Re: (ET) Large Frame Mower Deck

[D Howell <dervatl yahoo com>]

Andrew, I have the exact same problem.  I have two strips of grass between the blades that does not get cut well.  They are cut, but not at the same level as the rest.  The end result is that is two ridges travelling the length of the cut.  My mower is orginal, with the baffles on it.  I'll get the numbers off it tomorrow and post.

 

Darryl Howell

Smyrna GA

Andrew Poush <agp vt edu> wrote:

There was some good discussion of different variables that effect the
cut quality back in May. I wanted to share my experience with an
original equipment as manufactured (OEM) mower deck on my E-15. I did
not know that baffles originally came with the deck and used it for a
year without them. The grass was being passed across the deck from
left to right and mulched as a result. It cut pretty well but I chose
to overlap each cut by half the deck (so the entire lawn gets cut
twice). The overlap was necessary because there were two strips of
grass remaining on the first cut from between the blades. I was doing
all of the cutting in forward and only reversing to maneuver. I saw
postings on this list by people saying their deck cut better in
reverse. I tried it and it made no difference. That was my first
season with the ET.

Skip ahead to this spring when I decided to do some maintenance on the
deck. Sharpened and balanced the blades while electric motor shop
replaced bearings on motors. Put new rollers on front and back. Then
I discovered that baffles were part of the original equipment. Got
Bill Gunn on the phone and, since the deck lacks a nameplate, he helped
me identify it by my answers to several of his questions. He told me
it was one of the earlier decks and the baffle assembly 521479 was
ordered. (Apparently there are several different baffle assemblies for
the old decks.) Once received, it was installed according to the
drawings posted on the ET website. Now I know why everyone is
complaining. When cutting in forward all the time (like last season)
the grass gets cut once and is dropped in big clumps all over the yard.
The only way I can now get a decent cut is to go over it the first
time in forward and then again in reverse. The overall requirement is
still cutting the whole yard twice. But since I was used to cutting it
all in forward, I'm not sure yet if I will continue as it is or revert
back to baffleless operation.

So now to a question:
Does anyone out there use a large frame deck to successfully cut the
lawn in only one cut?

And a survey:
Can all those with large frame mowers tell me: 1) How many cuts does
it take to do your lawn? 2) With or without baffles? 3) What numbers
and/or text appears on the deck nameplate? 4) Is deck OEM? 5) If it
came with the ET, what is ET s/n?

I will compile the results and report them to the list once the replies
quit coming. Please participate. I believe that there is significant
potential for discovery here.

Thanks,
Andy
Roanoke, VA


_______________________________________________
Elec-trak mailing list
Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak