Will this mower work on my 1990 312-8?

[DANELMER 2]

Hey all I just got my first wheel Horse.   It has the 37 inch mower on it and I want to put a 48 inch mower on it. It is a 1990, and I want to know if the mower in the picture will fit on it.  Thanks

[Pullstart 59,650]

 

That LOOKS like it’ll fit just fine.  There are some various decks that only fit a GT-14 because of tire size and roller location I believe.

[peter lena 8,050]

danelmer,  agree  with pullstart on the probable fitting , you also might have the 36 " deck , more info and pictures on your horse would help . its the common yet different lift  frame that makes this possible . also realize that there are S/D  side discharge  and R/D rear discharge decks . also these decks need a thorough look see before use, pete

[clueless 2,898]

Look like a 48" sd deck and it should fit fine. If you have the 37 sd deck on the tractor you may have to change the pulley set up on the mule drive and get the right belt.

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

If your 312 has the 6" front wheels, the 48" SD should fit.       The 12HP will be working pretty hard to spin the 48' deck. You may find you will have to mow more often and run a lower gear than with the 37" deck.

Just sayin....Big is not always more efficient.

 

 

Oh,  to the 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Ed Kennell

[Achto 26,546]

[DANELMER 2]

HI and thank you all for the warm welcome! I'm glad to be here.   From what I gathered on instinct after a few forum searches is that the 48" will work. However the variables make it non practical. Not knowing the condition of the 48" mower, or if I'll have to get parts to make it work,  I will have to give it another year of consideration. 

 

I need to start mowing this week and am super excited to get this wheelhorse running. I spent all year last year literally pushing around a non running, flat-tired early 2010s Toro wheelhorse that my landlord let me borrow/get running for her.  Mistake. Two small engine mechanics and a few scorched eyebrows later, I was getting tired of push mowing my acre lot.   I'll post a Pic of it.

 

Then a couple of weeks ago I came across this 1990 312-8. It has the bagger, the plow blade and the 37 inch side discharge (I believe).

 

It's currently lodged in my shed under a bunch of other stuff and the weather is kind of rough today but I will have it out this weekend for better pics.

 

I'm in the middle of the transmission flush and am looking forward to getting it running. It's a very clean 1990, with I believe 1400ish hours.

 

   The roll pin broke in the shifter, so that's in the mail, I'm replacing that as well as the shifter boot and am draining/flushing the transmission with gasoline? My friend is a transmission specialist and he said forum recommends kero due to safety but the gas cuts the sludge better.  Don't quote me.

 

So hopefully after that and a new battery/fresh gas it will fire right up.  Whoever owned it took meticulous care of it.. The gas tank was bone dry and oil clean. Battery was about 8 years old I believe? So it had been in somewhat recent use.   I ordered my battery tender and am excited to get started working my wheel Horse! !

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by DANELMER
Added Pic of flat tire toro

[BOB ELLISON 2,976]

Gas is not recommended. 

Use diesel or fuel oil.. the diesel you can drive it around for 5 or 10 minutes then drain.

[peter lena 8,050]

DANELMER, AGREE WITH BOB ON THE DIESEL OR FUEL FLUSH , also jack up front end to increase allen plug drainage. and replace the shift boot , where moisture gets in , pete

[clueless 2,898]

11 hours ago, peter lena said:

DANELMER, AGREE WITH BOB ON THE DIESEL OR FUEL FLUSH , also jack up front end to increase allen plug drainage. and replace the shift boot , where moisture gets in , pete

Gas. I have a 1989 312-8 with the 37" sd deck. A 37" deck in working order with a bagger trump a 48" that not working. You need to check the 37" for large and small cracks were the mounting cradle bolts to the deck especially the front right one (sitting on the tractor). I cut a little over an acre with my 37" and it does fine I would think the 48" would do ok but like Ed. said depending on how high the grass is and how often you cut you may need to slow down ( lower gear) which mean it would take as much time to cut the grass as it would with the 37". Pull that tractor out and check it over especially the deck replace what it need put some new oil and gas in it and fire that mother up, you won't be disappointed . One down side, if you plan on using the bagger and you need to replace the one lift blade with bolt on lift wing be prepared for a .

