deck not cutting properly after sharpening blades

[meb9796]

Sorry, been using my iphone to respond to this thread. It was supposed to read that the 'front' is 1" higher than the rear. I have no way of measuring the blades when they are 2" off the ground, so I'm using the outside of the deck as a reference (i.e. not looking for 2" but comparing the height. When it's off the mower and on the ground, the deck is level, so figured this would give me a ruff indication if the deck was off or not.

For the idler pulley, I verified again this morning that the pulley pivots on the arm and turns easily. I should mention that while the deck is used, it is in very good condition.

I attempted to lower the front of the deck last night by adjusting the bolts on the front hanger (it's on correctly, verified with the manual this morning), but it didn't seem to lower it at all. I started looking at the arm that lowers the deck and watched it lift and drop several times. When the deck drops to a certain point, it looks level, but then it goes an extra 2" and the rear of the deck drops? I'm going to try and stop by a jd dealer and watch how their decks raise and lower.

I got to thinking when this all started... We bought the mower March of this year and used it all summer with no problem. I have a 7 bushel bagger (2 bags) that came with the mower, but never put on until last month. While I didn't watch my wife mow every time, I think that is around when the trouble started. I have no manual for the bagger, but in the mower manual, it says that the wheels must be on the ground when the bagger is attached. Obviously we've never done this because we don't have a manual, so could the bagger have thrown the deck out of wack with all the extra weight on there? I can't believe that you'd have the wheels all the way down when you had the bagger on, seems like that would ruin the yard?

I called the dealer to see how much it would cost to have them level the deck and they charge 70/hour, but want 80$ to pick up the mower and bring it back...uuggghhh and I'm heading out of town again in a few hours and won't get back to the mower until later this weekend.

I know this is going to end up being something stupid that I'm overlooking. Thanks again for all the comments and help.

also, that link to the 48c doesn't match mine at all.

 

[meb9796]

:ashamed: :shocked: :confused3: :mur: :mur: :mur:

I'm sooooo mad right now...let's just say it's fixed...told you it was something stupid......THE BELT WAS ON WRONG!!! I can't believe I've looked at that thing 100 times in the past month and swore it was on correctly. I finally ordered a manual and just stood there when I realized what it was looking at the manual and the deck....thank god I didn't take it into the dealer....holy crap, I can't believe this.

that is one of the first things everyone suggested, including the dealer, when I talked to him. I finally remembered the belt came off about a month ago when my wife was mowing, and I put it back on without taking the deck off the mower (brilliant I know) so every time I took the belt off I looked at the deck beforehand and sure enough I put it on the same way (i.e. wrong).

Don't worry, everyone at the bar will give me a hard enough time when I tell them this evening. But that's nothing, now I have to come up with a way to make the wife believe this was her fault :thumbsup:

 

[BKBrown]

Sorry, I didn't read the whole thread, but it sounds like this problem started when you sharpened the blades. If that is the case, is it possible that (like me) you have mounted one or more of the blades upside down. Now I see that you had a belt on wrong - that would have made one or more of the blades turn in the wrong direction and cause the same type of poor cut as having the blade mounted upsode down. Don't feel too bad, everyone can make a mistake !

 

[tmajor]

Here is the best picture of a 48C, that I could find. It shows the belt routing and idler pulley and pivot. I don't know, if they are all shaft driven or both shaft or belt, however the basics should be the same.

Also, when lowering the deck, the guide wheels will be a factor, in how far it can drop

 

[tmajor]

That's how you learn. You'll never make that mistake again! ... 'till you get older. :laughing:

 

[meb9796]

forgot to mention that I also have to go over to my neighbor and explain why I was driving circles (well cut circles I might add) in my yard in the middle of a heavy rain storm (I couldn't wait to see if was fixed)...:laughing::ashamed:

 

[beenthere]

Now that you have that problem fixed (glad to hear it), time to get the deck adjusted while it is on the tractor hanging with the deck wheels raised and the height level set at something like 2 1/2 inches. Cannot set them up right while off the tractor.

Get a block of wood that is 2 1/2 inches and use that to check the blade heights from a level surface. If you don't have a manual that shows the procedure (air up tires to the right pressure first ), then come on back and the procedure can be outlined here.

And yes, the bagger chute is heavy and will require the wheels on the deck to ride on the ground.

Enjoy the learning you are getting about your new mower. When it is set up right, it will leave a beautiful lawn and a happy Mrs.

 

[EE_Bota]

What beenthere is saying works too, but ultimately, when I adjusted my JD, I wound up tossing down some blocks of wood for the mowers tires to sit on so the deck and mower would be high enough for me to measure the mower blade tip heights. It just seemed easiest since I had the short sections of planking stacked nearby anyway.

 

[jinman]

I'm sooooo mad right now...let's just say it's fixed...told you it was something stupid......THE BELT WAS ON WRONG!!!

I salute you for finding the problem and being man enough to 'fess up here. :drink:

 

[John_in_TN]

Glad you got it all sorted out!