How to change blades on rear mowing deck?

[zoltanthegypsy]

My little Rankin hog has a removable access cover on top of the deck that allows getting at the blade mount with out getting under the deck at all. I can just manually turn the disk to move a given blade to the rear where the port is to access the nut, and the blade can be reached from the open rear of the deck.

I'm too much of a noob to know if this is common or unusual - or I'm not understanding the question. Maybe a "mower" is a different deal than a bush hog - more like a MMM in the way it's built? Someone throw me a clue???

Like I said, access is easy. Getting the fool blades off would be another deal. It would take a 3/4" drive and bar + a length of pipe. Or impact tools.

For now, I just put the thing on the trailer to save my back, and sharpen with an angle grinder w/out lifting the hog.

Z. (the clueless)

 

[Turbys_1700]

I do what everyone on here suggest except I do not raise the deck as high as possible...
I raise it high enough to allow me to slide under it and access the bolts easily with my impact wrench...
That is not in the highest position...
I get on my creeper and roll to the correct position to utilize my impact wrench...
Of course, this is with two jack stands placed under each edge of the mower...
Very safe and secure...

 

[PHILIP8N]

The blades on my Woods RD7200 are held on by two standard bolts and nuts with right hand pitch. Philip.

 

[k0ua]

I do what everyone on here suggest except I do not raise the deck as high as possible...
I raise it high enough to allow me to slide under it and access the bolts easily with my impact wrench...
That is not in the highest position...
I get on my creeper and roll to the correct position to utilize my impact wrench...
Of course, this is with two jack stands placed under each edge of the mower...
Very safe and secure...

Agree, that impact is the way to fly..anything that can inherently turn, like mower blades or stump jumper, you need impact not all that blocking and breakerbar stuff. your life will be imeasureably better the day you get a good air compressor and a 1/2 impact. your life will be a lot better even if you get a crummy air compressor and a crummy impact I am pretty fat, and I need all the clearance I can get:laughing:

James K0UA

 

[Wolfy]

Zoltanthegypsy, the rear mower ( "finish or grooming" ) is just for grass. Picture a mid mount mower's cut quality, but behind the tractor. A brush hog is very different. Much heavier duty, with thick blunt blades that shred brush and dense weeds. Because the blades are so heavy and blunt, they hold up well to small saplings, but they would also rip the grass. Each one is really not good at doing the other's job.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

Thanks Wolfy, that's what I figured. So removing a mower's blades involves actually getting under the deck, as opposed to the setup on a (my) bush hog that allows removal from above.

Thanks,
Z.

 

[Ezzrider]

Thanks to everyone. I got the 3 blades changed out today. I raised the mowing deck with the tractor PTO after shortening the top link. I put jack stands under the outside edges for extra support. I used my impact wrench to loosen the bolts holding on the blades. Of course the one in the middle was a real pain but after some PB Blaster and banging on the bolt a few times with a hammer it came off. The Kubota dealer parts guy told me the bolts would loosen to the right but they loosened to the left and tightened to the right. I did not realize how bad the blades were on the tractor until I removed them. Thanks again for all the help!!