Mower deck cutting height..

[mikeeyre74 289]

a 42" 1977 mower deck, same year for the 36" I had before.. seems to me the highest grass height you can get is about 3.5", and then it goes DOWN in 1/2" increments. Did everyone mow their grass super short back in the day or something? I can't imagine ever wanting cut my grass shorter than 3", let alone down to 2" or whoever this goes, but it sure would be nice to have a little more UPWARD flexibility for the hot weather to help keep it from scorching by letting it get a bit taller and keeping it there, no? 

 

On a side note, at that height on the deck, set to the highest notch available, it hardly lifts the wheels off the ground. Is this normal? 

 

Mike

[Thisguyisnew 114]

I have a 42" on a c-160 and never had to measure but I am pretty sure 3.5 is not my highest setting

[Ed Kennell 38,021]

What is preventing your deck from raising higher?   The rubber blocks on the deck carriage should be the upper height stop.   Could be the lift chain is too long or not connected properly.

Go to the manuals section and download the file for your deck for proper mounting instructions.

 

And

[mikeeyre74 289]

 I have followed the directions on the deck mounting manual. The rubber stops on the upper side of the deck hit my floorboards just as they should. It's just… Even when they do one of the wheels is just barely above the ground and touches down occasionally while the other one is about a quarter of an inch above the ground. And that's on pavement. 

[KC9KAS 4,741]

I have the same problem with the deck on my 520.

Seems the front of the deck is lower than the rear.

In the highest setting on the gauge wheels it still cuts the grass way to short....like a burr hair-cut!

[lynnmor 7,302]

5 hours ago, KC9KAS said:

I have the same problem with the deck on my 520.

Seems the front of the deck is lower than the rear.

In the highest setting on the gauge wheels it still cuts the grass way to short....like a burr hair-cut!

The deck leveling nut is at the very rear.  That link has a habit of hanging up and not resting against the nut, a little grease should help.

 

In other posts, the rubber bump stops were mentioned, they are for transport height when the deck is in the raised position.  Adjust the lift after the deck is leveled.

 

The rear wheels should carry the deck weight and are what determines cut height.  Front wheels/rollers are for prevention of scalping.  Be sure that you are using the correct blades that are flat, not offset.

 

I adjust the deck on a flat, level concrete floor.  Check tire air pressure.  Put the deck in the setting I want and adjust the leveling nut till the front is just very slightly lower than the rear, a deep well socket works well as a measuring device.  While the instructions might say 1/8" or 1/4", bringing it up to near perfectly level will increase cut height quite a bit.

[mikeeyre74 289]

 While studying this thread, I noticed something  I looked at the deck. Apparently, the previous owner removed all of the bits and pieces on the upper end of the deck, and then reassemble them the wrong way. He had  A couple of the pieces flipped around from left to right… The parts that hold the deck to the hanging mechanism. Apparently, if you switch these around it changes the geometry ever so slightly, but still allows the deck to mow the grass. So although it's not right, it still works. I'll attach a photo see you can see what I'm talking about.   Just in case it happens anyone else, this was a weird thing, not necessarily related to adjusting the deck.  I still think it Moes a little on the short side, because just about all I can get out of it is 3 inches of grass. In the height of summer, I'd like to have 3 1/2 if I could...

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tjb9z461fcgydig/Photo Sep 01%2C 11 15 18.jpg?dl=0

[lynnmor 7,302]

If it is like mine, the angles go towards the rear.  I don't know if that will change the geometry much or if the angles are needed for clearance.  Is that a crack forming at the rear mount?  I would install them properly and continue with your adjustments.  Yes, Wheel Horse tractors do mow shorter than most, some have has success with putting 1" larger wheels on the deck.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

7 hours ago, mikeeyre74 said:

 While studying this thread, I noticed something  I looked at the deck. Apparently, the previous owner removed all of the bits and pieces on the upper end of the deck, and then reassemble them the wrong way. He had  A couple of the pieces flipped around from left to right… The parts that hold the deck to the hanging mechanism. Apparently, if you switch these around it changes the geometry ever so slightly, but still allows the deck to mow the grass. So although it's not right, it still works. I'll attach a photo see you can see what I'm talking about.   Just in case it happens anyone else, this was a weird thing, not necessarily related to adjusting the deck.  I still think it Moes a little on the short side, because just about all I can get out of it is 3 inches of grass. In the height of summer, I'd like to have 3 1/2 if I could...

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tjb9z461fcgydig/Photo Sep 01%2C 11 15 18.jpg?dl=0

In this photo you are saying that bracket is backwards?

[Marv 919]

https://lookup3.toro.com/partdex/index.cfm?xCaller=Toro

Take a look here.

MRVIN

[lynnmor 7,302]

I have an assembly drawing for a deck that might not be correct for yours, but it does show it installed the opposite way.  The cross bar on yours does fit the slot, so maybe it is right.  

[mikeeyre74 289]

According to the diagram on the Web from wheelhouse, it's backwards.