48 inch Kubota Deck that know one can identify - RC48RTG

[Malwood]

Hi all. Firstly hello I just wanted to say a big thank you to the people on the forum that have posted and helped me so far with servicing and maintenance.

A few years ago I got a TG1860. I know it is an old machine but its low hours and I absolutely love it and wanted to keep it going and show it some love. I cant afford to upgrade it any time soon but i don't really want to either as it is perfect for my needs but the mower deck is getting loud and I wanted to service / replace the spindle bearings / seals but I seem to have a bizarre problem - I have a genuine Kubota deck that know body seems to have ever heard of whatsoever.

Every search I do for my deck which is a RC48RTG simply results in info on the RCK48TG. My deck has no side discharge and has mulching blades and has serial number 64820187. I have spend hours trying to find a parts manual to see if I can even get the parts I need but I believe the RCK48 decks have a different spindle size as the blades I believe have a larger hole so I would assume the spindle assembly would also be different. I really hope someone out there has some information about this deck.

I have take the centre assembly off of the deck (see photo) in the hope that if nothing else someone might be able to confirm certain dimensions of the RCK48TG assembly in case this is compatible.

Fingers crossed.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Maybe contact 'auburn consolidated industries' ? perhaps they actually made the deck ?

 

[RBsingl]

Odd, the RC-48R deck was the 48" rear discharge (thus the R suffix) deck for the GF series (the "baby" F series) front mower and it has a GF final suffix instead of the TG suffix for your deck. Obviously a front mount mower deck is of a very different design and the only thing the RC-48R TG you have that is similar to the RC-48R GF is the orange paint scheme

https://shop.kubotausa.com/oemparts/cl/kub/6091b5cc87a86614f81c5cc7/rc48r-gf-rc48r-gf-parts?lid=6076e0a94f231b5030d5aebf

Rodger

 

[Malwood]

Maybe contact 'auburn consolidated industries' ? perhaps they actually made the deck ?

Hi GreensvilleJay. Many thanks for the reply. I did try and it was just another rabbit hole so to speak. They got acquired by Ariens many years ago and I had no success here either but I appreciated the thought.

 

[Malwood]

Odd, the RC-48R deck was the 48" rear discharge (thus the R suffix) deck for the GF series (the "baby" F series) front mower and it has a GF final suffix instead of the TG suffix for your deck. Obviously a front mount mower deck is of a very different design and the only thing the RC-48R TG you have that is similar to the RC-48R GF is the orange paint scheme

https://shop.kubotausa.com/oemparts/cl/kub/6091b5cc87a86614f81c5cc7/rc48r-gf-rc48r-gf-parts?lid=6076e0a94f231b5030d5aebf

Rodger

 

[Malwood]

Hi RBsingl. Thank you for your reply. Weird right?!

A search ultimately leads to... " It looks like there’s no official Kubota model designated RC48 RTG—that designation doesn’t show up in OEM catalogs or parts diagrams. Meanwhile, the well-documented RCK48TG is the recognized 48″ mid-mount mower deck for the TG1860/TG1860G tractors"

I have found various youtube video showing servicing of the RCK48TG side discharge and the other larger RCK decks and after lots of pausing and head scratching ascertained that the bearing housing / mandrels (or whatever they are referred to by Kubota) are not the same as what I have on this RC48RTG rear discharge deck but for all I know the part numbers for the bearings and seals might still be the same. The problem I have is if I remove the existing bearings and oil seals to inspect them I will likely need to replace them and so if I then can't source them I have effectively now have no functional deck anymore - vs greasing it up and running it into the ground which would be a real shame too.

 

[John D 2]

Wow.

And I thought the mower blades on my neighbors zero turn were worn out. Compared to your blade, his look good.

 

[Malwood]

Wow.

And I thought the mower blades on my neighbors zero turn were worn out. Compared to your blade, his look good.

yep they are hanging! I have managed to source some new ones but the hole size is different. Luckily found a set of perfectly sized washers to seat them properly as the ones for this deck are discontinued and no alternate parts offered.

 

[RBsingl]

Bing search revealed this old ebay listing for a new gauge wheel bracket for the Kubota RC48R TG deck, listed from a shop in England. I wonder if your deck was sold in other markets where rear discharge mowers are more popular?

I ordered the 72" rear discharge deck with my Kubota F2690 but in general rear discharge is more popular in Europe than here so these decks may not have been a U.S. market product for the smaller machines. Perhaps an EU Kubota dealer would have info.

Rodger

 

[N3BP]

You might consider contacting Messicks. Sometimes they have rare parts diagrams on microfiche......

 

[Malwood]

Bing search revealed this old ebay listing for a new gauge wheel bracket for the Kubota RC48R TG deck, listed from a shop in England. I wonder if your deck was sold in other markets where rear discharge mowers are more popular?

I ordered the 72" rear discharge deck with my Kubota F2690 but in general rear discharge is more popular in Europe than here so these decks may not have been a U.S. market product for the smaller machines. Perhaps an EU Kubota dealer would have info.

Rodger

Hi Rodger,

Thanks again. Can't believe how helpful people are being - I wasn't even expecting any replies! I am in the UK (sorry perhaps I should have mentioned that from the outset - didn't realise these were more of an EU product). I have in fact spoken to the very chaps you found in the ebay listing too who are nearby me and ironically they had no record of that deck either but I did have some luck today and another kubota dealer did have some info...

