Did Wheel Horse offer Heavy Gauge Mower Decks for the 520H ?

[Challenger 27]

Today a gentleman told me that, at times, Wheel Horse built and offered extra heavy duty, (thicker gauge), 48" mower decks when the 520H was still in production. He went on to say that he recently purchased a used 520H and paid an extra $600, above what he thought was the standard market price, because the machine he bought was equipped with the "optional" heavy gauge deck.

Is he correct, was a heavy gauge deck available certain years? If yes does it drive up the used value of a so equipped 520H by $600 or more? If there is a "heavy deck" what model number would it be and about what years was it offered?

Thanks.

- Challenger

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 137]

For $600 more I would just buy 4 spare regular decks if there is such a thing as a heavy duty.

[AMC RULES 37,196]

I've never heard that. :dunno:

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,532]

Challenger-

He was speaking of the 60 incher offer for the 520 not the 48 inch. It takes 2 men and a small boy to move one :)

[Kelly 1,033]

Ya I have a 60" deck here it has to weight at least 200+ lbs

[Hodge71 665]

Actual weight of a 60 incher is 335 pounds from what I was was told in my quest for 1. You actually drive the tractor up and over the deck to install it because its impossible to push it around under the tractor.

[Challenger 27]

Thanks for your thoughts.

I know the 60" is heavy because I've had two over the years. In this case it is a 48".

The guy telling me this was absolutely serious about it, (it was the day after April's Fools so he wasn't playing with my head). He went on at length and described how the "extra heavy duty" deck was an option and this got you a much THICKER steel mower deck shell, that would resist rust years longer.

He wasn't trying to sell me a deck, maybe he was just justifying what I felt, but did not tell him, that he paid "top of the market" for the tractor. - Challenger

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,880]

I purchased my 416-H new in 1993 (1994 model). There was no such option that I was aware of when I purchased my tractor.

[Hydro 131]

Last year at the Show someone had a heavier duty new 42 inch deck and as I recall he wanted $1200.00 for it. I don't think it sold. It was new and the vendor said it was a commercial offering. There was an extra steel plate which ran pretty much the entire length underneath so as to reinforce the spindle mounting. I can't recall if there were any other changes to this deck but it definately was a heavier deck than any 42 or 48 that I have seen.

I don't know what the model # was nor if it even had a model. I don't know if it was offered in a 48 but it looked like it was a factory deck. The vendor was in one of the buildings and he had a lot of new Wheel Horse parts. He was probably a member here but at the time I was not familar with R/S.

[Rollerman 290]

I had a 48" deck that came with a 400 series commercial Horse (418C maybe?...going by memory, I know it wasn't a 520HC).

But it did have additional reinforcement on the deck on top & the 3/4 round bar brace that goes around the bottom of the later model decks was also tied to gether over the top of the deck with flat stock.

The braceing was factory in appearance, seems like I remember the anti scalp rollers had a heavier construction too?

I no longer have the deck or I'd get picks, this might be the norm on late model 48" decks too?

[Tim 97]

i bought a older tractor with a 42" deck and the skin on the deck just "ended" at the bottom, As it got older, it twisted and gave a poor cut. i bought a new deck, and on that one, instead of the steel on the skin "ending" they rolled it over at the bottom. the dealer told me they did this because the older design was prone to twisting, this rolled design stiffened it. i wonder if this is what he was talking about? i did pay about $850 for that 2nd deck,,,

[Challenger 27]

Thank you for your thoughts.

[KC9KAS 4,744]

I thought maybe someone was trying to sell this tractor/mower for a really high price and was making up a story to justify the high price!

[MalMac 1,332]

I am going on memory here but if I can remember there was a plate that went under the spindles all the way across on the bottom side of a 42" deck for a Z turn Toro machine. Some of the dealers started using that on the 42" decks for the Wheel Horse. It help stiffen them up to keep them from twisting. I wonder if this guy has the steel plate on top of the 48" confused with being a heavy duty VS. the 42" without it. Becuse I sure don't ever hearing about any HD 48" deck available.

[Hydro 131]

I am going on memory here but if I can remember there was a plate that went under the spindles all the way across on the bottom side of a 42" deck for a Z turn Toro machine. Some of the dealers started using that on the 42" decks for the Wheel Horse. It help stiffen them up to keep them from twisting. I wonder if this guy has the steel plate on top of the 48" confused with being a heavy duty VS. the 42" without it. Becuse I sure don't ever hearing about any HD 48" deck available.

Thats sound exactly like what I saw for sale at the show.

[Kelly 1,033]

The 48" decks all have a heavy plate bolted to the top of them all the way across, to help strengthen them, the belt guards bolt to the plate also, it is one way to tell a 48" from a 42" in pictures, and sometime around 1990 they added the round bar stock to the bottom edge of all the 42" and 48" decks.

[can whlvr 994]

heres the home mede version,the whole top of this deck is now 1/4 or 5/16 plate(cant remember what gauge)the top was so cracked and soft,no rust just over used,i cut the whole top out and welded the plate in and redrilled all the holes,including the 2 1/8 spindle holes,this deck is so smooth now,no vibrations at all,and it just cut great too,but its retired for now as i re did her and havnt used it in a few years