Cutting Height

[KenSee 0]

I'd like to raise the cutting height on a 7117. The rollers are down as far as they'll go, and I'm still scalping the lawn. Using the lift seems to put the pulleys too far out of alignment. I was cutting with an AC416 and never had this problem. There are large washers between the blades and spindles, if I take them out I'll get 1/4", can I run the blades without these spacers? Can I get some height by adjusting the leveling arms? Thanks.

[Dutch 4]

Do you have straight or "gullwing" blades ? Is deck adjusted as per the manual?

[KenSee 0]

By gull wing I guess you mean the turned up trailing edge on the blade - yes I have those. But I thought all blades had those to create vacuum to lift clippings. I don't have a manual so I'm not sure. I have two 7117's that I got as a pair, and both require rollers set at highest position and both are cutting to a low height, certainly doesn't look like the 3+ inches I thought they should cut to.

[Dutch 4]

No, both blades have the bent up "lift" tips at the ends. The straight blades are straight across, while the "gullwing" blades have a significant rise in the center. There are different deck and spindle combinations. Some use straight blades, others use "gullwing". It would be worth it to get manuals so you can determine if a previous owner installed incorrect blades, if parts are assembled correctly, and check the the proper adjustment procedures.

[TomSchmit 56]

You can get bck some of the original cutting height by: - replacing worn rollers (new ones have the full diameter) - replacing worn front tires

[Ford 0]

From my 7119 mower manual (should be same as yours): Installation and Adjustments 7. Lower the mower fully. 8. Push the belt tensioning lever (item A, figure 4) fully down and forward. 9. Raise the tractor seat to gain access to the PTO pulley. 10 Install the mower drive (item B figure 4) provided on the mower pulley (item C) and the tractor pulleys (item D and E) The belt must be seated in the inner groove of the PTO pulley (item E). II. Pull the belt tensioning lever (item A) fully back and up to put tension on the mower drive belt. 12. Lower the tractor seat. 13. Level the mower according to the Mower Leveling Procedure that follows. MOWER LEVELLING PROCEDURE The following adjustment is important and should be performed before using the mower. This adjustment is normally required only when installing the mower for the first time or when reinstalling the mower after repairs were made to the tractor or mower hitches which might have affected the level. To level the mower, proceed as follows. I. Check tractor tire pressures. The front tires should have equal pressure and the rear tires should have equal pressure. (Refer to your tractor Operator’s Manual for correct tire pressure). 2. Turn both mower height adjustment handles (item A, figure 5) fully clockwise to the highest cutting height position. 3 Rotate the mower blades so the tips point straight forward and backward as shown in figure 5. 4. Measure and note the distance from the front tip of the center blade to the ground. 5. Measure the distances from the rear tips of the two side blades to the ground. The side blade measurements should be the same, and the rear measurement should be 1 / 8 to I / 4 inch (3 to 6 mm) less than the measurement for the center blade front tip made in step 4. NOTE If the measurements taken are satisfactory, the mower is level and needs no adjustment. If the measurements are incorrect, the mower bail assembly eyebolts (42” mower) or yokes (48” mower) must be adjusted according to step 6. Both eyebolts or yokes must be adjusted to level the mower front to back. If only slight side-to-side leveling of the two side blades is required, the eyebolt or yoke of only one side need be adjusted. 6. Level the mower according to the following. a. Loosen the jam nuts (item B, figure 5). b. Remove the cotter pins and then disconnect the eyebolts or yokes (item C, figure 5) from the mower hitch. c. Turning the eye bolts or yokes changes the length of he bail assembly arms. Shorten the bail assembly arms to decrease the front height of the mower. Lengthen the arms to increase the front height. Be sure to give both eyebolts or yokes an equal number of turns for front to back leveling. d. Reinstall the eyebolts or yokes on the hitch (the cotter pins need not be reinstalled yet) to check blade tip measurements. Continue the adjustment and check until the center blade front tip is 1/8 to 1/4 inch higher than the side blade rear tips. e. Reinstall the eyebolts or yokes on the hitch and reinstall the cotter pins Spread the cotter pins around the hitch pins. Then retighten the jam nuts (item B). Hope this helps, Ford

[Terry9 0]

Try larger diameter tires, front and back.