60 Inch Deck - Tell Me About 'Em

[leeave96 488]

I'm thinking about getting a 60 inch deck for my 520H and using it for some camp duty mowing.  Lots of grass, sometimes it is two weeks tall, other times it is wet and heavy (gotta mow when you gotta mow sometimes).

 

Question is - how do you like your 60 inch deck?  How is the quality of cut when you are keeping up with the grass and how well does it do when conditions are not so great?  Does it use the same size (not length) mule drive belt (I believe 1/2 inch wide) as one would use on a 48 inch deck or is it wider, like 5/8?  Any belt slippage due to the larger blades and volume of grass?  How does one man get this thing on/off the tractor - I assume it is one heavy deck.  Are parts, spindles, belts and blades still available?

 

This deck would be on an Onan powered 520H - question is, how well does the 20 hp Onan handle a 60 inch deck?  Plenty of power or does the deck bring the Onan to it's knees?

 

Any info on these decks would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Bill

 

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,425]

There are 2 style 520 60 inch decks. The older have "skids" on the front corners and the newer style have rollers. I run a 60 incher and it cuts great. The mule drive is a little different than the normal ones. It is offset kinda so the belt clears the front axle. I use my loader to lift the front of the tractor to get the deck out. I think the spec says it is about 300lbs+. My only complaint about this deck is that it does not cut higher. The highest position is still a bit too low imo but the best mower I have ever used. I run the mulching (gator style) blades on it. 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,318]

A little trivia on some of the 60" decks

 

 

 

520

520

 

Garry

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,425]

Many of those bulletins are on the C195 deck which is actually made by ariens. I have not seen anyone use a c195 deck on a 520. 

[Hydro 131]

I looked at buying a 520 once with a 60" deck.  For people who do not have front end loaders you just drive over the deck.  They are built strong and very heavy.  I decided against it because I could not get the deck to cut high enough nor could I handle it alone.  I might be wrong but the height is something like 2 -2 1/2".  I know it not 3"

 

If you are dealing with grass as you described you are going to have discharge issues no matter what you do. I've had times or areas of my lawn where using the 48" deck I cut with the deck raised and then go back for a second round with it lowered.

 

I'd be leary of the Onan overheating and popping a valve seat.  There are a lot of posts on here recently which I think pretty much provides strong evidence they can overheat quickly.  It would not be working so hard with the 48 and you likely would have a little more ground speed so at the end of the day the 60 may not give you any advantage.

[cheesegrader 433]

I run a 60" deck on my 520 at my cabin.  I used a 48" for a few years, but it is in need of a rebuild.  I found a 60" for a good price, and I am very happy with it.

Major differences:

The 60 is a much heavier guage steel on the shell.  I don't think it will go bad in my lifetime.  The 48 is much thinner.

The 60 should have a dedicated mule drive with the offset and the spring pivot.  If you never lift the deck, you could get by with the standard mule.

If you lift often with the wrong mule, you will throw and damage the drive belt.

The 60 weighs 320 lbs.  The 48 weighs about 100

Drive belt width is the same.  Length is different.    102 for the 60.  103.25 for the 48

My 14 year old can mount the 48.  

If you turn the wheels all the way to the left, and put down some cardboard or plexiglass as a slider , you can drag the 60 underneath with a little cursing.  A couple of 2x4 pry bars and 4x4 blocks, and you can get it on in 5 minutes with practice.  You can drive over, but it will try to spit forward, and you still have to do the fine allignment to hook it up by hand.  I worry about damage to my front tires driving over.

The 48 lifts farther, and cuts a little higher.  It is easier to manuever,  but is easy to damage with accidental contact.

The 60 doesn't lift all the way up, no matter how much you mess with it.  I cut at the highest level only.  In my opinion, the lower settings are only useful on a golf course with very regular mowing schedules.  If you hit something, you might crack your frame, but you are unlikely to hurt the deck.

On flat ground, if I cut weekly, the 60 is beautiful.  And it cuts in half the time.  It extends so far beyond the tracks from the front wheels that is does a good job evening the cut, even if the grass is long. It is not as good on wavy or irregular areas, and I would hate it if I had lots of landscaping.

The 48 seems to require much more overlap.  Seems like it only gets 36" of good cut because the front wheel tracks are right at the edge of the deck, and they bend the grass before cutting.  It is better at contouring to irregular ground.

The 60", if it is wet or long, requires every one of the 20 horses.  It doesn't clog, and I have never had belts slip, but you really hear the Onan dig down.

Just reduce speed, and it is fine.  Be sure to watch for grass on the intake screen if it is long.

On dry, normal length grass, the 60" is a tool of mass grass destruction!!!!

