Is the 62D deck a floating or ground contact deck?

[dannyk]

Well, I spent most of today getting familiar with the new 2520, loader, and 62D-2 deck. (Traded my Kubota B7500 for it.)

The old Kubota mid-mower had similar linkage components to the new JD, but it was pulled along on its wheels. I think the expression is "ground contact" for this type of mower.

In reading the manual for the 62D (I didn't get the independent lift kit), it seems that the mower cutting height is set simply by setting the three-point (rockshaft) position control lever to the desired height, and then the four wheels are set to about 1/4" to 1/2" above the ground. Thus the four wheels serve as anti-scalp wheels and do not support the mower's weight when mowing.

I did manage to level the deck, and at a cutting height of 4" the position control lever is almost all the way up.

First question: Do I have this right so far?

Second question: I assume that after mowing I should lower the three-point all the way so that the mower does rest on the wheels. Or should the pins in the shafts be released each time so that the deck is supported by the ground only?

Third question: My mower deck came with what appears to be a hose port on the left side for clean-out. Has anyone used this method to clean their mower, and does it work? The manual doesn't even mention it.

Man, either I'm getting really slow-witted in my old age or else JD could write a slightly more informative manual!

Danny

 

[thatguy]

#1 - yes - NOT ground contact and with your 4" cutting height it is close to all the way up

#2 - Do you have the knob in the center of the floor to control the deck height? The 2305/2230 have that.. I usually lock my deck at the highest point using this knob - otherwise i just let the 3pt hitch hold it up

#3 - Opinions appear to be mixed on the hose port - some like it others say it doesnt work that well

Brian

 

[yak651]

I would call it a floating deck. Mine on my 2520 is about 6" off the ground with the 3 point fully up. I set the position stop for the 3point lever at about 7, at this level the deck is about 3" off the ground. Any lower and I feel it cuts too low. I don't set the deck down when parking, don't think it will hurt anything to be left up. I have an older model and don't have the wash down port. Wish I did as many times the garage smells like moldy grass after a couple of days

 

[urbandeere2520]

".... it seems that the mower cutting height is set simply by setting the three-point (rockshaft) position control lever to the desired height, and then the four wheels are set to about 1/4" to 1/2" above the ground. Thus the four wheels serve as anti-scalp wheels and do not support the mower's weight when mowing."

As a 2520 owner (2305 & 2320 have a center height control knob), this is my understanding as well, the four wheels are anti-scalp wheels, the three-point (rockshaft) lever sets the cutting height. But I may be wrong.

"Second question: I assume that after mowing I should lower the three-point all the way so that the mower does rest on the wheels. Or should the pins in the shafts be released each time so that the deck is supported by the ground only?"

Depends. I store the deck (on tractor) in full up / or down position with the wheel shaft pins set at slightly above cutting height. However, the pins in the wheel shafts must be released (wheels up) when driving over the deck for deck removal or installation... otherwise you'll damage the deck.

"Third question: My mower deck came with what appears to be a hose port on the left side for clean-out. Has anyone used this method to clean their mower, and does it work? The manual doesn't even mention it."

I've hooked a hose up to this port and washed the underside of the deck a few times... seems to throw out a lot of water when operated at rated PTO RPM. How well does this procedure work? I dunno, since I've never inspected the underside of the deck after the hose "cleaning"

 

[dannyk]

Thanks for the QUICK responses, guys.

Brian, there is no knob to control deck height on the 2520, just the knob that controls the rate of implement lowering when the position control is pushed forward.

Yak651, my sliding knob is set at 8.5 to give a cutting height of 4 inches.

 

[dannyk]

Urbandeere, I did put the deck totally on the ground when I drove over it, but I noticed that when the dealer demo'ed it for me, he left a bit of shaft protruding so that the deck could still be moved on the wheels after taking the deck off. I'm thinking that is not a good idea and that I will move the deck with a strap and pallet forks.

 

[urbandeere2520]

Urbandeere, I did put the deck totally on the ground when I drove over it, but I noticed that when the dealer demo'ed it for me, he left a bit of shaft protruding so that the deck could still be moved on the wheels after taking the deck off. I'm thinking that is not a good idea and that I will move the deck with a strap and pallet forks.

