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Puzzled by 42" Mower Decks??


bowhunt4life

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After reading the 42" mowing deck manual and consulting the archives I am still scratching my head. To adjust the mower deck height I understand the adjustment you can make at the rear of the deck. I also understand I can remove the pins upfront and adjust the cleavis. Soooo I went to do just that and found this..... [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/55chevy/2012-05-06131611.jpg[/IMG] Went to a back up deck and found this...... [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/55chevy/2012-05-06131735.jpg[/IMG] Went to another deck and found this..... [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v374/55chevy/2012-05-06131632.jpg[/IMG] So are the first two welds which prevent me from making adjustments factory? Is the third picture also factory? I'm left scratching my head. My ultimate goal is to increase cutting height. Thanks, Chris
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Number two and three are stock, number one has been repaired. The earlier versions just had the bolt, but after a couple years they added the gusset because this was a stress point that broke. For adjustment, these bolts really only adjust the rake of the deck. If my memory is correct, it sets the leading tip of blade 1/8-1/4 inch above the trailing tip, when the blade is parallel to the tractor. The height comes from the rear handles. Also, you wont get much over stock height on these decks because the PTO belt will rub badly on the cross bar. It works but shortens the life of the belt. Dan
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Different deck, my 48 on 716. They are called yokes on mine. I was also looking for max height. I found no instruction on how to properly set these up; and no details about what they really do, or how they affect height. CleanBee mentions "rake". That's new info also. I stared at the front yokes for sometime, loosened everything up, made some adjustments that I thought would be right. Net change was little maybe none. Undesired change was that the pins to hang the deck on tractor would not line up - it seems I changed something, not sure what. I had to partially undo my changes to hang the deck. And I thought I maybe gained an 1/8 or 1/4" in height. That was last summer. Lately I have been wondering if playing with yokes can cause stress resulting in some of the repairs in your pix. I don't know. Mine is still ok. At rear, my height adjustors are pretty much maxed out - and they were not easy to turn - I used a piece of pipe as a wrench on them, to get them to max height. And this after multiple soaks w WD-40. Overall I gained some height but mainly w the rear adjustors - and I'm barely at 3", which is better than 2 1/4". 8) Next thing would be to replace rollers. Thanks for posting about these (potential) front adjustors. I don't really know what they do, or how they do that. They are an unusual shape, and trying to get an idea of how they change anything - well, I'm just not sure at all. But there's some kind of adjustment there - as your pix show - but it may not be useful or available. ? I know the front blade tips are supposed to be slightly higher than rears. Front yokes perhaps are factory set - but I would love to see the theory behind these pieces. Also, one other thing might be affected - the angle of the drive belt, from the mid-pto to the center double pulley on the deck. I decided to leave whatever changes I had made, until I had more info on the proper way to adjust front yokes. I have a sense that because they are small and very angular, they could effect large change by "pushing" against the huge overall mass of the deck - but I am very unclear about what that might do - except perhaps cause metal fatigue and perhaps breakage - which seems bizarre, in light of no detailed instructions. (sometimes other models' manuals offer instructions that are not included in my own manuals. So ANY INFO might be valuable. ac716 deck= 48"=1690272 front yokes pix [IMG]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/11Gray11/MysTiKpiX/11-resize4oox3oo.jpg[/IMG]
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Keep in mind that many of these decks are thirty to forty years old. While they may still cut the rollers do wear down and that decreases the cut. So replacing the rollers will increase the height of your cut. Rick........
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The longer the distance from the clevis to the yoke bar (what the clevis bolt is bolted to) the higher the front of the deck. Make sure all your nuts and bolts are a little loose before adjusting the rollers. There is slip joints and pivots, but many decks have been bolted tight or rusted (I specifically do this on purpose to prevent wear, as I am not changing heights). BYW, I have seen many decks with the right side clevis bolt is either rusted or repaired and have never seen a left side repaired and usually not rusted. ?
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quote:
Originally posted by AC_B-1Novice
Is it possible to put larger tires on that would lift the tractor to get what you want?
I daresay many have had this same thought - I know I did. Presumable possibilities might include inflation pressure adjusts, tires with different profile, actual larger tires (bigger size #'s). Or anything else that eeks out another 1/8" - it could all add up. I would avoid hi pressure unless you enjoy being bounced and vibrated more. Check the rollers. New rollers have considerably less play. Mine will move up and down on the shaft - maybe 1/4" deviation, maybe more. New rollers will boost height. Also larger rollers - but consider required and available clearances. (deck bashing on frame, etc etc)8) I recently got into the Red Green theory - gotta problem? use more duct tape! I thought about wrapping a pound of duct tape around the rollers - then I thought maybe metal rings, wooden rings, etc. just to create thicker rollers, more height. This thinking popped out while considering how to mow out of control lawns. Another idea was to "lift" the deck slightly. That's get complicated with the belt angle on the center pulley. Watch that while adjusting - it never seems to be the perfect angle. Also lifting might stretch a belt - or opposite, too loose. It all matters somehow. My Pacer mower has a "full float" (?) deck - it's actually suspended. The roller spec is to be 1/2" OFF the ground!! It still leans the grass over for striping. (fascinating). Simp Pacer (1694494) 13.5 Intek/34". Max Ht=4". (crank adjust) [IMG]http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy125/11Gray11/MysTiKpiX/Pacerdeckshrink.jpg[/IMG]
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This might be relevant, not sure yet. When mowing with (RBT) 716 w 48" deck, my feet sometimes slightly extend beyond the running board surfaces. On uneven ground, the front axle anti-scalp tek, moves the entire deck, tilting side to side. With my feet slightly over the edge of the RB's, the deck touches my feet. I mention this because it might be a source of stress or breakage on those front yolks. I don't know this; just thinking, if it's touching my feet, it's probably touching the frame also, and maybe twisting or breaking something. not sure.... but that might relate to front yoke damage (?) (or not).
