Mowing Question G1800S

[Roger Fowler]

This is my second season mowing with the G1800S. The left front anti-scalp roller often plows up soft turf or dirt with no grass. Often during left turns, but sometimes when travelling straight ahead. Is there something wrong that I have not found yet or is this just "the nature of the beast?" Height is set at 2.5 inches per the manual. The mount looks to be ok. I replaced the roller. The only thing that is non-standard is that one of the parallel linkages on the front of the deck is a similar one from another model of mower deck. The original one was lost and new ones are not available. I did a little grinding to make this one fit.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this. Thanks in advance,
Roger

 

[Bee-Positive]

Have you checked to make sure all the tire pressures are correct?
With the mower on a flat surface are the right and left side heights identical when raised and lowered?

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Hello Roger,

the length of the front linkages can be adjusted each side individually. If they are the wrong length the deck can hang at an angle (like mine does for over a year now ). Check on a level surface. Tyre pressure, as mentioned by Bee-Positive, is a very good point, check and correct that beforehand.

 

[Roger Fowler]

Finally got back to this.... Tire pressures are good. I adjusted one of the front links so they are the same. And measured deck height. The side that doesn't dig in might be a bit high due to old "crash damage." (The roller bracket was broken and the front of the deck pushed in so far the blades couldn't turn.) It is less than 1/4", so I'm not going to ask the shop to adjust it again. They worked a miracle straightening it the first time.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Roger

 

[Roger Fowler]

I was reading on the Internet and someone mentioned that the front gauge wheels should not touch the ground. I cannot see that specified in the service manual, although it can be inferred in one statement ("adjust front links so deck is level"). Is that a true statement? It would explain why my gauge wheels keep tearing up my lawn.

Roger

 

[Caden]

mentioned that the front gauge wheels should not touch the ground.

As a general rule of thumb, anti scalp wheels should be 1/4 inch off the ground when deck is at the desired cutting height.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I was reading on the Internet and someone mentioned that the front gauge wheels should not touch the ground. I cannot see that specified in the service manual, although it can be inferred in one statement ("adjust front links so deck is level"). Is that a true statement? It would explain why my gauge wheels keep tearing up my lawn.

Roger

I dont know the soecifics of that mower but it sounds like it has a suspension deck. The wheels on that type of deck are not casters and should not touch the ground in normal operation.

Dan

 

[Bee-Positive]

I was reading on the Internet and someone mentioned that the front gauge wheels should not touch the ground. I cannot see that specified in the service manual, although it can be inferred in one statement ("adjust front links so deck is level"). Is that a true statement? It would explain why my gauge wheels keep tearing up my lawn.

Roger

Depending what type of MMM you have.

First - gauge wheels and anti-scalp wheels (as mentioned in your first post) do not serve the same function and the terms can not be used interchangeably. Gauge wheels contact the ground, anti-scalp wheels do not.

Second - there are three types of MMM's. Suspended, contact, or combination.

Suspended MMM like on my BX1880 are held up by the linkage and only have anti-scalp wheels. The mowing height is set by a knob which limits how far the deck is allowed to be lowered. The anti-scalp wheels only contact to prevent the deck from plowing into uneven ground and is adjustable depending on the cut height.

A ground contact MMM has gauge wheels and rests on the ground following the ups and downs. The cut height is set by adjusting the gauge wheels. These decks may also have anti-scalp wheels in addition to the gauge wheels.

A combination of the two will have front anti-scalp wheels and rear gauge wheels. I've attached a picture.

 

[Roger Fowler]

I mis-spoke in my previous post. Yes, the parts catalog and service manual refers to them as anti-scalp wheels. And the picture looks like my set-up exactly. Except when I got it the front anti-scalp wheels were on the ground.

Thank you for the reply.

Roger

 

[Bee-Positive]

I figured you knew but wanted to explain for others that might not. Sometimes the wrong advice gets posted if things aren't clear.

So you have both, the front anti-scalp wheels would float and the back gauge wheels are on the ground.
Adjust your back gauge wheels to the height you want to cut at and then adjust the front linkage to level the blades.

Happy mowing!

 

[Roger Fowler]

I figured you knew but wanted to explain for others that might not. Sometimes the wrong advice gets posted if things aren't clear.

So you have both, the front anti-scalp wheels would float and the back gauge wheels are on the ground.
Adjust your back gauge wheels to the height you want to cut at and then adjust the front linkage to level the blades.

Happy mowing!

Wow!!! What a PITA this set-up is!! I have the front links down to 375 mm and the anti-scalp rollers are still on the ground. (Factory spec is 400 mm as a starting point.) All the mounting pins are new Kubota parts, so undersize pins are not the problem. I had to grind about a quarter inch off the end of the threaded rod because it was hitting the weldment on the mower deck when I tried to attach the clevis. And more will have be be removed before I can shorten it any more. I hope I am just venting and it will fall into place shortly. But I would accept any suggestions.

BTW, raising the anti-scalp rollers off the ground does make sense. I really didn't think G1800's were tearing up everyone's lawn like this one is doing to mine without some chatter on the forum.

Roger

 

[Roger Fowler]

Couple of silly questions:
1) How do you support the MMM so you can attach the front links?
2) How do you pull the MMM forward to take up the free play while you attach the front links?
3) I'm having to stretch (literally) the front links about 3/32" to get enough force in them to hold the anti-scalp rollers off the ground (barely). Can that be right?

 

[Roger Fowler]

Finally got it! I set both anti-scalp wheels on 3/4" blocks then adjusted both front links as tight as I could. Only took a little more grinding in a couple of places. Both anti-scalp wheels are now a little off the ground. The lower one has the tighter front link when on blocks, but I am going to relate that to the trauma this MMM deck has seen. I'll go mow a little and see how it goes.

Roger