Uh, don't get me started!!!

The deck needs to be sitting flat on the ground, wheel pins released, when installing/removing the deck. Yes, this mean the deck cannot be rolled on the anti-scalp wheels to a storage location with the wheels up. Why the angry face? Because I thought my deck would be delivered with the "stow and go" lift pins, so this would not be an issue. NOT! So now I need to lift (my aching back) each wheel and lower it until all four wheels are carrying all the weight of the deck so I can roll it to a storage location. The other option is to use a chain (strap or pallet forks) to lift the deck with the FEL and move it to a storage location. Unfortunately, I keep the FEL off the tractor when I mowing. Oh, my back!!!

 

[OrangeRidge]

...The deck needs to be sitting flat on the ground, wheel pins released, when installing/removing the deck. Yes, this mean the deck cannot be rolled on the anti-scalp wheels to a storage location with the wheels up....

Why can't you lower the deck ( onto the wheels ) and then
pull it sideways on its wheels . Why do you need to lower it
flat on the deck-pressing and reverse over it with the front
tractor wheels ?

 

[pdp11]

I've been wondering why Deere removed the stow-and-go brackets from the more recent 62D decks. Someone suggested it was a cost cutting move, but I can't imagine that Deere would do that when they hyped it as a feature in all the videos and sales literature.

I think they were afraid of liability from people being injured by using the stow-and-go feature to pick the deck up and work underneath it to change the blades. I can see it being tempting to do exactly that, but also potentially dangerous.

My 2520 and 62D we're bought when they still had the brackets. With my iMatch hitch, picking the deck up and moving it around is a breeze. It's one of the reasons I wanted the setup I have, and it's a shame that more recent buyers don't have this feature.

 

[urbandeere2520]

Why can't you lower the deck ( onto the wheels ) and then pull it sideways on its wheels . Why do you need to lower it
flat on the deck-pressing and reverse over it with the front
tractor wheels ?

Hmmf, not sure I totally understand your note, but let me try.

What you're saying is why not pull (er push) the mower deck out from under the tractor from the side, instead of driving over it for removal/installation. If the deck is not driven over for installation and removal, then the anti-scalp wheel pins do not need to be released.

We'll I'll need to try this, but I think the 62D deck on the 2520 is physically too large to be pulled out sideways from under the tractor. Also, the rear anti-scalp wheels are fixed (as opposed to castered) and which will require more effort.

 

[urbandeere2520]

I've been wondering why Deere removed the stow-and-go brackets from the more recent 62D decks. Someone suggested it was a cost cutting move, but I can't imagine that Deere would do that when they hyped it as a feature in all the videos and sales literature.

Yep, I was fooled on this one.....all the sales literature and videos showed the Stow and Go feature on the 62D MMM deck.

I'm still steaming too! Since I spoke with my JD sales guy BEFORE purchasing the tractor about the Stow and Go feature which was the PRIME reason I also purchased the iMatch Quickhitch.... ! The salesman either didn't put two and two together or failed to inform me that the Stow and Go feature on the 62D deck was no longer available.

You should have seen my face when the tractor arrived without the Stow and Go brackets... :mur:

 

[Hammsman]

For the spray/wash attachment to work properly it is important that the deck is lowered all the way to level ground with the wheels released from any setting. Does a great job if used regularly, othwise the grass will dry hard as a rock and stick making it impossible for the water spray to easily remove. I use it after every mowing which results in absolutley no grass under the deck. Takes me 5 to 10 min to complete and well worth it.

 

[smalltown]

Hammsman I beleive you, but wonder why the deck needs to be all the way down to use the spray/wash?

It is surprising that there is no mention os the spray/wash in the owners manual.

 

[dannyk]

Thanks, Hammsman. Any other tips? Do you just connect a garden hose to the port and then turn on the faucet while the mower is running at PTO speed?

