60" Woods finish mower question

[buckeyepost]

I have an older 60" Woods finish mower like the one pictured below. I know these things aren't meant to go through a lot of grass and I am still learning about them but it seems to bog down really easily. I popped the belt cover off to look at things and there was a lot of dead grass in there so I cleaned it up but since my tractor isn;t running right now I don't know if that fixed it. How tight should the belt be? And, I noticed that on the longest run of the belt (closest to the tractor) between the two furthest pulleys the belt had been flipped over so that it has a twist in it. Is that how it should be?

 

[dawzie]

I dont own one of these but I would think a flipped belt is wrong. Do a search on the net for a owners manuel, or if there is a near by dealer stop and look at a book. It will show you.

On bogging down - is your tractor pto rated for that size mower? A build up of wet grass in the under deck can cause that also. After mowing a half hour, shut of the tractor and feel the bearing hubs on the mower deck. Warm is OK, hot is not.

 

[SteveV]

Hi there-
I use a Woods RM59 as one would use a brush hog. It is a light mower for light tractors and it's nice and close to keep the front end of the tractor on the ground. The belt is almost indestructable with less than 30 HP if you pay any attention at all to its tension. There's a tensioner assembly under the end guard 3/4 inch nut if I recall. I regularly reshape the deck backing up to stuff (rocks mostly) to mow over them. Belt routing is on a decal inside the main guard. In general- a handy pc of equipment!

 

[WH401]

I used to cut 7 of my 11 acres with a IH Cub and it had a 5 ft Woods belly mower on it, specifically the "L59" mower. The L59 is basically the exact same thing as the RM59, except it's mounted to the belly of the tractor and it's attached to the tractor's rear PTO through a belt and pulley system as opposed to a PTO shaft and the large white tower on the RM59. The belt should be tight enough not to come off, but not so tight that it won't spin properly. If the belt tensioner is working properly than that shouldn't be your problem. On the L59 the belt twist's in ,if I remember correctly, two places. Once when it goes from the rear PTO towards the middle spindle of the deck, and again when it comes back from that middle spindle towards the PTO. That is the correct layout for that mower, and seeing as on the RM59 that the belt starts out on the big pulley in the white tower, it's very possible the twists that you mention would b correct as well.

What condition are the spindles in? do you grease them regularly?, Do you hear the spindles turning when the mower is running, like a big whirlwind or helicopter noise?, or is it quiet? Do the spindles have any play in them?, Can you wiggle them significantly? Do you keep the blades sharp?, dull blades can really bog down a mower. Do you keep the underneath of the deck clean? as in scraping the built up grass clippings off regularly? Blades and under-deck cleanliness are two of the biggest things that can create resistance for a mower. If the spindles are fighting to turn then they could need to be replaced, or simply greased depending on their condition.

 

[oliver28472]

The belt is supposed to be twisted like that. Same way on my RM 48. You can download a manual for yours by going to Woods Equipment Company - Manuals


The manual will show the decal and there is a step-by-step process of installing the belt. My RM 48 has been eating belts this year for some reason. Have broken last year's belt plus 2 new ones. I can't put mine on without looking at the decal. The decal also mentions the twist.

 

[buckeyepost]

Thanks guys! This is all really good info for a noob This forum has really helped me out since I don't really have anyone to turn to for experience/advice on these kind of things. I'm guessing mine is a RM59 then but everything has been painted over gray. Here is another pic if anyone can tell. And I haven't had the main grate/cover off yet so maybe there is something in there to distiguish it.

I haven't done anything with the spindles since I bought it this spring but it does sound like a nice hum, nothing funny about it. I know a few times that I bogged it down b/c I had to raise the deck and cut long grass from the blades but I stopped doing that and it still whined to a stop which makes me think it was all the grass caked around the belt which I just cleaned out. And, I probably do need the blades sharpened since I've been cutting some pretty think stuff. I just didn't know if it mattered since brush hogs are dull.

I'll pop the cover off next time I'm out but thanks again for all the useful info.

 

[WH401]

Thanks guys! This is all really good info for a noob This forum has really helped me out since I don't really have anyone to turn to for experience/advice on these kind of things. I'm guessing mine is a RM59 then but everything has been painted over gray. Here is another pic if anyone can tell. And I haven't had the main grate/cover off yet so maybe there is something in there to distiguish it.

I haven't done anything with the spindles since I bought it this spring but it does sound like a nice hum, nothing funny about it. I know a few times that I bogged it down b/c I had to raise the deck and cut long grass from the blades but I stopped doing that and it still whined to a stop which makes me think it was all the grass caked around the belt which I just cleaned out. And, I probably do need the blades sharpened since I've been cutting some pretty think stuff. I just didn't know if it mattered since brush hogs are dull.

I'll pop the cover off next time I'm out but thanks again for all the useful info.

Looks like a RM59 to me. If the spindles have a blatantly noticeable hum than that would be an indication of them needing replacing, ideally they should be virtually silent. If it's only very slightly than that shouldn't be your problem.

How are you using this mower? to bush hog very tall grass? or regular finish mowing? Finish mowing is what it was intended for and if you're mowing very tall grass or overgrown areas than that is your problem right there. The gearing that that mower has is intended to give the blades a very high speed to produce a smooth cut over a regularly maintained lawn, not bush hog. A bush hog has a high torque, low gearing setup to give the blade the ability to keep turning when it gets into the rough stuff and not impede it's work. I would suggest that you invest in a bush hog if this is the kind of use this mower is seeing.

If finish mowing is it's main use than that's fine. You'll want to make sure you don't let the grass build up around the spindles underneath the deck, but if the mower is finish mowing than this shouldn't happen anyway. Keeping the blades sharp on a finish mower is ideal. A bush hog more beats the grass than cuts it, where a finish mower cuts it and needs the blades sharp to be able to perform adequately.

 

[buckeyepost]

I am mowing higher, thicker grass/brush than I should with it but my tractor came with it. AND, if my tractor ran better (or at all) I could mow regularly so the grass/weeds wouldn't have time to grow so tall. I guess I'll just set the deck up high and mow it twice once I do get my Fergie running.

 

[oliver28472]

I just put spindles on my RM 48. Cost me $420.00. Probably didn't need to do it either but I was trying to eliminate a wobble. The new spindles did not change that.

 

[DR1]

The belt is supposed to be twisted like that. Same way on my RM 48. You can download a manual for yours by going to Woods Equipment Company - Manuals


The manual will show the decal and there is a step-by-step process of installing the belt. My RM 48 has been eating belts this year for some reason. Have broken last year's belt plus 2 new ones. I can't put mine on without looking at the decal. The decal also mentions the twist.

I clicked the link, but couldn't find the manual for the RM59. I think this is the mower I have, it has been repainted. I am trying to find the belt part number so I can hunt another one down, and I need another tail wheel. Thanks