Mowing 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2

   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #1  

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Ok, so I've put some new blades on, straightened out the front chain guard and replaced most of the chains. I moved the lift pins to the lower holes (new pins). A little bit of minor hammering and welding here and there. I lubed it all up and mounted it to the tractor. Took it outside to check the mechanicals and everything looks good. This weekend, I'll be removing the PTO shaft and loosening up the clutch, as it instructs in the owners manual for units that have sat for a while.

Now, when I lower the 3 pt hitch, the lift arms have no bottom end limit adjustment so the front of the mower deck just heads straight to the ground while the rear end is held up about 1/2" - 1" by the rear wheel.

Is this right? I looked in the manual and there wasn't much in there about mowing height. Are the front of the skids at the mower edges supposed to just drag on the ground while mowing?

Also, when the blades are spinning the whole tractor shakes a noticeable amount. The blade assembly clearly isn't balanced. Normal? When I was running it, the deck wasn't down to the ground nor cutting anything, just spinning in free air.

Thanks for sharing.
 

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   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #2  
Now, when I lower the 3 pt hitch, the lift arms have no bottom end limit adjustment so the front of the mower deck just heads straight to the ground while the rear end is held up about 1/2" - 1" by the rear wheel.
Is this right? I looked in the manual and there wasn't much in there about mowing height. Is the front edges of the mower supposed to just drag on the ground while mowing?

No, it should be just a hair lower than the rear. Not having position control on your 3HP make this difficult, but can be done.


Also, when the blades are spinning the whole tractor shakes a noticeable amount. The blade assembly clearly isn't balanced. Normal? When I was running it, the deck wasn't down to the ground nor cutting anything, just spinning in free air.

Not normal. The blades should be allowed to swing so they will find their own center-you don't have them locked down do you?
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2
  • Thread Starter
#3  
No, it should be just a hair lower than the rear. Not having position control on your 3HP make this difficult, but can be done.

I hope someone can share how it can be done with the 2305. I do know that the rear of the deck should be 1" higher than the front but the book says nothing about the front of the deck.

Not normal. The blades should be allowed to swing so they will find their own center-you don't have them locked down do you?

No, I don't have the blades locked down. They rotate fairly well on the shoulder bolts. The only exception is that there's that fairing above the blades that keeps brush from getting tangled up on the drive axle. It's bent down a little. The old blades were worn with the fairing/shield but the new one's need a little breaking in. I tried a little hammering, but it wasn't helping much so I figured to just leave it.

Thanks.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #4  
The front height is set by your three point. I'm not familiar with the 2305 but from kenny's post it sounds like you don't have position control. Somehow, there must be a way to "tweak" the height of the tph using your control lever. Also, once you get the height set, make sure your top link has plenty of slack so the rear wheel can follow the ground contours.

Back to the three point, if you don't have position control, maybe you can rig some stop chains with turnbuckles to keep the arms at the desired height. Just a thought...
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Ya, thanks Rob, my top link has just the right amount of slack. I played with it till it worked right. It's actually as short as it will go. Any longer and it binds up when lowering the deck. It was the opposite of what I expected.

As for having to "rig" "stop chains" with "turnbuckles" yadda yadda, well, all I can think to say is "What did I pay $20K for!?!" Nothing personal, and it's just a rhetorical question. I appreciate your thoughts and maybe I will end up having to go to such lengths. If so, I'll give you first credits.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #6  
I have an LX4 on my 2305. Once you have the height of the 3pt. set where you want it to be, you can close the valve under the seat to lock it in place. On mine the weight and/or vibration causes it to slowly sink otherwise.
I don't know anything about a 413, but on my LX4 it was possible for the blades to get "stuck" together sometimes because of the abrupt PTO engagement. When that happened, it had a lot of vibration. Otherwise it was very smooth.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thanks for the solution on the height and the possible reason for the vibration. I'll take a closer look at what's happening with that stumpjumper pan.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #8  
My cousin Vinnie found me an old 403 two years ago that looks a lot like your 413. My 403 was a major POS and had lots of rust and broken metal. Fortunately Vinnie is a master welder and works for beer, really expensive beer that comes in 24oz bottles. Eventually I was able to I-match the thing and I use it some. It is not the smoothest running thing in the world. Had I paid 975 for a new fancy one I would expect better. Without position control it is a major PITA. A hog is still a hog. My regular mower is a 5' RFM that I beat the crap out of. And I have it repaired more often than I would like. It has four independent wheels and it travels fast and furious, until it hits something really solid anyway--has a tendency to nosedive on uneven ground. I really like the RFM, but I paid like 1700 for it too. The old 403 takes no prisoners and has a tendency for the front to dig in also. I missed chapter 1 so I'm not sure what else you have brought to the forum. I am sold on I match---with an adjustable top link. The 2305 as a low profile tractor is best suited for implements that are meant to be low profile. Obviously it is possible to adapt older stuff but the lifting heights and angles aren't always perfect. I have never wanted to wrassle implements on and off the traditional 3 point hitch. I always knew a quick hitch was the ticket for me. Best of luck.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2 #9  
It's hard to know if the vibration you are feeling is normal or not over the internet. I don't get much vibration on my setup, but the tractor is much larger, which could cover up a bit. I do get some vibration at very low pto speeds. That just doesn't work well. I read that the blades are new, so I wouldn't think that balance is incorrect. Does the main shaft wobble at all coming down? That could be a bad bearing. All of this could be normal though. I do get a vibration now and then. While taming my 24 acres that used to be a horse farm, I have had to mow some tall grass. You can't see what you are mowing, and a couple times I have hit the big rubber horse watering bowls. LOL! They won't let go until you stop the blade, and man what a sensation!
Back to your troubles: How is it when you are mowing? They won't be smooth like a finish mower for sure.
The front height issue sounds like a pain. I think I would be tempted to make some adjustable shoes for the front and then just drop it on the shoes when you mow. You will have to replace them every couple years from wear, but that seems like the easiest way to solve your problem.
 
   / 413 rotary mower on back of a 2305, chapter 2
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I think the vibration is ok at this point. I'm not so concerned about it anymore. All of the mechanicals are tight and lubed.

Regarding the support at the front of the mower (and lack thereof), I am thinking about making up some brackets with height adjustment and putting some large heavy duty caster wheels at the front corners of the mower, just to see if it makes any difference. I know they will need to be as large in diameter as possible to be able to get over stumps and rocks. As it is now, I have to constantly raise and lower the deck while mowing and it's hardly efficient.
 
 
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