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15
LEVELING THE MOWER DECK
Although the mower deck is designed to operate with the front
caster wheels and rear gauge wheels on the ground, some
mowing conditions may require the mower deck to be operated
with the deck wheels off the ground. To assure a quality cut in
those situations, the deck should be properly leveled. Correct
adjustment of the mower deck will level the deck from side to side,
and provide the correct front to back pitch of the mower deck.
The mower deck should be leveled during the initial installation
of the deck, and then periodically checked and re-adjusted as
necessary.
WARNING!: Before leveling the mower deck, po-
sition the tractor on a hard level surface, engage
the parking brake lever and turn ignition key to
the “OFF” position. ALWAYS stop the engine
after utilizing the tractor hydraulic lift system.
When handling the mower deck, be careful not to
cut yourself on the sharp blades.
Side to Side Leveling
Most of the side to side leveling of the mower deck is accomp-
lished with minor adjustment of one of the rear lift rod assemblies.
However, the initial front to back adjustment of the front lift rod
assemblies may affect the side to side leveling. For the initial
leveling of the deck, perform the side to side leveling described
below, adjust the front to back pitch of the deck, then recheck the
side to side level and adjust as necassary.
NOTE: Check for proper tire inflation before checking and/or
making a leveling adjustment.
When the deck is properly leveled, the left and right blades will
have corresponding cutting-edge-to-ground measurements within
1/16 inch of each other.
• Use the tractor hydraulic lift system to raise the deck so that
its wheels are off the ground. Stop the engine.
• Carefully rotate the outer cutting blades so that they are
positioned perpendicular to the tractor frame. See Figure 19.
Figure 19
• Measure and record the distance from the level surface to
the outer-most cutting edge of the right blade. Repeat this
measurement for the left blade. If the two blade heights are
not within 1/16 inch, the deck must be leveled. Note which
blade had the larger distance between the cutting edge
and level surface.
• From the rear of the tractor, work on the rear lift rod assembly
on the side of the tractor with the LARGER ground to blade
cutting edge measurement.
• Loosen the jam nut from against the ball joint on the rear of
the rod assembly. See Figure 20.
Figure 20
• Use a 9/16" wrench on the flats of the lift rod to turn the lift rod
in the direction shown in Figure 19 to lengthen the rod. Turn
the rod only in small increments, while continuing to measure
the outer blade tip heights.
• When the blade tip heights are within 1/16" of each other,
re-tighten the jam nut against the ball joint.
Front to Back Leveling
The front of the mower deck should be approximately 1/4" lower
than the rear of the deck when hanging from the subframe with
the front caster wheels and rear gauge wheels off the ground.
The front lift rods are adjusted at the factory, but may require
additional adjustment when performing the initial installation of the
mower deck onto the tractor.
WARNING!: Engage the parking brake and turn
ignition key to the “OFF” position. ALWAYS stop
the engine after utilizing the tractor hydraulic
lift system. When handling the mower deck, be
careful not to cut yourself on the sharp blades.
• Start the tractor engine and use the 3-point hitch control lever
(refer to the tractor operator’s manual) to raise the mower
deck so that its wheels are off the ground. Stop the engine.
Use 9/16" Wrench
on Rod Flats
Lengthen
Rod
Loosen
Jam Nut