Section 7: Adjustments

Adjusting Deck gauge wheels

The 60" mower deck is equipped with ground following front caster wheels and is designed to be operated with the front caster wheels and rear gauge wheels on the ground. Consequently, the adjusted position of the front caster wheels and rear gauge wheels determine the cutting height.

There are six cutting height positions ranging from 1-1/4" to 5". Adjust the front caster wheels and rear gauge wheels to the desired cutting height before starting the engine to begin mowing.

WARNING!: Stop the tractor engine, disengage all PTO controls, engage the parking brake, and wait for all movement to stop before adjusting the deck wheels.

Adjusting the Front Caster Wheels

There six index holes in the caster wheel shafts that are approximately 3/4" apart. Consequently, each index hole adjustment will raise, or lower, the mower deck approximately 3/4 of an inch. To adjust the front gauge wheels, determine your desired cutting height and proceed as follows:

•Use the tractor 3-point hitch control lever to raise the mower deck off of the ground.

•Working at the front caster wheel on either side of the deck, remove the internal cotter pin from the clevis pin securing the caster wheel shaft in the caster bracket. See Figure 17.

Caster

Clevis Pin

Bracket

 

Caster

Wheel

Shaft

Internal

Cotter Pin

Caster

Wheel

Figure 17

•Support the caster wheel and withdraw the clevis pin.

•Slide the caster wheel shaft up or down in the caster bracket to the desired height setting and align the index hole with the hole in the castor bracket. See Figure 17.

•Insert the clevis pin through the caster bracket and shaft, and secure with the internal cotter pin.

•Note the index hole used for the just adjusted caster wheel, and repeat the above procedure to adjust the other caster wheel to the same position.

Adjusting the Rear Gauge Wheels

The height adjustment handle on the left side of the deck is used to adjust the position of the rear gauge wheels. The rear gauge wheel index bracket on the deck also has six index holes, which correspond to the six index holes of the caster wheel shaft.

When adjusting the rear gauge wheels, the height setting should correspond to the selected setting for the front caster wheels. For example, if the front caster wheels were adjusted to their lowest index hole (lowest deck setting), the rear gauge wheels should be adjusted to their highest setting (lowest deck setting). Adjust the rear gauge wheels as follows:

•Use the tractor 3-point hitch control lever to raise the mower deck so that the rear gauge wheels are off of the ground.

•Note which of the six shaft index holes the front caster wheels are set in.

•Remove the internal cotter pin from the clevis pin in the height adjust handle.

•Grasp the height adjust handle and withdraw the clevis pin. See Figure 18.

•Move the height adjust handle to the hole in the index bracket that corresponds to the index hole used to adjust the front caster wheels (the lower index bracket holes correspond

to the lower caster wheel shaft holes - higher index bracket holes to higher caster wheel shaft holes). See Figure 18.

 

 

 

Height

 

Index

 

Adjust

Rear Gauge

(Raise Deck)

Handle

Bracket

Wheels

 

 

 

(Raise Gauge

 

 

 

Wheels)

 

(Lower Deck)

 

 

 

Internal

Clevis Pin

 

Cotter Pin

 

(Lower Gauge

 

 

 

Wheels)

 

 

 

Figure 18

•Align the height adjust handle hole with the appropriate index bracket hole and re-insert the clevis pin through the handle and index bracket. Secure with the internal cotter pin. Refer to Figure 18.

NOTE: Whenever the front caster wheel position is changed, the rear gauge wheel position should also be adjusted.

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