They very kindly sent me all the diagrams and part numbers. I will attach them below as I cant be the only one with this deck still in existence so it might help someone one day. On the downside almost everything appears to be discontinued other than the bearings (at least here in the UK) - I did notice messicks had one of the seals and german-bliss did seem to stock the same part codes for a different mower (I assume they would be the same and they wouldn't ever use the same part number for a different part as that would be crazy):

016000 RCR48 RCR60, SPINDLE BREAKDOWN

Parts list and parts diagram for a Kubota RCR48 Parts

store.germanbliss.com

Not sure if either of these companies would entertain shipping to the UK for these parts so could anyone perhaps enlighten me / give me some advice on the seals (70050-02121 SEAL, LOWER (WITH BACKUP SPRING) & 70050-02120 SEAL, UPPER) mentioned in the attached pdf file DECK 7.pdf. Basically I have never done this before but I am guessing that I am likely to damage or destroy the seals when removing the bearings so my question is can anyone either provide the ID and OD, depth and material type if relevant for these so I might be able to source something that would work as an alternative or even be the same but for a different use - for example searching for the bearings lead me to numerous oil seals that might work but without pulling mine apart I cant really tell if they would or not - especially as the upper and lower seals appear to be different parts and I'm not sure why? - The lower seal mentions a 'backup spring. - whatever that is?!

Googling the part number for the bearings lead me here and this looked positive as some bearings are sealed but again not sure they would work in the context of the spindle:

4 x Trailer Wheel Bearings (2 Sealed, 2 Unsealed) L44643L/L44610, L446

Trailer Wheel Bearing Kit 2 x 44643/44610 2 x 44643L/44610 Sealed 1" Bore The kit will consist of the following Taper Roller Bearing's Cup and Cone Unmarked 2 x L44643/L44610 (44643/44610) Unsealed size 25.40mm x 50.29mm x 14.22mm2 x L44643L/L44610 (44643L/44610) Sealed size 25.40 mm x 50.29 mm...

sgl-bearing.com

It does look like I might eventually be able to give this old gal some TLC.

 

[Malwood]

You might consider contacting Messicks. Sometimes they have rare parts diagrams on microfiche......

Thanks N3BP. I did scour there site to no avail. Didnt phone mind but then I'm in the UK.

 

[RBsingl]

Glad you are making progress and that makes sense that you are in the UK with that deck. It seems this is a UK morning because my daughter is starting to look at PhD program possibilities in the UK

And another coincidence, German Bliss is the dealer where I bought my F-2690. The tractor portion was sitting crated on the lot, it had been ordered by a contractor who went bankrupt and never took delivery. It took another 5 months before the rear discharge deck arrived from Japan during the post-pandemic supply chain mess. It was delivered in a snowstorm shortly before Christmas.

Rodger

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Usually any 'bearing supply company' can measure your seals and bearings and help you out, so you won't have to pay $$$$$ for a $ bearing !!

 

[PoTreeBoy]

If you can disassemble the spindle, you should be able to source bearings and seals from an auto parts store or a supply house. The seals don't have to look exactly like the originals, just match o.d., i.d., and fit in the space.

 

[Malwood]

Glad you are making progress and that makes sense that you are in the UK with that deck. It seems this is a UK morning because my daughter is starting to look at PhD program possibilities in the UK

And another coincidence, German Bliss is the dealer where I bought my F-2690. The tractor portion was sitting crated on the lot, it had been ordered by a contractor who went bankrupt and never took delivery. It took another 5 months before the rear discharge deck arrived from Japan during the post-pandemic supply chain mess. It was delivered in a snowstorm shortly before Christmas.

Rodger
View attachment 157244 View attachment 157245

Very nice Rodger

I've been calling my antique deck a rear discharge as that is what it I was introduce to it as but tbh I guess it is more accurately a mulching deck as it doesn't discharge out the rear at all rather it just cuts it up finely and leaves it on the ground. I wonder why this style is not as common in the US.

 

[Malwood]

Usually any 'bearing supply company' can measure your seals and bearings and help you out, so you won't have to pay $$$$$ for a $ bearing !!

Thanks GJ. Thats where I've landed. Got a bearing shop local to me I used when I run an old print press so was going to try them.

 

[Malwood]

If you can disassemble the spindle, you should be able to source bearings and seals from an auto parts store or a supply house. The seals don't have to look exactly like the originals, just match o.d., i.d., and fit in the space.

Cheers PoTreeBoy. My only concern was the lower seal is a different part number to the top and therefore begs the question why is that if it is sealing identical bearings. I guess once I strip it that'll get answered.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Cheers PoTreeBoy. My only concern was the lower seal is a different part number to the top and therefore begs the question why is that if it is sealing identical bearings. I guess once I strip it that'll get answered.

The bottom one is spring loaded, apparently the top one is not.

 

[lugbolt]

on a lot of the older kubota decks the lower seal was a completely different type of seal. I don't remember the dimensions or numbers but a lot of the lower ones were a grease seal that would deal with higher pressures from greasing the deck. Some also sealed on a spacer or "boss" as Kubota called it which was large dia than the shaft itself.

pull the spindle apart. To get the seals out without damage, sometimes you can knock the bearings out from the inside and it'll push the seal out with it. That assumes there is no snap ring retaining the bearing under the seal.

Yes Auburn got bought out by Ariens a number of years ago. Had a family member who worked there for a little while before the buyout happened. Most of our family lived in Nebrask, most still do really but we are the black sheep rednecks out here in the hills of Arkansas. Yeah we wear shoes. Most of the time.