Lifting zero turn mower to remove blades?

[jyoutz]

How do you all do this? I’m not planning to buy a mower lift for a couple hundred dollars. Chain trolley from barn rafter? Tractor loader bucket? I’m looking for ideas instead of dropping the deck.

 

[NCL4701]

I set the mower deck to max height. Put a 2.25 ton floor jack under the front axle and raise it to full height. That gives me enough room to get a Milwaukee M18 high torque impact under it to pop the blades off. Used an air impact before the Milwaukee. I put one arm under the deck; no other body parts. Worst case, if the jack fails and it falls, with the deck all the way up it still clears my arm.

That jack has yet to fail, but I’ve had a hydraulic jack catastrophically fail while I was under a truck (appropriate blocking saved me from being crushed), so I’m not getting any body parts in a crush/pinch area, and have no reason to for that operation.

 

[jyoutz]

I set the mower deck to max height. Put a 2.25 ton floor jack under the front axle and raise it to full height. That gives me enough room to get a Milwaukee M18 high torque impact under it to pop the blades off. Used an air impact before the Milwaukee. I put one arm under the deck; no other body parts. Worst case, if the jack fails and it falls, with the deck all the way up it still clears my arm.

That jack has yet to fail, but I’ve had a hydraulic jack catastrophically fail while I was under a truck (appropriate blocking saved me from being crushed), so I’m not getting any body parts in a crush/pinch area, and have no reason to for that operation.

Thanks. I’ll give that a try. I assume that you also block the rear wheels?

 

[NCL4701]

Thanks. I’ll give that a try. I assume that you also block the rear wheels?

Yes. And set the brake, which locks both back wheels.

 

[GSD-Keegan]

I drive the front zero turn wheels into the bucket. Carefully lift, and curl the bucket back a bit to keep the wheels in a pocket. Then use jack stands under bucket and set brakes on both machines.

 

[The Evil Twin]

I set the mower deck to max height. Put a 2.25 ton floor jack under the front axle and raise it to full height. That gives me enough room to get a Milwaukee M18 high torque impact under it to pop the blades off. Used an air impact before the Milwaukee. I put one arm under the deck; no other body parts. Worst case, if the jack fails and it falls, with the deck all the way up it still clears my arm.

That jack has yet to fail, but I’ve had a hydraulic jack catastrophically fail while I was under a truck (appropriate blocking saved me from being crushed), so I’m not getting any body parts in a crush/pinch area, and have no reason to for that operation.

That is exactly what I do. Right down to the tools used!

 

[mikester]

 

[lmpres]

I use 2 3k pound straps and lift with my bucket...

 

[imnukensc]

Not exactly the same as a ZT, but I use a set of car ramps for my BX2380.

 

[MOOTS]

I’m a bit spoiled at work.

 

[MOOTS]

View attachment 133935

Good in theory, sucks in the real world.

 

[The Evil Twin]

View attachment 133938
View attachment 133939
I’m a bit spoiled at work.

Show off

 

[MOOTS]

Show off

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten my roots.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten my roots.
View attachment 133940

Nice to see you can still slum with the rest of us

 

[Daren Todd]

Seriously though. Lots of folks showing off.

This is what I purchased from Harbour Freight for my zero turn. I strap the carriage to prevent it from rolling off.

You drive the front tires onto the ramp. I strap with a ratchet strap for extra safety.

 

[fried1765]

How do you all do this? I’m not planning to buy a mower lift for a couple hundred dollars. Chain trolley from barn rafter? Tractor loader bucket? I’m looking for ideas instead of dropping the deck.

I put a web tie down strap around the front of the ZT mower, and lift with my loader bucket hook, until the tail end of the machine touches the ground.
I then put a jack stand under the front edge of the mower, and lower the mower until it rests on a jack stand.
Easy to then reach under to scrape the mower housing clean, and/or replace the blades.

 

[Outnumbered]

Add jack stands before crawling underneath and its a breeze!

 

[jyoutz]

Seriously though. Lots of folks showing off.

This is what I purchased from Harbour Freight for my zero turn. I strap the carriage to prevent it from rolling off.

You drive the front tires onto the ramp. I strap with a ratchet strap for extra safety.
View attachment 133945

I was looking at those and they are probably the best solution, but I was trying to avoid adding more junk to store in my shop.

 

[Daren Todd]

I was looking at those and they are probably the best solution, but I was trying to avoid adding more junk to store in my shop.

I got it shortly after getting the zero turn and before I owned a tractor with a loader.

My son has been using my zero turn for the past few years. When I dropped it off at his house, I dropped the lift off with it.

Of course when I repo my zero turn, I'll be repoing the lift as well

 

[FTG-05]

View attachment 133958
Add jack stands before crawling underneath and its a breeze!

That, or I use my 12k lb Atlas 2 post lift. Just did it yesterday after breaking yet again another blade.