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definition of rake as used: Verb: Set (something, esp. a stage or the floor of an auditorium) at a sloping angle. Hope this helps, Dan
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The adjustments shown in Chris' pictures are for setting the rake of the deck. They are not used for adjusting the height nor removing any warp. If the deck is angled from one side to the other, something is bent. Dan
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MyStik makes a good point. When mowing in the extreme highest deck clevis settings it does hit the bottom of the frame slightly when bumps are encountered. I have noticed that while installing/removing the front mounting pins. The steering tierod between the wheels can also hit the clevis arms(the part that goes to the axle) when in full steering position. That is a large part in my view of why some decks fail there and others don't. I had one cracked like an eggshell once. A little rust and a lot of fatigue, though before I got to it. When I found it the weld bead was almost 8 inches across the front top edge. :O
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I recently purchased a tractor rear bushog. The instructions with it said for smoothest cut, but with the most power required, to adjust the back of the mower lower than the front so that the front of the mower first cuts the grass and then the grass is recut with the blade in the rear lower than the blade in the front. It then said for a rougher looking cut but with the least power required have the front lower than the back so that the grass is not recut by the blade when rotated to the rear.
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Very true of any mower, walk behind or deck or hog. Similar principle to the "reverse mowing" technique I was using the other day. A deck set for raised leading edge in normal use translates to the raised trailing edge when the traverse direction is reversed.
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Hi, Some companies decks are supposed to be low in front. Simplicity decks are designed to be 1/8 to 1/4 inch high in front as measured from the front of the center blade orientated straight forward to back to the back of the back blades oriented the same. We use a couple of foot bolts from appliances to measure the tip heights. We put nuts on these bolts and can reach under the deck and run the nuts up until the nuts touch the cutting edge of the tip of the blade. Use one for the front center and the other for the rear of the side blades. We then set the bolts side by side and we can see exactly where we are. We also orient the blades straight side to side and check the side to side level first before we do the front to back. Front tire pressure affects the deck level for practical purpose, the rear tire pressure is inconsequential. The rollers control the rear of the mower. I have talked to service a number of times about mowing over 3 inches. These mowers won't do it even when new, regardless of what the spec says. Also when cutting high on the 7100s, the belt life suffers. I have under my desk all of the pieces to make a center pulley with 2 drive V pulleys. These were compliments of the factory to do some research on the feasibility of making the center pulley with 2 drive v Pulleys one on top of the other. The bottom pulley would be a pulley width lower to see if this would help on a tractor that devoured belts mowing at max height AND on uneven ground. When the mower was used at max cut the bottom pulley would be used. The customer lowered the mower and the problem went away and I was busy and didn't pursue the issue. To mow 3 inches, you will need good rollers and fairly decent smooth level ground. On uneven ground, you will have the mower hitting the tractor and will chew up drive belts. Just accept the fact that regardless of what the advertising specs say, 3" is it. Al Eden
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I am at about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches with my deck set up. I plan on replacing the rollers Right now I have to mow every 3 days in order not to have to sweep the grass clippings.
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I am at about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches with my deck set up. I plan on replacing the rollers Right now I have to mow every 3 days in order not to have to sweep the grass clippings.
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The front of the deck is adjusted properly when the front of the blade is 1/2" higher than the rear of the blade. I put the tractor on as level of concrete as i can find then measure the blade by the chute. Then i measure the bottom of the deck to the ground and do the same on the opposite side because you cannot measure the blade very easily. The cutting height is then determined and adjusted by the two screw handles on the back of the deck that truly adjust the rollers in relationship to the deck. there are usually stop bolts that need to be loosened to be able to do this. You should be able to measure the back of the blade on the chute side again and the just measure the back of the deck to the ground and repeat on the pposite side. when done tighten back up the stop bolts. I hope that helps and wasn't too confusing. The comment on only so much adjustment is true because the belt will definately rub if you go too high. Chopper
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The pix I posted of my 48" deck (above), if you look closely at the bottom edge of the center pulley - you can see it is nice and shiny. Guess what's polishing it, and maybe wearing itself in the process. Simp belts are pretty tough. And I need to revisit my 48 with this new info in mind. The other pix of the Pacer mower. There's supposed to be a deck cover over that black frame that's clearly visible. I leave it removed so I can blow clippings out of there after every mow (also the cool shrouds). But originally, I took the deck cover off when I got sick of it interfering with belt replacement - the belts were napa cheepeez - in a couple of weeks the Pacer spit out 3 of them, one of them lasted 2 mows. Finally bought a genuine Simp belt - that was at least 5 years ago. and counting. My 716 has all Simp belts also. One I swear is original from the 70's - it needs replace badly; it's worn away, as in gone, only the backing remains - still works - amazing. That's one is hard to get at (trans) - hence, not done yet. Repaint on the ugly 48 is also on the agenda. Visible is the pretty side. 8D
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