3PT mower wheels float, why?

[gcmiller]

I have a Caroni TC910 3PT finish mower. It’s been a great mower, but I’ve always been curious about the design of the wheels. They are connected to vertical shafts that hang on the mower deck and they float freely (see pic). There is never any weight on the wheels unless the hitch is all the way down or if the implement is removed. But they do make contact with the ground, rolling along and providing zero support – until they hit a bump.

There is no tightening mechanism on the shafts to set the wheel height. There is a zerk fitting to grease the shaft so it can spin freely with the wheel and so it can slide up and down.

What am I missing? The pics of other finish mowers I see on here all look like they have fixed wheels. I’m thinking either there’s a simple explanation I’m not seeing or my set up is wrong and I need make a change. TIA.

 

[Redlands]

No picture that i can see

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yes you're going to need to upload a picture for us to be able to tell you anything.

 

[gcmiller]

Sorry about that guys. Here are the pics.

Gary

 

[geoff]

The wheel height is set by pulling the pin on the upright support shaft and adding or removing the remail spacers that slide on the shaft below the deck mount with the zero on it, you will need to lift the implement on the 3 point enough to slide out the wheel and shaft to get to the spacers.

 

[bxray]

You adjust the hight by how many of the bushings are on the bottom of the shaft.
Instead of a pin in a hole.
I beleve ther should be a washer at least on top.

You can then add some bishings to the top if you want.

 

[gcmiller]

That makes perfect sense. The mower and the tractor are both second hand, so I was not aware of any spacers and the previous owner did not leave any behind. I guess I have something new to buy or make on my own.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[tlefire]

Set your height with the wheels and then let your 3 point all the way down and the mower will follow the contour of the land.

 

[Missouribound]

My Kubota 3 point finish has 5 or 6 bushings on each wheel. Go shopping for some 1" bushings and get 4 1/2" as well so you can adjust in those increments.
Get as many as you can fit on each shaft so the wheels vertical movement is restricted. You want the wheels to stay tight to the deck or they can't keep the mower cutting evenly.

 

[Utopia Texas]

As someone already posted you are missing spacers. Once they are all there the wheels will not slide up and down in the brackets. "Agri Supply" sells all the Caroni parts online.

 

[gcmiller]

Thanks again everyone. There is an Agri-Supply near my house. I'm pretty certain that is where the mower originally came from. According to their website they have plenty of spacers in stock and I'll be swinging by there in the next couple of days.

 

[Dave_eng]

Suggest you post some side views of the hitch area of your tractor and mower.

Often new owners don't set the mower up properly to allow it to follow the ground as the tractor goes into dips or over humps.

I have had a landpride with the same wheel height adjusting mechanism since the 1980's.

For a number of years, I left it outside and now the height spacers are seized to the vertical wheel shaft. Put some oil around the height spacers from time to time and you will always be able to adjust the height.

Dave M7040

 

[Missouribound]

Often new owners don't set the mower up properly to allow it to follow the ground as the tractor goes into dips or over humps.



Dave M7040

True, and let me add one thing to that issue. I bought a quick hitch for my B2320 and it actually restricts the PTO movement.....thus preventing the mower to ride smoothly over the ground. My cut was not as smooth as it should be. I removed the quick hitch from the equation and now it cuts as smooth as ever.

 

[geoff]

The hinged top link attatchment point on the mower should be about in the middle of its swing when connected to the top link, tractor and mower on a flat surface,to allow for the deck to follow undulations in the ground.

 

[2458n]

Might check the tubes for missing grease zerks. Mine goes into a semi box for winter.

 

[Dave_eng]

Dave M7040

 

[gcmiller]

Some great info here guys. I'll be sure to post pics after I get the spacers - probably this weekend.

 

[gcmiller]

I was finally able to get some pics from different angles with the spacers in. I'm happy with the setup, but some feedback from the pros is always a good thing.

Unlike the diagram Dave provided, my toplink does not swivel all the way forward, so I have it pointing straight up. I believe the pics illustrate what I'm trying to describe.

 

[Dave_eng]

Feedback for you.

Having the top connection up or down makes no difference.

I see another option for you as far as the lower 3 pt connection is concerned.

The plates with the pin for the lower arms could be swapped side to side and thus move things away from the tires. Not necessary but an idea in case you ever want to use the mower on a different machine.

I don't recall any discussion of the pto shaft so out of an excess of caution I want to point out some important issues to you.

Length of the shaft. The shaft has two halves which telescope together. There needs to be a specified amount of overlap, usually 6", to allow the inner and outer halves to transmit the engine torque. Too short an overlap and the shaft can come apart and smash the s...t out of everything near it.

Too long and, when you raise the implement, in your case your mower, the shaft will bottom out and transmit extreme pressure on the rear of your tractor and can break very expensive parts. Right now as shown in your recent photos, your pto is sloped down. As you raise the 3 pt the shaft will have to become shorter. The shortest pto length position is directly in line with the tractor's pto vertically.

You have a Comer pto shaft. A high quality product developed by an Italian company but used world wide.

Most farm tractor dealers either have or can get parts for these shafts.

The pto shaft on your tractor does not have safety chains installed and connected on either half of the shaft cover.

I suggest you watch these 3 youtube videos. The first 2 videos are only seconds long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzNJrytf1g8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LZZONE8lks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxK0e9rA9E


After looking at your photos again I think your pto shaft is too long and you should be avoiding raising the mower until you investigate further.

Dave M7040

 

[gcmiller]

Thanks Dave. That's some great info and a very persuasive video. I actually had one of the safety chains in the tool box, but did not realize what it was for - kinda similar to the clutch block that I eventually figured out. I'll go to the hardware store and make a second chain for the other end of the shaft.

You're right about the PTO shaft being long. I actually need to connect it to the tractor before I back up all the way to the mower when I hook it up. Otherwise, I can not shorten it enough to slip it on. My fertilizer spreader is not like that, I can connect it to the hitch before I connect the PTO shaft.

Surprisingly though, the shaft does not get much shorter as the mower is raised. Here's a pic with the mower raised so that the shaft is straight out and about the same amount of black is visible.