Homemade finishing mower height adjuster

[mikedodd]

I have a 4-foot 3PH finishing mower for my BX2360 subcompact. Adjusting the height involves, for each of the four wheels, removing a hitch pin, dropping the wheel and its pivot shaft, then rearranging spacers on the 1" pivot shaft. It's a messy process with the grease on everything.

I wanted a faster and cleaner way to adjust the height, so I 3D-printed 1/2"-tall C-shaped spacers that slip onto and off of the pivot shaft. See the attached photos.Each spacer has a small handle that i grasp to remove or insert it.

I am very pleased with these spacers. At first I was concerned that the PLA plastic material might not withstand the mower weight and wheel swiveling, but after many hours of use, no spacer has broken or come loose. I do grease them occasionally.

My original spacers are 1/2" tall, but I'm considering printing some 1"-tall spacers to replace the metal ones, and give me more easy adjustment options.

 

[sandman2234]

Nice, but those wouldn't work for me, because I tend to mow a lot of different heights of grass, along with some grass that is near brush. I would loose them by getting them knocked of, the same way I loose a lot of the spring clip pins.
Do you regularly change the height of your mowing deck?
David from jax

 

[mikedodd]

Normally I leave it set "high" to mow the observatory clearing. Observatory Clearing and Horizon But occasionally my wife doesn't want to push the 20" mower around the half-acre yard near the house, so I lower the finishing mower for that job. Not often, but the 3D-printed spacers make that task so much faster and easier.

 

[Smokeydog]

Clever fix. Surprised plastic holds up that well. Did find that setting the rear wheels 1/4” taller than the back improved cut quality and reduced pto hp required. Your option of custom spacers would make that easy.