Service Manual

Service Dealer’s Guide to Great Quality of Cut 4 - 19

Checking and Adjusting the Blade Level

An alternate way to check this is to remove the mower

housing and turn it over. Remove the blades and lay a

straight edge on two blade saddles (Figure 59). It

should lie flat. If not, either the spindle or the housing

where the spindle mounts may be bent.

Figure 59

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Yet another way to check this with the blades attached

is to align the blades (two blades at a time on three

blade mowers), then run a string across the cutting tips

of the blades. The string should be straight. If it is not,

the blade or spindle could be bent.

If the saddles or blades do not line up and the spindles

are not bent, a shim between the spindle housing and

the mower housing may help align them. Loosen the

spindle to mower housing bolts and insert shim

washers until the saddles are in line. Then if you used

washers to shim the spindle housing, remove the bolt

and reassemble through the washer to secure it.

300-400-500 Series Garden Tractor

(Excluding 5xi Series)

The mower attachments used on these tractors all

have the side-to-side level and the height of cut

determined by the rear gage wheels (Figure 60).

Figure 60

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Adjusting Side-to-Side Level

If the mower does not cut level side-to-side, check for a

worn out gage wheel, a bent gage wheel support, or

improperly tracking blades. Finding and correcting that

should bring the side-to-side level back to normal.

Adjusting Front-to-Rear Pitch

The blade should be 1/8-1/4 inch (3.1-6.3mm) lower in

front than in the rear. If it is not within specification,

adjust the rear link.

Turn the locknut on the link (Figure 61).To raise the

front of the mower, turn the locknut clockwise. To lower,

turn the locknut counterclockwise.

Figure 61

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