Model 149 with a 44” mowing deck

[mbleznyk]

According to what I can find I’m supposed to get a cutting height of 4.5” from my 44” deck. After trying everything I can think of the best I can get is 3.5”. The deck is level fore and aft and side to side. The hydraulic ram.seems to be extended all the way out. Any suggestions guys ??

 

[dschwandt]

Excessive wear on mule drive suspension pins and arms would be one place to check.
Wear on the rock shaft where the center frame ***'y (#7) rides on it is another.
Check all the pins and hangers and replace as necessary.

 

[mbleznyk]

Item 7 does have some wear where it rides on the rockshaft. Nothing compared to what I have seen on other cubs. The front forks look good. I’m not 100% certain the deck was made to reach 4.5” ? Can someone confirm that a 149 with a 44” deck is capable of 4.5”

 

[rrschmitt]

149's came std with hydraulic lift. They typically don't have as much lift as the "arm-strong" lift models.

 

[mbleznyk]

Thanks for your input guys. I contacted an old friend of mine who has a 129 with a 42” deck. With the manual lift he can easily extend beyond 4” cutting heights. I didn’t believe I could get past 3.5” but I hoping I was missing something. My last resort would be to exceed the tire pressures which I’m hesitant to do. Currently I have 16 psi in the front tires and 15 in the rear. Since there is no inflation specs on either tires I don’t know how much I can push these original tires? Any advice ?

 

[dschwandt]

DON'T!
Unless you want to buy new tires!!

 

[mgonitzke]

You aren't going to make them bigger by over-inflating them.

 

[mgwin]

He could make them bigger, just not taller!

 

[dgeary]

Where did you get a maximum of 4.5" lift height? I have the original paper manual for the 44C deck that came on my 1973 129. It specifically states a range of 1.0" to 4.0" cutting height, depending on tires and mower combination. This also agrees with the pdf versions found on this site.

 

[dschwandt]

The 129 used a 44a deck, that is unless someone has changed the sheaves.

 

[mbleznyk]

I found the deck height in the manuals that stated a 4” height depending on deck and tire combination just like you did. It didn’t state which deck or tires you could achieve a 4 inch cutting height with ? I have been able to get 3.5/8” and that’s it. I decided not to mess with 50 year old tires. They’re in excellent shape for their age. I believe I could get a 4” height if I changed the deck spindles from say a 42” or 48” deck. I think those spindles are shorter ? Not sure how that would affect the performance of the mower ? But, I’m not going through all that work for 1/2” … I’m disappointed that a machine like this only has a max 3.5” cutting height….

 

[mgwin]

I normally cut my grass at a depth of 3 inches.

 

[bfolkersma]

Do you have the short lift links on it or does it have the long ones. If you want a longer cut length you could get the taller supersteer axle off a later cyclops cub cadet and put 26-12x12s on the rear.

 

[mgonitzke]

Bigger rear tires will probably rub the gauge wheels on a 44" deck.

 

[bfolkersma]

My 169 with the 44 inch deck has 23-10.50X12 and has 2 inches of clearance between the tire and the gauge wheel would a 26-12-12 be that much wider

 

[mbleznyk]

I’m going to check to see if I have the correct size lift links. Its total size is 3.5” I can lift the deck higher by hand easily. The other link is adjustable and I do have some threads left. I know these links come in different sizes. If I do have the correct link I can have the link welded at the top say 3/4” and see what happens ? I have checked everything for wear and it’s minimal since this hanger is essentially new. I believe modifying this link is my only chance of being able to achieve a 4 inch cutting height or more.

 

[kharvey]

Steve Bluiner wrote a FAQ about setting up and leveling the deck. It had instructions about heating and bending the under carriage to get proper lift.