I have both.  I mow 1.5 acres of flat, cabin, no fuss grass.  And I haven't used the 48 since I got the 60.

[leeave96 488]

Great info everyone - thanks!

 

Bill

[decksetter 50]

I got a 60 last week, put brand new blades on and it cuts great going full speed ahead. No lack of power, but I haven't let my grass get too tall yet either. it does seem to throw grass a little farther than the 48.

So far I'm not sure I like it. When going over roots around a tree it will tend to get hung up on stuff and make it hard to maneuver the tractor. If your ground has a lot of rise at the base of the tree you may have the same problem as me.

Easiest way to mount it that I have found, pull the tractor up to the back of the deck, get off, wrap a couple of straps around your front axle, and pull the tractor up and over the deck slowly. I tried just driving over but all it did was push the deck forward, even when I lowered it all the way down.

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[leeave96 488]

Does the manual suggest/recommend driving over the deck for installation or is that something everyone's figured out and no damage to the deck can happen? When you are finished with the deck, do you back - back over it or drive forward over and off of it?

I seem to recall back in the day, Ariens had a garden tractor deck you drove over.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,318]

Operator manuals for 60" SD on 520-Series

1991 http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/file/2035-mower-rotary-60in-sd-1991-c5-60sc02-and-c5-60sc03-om-810685r1pdf/

1992 http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/file/1415-mower-rotary-60in-sd-1992-c5-60sc04-om-3314-758pdf/

1993-1994

1995-1996

1997-1998

[546cowboy 302]

I have owned two 520's with 60" decks and they mow great on fairly flat ground. Uneven ground gets difficult when you have to make a turn. That big deck will dig into the turf if you aren't watching, but it won't the next time you're in that spot.   If you have to mow a large area, you just can't beat that 60"deck. In my experience I don't like the Gator type blades as they don't give the quality of cut the Wheel Horse blades do. Unless the grass is extremely tall or thick, it's full speed ahead at W.O.T.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,318]

What is so special about the 109077 set of blades for the 05-60SC01 C-195 60" deck besides the price? $196.97 at Partstree.

 

The 78-2480-03 wet grass blades for the 520-Series decks are $71.32 each. 

Regular 112947 blades are $23.78 each.

 

Garry

[decksetter 50]

I just put new blades and anti scalp wheels on my 60 last week, it cost right at $100 for 3 blades and the 2 anti scalp wheels at the local dealer.

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Also I haven't heard good things about using gator blades if you're not mulching the grass. If you want to turn your 60 into a mulching deck you may like them better.

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[leeave96 488]

This 60 inch deck sounds interesting and may have possibilities in my future.

 

One more concern/question:  Sounds like the 60 inch deck is a close cutter, not much mowing height.  Question is there a work around to get - say, a 4 inch cut?

 

Thanks!

Bill

[cheesegrader 433]

You would need larger rear wheels to get a higher cut,

but you risk losing vacuum under the deck, and it might affect the quality of cut

[HokieAg07 129]

I love my 60" deck Bill, I dont have an issue with cutting height, mainly mow on highest setting and it is about perfect for me. It is true though that its highest setting is lower than most. The Onan has no issues running the monster deck, it does dig down and starts to work when the grass is thick or wet but it goes right along. I will slip the mower belt before the engine struggles! If you have a smooth surface in the garage or driveway removing the deck is not that big of a deal. I had mine off and out for service in five minutes last weekend, just slide it out or slide it back under. Granted, its no 48 so you cant just pick it up and carry it someplace!

[Chat6155 3]

Bill,

 

New to the site and not as experienced as others here, but just my 2 cents...I scored a used 60" deck the beginning of Aug to replace my42 RD.   Brought it home and indeed, fault it out of the utility trailer.   It's every bit of 275 - 300#.

 

Once on the ground, rolled it into the garage [w/smooth concrete floor] to the right of my WH.   Turned the steering full left and began to push.   Got the deck about 1/2 way under the tractor and just couldn't move it any further.   Sat there trying to decide what to do, then the light bulb began to glow..."you dumb a**...you're not fighting the deck, you're trying to slide the larger guage wheels in a direction [sideways] that they weren't designed to go"!   Moved the height lever all the way forward so the guage wheels were off the ground and the deck was sitting on the floor.   With only the bottom edge of the deck contacting the smooth concrete floor, a gentle shove with my foot against the discharge duct gingerly moved it dead center under the tractor without breaking a sweat.

 

Another thought, while on the subject of the 60"...mowing the field out back, wanted to get my moneys worth out of the width of the deck with little to no overlap.   Discovered if you use the outside edge of the guage wheels as a guide, they line up almost exactly with the blade tips.

 

Wayne