42" Fabricated Rear Discharge Mower Deck

[CCox 8]

I have decided to fabricate a deck over the winter that will utilize the spindles, hanger and wheels from my stamped 42" rear discharge deck.  The last one I made was for a Scag zero turn and it restored new usefulness to that unit.  Similar to my last one, my plan is to lay out in CAD, the current size, approximate shape and openings of the current deck.  Then I send my drawing to a waterjet service and they cut the layout from 3/16" steel plate.  Then I weld the pieces on a welding table.  Once finished, I will prep, prime, paint and then transfer my wheels, hanger and spindles to the new deck.  I think the rear discharge decks lend themselves well to this because they are symmetrical.  Once the layout is completed, the material cost and welding time is the only repetitive cost if I were to make more than one.

 

Anyone interested in these?  Any wish list?

 

Obviously, a prototype would be nice to see but I can't take time from mowing to disassemble my weekly mowing equipment until the season is finished.  Just tossing out the idea and gauging interest.

 

Thanks.

[Burnerman 758]

I’ll beta test a shell for you! 😁😁

I thought about fabbing up a deck but it’d be so expensive.

  I’d like a 3/16” leveling/ reinforcing plate that tied all 3 spindles together on the same plane. That could be easy to jet out if I had access to one. 

I could bolt it down from the top of my old deck shell to the spindles. 

Edited September 9, 2019 by Burnerman

[Stepney 2,314]

It wouldn't be cheap, but we can't really get them anymore either.. write me up for the interested party. 

[pacer 3,159]

For what its worth ---- I have a MF 1650 GT and the 48" deck was rotten so I put out a ad asking for a replacement shell and ended up with a home/shop? built deck. It was very nicely done and looked exactly like the original ..... its one draw back is its HEAVY!! Decks can be a bit of a pain to remove/replace anyway and this thing is really a booger. I finally figured out to raise deck high as will go and jack the whole tractor up til a furniture dolly will slide under the deck. I then lower the deck to sit on the dolly, disconnect and pull it out on the dolly.

[CCox 8]

5 hours ago, pacer said:

For what its worth ---- I have a MF 1650 GT and the 48" deck was rotten so I put out a ad asking for a replacement shell and ended up with a home/shop? built deck. It was very nicely done and looked exactly like the original ..... its one draw back is its HEAVY!! Decks can be a bit of a pain to remove/replace anyway and this thing is really a booger. I finally figured out to raise deck high as will go and jack the whole tractor up til a furniture dolly will slide under the deck. I then lower the deck to sit on the dolly, disconnect and pull it out on the dolly.

Pacer, Agreed and thank you for the info.  I made my first from 1/2 plate and while it is extremely sturdy, its a bear to wrestle into position.  Its also 54" wide and better than 36" front to back.  I still like thicker steel but in hindsight, the deck could have been 3/16" and would have been fine.  My supplier had the 1/2" as a drop (leftover) and I got it cheaper than had they cut the same size in either 1/4" or 5/16".  I will build my first prototype and evaluate.

[ronhatch 405]

Why can't deck shells be made using 12 ga. stainless steel?  I made a couple of extra long front baffles out of 14 ga. SS  to improve mowing performance and they worked out great.

Edited September 11, 2019 by ronhatch

[Stepney 2,314]

On 9/11/2019 at 9:24 AM, ronhatch said:

Why can't deck shells be made using 12 ga. stainless steel?  I made a couple of extra long front baffles out of 14 ga. SS  to improve mowing performance and they worked out great.

Just curious, what do you mean by 'front baffles'?

[Burnerman 758]

32 minutes ago, Stepney said:

Just curious, what do you mean by 'front baffles'?

this is my old rusted out 1978 42” rd deck. It had these baffles welded in the deck. My newer deck doesn’t. I believe this is what he’s talking about. 

[Stepney 2,314]

9 minutes ago, Burnerman said:

this is my old rusted out 1978 42” rd deck. It had these baffles welded in the deck. My newer deck doesn’t. I believe this is what he’s talking about. 

Ah yes, for some reason I was thinking SD, not RD. Yes one of my older RD decks has the front baffles just like that. Never could tell if it made much difference or not. 

[CCox 8]

Correct on the baffles. I have had them with and without. I think the version with distributes the clippings more evenly. 

 

Preliminary check on stainless prices, weld time, etc.... looks cost prohibitive. Will have steel options once grass and leaves are done. 

[ronhatch 405]

I was talking about a SD 42" deck. It wanted to blow a certain amount of clipping out the front until I fabricated a front baffle out of SS that hung about a 1" lower then the front of the deck. It also had about a 3/8 to 1/2"" lip that  pointed toward the blades.  It solved the problem and works great.

[Stepney 2,314]

13 minutes ago, ronhatch said:

I was talking about a SD 42" deck. It wanted to blow a certain amount of clipping out the front until I fabricated a front baffle out of SS that hung about a 1" lower then the front of the deck. It also had about a 3/8 to 1/2"" lip that  pointed toward the blades.  It solved the problem and works great.

Exactly the problem Im fighting with mine I use for leaf season. So its just a lip off the front of the deck that points rearward? Ill have to try that. 

[654jim 51]

Just finishing up a Fabricated 42" sd..  Got a buddy with a cnc plasma cutter,, and 

4 hrs of shop time got me THIS!   10g. steel top and sides... 14g baffles..

reused all brackets and wheels. Sourced new spindles and pulleys on #bay.

 

 

[654jim 51]

My spindles were trashed... I was able to get center spindle apart, but messed up

the threads on the outers. My bigger hammer method didn't work to remove 

pulleys,,.  So, I modified the deck depth to accommodate "replacement" spindles,

pulleys for a cubcadet 1045..  $80 for 3, including the pulleys!  

 

             My friend says material costs are app. $60...   says we'll work something

      out for LABOR!!    Good to have talented FRIENDS!!!

Edited September 19, 2019 by 654jim

[Stepney 2,314]

24 minutes ago, 654jim said:

My spindles were trashed... I was able to get center spindle apart, but messed up

the threads on the outers. My bigger hammer method didn't work to remove 

pulleys,,.  So, I modified the deck depth to accommodate "replacement" spindles,

pulleys for a cubcadet 1045..  $80 for 3, including the pulleys!  

 

             My friend says material costs are app. $60...   says we'll work something

      out for LABOR!!    Good to have talented FRIENDS!!!

That thing is a beauty.. and I'll bet it wont warp so easily as the original 42"s did.. 

[ronhatch 405]

That looks great!  With the smaller upper center drive pulley it looks like you're going to speed it up too. Now replace the wheels with a roller across the back for that ball park look.

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by ronhatch

[654jim 51]

Good catch on the smaller drive pulley... Its actually a 4 1/4" vs 4 1/2" original.

My math tells me a 220rpm increase... Should help!  The 5" blade pulleys make it

look smaller than it is!

 

                                      Been mowing with my 654, since the 312 is being repaired.

Edited September 19, 2019 by 654jim