RE: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality

["Pieter Litchfield" <plitch attglobal net>]

I have always thought that a couple of swiveling casters on brackets that
could bolt onto the height adjusting brackets for the roller on the back of
an ET mower deck would be a step up.  You might have to retain the bar as a
roller in the middle or install an "anti-scalp roller" like the front of 
the
mower, but even with fairly new rollers my roller axle brackets dig into 
the
lawn on sharp turns and I am convinced that casters would be kinder.
Northerntool.com has a bunch of different designs.

However, in thinking this out, it is very difficult to come up with a 
caster
and mount that will clear the back edge of the deck and nearby tractor 
parts
and stay within the width of the deck.  Therefore I have never actually
built a set, but I'd welcome any suggestions as to size and location.  The
actual mounts could be made fairly simply.  Perhaps just duplicating the
front mounts at the back would seem sufficient (and allow for vertical
adjustment, but I believe there would be interference problems.


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:owner-elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu]On Behalf Of Humphrey
Timothy H Contr AFRL/IFEC
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 2:14 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: RE: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality


Has anybody tried mounting casters at all four corners?

-----Original Message-----
From: SteveS [mailto:ssawtelle fcc net]
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 2:08 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: Re: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality


I agree on the sharp blades.

On the rollers, I would be careful about using well-worn rollers. When I
first used my mower it would sometimes flip the mower deck up when I was
reversing. This is because a worn roller doesn't hold the roller brackets 
up
off the ground high enough and they catch on the ground. It's real scary to
have the mower flipped up running full tilt! New rollers pretty much fixed
that problem.

- SteveS


----- Original Message -----
From: "Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>
To: "'D Howell'" <dervatl yahoo com>; "Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford 
com>;
<>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 1:06 PM
Subject: RE: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality


> Yes.  Especially at the OUTSIDE EDGES of the blades.
>
> Larry Elie
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: D Howell [mailto:dervatl yahoo com]
> Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 1:03 PM
> To: Elie, Larry (L.D.); elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
> Subject: RE: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality
>
>
> On the front rollers, I checked to make sure they have
> the same number of spacers between them (currently 2)
> and the deck.
>
> I suppose I should move the tapered rollers to the
> outside.  Do you think the dull blade (on the front
> motor) would cause the cut to be unlevel?
>
> Darryl
>
>
>
> --- "Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com> wrote:
> > Did you level the rollers in back and the casters in
> > front?
> >
> > BTW, the 'tapered' rollers, if they exist get the
> > lower diameter toward the outside to prevent
> > getting a 'divot' when turning sharp.
> >
> > Larry Elie
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: D Howell [mailto:dervatl yahoo com]
> > Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 12:36 PM
> > To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
> > Subject: (ET) Mower deck -- cut quality
> >
> >
> > I'm not very pleased with the quality of cut my deck
> > is producing.  I bought my I-5 a couple months ago
> > and
> > have restored the tractor.  (Hopefully pics will be
> > place on the Elec-Trak page soon --- I've sent them
> > in).  The deck, I haven't done anything to yet.
> >
> > I've read the post about bent motor shafts and
> > blades
> > causing bad cuts.  I've checked the blades on all
> > three motors.  There are slight differences (when
> > you
> > rotate them 180 degrees and measure distance to
> > deck)
> > but less than 1/4 inch.  The middle motor gets
> > hotter
> > than the other two.  It's also the one with the
> > least
> > sharp blade.  Maybe that's the cause of the
> > additional
> > heat.  It's also the motor that seems to leave the
> > grass the highest after the cut.  Is it possible
> > that
> > the deck might be warped too?  The rear rollers are
> > wooden.  A couple of them are larger on one end than
> > the other (shaped like a Christmas tree).  I put
> > them
> > in the middle, which would minimize their effect.
> >
> > The cut job is just not level across it.  Any ideas?
> >
> > Darryl Howell
> > Smyrna GA
>
>