 

[Henri88]

Agree with Hammsman, the deck has to be lowerded to the ground, turn water to max and run at PTO speed. :thumbsup:

 

[urbandeere2520]

Agree with Hammsman, the deck has to be lowered to the ground, turn water to max and run at PTO speed. :thumbsup:

Thanks - didn't know about the need to lower the deck to the ground and the speed - PTO... will give it a try!

I still need to figure a way to haul the deck around with my 3 point, since I have no Stow and Go brackets....

BTW - I get a great cut with this deck on my 10,000 square foot lawn after I adjusted the blade height per the manual. From the dealer, the mower was not correctly height adjusted. Bought one of those blade height gizmo's er gauges and the cut is now precise, left to right, fore to aft. Also have the mulching kit installed which works like a charm. I have an acre and a half of field grass that I also mow with this deck, but in the full up position.

 

[jcmseven]

I have the same deck on my 2320. Even with the 2320, one has to buy the optional lift kit to use the console dial for cutting height adjustment. I decided to use the rockshaft lift mechanism that is used on the 2520 and 2720 and save the money. It took a good while for me to get the deck set such that it cut well. Now I run my gauge wheels pretty low such that they contact the ground if it is irregular but still do not bear the weight of the mower (since they are lightweight plastic they will not hold up to that). I run them a notch lower than stated in the manual one should. I also leveled my three point and placed an additional jam nut on the left to prevent it going out of true. Though it should not affect the cutting deck, it does if this is not aligned. I set my rockshaft stop such that I cut my folks' grass at about 3.5 inches, which leaves a really good cut on their lawn now. My only problem is that the tractor is so heavy (loaded tires and weights) that it tends to indent the ground so I choose different patterns each time. I have found the water nozzle feature VERY helpful so far, but I do not like to mow wet grass so I use it about every third time. My mower must have been an earlier production one as it has the lift latches for positioning. I know I am going to get some disagreement on this, but I have been happy with my 2320 mowing and I cannot see mowing a finish lawn with anything larger than one of the 2000 (2305, 2320, 2520, 2720) series tractors and not risk substantial ground compaction. I loved my 3720 but when mowing it compressed the ground like, well, a car--which was essentially what it was in regard to weight. Overall I have been happy with my 62d mower deck, but I do not feel it cuts as well as a high end Frontier, Woods or Befco RFM. I would have done that route had my folks' place (where I mow primarily) not had so many tight areas where that swinging deck would have tagged trees, buildings, etc.

John M

 

[OrangeRidge]

..We'll I'll need to try this, but I think the 62D deck on the 2520 is physically too large to be pulled out sideways from under the tractor. Also, the rear anti-scalp wheels are fixed (as opposed to castered) and which will require more effort.

You've got me at a disadvantage there . I'm not familiar with the deck
layout ( front to back measurement , attaching points ) but I'd be interested to know if
you could save yourself trouble , if it worked out .

 

[urbandeere2520]

You've got me at a disadvantage there . I'm not familiar with the deck layout ( front to back measurement , attaching points ) but I'd be interested to know if you could save yourself trouble , if it worked out .

I haven't had time to check out the 62D deck slide out removal procedure on my 2520... but I'll post when I have the opportunity.... It would be great if I can physically slide the mower deck out from under the tractor without having to drive over it...

 

[urbandeere2520]

Hmmf, not sure I totally understand your note, but let me try.

What you're saying is why not pull (er push) the mower deck out from under the tractor from the side, instead of driving over it for removal/installation. If the deck is not driven over for installation and removal, then the anti-scalp wheel pins do not need to be released.

We'll I'll need to try this, but I think the 62D deck on the 2520 is physically too large to be pulled out sideways from under the tractor. Also, the rear anti-scalp wheels are fixed (as opposed to castered) and which will require more effort.

Well, today I finally had the opportunity to remove the 62D deck from my 2520, and I tried pulling it out sideways on its wheels... but it will not clear the front and rear wheels.

So the only way to remove the 62D deck from a 2520 is to drive over the deck. Again, this means lowering the deck to the ground... and yes, oh my aching back, lifting the deck afterward so I can extend the wheels to move the deck to its storage location.. I sure miss the Stow and Go feature..