60" Deck and frame durability?

[Duramax7man7 506]

Hey Gang,

 Out of all of your collective years of experience, how often has anyone seen a 60" mowing deck bend, crack or flat out break a wheel horse frame?

 

 Thanks for your time!

 

Andrew C.
 

[doc724 925]

There are lots of posts where the rear plate which mounts with the transaxle has failed at the welds or bolt holes.  I don't recall if any were associated with a 60 inch deck.  All the ones I personally have seen were on hydro models and the root cause was likely abuse from hitting things at speed (snow banks, tree roots, and tree stumps which were not cut low enough to name a few)

[Duramax7man7 506]

Gotcha. This is why I check with this forum. There's always someone with a logical answer of sorts. 

 Anyone have photos of a broken frame to share? or links. Ill look through the forum too I guess. but feel free to share!  

 

[rokon 64]

I have a 520 that once ran a 60 inch deck and the mid tach-a--matic was just plum wore out. I had to replace it because it was too worn to hold the chute crank support bar for a single stage thrower.

[Duramax7man7 506]

Gotcha. But you didn't experience any cracking or bending of the frame or welds?

[refracman 167]

While not common, I have had 7 520s with a 60 and a friend has had at least 5 that he had bought and sold and another 10 customers that have them of that maybe 4-5 have had the frame broken at the footrest mount and all of the higher hr ones the mid attachmatic is / was welll worn. Also the cross bar on the deck that latches into the attachmatic is worn as well. He had some of the cross bars made up. 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

I have not seen a 520 with a 60" deck that was cracked in the frame, but have read about it here. I bought the 520-8 last summer with the 60" inch deck, and the PO mowed up a storm with it from new, I was always curious when I tear it down if there will be a Crack or something with that tractor. Maybe not cause it's not a hydro. Just don't know, throwing my 2 cents in.

 

Edit: I want to ad this, when I took my 854 apart to redo it, there was a few good cracks in the frame plate that the trans bolts up to. I had a new 1/4 inch plate welded in and drilled out, just saying is all.

 

Glenn

Edited January 9, 2017 by JERSEYHAWG / Glenn

[rokon 64]

4 hours ago, Mastiffman said:

Gotcha. But you didn't experience any cracking or bending of the frame or welds?

no cracks or bends that I am aware of, good working machine, used it to push snow today

[Forest Road 594]

Bolts on my 314h tranny mount were all found loose awhile back. Now I don't know if it's from back and forth w the 2 stage. And the additional stress of a 2" hitch supporting a ballast box w 300lbs. Or an ******* neighbor w a wrench and plenty of time.

 

The trans mount plate is prone to cracking. Primarily from abuse. 520s came through w a reinforcing 1/4" plate. Many of us have added that to our trusty lil red riders.

[MalMac 1,331]

When looking at a 520, I can always tell if the tractor had a 60" deck on it. The tractor usually will show all kinds of wear. Places like the mid-tack hitch, lifting t-bar, steering and frame. The 60" decks are famous for cracking the frame where the foot rest bar is welded. Even though the 60" deck is a very well built deck, it is just to heavy in my option for that tractor. It puts a lot of wear on that tractor. Way more than the other decks do.

[Duramax7man7 506]

So if I plan on putting a 60" on mine I should plan on reinforcing that section of the frame somehow to play it safe and increase the overall longevity of the tractor....

Edited January 9, 2017 by Mastiffman

[MalMac 1,331]

might not be a bad idea. The 60" is also very hard on the mid tack a matic. They are also very hard on the t bar. Keep a eye on where the t bar pivots on the frame, they have a bad habit of wearing the t bar then it starts to woller out the frame.

[Duramax7man7 506]

Gotcha. so maybe even reinforce the mid-mount by adding a second mount plate on either side (or inside) to strengthen the mid-mount as well as double plate and drill the holes for the T-bar and potentially even

increase the diameter of the T-bar in between the frame. Or maybe even try to alter the connection point of the lift bar of the T-bar to connect more towards the frame on the bar instead of right in the middle?

 

Be nice if all of bigger and or later 520h had Rear PTO transaxles

 

[Sarge 3,463]

The t-bar would benefit from an additional plate added and a thicker bearing surface , I'd bore it out and add a plate , plus a bronze oil bearing on each side . Maybe even a harder or slightly larger rod ....

Sarge

[Duramax7man7 506]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. So, where the Rod goes into each frame section... Double that frame section up, drill holes slightly larger (1/16" - 1/8") and then use a larger rod while also using 2 more supports that are about 2" - 3" out from center of that new slightly larger diameter rod...

[wrightorchid 261]

I think some photos of frame reinforcements would be helpful..  Haven't had a cracked frame or deck, but certainly bent a deck enough to move the spindle out of alignment.

[cleat 5,809]

Wheel Horse offered more heavy duty T bars in the later models.

 

I have upgraded all of mine to this style.

 

 

Cleat

 

[Duramax7man7 506]

Nice Cleat!

 So can these be purchased for a decent amount?

[wrightorchid 261]

who is making these?

[cleat 5,809]

They are factory Toro parts.

 

I have got at least one from ebay. (I don't see any right now) just search wheel horse 520 lift.

 

The pin tends to be worn so I make my own as seen in the pictures.

Factory uses an E clip but I can't cut the slot for those so I just drill and use a pin instead.

 

Wheel horse heavy duty lift bar pin dimensions.pdf

 

The brass bushing is available from toro or just order one from your local bearing supply (just take in your old one, they will match up a new one).

 

Cleat

 

 

Edited January 9, 2017 by cleat

[Duramax7man7 506]

On 1/9/2017 at 3:59 PM, wrightorchid said:

who is making these?

 I think that they would be pretty easy to weld up though. Get a new pin made, grind the lift bar off of the old pin and weld to the new support tube. Clean up the welds, prime and paint! BOOM! 

[WildHorses 382]

My 520 has a 60" Deck and it seems like I replace the mid Tach-a-matic mounts tabs that bolt to the frame about every other season. My lift T-bar also destroys that brass bushing about once a season. I would be curious to see other updates guys have made to their 60" deck mounts.

 

Also has anyone found a way to get more mowing height out of a 60" deck? 

 

 

[lynnmor 7,302]

The mid hitches are stamped steel so the surface where the bar locks in has very little contact causing rapid wear.  Look at the edge and you will see a sheared area and the remainder is tapered away.  The latch has the same issue and is a very sloppy fit from new.  I am currently making some mid hitches with milled surfaces and tighter clearances. 

 

I haven't tried it, but maybe larger wheels on the deck and re-leveling is a possibility for getting more height.

 

When I clean under my 60" deck, I run one front wheel up a ramp, you would not believe the twist causing the hood to be way off center.  The heavy deck can really stress a narrow frame.  Yes, I need to get a wider ramp!

[Lee1977 6,642]

As for the mid hitch I don't have a 520 or a 60inch deck, but after 30 some years with a 48 inch deck I had to weld mine up grind back in shape. The lock spring has become weak and I had to add a lock pin after dropping the deck twice last summer on the same day.

 

I'm not new had a computer crash and couldn't get back in.  I'm Don1977 had to get a new email address to.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Lee1977

[Duramax7man7 506]

Thanks for chimming in. Gotcha. I will take that under advisement.