Mowing Mower Deck Set Up for LS45 Yard Tractor

[mckinney3]

I have a 48" Side Discharge Mower Deck for my LS45 Yard Tractor.

I have the manuals but.....

Over the years and taking deck on and off have left my set up "out of alignment." I can follow the manual but I seem to be in a situation outside of the operating range of the mower and I don't have an intuitive clue what to do.

Specifically - The mower deck front center roller (anti scalp device) is plowing into the ground. I cannot adjust the deck to a height that has that roller above the turf with the various adjustments mentioned in the manual. I have to set the two front gage wheels to their maximum position to lift the front of the deck. The manual states that these gage wheels should be riding about 3/8 inch above the turf when deck is in mowing position. My gage wheels are actually supporting the front of the deck and there is a good bit of weight on these rollers and they wear rapidly as well as probably not helping my turf as they are actually rolling on the turf with the weight of the deck on them.

I need some tips on setting up this deck from someone who has the tricks and not just be referred to the manual. =)

dan

 

[Opti-Mist]

I have one of them also. If you've done the adjustments according to the manual, it would seem to be set up right. Just removing the deck and reinstalling it really shouldn't result in any changes to adjustments. I'm wondering about your cutting height setting. If your mower is set for a low/short cutting height, that could cause the front anti-scalp roller to ride the ground as well as the gage wheels (even if they are set to the highest setting). Given what you've posted, the first thing I'd try is set the deck to a longer/higher cut (assuming the gage wheels are already set in their highest setting).

I know the above seems too simple but, the deck is supposed to "hang" beneath the tractor, even in the cutting position.

 

[mckinney3]

Thank you for the response!

In the full up position using the "knob", the deck front will rest on the ground in front unless I use those gage wheels to prop it up.

But this gives me some insight. The gage wheels really should not be holding the deck up so I got something serious going on. I tried running the front adj. links to the their max with no effect.

Maybe I should remove deck and reinstall to be sure I didn't miss something.

Keep talking to me as I am at a loss as to what to look for.

dan

 

[Opti-Mist]

Hi! I went out to the barn to check mine out. As it is set up (from the dealer 10 years ago), with the gage wheels set in their highest setting and the height of cut set at low, the gage wheels clear the ground. The front anti-scalp roller has two settings, higher and lower. Mine is set at the lower and it just clears the ground at low height of cut. I confirmed that the front of the deck does hang on the adjustable links.

It really does sound like your transport height adjustment needs to be looked at. See page 7, Figure 7.

John