djradz
Veteran Member
Although the chains have been called by a number of different names and satisfy a few different purposes, for now I'll call 'em "check" chains and my feeling is they're essential.
The reason I'm posting this is that I feel strongly enough about this setup, and find so few use it, that I want to encourage ever TBN user to give it a try. This assumes you don't have some other means of supporting the front of your mower or rotary cutter, like front caster wheels.
Although when I first got this old Woods mower, the chains were previously used to stop sway, Woods claimed their use was for "weak hydraulics". I immediately found they served a third purpose of allowing the mower deck to float. Obviously you need a top link toggle like shown, or a substitution of the top link with a chain, as others have posted previoulsy.
With this setup you do not need to continually look back to see at what height you are mowing or if your deck is digging into the ground. The deck follows the ride the large rear tractor tires provide. To me this gives a fairly consistent and level plane for the mower.
The setup for a rotary cutter (brush hog) would be identical. We have done this on a old Woods M5 - Dixie Cutter and King Kutter 5' cutter as well with similar success. Only difference is we eliminated the turnbuckles as we felt the height adjustment is less critical on the rotary cutters. Give it a try. I don't think you'll ever mow or chop without it again.
The reason I'm posting this is that I feel strongly enough about this setup, and find so few use it, that I want to encourage ever TBN user to give it a try. This assumes you don't have some other means of supporting the front of your mower or rotary cutter, like front caster wheels.
Although when I first got this old Woods mower, the chains were previously used to stop sway, Woods claimed their use was for "weak hydraulics". I immediately found they served a third purpose of allowing the mower deck to float. Obviously you need a top link toggle like shown, or a substitution of the top link with a chain, as others have posted previoulsy.
With this setup you do not need to continually look back to see at what height you are mowing or if your deck is digging into the ground. The deck follows the ride the large rear tractor tires provide. To me this gives a fairly consistent and level plane for the mower.
The setup for a rotary cutter (brush hog) would be identical. We have done this on a old Woods M5 - Dixie Cutter and King Kutter 5' cutter as well with similar success. Only difference is we eliminated the turnbuckles as we felt the height adjustment is less critical on the rotary cutters. Give it a try. I don't think you'll ever mow or chop without it again.
