60" Mower deck - how to get to blades?

[Rich_S]

Hi there, I have managed to get by mower deck off my Kubota B2100, but now am confronted by a deck that weights.....well....lots....

Is there a technique to get to the blades and get them off seeing as I can barely lift the deck? Just wondered if I am missing the obvious...as cannot see how I am going to get tip this up one way or another....

thanks for any help on this...feel somewhat underwhelmed by my strength!!

 

[freewheel3]

Hi there, I have managed to get by mower deck off my Kubota B2100, but now am confronted by a deck that weights.....well....lots....

Is there a technique to get to the blades and get them off seeing as I can barely lift the deck? Just wondered if I am missing the obvious...as cannot see how I am going to get tip this up one way or another....

thanks for any help on this...feel somewhat underwhelmed by my strength!!

I prefer to leave my deck on the tractor and then just drive the tractor up a set of ramps If Im only changing blades or something like that. It saves having to wrestle the mower around and also, when its still mounted to the tractor it is held in place for you while torqueing on bolts and such.
But if you have to remove it and find that its too heavy to flip by hand, you need to get a second person to help or its time for mechanical lifting. IE: Chain hoist, engine hoist, front end loader, a buddy with a tow truck, etc.

 

[TripleR]

Pretty much the way freewheel3 does it except I have other tractors with a FEL, put it on its side and use impact wrench to remove then torque wrench to replace.

 

[Rich_S]

Thanks guys, sadly I have taken the deck off now, so need to turn it over. Wifey came up with a good idea; If I wedge one end of the deck and then use the rear 3 point lift on the tractor to get it off the ground (tip it) I might have enough room to remove the blades. Going to try that now and will report back.

 

[Rich_S]

Ok...that worked....just can't get the nut to turn on the first blade. Going to try wd40 followed by getting a piece of tubing to extend the socket wrench. Have to wait until monday for the extension, as nothing handy here to do the job.

 

[armylifer]

Ok...that worked....just can't get the nut to turn on the first blade. Going to try wd40 followed by getting a piece of tubing to extend the socket wrench. Have to wait until monday for the extension, as nothing handy here to do the job.

Wedge a block of wood in between the mower blade and the mower deck. Then take a piece of pipe on the end of the wrench and you will gain a lot of torque, kind of like a cheater bar. If I did not do this I would never get my mower blades off.

BTW, I drive my tractor up a set of ramps with the back wheels and use the FEL to raise the front end up. Then I reach under the deck and use the wrench as i described above.

 

[Rich_S]

I don't have a FEL so cannot lift the front end high enough or safely enough.

I've had to take the top cover off to get to the belt fly wheel. as the blade nut seems to spin the top nut and the belt, even though the blade is stationary (with a piece of wood). I don't have a way of holding both top and bottom simultaneously and getting enough torque on it to unscrew - Is there a way to lock the top fly wheel?

And which way should the nut turn to loosen? Clockwise or anticlockwise???????

 

[andre53]

The mower deck is one heavy item. I have two different ways I have lifted it to get to the blades.

1. I've used a "come along" puller that I attach to a garage rafter or convenient tree limb. Attach to the deck and it stands up easily, and provides great access to the blade and for changing the fluid in the transmission box. This is the easiest.

2. The second way I have done this is to use either a sissors jack (or hydraulic floor jack). You need to lift or lever the front of the mower up on to the lifting platform on the jack. It works but is not as safe as using the come along.

Finally, to get the bolts off the blades, I cheat and use my impact wrench to remove... I do manually re-install and re-torque them.

Good luck.

 

[armylifer]

I don't have a FEL so cannot lift the front end high enough or safely enough.

I've had to take the top cover off to get to the belt fly wheel. as the blade nut seems to spin the top nut and the belt, even though the blade is stationary (with a piece of wood). I don't have a way of holding both top and bottom simultaneously and getting enough torque on it to unscrew - Is there a way to lock the top fly wheel?

And which way should the nut turn to loosen? Clockwise or anticlockwise???????

The bolts on my MMM turn counter-clockwise to come off. I cannot answer your question about how to lock up the fly wheel.

 

[Mike_B]

No front end loader, no problem....
Use a piece of chain & your 3 pt hitch (I know you have that). Hopefully you have chain or a rope & are adequate at knot tying. It may not pick it all the way up. So, you block it & get another bite in the chain; rinse & repeat as needed. Then a piece of wood or whatever to block the blade to break the bolts loose. You will need chain at some point anyway, so if you don't have any now; invest in some.


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[Rich_S]

No front end loader, no problem....
Use a piece of chain & your 3 pt hitch (I know you have that). Hopefully you have chain or a rope & are adequate at knot tying. It may not pick it all the way up. So, you block it & get another bite in the chain; rinse & repeat as needed. Then a piece of wood or whatever to block the blade to break the bolts loose. You will need chain at some point anyway, so if you don't have any now; invest in some.


F Area

yep, we've done that, so have one side of the deck off the ground. What I realise from earlier (2010) posts on here, is that an impact wrench is the way to go. Think that's my next purchase as having no luck loosening the bolts right now. (Should've just got the garage to come pick it all up and do their thing!! )

 

[Mike_B]

1/2" drive breaker bar & the socket is all I used. Then again I weigh over 200#'s & do that kind of bolt breaking at work too. Grab a cheater bar & use leverage to your advantage.



Edited for further thought.
Re-edited for removal of further thought


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