Just bought a 2016 Chopper Classic, need some advice

[heavy_kevie]

I just bought a 2016 Dixie Chopper Classic with 440 hours and need some advice. I tried to mow with the deck at 3" and mowed for about 20 minutes and broke the engine to mower deck belt. Grass was 4" long and fairly dry. Just checked the belt and it was a B87, manual says use B88. Checked the blade height and at the side with the adjustment pin set at 3" and blade measures (on a level floor) 2 1/8". My question is how to adust the mower deck so when it is set to 3" the blade is at 3"? I'm thinking between the too small belt and the deck height adjustment being incorrect it took out the belt.

 

[bertsmobile1]

First go to the Dixie web page & download the owners manual.
Instructions for leveling the deck are written there.

Next, the height numbers are just that, numbers and not a measurement of the height of the blades above the grass
Most mowers start with the number 1
Very few actually can cut much lower than 2" because the blades are set 2" up into the deck .
Next because there is either an attack angle ( i the nose is lower ) or a heel angle, if the back is lower and because the blades are spinning in a single plane , even is you set the deck to exactly 3" only the very l & r edges will be 3".
The rest will be between 2.75" & 3"
The only mowers that cut strait are reel mowers which is why they get used on sports fields & golf courses .

 

[heavy_kevie]

Already downloaded the manual, no deck adjustment instructions.(https://www.dixiechopper.com/wp-con...ty-operation-and-maintenance-manual-rev-a.pdf). I also noticed on the belt along one side of the vee it had what appeared to be small cuts in it. I'm looking a the deck pully but don't see any looseness or damage to the pully.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Did you also download the parts book .
If not then do it now.
adjust the left<>right , front & back via the deck hangers part # 17 on page 13
Adjust the front<>back via the tie rods part # 8 or possibly part # on page 11

Been a long while since I have needed to do a deck on one
One of the tie rods alters the deck height front<>back and the other adjust the overall deck height to the lift pedal

You should be able to measure off the end of the deck, but check first that the distance from blade tip to the end of the deck skirt is the same all round
You will of course need to hold the deck up independent of the hangers while doing this.
FWIW use 3 old scissor jacks

 

[heavy_kevie]

Thanks, going out to see what I can come up with right now.

 

[heavy_kevie]

Okay, the rear deck hangers weren't supporting the deck so I adjusted them ot the back is 1/4" higher than the front, side to side difference is about 1/8". Put the new belt (B88) on and adjusted the spring so it is compressed to 3". Fired it up with the floor pan off and thought the belt was still sloppy, rechecked the engine to deck belt and tension spring, checked the mower drive belt was at the proper tension. I hoped on it today figuring I could listen for belt squeeling and slippage. Mowed for an hour, didn't hear any squeeling didn't notice any slippage. Looks as though that problem is squared away. Noticed I can't start the mower with the parking brake set. Also, if mower is running (in neutral, levers outboard) and parking brake is set it stalls. Isn't that backwards from the way it should operate?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Brake is wired to the lap bars
So you can not drive away with the brake on
So with the lap bars out and brake on the engine should run and you should be able to get out of the seat and the engine should remain running .
Which of course you would do to open an gate or move some thing on the lawn .

 

[heavy_kevie]

Right, it seems to be operating in reverse of the way it is supposed to. It almost as if the switch was replace with an incorrect one. Normally open when it should be normally closed or vice versa.

 

[hlw49]

check the switches on the lap bars to make sure the wires are not broken and switches are being activated when you fold the bars out.

 

[sgkent]

spammer reported