Had it 2 months considering trading

Bird · Aug 16, 2003

Rat, you might try Jacks Small Engines for a picture of the Gator blades. They're just aftermarket mower blades and they cut notches in the back side of them. Apparently for some folks they work better than OEM blades; i.e, lift the grass better.

thcri · Aug 16, 2003

Rat,

Go to www.gatorblade.com and you will find the blade there. It is funny you buy the blade from New Holland for $14.95 each but from Gator they are over $21.00. Makes me wonder if they are the same blade or not.

On another note I talked to my salesman not the parts lady and he told me not to buy the Gator Blade as I would not be happy with them. He told me more than likely my deck is not level anymore and is sending his mechanic out to my house this week to take it off and put it back on. I guess after a year that's pretty good service. So I won't be buying the Gator or the Hi-lift blade at this time.

Richard, I have checked the blades for being on backwards and even purchased new blades. They are not on backwards. My mower does actually cut fine it is just behind the front wheels where the wheels knock down the grass and the mower does not lift it back up to cut.

murph

cdcole · Aug 16, 2003

Couple of comments on the 914A.

1) I have adjusted per the manual and advice from this forum.
2) I can mount and dismount the unit in under 10 min.. Just use car ramps under front tires to easily pull it out once the pins are pulled.
3) I don't usually have the clogging problem you have.
4) I keep blades sharp and balanced.
5) Have trouble removing the blade from the shoot side spindle - not sure why. Gotta use impact wrench.
6) In general I think the deck does a decent job.
7) Here are my complaints:
8) Deck too shallow - that's why my old JD272 rear grooming mower was superior. It had a deep channel for the grass to stand up then get cut. Also less clogging.
9) The 914A is noisy due to four pins, two springs and a bunch of rubbing surfaces. The grooming mower was much quieter.
10) Running from the rear PTO it was much smoother - gotta believe me on this one. Due to lower rpm I think.
11) When you run the grooming mower on the ground - the big tires ride much more smoothly than the little wheels/tires on the 914A.
12) You could cut a lot closer to the ground with the grooming mower.
13) In summary - a rear John Deere 272 Grooming Mower was better at cutting grass. Not just a little better. A lot better. Categorically it was superior. In every respect. Seriously. If you have not tried one I could understand where you would not believe me.
14) Let me give you a few more reasons why it was better. To clean the deck - just raise the 3 pt for complete underside exposure. To remove the blades - you could doit it easily while the 3 pt held it stable for you. Everything was tight - no noise or rubbing - easier to grease.
15) Of course - one big disadvantage is that it follows the tractor. So it is easier to trim with the 914A.
16) The grooming mower left nice stripes too! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
17) No kidding gents. The rear mower for large areas is that much better. It really is no contest. I have the Boomer with the 914A - more than $18K invested. Must say, however, the JD rear grooming mower was absolutely a superior grass cutting implement. I will buy another when I can find a good deal.

On a side note...Today - the center spindle started making noise. Actually noticed it last week. I pulled it and will be replacing it. This is really no issue - same happened with my JD. Seems if you grease all three equally that they would all last the same amount of time. Not true. However - this does not bother me and is not specific to the 914A. Who has replaced one on the 914A? I have already pulled it apart - seems sloppy - taking to dealer next week.

Regards,

Cliff

yellowsocks93 · Aug 17, 2003

Yeah you are right about the 272 being great. I love mine and can cut the wide open spots real fast compared to the old 60 inch 7 iron. On your 272 did the top link go up and down as you were mowing or do you have it tight so there is no flex? Any other 272 mowing tips welcome! Thanks.

Nick
990 4x4 turf, 272 RFM, 430 loader, 25A flail

thcri · Aug 17, 2003

I have two acres with lots of trees. I would not ever have a rear mower and also with my neck due to a car accident 20 years ago.

Does anyone make a pull behind instead of using the 3 point. I would think that would be easier around trees rather than the 3 point where the mower swings?

the 914A 60" mower I had was much nicer than the 72" as far as mowing. I can't wait for next week when they re-adjust it.

murph

cdcole · Aug 17, 2003

Nick,

My JD 272 had a pivot at the top link connection and man could it ever follow the terrain. That's another thing I forgot to mention. The big, solid split tires were a cinch to replace and were very strong and would not fall into every little mole hole - it was just so much more smooth than my MMM on my Boomer. It was designed to last.

I agree - the extra 12" made a huge difference. But then again - I can go many places with the MMM that the rear mower can not go.

cdcole · Aug 17, 2003

Murph,

I ran the 72" MMM on the 33D - to me it seemed too much for a MMM, however, others seem to really like it. I have the 60" MMM but I preferred my rear mount JD 272. I can not describe the difference in audible noise levels between the 540rpm driven JD 272 and the 914A. A lot of clanking going on with the MMM (metal to metal contact at pin points - and yes I do lube them). I set the MMM such that the wheels just barely touch the ground. If you put it all the way down it sounds like a Murray mower (vibrating and bouncing in and out of every little bump - HAHAHA)- where as the JD 272 and perhaps other rear mowers as well - are as quiet as can be. The belt was bigger in cross section too - and it had a more robust tensioning spring. Like I said before - it was just plain better. If someone has a large open area - with little obstacles - go with the rear mount JD272. I guarantee you will be much happier. Easy to take off and on too! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Again - I must say that the MMM turns the Boomer into a big lawn mower - allowing you to mow without looking back. But if you are good - you will seldom look back with a rear mower. But it just can not ever achieve the big MMM lawnmower type of feel. It will, however, easily achieve the big grounds maintenance tractor type of feel.

jrlichina · Aug 18, 2003

I had used the gator blades on my old Simplicity Sovern and they worked very well and I didn't have any problems with durability. I'd give them a try.

jwstewar · Aug 19, 2003

I've tried a couple of different things. First I was I lowered the wheels 1/2" in the front and an inch in the rear. Was cutting uneven. So then raised the back wheels 1/2" to put the deck back level. Was still bogging and blowing a mess (had been 8 days since I've mowed and with the rain it was getting out of hand again). Then what I was doing was only cutting w/ about 80 - 85% of the deck. Left a little more overlap than normal and things were going pretty well and I was even able to pretty much mow full speed in low range. I was able to mow until about 9 last night (had to go get the pizza for dinner) but by that time the dew was pretty heavy and I was still cutting. Where the grass wasn't as tall that I had recut on Wednesday I was still using the full deck width. That is probably the approach I'll take until I can get the grass truly under control again which may be hard w/ starting the pole barn. Just hate not being able to use the whole deck.

djradz · Aug 19, 2003

Although this would be somewhat of a radical fix, I wonder if some of the baffling should be removed if you're always going to be letting the grass get as long as you do. With my Woods RFM, there is very little baffling - actually only a little bit behind the center blade and the far left blade. All the debris if pushed to the right side but that blade has no baffle, however, there is a side cover, so the mower essentially acts as a rear discharge. Woods used to sell a "mulching" kit for the deck which included all the baffles, but I think that would just cause problems like you're encountering. FYI, my 46" Craftsman deck does the same as you've noted when the grass gets too long or we mow too fast.