Center blade cutting to low

[bo dawg 476]

I know this question has came up before, but I couldn't find a thread here.

I've seen this before on a couple other decks where the center blade cuts too low and the deck adjustment height is on the highest setting. Just scalps it pretty bad, also as the deck bounces it makes chop marks in the center. So is this a sign that the bearings is bad? Ive changed the blades around and doesn't make any difference and checked everything I could think of. Even the bearings don't have any play that I can feel but I don't know what else to think. It started doing it last year but now seems worst. Is there something I'm missing?

[bo dawg 476]

Oh yeah if it matters its the tractor in my avatar thats doing it.

[Don1977 604]

It could be that the belt tension on the base is not working and letting the belt slip. That

would not let the out side blades cut as well as the center that is driven from the PTO. Check the idler to see if you can move it if you can't the spring won't be able to either.

[bo dawg 476]

I understand what you're saying Don, but that wouldn't cause the center blade to cut so deep when the decks height adjustment is all the way up. I'm talking cutting next to dirt.

[Red Iron 1]

I had the same problem with my RM-484 deck, with the cast iron spindle housings.

Spindle shaft is held in with snap ring on upper bearing. Missing or worn

shaft here would let the spindle drop down some. The belt tension tries to hold

pulley up enough so it didn't rub on top of deck all the time. Ocaassionally, it would

drop down with a deck's movement, chew the dirt.

In any spindle assembly, there should be no endplay on the spindle with blade attached, well, a tiny bit ok,

Hope this helps

ps. Have you measure blade height on flat ground, compared them?

[WheelHorse_of_course 99]

A few thoughts

1) I have seen this when the deck is not properly leveled front-to-back.

Park on a level surface, check your tire pressures, and then measure the height from the level surface to the bottom of the front blade (pointing forward) and the the bottom of one of the rear blades (pointing back).

The front should be no more than 1/4 to 1/8.

On the decks newer than about 1974 this can be adjusted uing a thread rod towards the back of the deck.

2) One way to create the problem you describe, where the front is way to low, is to put larger gauge wheels on the deck.

Since a common complaint about WH decks is that they cut to low (by modern standards) it would not be at all surprising that someone (like me) would try to correct that issue by installing larger wheels.

I don't know if the newer decks have enough adjustment range to accommodate larger wheels, but I do know that the older style decks have almost no adjustments.

I hope this helps

:thumbs2:

[can whlvr 991]

You could also check to see if your deck is still flat across the ntop plane of the deck,sometimes the center of the deck gets fatigued and sags,my 42 side dis got so bad that the spindle in the center fell right out when cutting :thumbs:

[pfrederi 17,128]

take the deck off turn it over and use a level to compare the blades. The tips of a blade should be even and level with the other blades. Also with along enough level check for level between spindle shaft ends. if things are not level/even check for cracks in the deck around the spindles (or signs of weld by POs. many a deck was "repaired" by amateur welding that didn't first level the spindles.....

[bo dawg 476]

Thanks guy's, I will look into these ideas tonight. :thumbs2: