Mowing use of deck wheels

[donsm4]

What are the use and how do you set the small wheels on the corners of the mowing deck. The church has a donated Scotts 42' mower and the guy that does the mowing, bolted the wheels on using the lowest hole. They scuff and bend the brackets. We have rewelded and straightened the brackets and replaced the wheels. He claims that they ride on the ground to mow evenly. I don't think they should be set as low as they are. Please help...Thanks

 

[oldnslo]

What are the use and how do you set the small wheels on the corners of the mowing deck. The church has a donated Scotts 42' mower and the guy that does the mowing, bolted the wheels on using the lowest hole. They scuff and bend the brackets. We have rewelded and straightened the brackets and replaced the wheels. He claims that they ride on the ground to mow evenly. I don't think they should be set as low as they are. Please help...Thanks

On any mower that is carried or suspended by the tractor the gauge wheels should not touch the ground when sitting on a level surface. These are meant to reduce scalping when the wheels of tractor drop in a hole.

Not sure what the prefered distance above theground is but I usually run around a half inch. This redices the wear on the whel bearings sinificantly.

Roy

 

[TripleR]

While some mowers have a "floating deck" in which the height is controlled by the wheels adjustment, in all likelihood as Oldnslow says, this is a "suspended deck" in which they will stay about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the surface.