 

[DANELMER 2]

Thanks everybody I'm glad to be on the forum

[DANELMER 2]

@clueless
I didn't think about changing the oil. I guess I'll have to look up how to do that next.  Any tips?

Edited April 3, 2021 by DANELMER

[DANELMER 2]

@peter lena
any tips on getting the shifter collar bolt out? I'd like to do this job without taking off the seat plate but am scared of rounding off the nut.   Also is there something I should be looking at in the shifter hole to confirm it is,  in fact, in neutral?

[tom2p 2,393]

42" deck is an ideal size for a 312 - keep your eyes open for one in good shape 

 

one issue with a smaller decks is they will not reach the width of the tractor - so it can then be a challenge to trim around trees, near raised beds, shrubs, etc 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by tom2p

[peter lena 8,050]

DANELMER,  are you talking about the shifter detent bolt ? simple, remove the shifter gate plate , with 4 screws , remove shifter knobs , and lift off . detent bolt at base of shifter , use a 6 point box wrench to loosen the nut, and an allen wrench to lightly adjust it . very important , do not force this adjustment , if you can make a slight gain on the bolt tension , thats all you need , retighten the nut , and see how it works under power. clean trans oil is vital for smooth operation , you can find related pictures on sight to help out , pete

[DANELMER 2]

Thanks all I am waiting for the roll pin which should be here tomorrow. The shifter doesn't feel like it's going all the way down into the transmission. Other than that everything seems good. She started right up and the pto operation (mower)  worked.

 

I don't know what the two black metal pieces are for and also was wondering the purpose of the bracket pictured? Thanks

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

This is the pin you need for the PTO.    Any hardware store.

 

 

 

[DANELMER 2]

Thanks  I was curious about the pto. Are there attachments for it?

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

37 minutes ago, DANELMER said:

Thanks  I was curious about the pto. Are there attachments for it?

The mowing deck,  a tiller, a generator,  and the snow blower are the most  common attachments that are powered by the PTO.        

Just about any thing that requires rotational power has been  mounted on the front and powered by the PTO  .  Leaf blowers, ice cream freezers, tillers, chippers, saws, are a few.

[DANELMER 2]

Wow that's amazing. I was wondering about a pto powered scissor lift. Probably a little bit much for such a small tractor. Thanks for the info

[DANELMER 2]

Here are some more pictures of the 312-8. I am amazed at this machine and still can't believe I almost passed it up due to the size of the mower! I'm looking forward to putting this baby to work! I'll be mostly mowing and towing.

[DANELMER 2]

[DANELMER 2]

@peter lenaany

 idea what these clips are? I'm imagining they are for the bagger. I put the bagger on and as soon as I started mowing it fell off. I'm not sure how they attach the chute to the deck.

[peter lena 8,050]

@DANELMER,  not familiar with that deck, one of the other members that is , will send you related info on them .  also agree with TOM2P , on the 42" deck mounting on the tractor , I have 3 of them with 42" R/D  decks , makes things very easy , to operate and service. pete

[Brockport Bill 1,383]

i have virtually the same tractor since  I bought it new in 1989 - 32 years of good service - its the 312-8 with 37 inch side discharge and the same bagger -- those clips you asked about are for the bagger hood to clip onto the bagger frames when you close the hood-- i haven't had mine attached for years -- depending on your lawn and yard size the 37 inch is great - very nimble --- i have 4/10ths acre - mow 1-2-3 times per week depending on season - I mow in 2nd gear at pretty tall cut height -- don't take much off except top of grass blade ---- best for health of lawn -- if on occasion the lawn is tall i go down to 1st gear - don't know what the tractors reaction would be to a 48 inch -- But i can tell you this -- i have used deck, tiller, plow and roller....... including on hills - never once did that tractor not have enough power ----- if you have trees and leaves you'll love the bagger --- i use it up to 3 times per week in fall just vacuuming up leaves - -FYI - I just took my mower apart after 32 years and had it sand blasted, then 2 coats of primer and 2 coats paint - at Auto body shop - -putting it back together tomorrow - looks new - one important suggestion --- be sure to clean under deck after each use --especially the clump of grass that sticks to underneath front of shell right in the middle - or the cut will loose quality, plus the air flow is reduced meaning the lift of grass reduced - and especially if you are cutting tall grass or doing heavy leaves. Enjoy !!!