ddog said:
Thanks for the reply and pics! Wow, the deck looks spotless! What I'm really curious about is how the deck looks mounted to the tractor. How does the 3 pt lift it? How do the loader and deck use the same bolt holes on the tractor? Do you know if R4's make a difference as far as where the mounting brackets are located on the deck? There must be some type of serial number or something that identifies what 914a goes with what tractor depending on loader and possibly tire situation.
How do you lke the TC24DA compaired to the TC21? I like my 21D but sometimes I wish I had more HP without having a larger tractor. I cut about 8 acres with 3pt mower, alot of it is hillside and when the grass gets high the 21D bogs down a bit. I find high range useless for anything but flat land if the loader and box blade are on. I've had the tractor for 10 yrs now and have never really been happy with how the 3 pt rear discharge deck cuts and it leaves heavy clumpy lines of clippings. I'm thinking a mid mount will cut nicer, spread clippings out better and tractor will handle better on my hillsides.
The 914a I found is on ebay
914A NEW HOLLAND 60" MID-MOUNT ROTARY MOWER DECK - eBay (item 350049766581 end time May-16-08 18:07:16 PDT)
Thanks again for your help!
Your welcome and sorry for the late reply. The deck only has 3 seasons of mowing 2.5 acres, so it's still fairly new.
I'll attach a few pics of the deck and it's mounts on my 24DA. If you need a closer shot of any part or any other questions, just ask. With the exception of the 12LA FEL assembly and the 2 holes in the rear lift bracket, it looks and mounts identical to my old 21D. I assume you have a mid pto, since it's a 21D? You'll also need the mounting brackets to put the MMM on. Did that deck from ebay include them? Repeating what the Inspector said...locate your serial # and compare it before you proceed with that deck.
The manual states that if using a 54" deck with R4, you have to pay attention to the front casters when raising the deck. If they're swung forward, they might contact the R4's. Shouldn't be a problem with the 60" since the casters are located 6"(?) further out.
TC21D versus TC24DA...IMO...with the exception of the front clip, ie-hood, cowl, dash, headlights...it's the same tractor. Everyday normal usage feels the same as the 21D. I do notice one improvement though. One area I mow is a 25degree slope. With the 21D, depending on how tall the grass was, it would labor slightly when climbing this grade and mowing. With the 24DA, it tools right up effortlessly. Not a bit of strain. It's probably worth mentioning too that the tire size increased 2" in height compared to the 21D. I don't know if the final gear ratio was changed to accommodate the increase or the increased HP made the difference. But whatever it was made a noticeable improvement. Sounds like you might benefit as well since you have alot of hills.
Ditto on the high range...it's more of a road gear if anything IMO. However, I do find it useful in reverse at times.
As for the windrows of grass clippings...it's the nature of the beast. If I let the grass get too tall, I get the same results as you. The MMM doesn't eliminate THAT problem. It took me awhile to get a handle on it, but here's what I learned from TBN as well as my own experience. First and foremost...keep up with the grass if you want to use a
finish mower. Following the "never cut more than 1/3" makes all the difference. I know it's not always possible, but for the times I can't stay ahead, I just cut it a second time for the 'clean look'
Next would be the deck adjustments. Be sure it's level side to side, and then set the rear about 1/2-3/4" higher than the front. note: this is what I do for a rear discharge. If you want the side discharge, I doubt you need to set the rear higher? The NH MMM uses a cushion lift system that is intended to carry part of the weight of the deck. It is not designed to operate with all the deck's weight on the deck's wheels. Once you get that cushion system set right, a little fine tuning will raise the rear of the deck higher. It sounds more complicated than it is.
Last but not least...I prefer Gator blades instead of NH's high lift blades. Some folks here swear by them, others swear AT them
To prove my point, I'll attach a pic of part of my lawn. That alone should be proof enough!
Hope this helps..
