Thanks all! I did the following:
Adjusted my top arm of 3 pt so that the rear of my cutter was about 3-4 inches higher than the front. Now when I raise the cutter with the 3 pt so the front is 2-3 inches off the ground, the rear is 5-6 inches. I then lowered the tail wheel so that when the cutter is in this position, the tail wheel is in solid contact with the ground.
Making these adjustments also resulted in the cutter being raised much higher when the 3 pt was lifted and the back was even higher that the front in the raised position.
I realize I was set to cut way too low - scalping as someone else suggested. I think I have things adjusted much better now and will try to make it back out one afternoon this week to give it another go. Hopefully, I didn't do too much damage to the cutter by running it this way. Live and learn, I guess.
A friend from work came by this afternoon to listen to the cutter. He said that it sounds perfectly normal. Like I said before - I've never been around one and guess I was being a little too paranoid.
I do remember once yesterday that the cutter was really vibrating - even more that 'usual'. I discovered that one blade had gotten wedged under the other and the whole mower was off balance. I was able to separate the blades and my friend told me that spraying the blades with WD-40 might help keep them from becoming wedged again.
Anyway, thanks again for all your help. More will be needed later I'm sure...
Adjusted my top arm of 3 pt so that the rear of my cutter was about 3-4 inches higher than the front. Now when I raise the cutter with the 3 pt so the front is 2-3 inches off the ground, the rear is 5-6 inches. I then lowered the tail wheel so that when the cutter is in this position, the tail wheel is in solid contact with the ground.
Making these adjustments also resulted in the cutter being raised much higher when the 3 pt was lifted and the back was even higher that the front in the raised position.
I realize I was set to cut way too low - scalping as someone else suggested. I think I have things adjusted much better now and will try to make it back out one afternoon this week to give it another go. Hopefully, I didn't do too much damage to the cutter by running it this way. Live and learn, I guess.
A friend from work came by this afternoon to listen to the cutter. He said that it sounds perfectly normal. Like I said before - I've never been around one and guess I was being a little too paranoid.
I do remember once yesterday that the cutter was really vibrating - even more that 'usual'. I discovered that one blade had gotten wedged under the other and the whole mower was off balance. I was able to separate the blades and my friend told me that spraying the blades with WD-40 might help keep them from becoming wedged again.
Anyway, thanks again for all your help. More will be needed later I'm sure...
