely inflated tires are your best bet to get it up past 2-1/2". I've heard of people putting bigger rollers on and turning the front clevis in as far as it will go, but I've always thought that would put a bad angle on the deck drive pulley. I heard about someone who actually turned steel rollers on a lathe to the exact dimension they wanted. I bet they had really good stripes on their lawn!
That's a great idea!!^ I was just about to go in the barn and find new rollers and bushings for my 48". I bet I can have them made by thursday at work, and I bet I wouldn't find the N.O.S. ones in the barn 'til Sunday night! I love other people's ideas!:D[:0] Rob
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Regarding the steel rollers, I think you would probably have to use some kind of sleeve or bushings that are a softer metal to not ruin the spindle that the rollers are on. Also, you have to be really careful about the diameter. You are limited by the minimum distance between the spindle and the deck, which is usually when the deck is raised to its highest setting. Let us all know how it goes.
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I have never found any need to use the lowest setting on my mower decks. I made new rear roller brackets and shafts, but made them 1/2" longer than original.

No problems with belt alignment or anything else. Works as well as orignal, but allows 1/2" more height. I believe you could actually go a full inch without problems. If belt alignment problems develop with the additional height, you would still have enough adjustment to lower the deck to eliminate the problem. Pat
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quote:
Originally posted by PatRarick
I have never found any need to use the lowest setting on my mower decks. I made new rear roller brackets and shafts, but made them 1/2" longer than original. [img]/club2/attach/PatRarick/rollerbracket.jpg[/img] No problems with belt alignment or anything else. Works as well as orignal, but allows 1/2" more height. I believe you could actually go a full inch without problems. If belt alignment problems develop with the additional height, you would still have enough adjustment to lower the deck to eliminate the problem. Pat
This is what I did...works great too..I think I drilled a new hole about 1 inch above the stock hole...
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quote:
Originally posted by hufhouse
Regarding the steel rollers, I think you would probably have to use some kind of sleeve or bushings that are a softer metal to not ruin the spindle that the rollers are on. Also, you have to be really careful about the diameter. You are limited by the minimum distance between the spindle and the deck, which is usually when the deck is raised to its highest setting. Let us all know how it goes.
I'm just going to take some n.o.s. rollers and sleeves I have to work, and duplicate them. They'll be the same, just a little more hearty!8D Pat, I've seen good results with that modification. I know the local AC dealer, (now closed) used to do that for people, and they were very satisfied. Rob
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AW MAN Thanks guys for all of the help. I raised to the highest point which is satifactory for st.augustine grass. Well now That I have that settled. My center blade will not spin and there is a grinding noise. I am assuming that the center arbor assmbly has ground the insie of the center sheves and the shaft. I am thinking about having it welded but wanted to come to you guys first. It was cutting fine. I took off the sheves a week or so ago to clean the rust off and the teeth on the center shaft were almost gone. This is horrible. I am going to take off the deck today. Does anybody know how much a center arbor assembly will cost? and where to find it? BTW If you have one for a 48" deck and want to get rid of it for a reasonable price PM me.
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I have a complete center spindle from a 700 seires 48" deck here. It will need new bearings though.
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I did just what Pat did by adding 1" to the rear brackets on my Landlord. The 1" really help, also i sleaved all the hard rubber rollers with plastic water pipe. This helped another 1/4" of slop from the worn rollers. If i set deck to its top seting it just start to rub the PTO to deck belt on the cross support bar not bad enought to damage anything, just polished off the new paint is all. Maxamima hight is about 3 1/4.
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I haven't really had a chance to look at the deck except right sfter mowing so When I do I will Post pics. Anyways thanks for the great ideas on raising the deck. I have the deck up to about 2 3/4" or more so that is satisfactory for St. Augustine. Guess I will Have to rely on my dads Cub Cadet for High Grass!!! LOL
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HELp just looked at the center arbor shaft and It was worn away with no teeth at all. What should I do???? Should I have someone weld the spindle on so I can delay the effects of having to go through the trouble of replacing it. Thanks will
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What's the advantage in cutting grass so high,won't that give bugs and insects more room to play and hide in?.I always try to cut as low as cosmetically possible.
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There are a few advantages to taller grass. The taller the grass the less weeds you will have, stays greener and moisture stays in the soil longer. According to a book that I have called Lawn Care for Dumbies.
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Grass height is a relationship between type and look. You can cut bermuda and centapede low but not St. Augustine or fescue. Its all relative. Mike
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Higher cut grass will look better in the hot days of august when it is dry and other yards will look burnt up. In the spring the fast growing grass when cut will have some place to sink into not set on top of the cut grass and looks like u need to bale it. I know of a guy that bragged about how short he cut his yard, after about 2 years of 1 1/2 cuting his bluegrass was over run with water grass and weeds. Its a matter of taste.
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I know a man that added 1 inch to the rear and took up the slack in the front until the deck was level. He did a great job and you couldn't tell he had modified it.. TILL YOU TRIED TO MOW. With the bottom that open the air didn't move like it was designed to and some of the grass would lay down in swirls hardly cut at all. I didn't get to see under it so have no real idea what kind of shape the baffles were in but as far as I know the thing is still parked. He was to broken hearted to undo all that work..
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here is my question(s) The center arbor assembly has vertical teeth right? well they are gone. The two sheeves on a shaft spin freely on those vertical teeth. OK now you know my situation would you weld the thing together? Or replace the whole thing?
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