Anyone drop and unbolt deck to change blades?

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srw101

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I've never removed my entire deck for any reason but I've though about removing my deck (4 bolts) to change blades and check bearings and pulleys on the deck itself. I just wondered how long it takes and if it would make blade changes easier.

Tiger Cub (48")
21 HP Kawasaki
 
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bertsmobile1

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No it does not make blade changing easier.
Put some long 2 x 4 under the deck and slide the deck out on them
The deck is a lot lot heavier than it looks so watch out where your pinkies are.
 
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Darryl G

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I can't imagine taking my deck off and having to level it again just to change the blades. I either pull one front wheel onto my trailer ramp or jack it up with a floor jack. Before I got a floor jack I used to just lift it up by hand and slide a jack stand under it with my foot.
 
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srw101

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I've probably changed them about 5 times and it never gets any easier lol. I usually run the front end up on ramps or jack stands but next time I'm gonna pull the deck off for a good inspection. Thanks for the replies :thumbsup:
 
Boobala

Boobala

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I've got 2 older Murray tractors (2004-2005) I pull off the decks about every 4 months, change blades, belts only if needed, grease the spindles, check the pulleys, bearings and mounting brackets for wear, replace the springs as needed, to remove the deck takes about 5 min. .... to replace, about 10-15 min. because of re-leveling the deck, and re-installing the anti-scalp wheels, a VERY simple procedure. .. :thumbsup:

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John Fitzgerald

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I've done it with stamped decks. It's still a hassle. Fabricated decks are too heavy to mess with. I prefer to jack up the mower, place jack stands, then remove blades and/or clean under the deck.
 
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War Eagle

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I routinely pull the stamped decks off our two Craftsman mowers (50" garden tractor and 42" lawn tractor) to sharpen the blades and scrape off any buildup of clippings before they rust holes through the relatively thin deck. No big deal. But I can't imagine pulling the heavy fabricated deck off of our 48" Liberty Z. It's a hole different beast. Especially since it's so easy to just elevate the front end of the Z to access blades and scrape any clippings that have accumulated underneath.
 
Boobala

Boobala

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YEP ...... BIG difference in stamped vs fabricated ..... and tractor decks vs Z models ......
 
jekjr

jekjr

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srw101 said:
I've never removed my entire deck for any reason but I've though about removing my deck (4 bolts) to change blades and check bearings and pulleys on the deck itself. I just wondered how long it takes and if it would make blade changes easier.

Tiger Cub (48")
21 HP Kawasaki
Click to expand...

Dude get a cordless impact and a small floor jack. You have a 5 minute or less job that you are talking about making an hour or more job out of. We change blades on Tiger Cats some times 2 and 3 times a day when we are running them flat out in Bahia Grass. It is literally a 5 minute job done that way.
 
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bertsmobile1

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jekjr said:
Dude get a cordless impact and a small floor jack. You have a 5 minute or less job that you are talking about making an hour or more job out of. We change blades on Tiger Cats some times 2 and 3 times a day when we are running them flat out in Bahia Grass. It is literally a 5 minute job done that way.
Click to expand...

And because you do it several times a day the bolts never self overtighten.
 
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