Wheelie horse 90 #1 Posted March 28, 2022 Hello everyone was looking for some input, I have a 520-8 with a 48 inch mower deck on it, the deck has seen better days not past repair just yet, I may have a chance to get my hands on a 60 inch deck, from what I’ve heard they are very heavy, would I be able to lift it without having the hydraulics of the 520-h or would it be to heavy for the manual lever. And how nice of a job dose the 60 inch deck do compared to others. Thank you 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,811 #2 Posted March 28, 2022 How big a arms you got? 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveoman1966 3,745 #3 Posted March 28, 2022 That 60" deck MAY crack the tractor frame at the 3/4" round cross bar that the pedals work on. That deck is 350lb...or more. I have seen two 520s with that crack. IMHO... fix your 48" deck and make a Stainless Steel line for it as I did on mine that I got in the early 90's. No Rust...forever. Remove ALL hardware...and spindles.... Use a large piece of cardboard to make a template of the shell and cut out SS sheet. Bolt it in and go. Here's my deck on my Bronco 14. The SS is about credit-card thickness. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheelie horse 90 #4 Posted March 28, 2022 12 minutes ago, daveoman1966 said: That 60" deck MAY crack the tractor frame at the 3/4" round cross bar that the pedals work on. That deck is 350lb...or more. I have seen two 520s with that crack. IMHO... fix your 48" deck and make a Stainless Steel line for it as I did on mine that I got in the early 90's. No Rust...forever. Remove ALL hardware...and spindles.... Use a large piece of cardboard to make a template of the shell and cut out SS sheet. Bolt it in and go. Here's my deck on my Bronco 14. The SS is about credit-card thickness. Very nice I like that idea a lot 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 25,502 #5 Posted March 28, 2022 42 minutes ago, Pullstart said: How big a arms you got? Spinach helps… I’d fix as mentioned above or track down parts and just repair it… 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,302 #6 Posted March 28, 2022 The 60” does a nice mowing job. I have used them for years without the frame cracking issue. I would not want one if the deck needs lifting more than once per mowing. Be sure that you have the forward swept axle, some early 520’s had a straight axle. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muz123 1,191 #7 Posted March 29, 2022 The 60" does a fantastic job mowing, sounds like a helicopter. I have one on my 520-8 and it is HEAVY, so be prepared to lift! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roadapples 6,983 #8 Posted March 29, 2022 If you get a 60" deck, get the mule drive with it. They are different... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wh5208speed 645 #10 Posted March 29, 2022 I've used a 60" deck on the 520-8 speed for years. I never felt it was too heavy to pick up, but it certainly isn't as light as the 48" deck. One way to reduce the stress of the weight on the tractor itself is to make sure you get a 60" deck that has the front rollers. The original 60" decks of the late 80's-early 90's used skid plates instead of the front rollers. I'm guessing they started selling decks with front rollers around 1991-92. With the front rollers, it allows the weight of the deck to stay on the ground with 5 points of contact (3 front rollers and 2 rear wheels), instead of hanging from tractor. As far as cut quality, I think the 60" deck is the best cutting deck Wheel Horse ever sold. Thad 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,302 #11 Posted March 29, 2022 44 minutes ago, wh5208speed said: I've used a 60" deck on the 520-8 speed for years. I never felt it was too heavy to pick up, but it certainly isn't as light as the 48" deck. One way to reduce the stress of the weight on the tractor itself is to make sure you get a 60" deck that has the front rollers. The original 60" decks of the late 80's-early 90's used skid plates instead of the front rollers. I'm guessing they started selling decks with front rollers around 1991-92. With the front rollers, it allows the weight of the deck to stay on the ground with 5 points of contact (3 front rollers and 2 rear wheels), instead of hanging from tractor. As far as cut quality, I think the 60" deck is the best cutting deck Wheel Horse ever sold. Thad The instructions show that the front two rollers are to be adjusted with a bit of clearance so only the rear wheels carry weight. The rollers have no bearing and are there only to prevent scalping. The center rollers have no adjustment. It is a good point though since the rollers will prevent much of the twisting and frame load on bumps. The front adjustable rollers might prevent some turf damage that is common with the fixed skids, but they can really plow soft ground on sharp turns. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill D 1,915 #12 Posted March 30, 2022 I built my own replacement deck using a Bobcat deck. @kpinnc built one using a deck from an Exmark. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
