Shaft drive deck, what happens when you ...
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CCinCT
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Although your deck receives power via a shaft, I believe the blades themselves are motivated by a belt (or belts). So if the blades meet an immovable object, they will deform, shear any shear pins they're equipped with, or cause the blade belt(s) to slip... or any combination of those things.
Unless you're having a difficult time avoiding rocks and roots, I would say wait until you actually need to replace one, then buy two.
Unless you're having a difficult time avoiding rocks and roots, I would say wait until you actually need to replace one, then buy two.
I'm sure there's one or more shear pins in there somewhere. I don't imagine you are that much more vulnerable than you would be with a belt drive though. A drive belt won't magically protect you from damage just because it can slip a little.
I have a new 2544. This week I hit a stone on the edge of my lot. I think it had been rolled into my grass by the neighbor's bean planter. I haven't had a chance to survey the damage in detail but I know things are so banged up that I can't mow. One of the blades is so bent that it hits the deck housing! It is possible that one or more spindles are ruined as well. In the 15 years I mowed with the 782, I never had a similar accident. Isn't that just life.
I have a new 2544. This week I hit a stone on the edge of my lot. I think it had been rolled into my grass by the neighbor's bean planter. I haven't had a chance to survey the damage in detail but I know things are so banged up that I can't mow. One of the blades is so bent that it hits the deck housing! It is possible that one or more spindles are ruined as well. In the 15 years I mowed with the 782, I never had a similar accident. Isn't that just life.
bermuda_ken
Silver Member
Since a belt actually drives the blades, this acts as the "shear bolt" for the mower drive system. Belts slip, gearboxes do not.
Their is not a "shear pin" in the 3000 series mower drive system. The 5/16 x 1 3/4 inch bolt that connects the driveshaft to the mower gear box is NOT a shear pin!!
Their is not a "shear pin" in the 3000 series mower drive system. The 5/16 x 1 3/4 inch bolt that connects the driveshaft to the mower gear box is NOT a shear pin!!
The safest thing to do is what a farmer friend does. He marks the location of objects with a can of spray paint(The kind used by utilities to mark phone lines, etc. Sold by Lowes-Home Depot) so they become visibile. Finding a stump with a lawn mower can and will be costly. Belts will slip, sure but expect major damage to mower gear box, spindles, mower drive shaft and mower deck. The farmer says paint is cheaper than english lessons. Paint lasts for the better part of summer.
Mickey_Fx
Veteran Member
In addition to the belt drive for the blades that others have mentioned, the pto itself is via a belt drive.
Been a while but seem to remember that the blades are held in place only through friction clamping, no pins, star or other items that lock the blade to the spindle.
Been a while but seem to remember that the blades are held in place only through friction clamping, no pins, star or other items that lock the blade to the spindle.
JohnSinVA
Silver Member
My particular shaft driven deck isn't a CC, but I've found several unfrendly objects with it. One incident that sticks out is where I hit a fairly large chunk of sandstone, which was broken into chunks by the impact. One chunk lodged between a blade and the side of the deck which froze everything and caused the engine to stall. Perhaps the belts driving the spindles slipped some, but certainly not enough to act as any kind of safeguard.
In my case, I avoided damage to the hydro since I had a pressure relief valve installed for using a FEL. Had I not had that valve installed I would imagine it would have caused some issues.
In my case, I avoided damage to the hydro since I had a pressure relief valve installed for using a FEL. Had I not had that valve installed I would imagine it would have caused some issues.
I was reading this thread a while back and found my personal answer to this question this afternoon. I was mowing in a different pattern from normal and the pear tree stump I can usually ease over caught the blades. Scratch one deck belt! Looks like it'll be a bit of a pain to replace, but then again maybe not too bad. Another lesson about what happens when I get in too much of a hurry and don't pay enough attention!
SPYDERLK
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John, as far as I can tell the pto is a straight gear drive at a correct ratio to give the desired pto speed at rated engine rpm. The clutch for it is hydraulicly engaged but the shaft has a direct gear drive. If it werent this way the pto shaft speed would change with load even if the engine maintained rpm. In all circumstances you would be wasting a lot of power thru the inefficient hydro conversion from mechanical to fluid back to mechanical. This inefficiency is inherent in the hyro drive to the wheels and is justified in some situations for the convenience it offers. For pto use it would only cause penalty.
Larry
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