445/LX188 Reverse Speed

[BBO]

Two + years ago I found something on ebay that worked great.
My FIL had put some screws on the reverse pedal so that it would go faster in reverse.
I wanted something that would not poke a hole in my shoe.


The pedal I ordered at that time was ~ $43 including shipping.
It worked great but it was just a flat metal plate on top.
I sent him a suggestion later that a rubber pad would be nice on top.

Now I need one for my LX188 and I see that he has redesigned this one to include the pad.
It was $33 with free shipping, but I see that he has again dropped the price.
I am anxious to see what the new design looks like as I just have ordered another one.
John Deere 425 445 455 "Revised Enhanced" Reverse Pedal with Rubber Pad | eBay

The only thing negative I can say is that the pedal is wider than the groove on the 445.
So to take the deck plate off you have to remove the pedal.
For me this was a super improvement.

 

[Dutch445]

a lot of times the bracket under the deck plate has dropped over time with use,
and the pedals are both lower than they were when the tractor was new.
I had found that you could pry that entire bracket back up under the deck plate,
and it would bring the pedals back up and gain most of that speed back. both
pedals are connected to that bracket, as it really is only 1 shaft with the rocker
for the pedals.
these pads will work without having to pry that bracket back up. I have seen
other ideas, including a long handle on the forward pedal so the operator could
pull up on the forward pedal to gain reverse speed!

 

[BBO]

I have seen other ideas, including a long handle on the forward pedal so the operator could
pull up on the forward pedal to gain reverse speed!

I see another design on E-Bay that is more expensive but it is designed to screw the top pad off.
This would help when removing the floor plate, but that thing looks lake a beast.
Also having more boot room is important.
I like the new design on the one I ordered which offsets the top to the outside, away from the forward pedal.

You can adjust the linkage to get a faster forward speed but this slows down the reverse at the same time. (Opposing, Faster reverse = slower forward)
I suppose it's a safety thing similar to the new reverse deal that turns the blades off when you back up, but I wish JD would design the pedals to go just as fast in reverse as in forward.:smiley_aafz:

I have always wondered if this hurts the transmission in any way, to run so fast in reverse; but I can sure get the yard mowed faster with this pedal.