I've been using pieces of 1 inch white pvc pipe to measure blade height, having ones cut and marked from 2 1/2" thru 4" and using them as a go no go gauge depending on height needed and you can just reach under and feel where it is at on bottom of blade . Nothing to try to read , if you want 3" height use the pipe cut and marked 3" and slide under blade.

@steveholton4130

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly what I was going to say. This is a trick I found when setting the Ride Heights on a race car back in 1985. The only difference is that each of the four heights on the race car wanted to be different. Also, I used 1 inch copper tubing.

@JeremyTVOK

4 жыл бұрын

Go ahead make our day Scooter & Peanut that’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

I plan to buy Kubota because of this guy's excellent, informative videos, and if I was near Messicks I'd buy from them as well. Well done.

This is why I bought a Kubota zero turn , my mower was set up perfect when they delivered it. Cuts like a dream.

I was waiting if you were going to mention the front to back setup, and if it were to be level or with some offset: You did ! Perfect ;-)

Messick’s rocks!!!!! The best tractor company ever!

I gotta order one of those, nice very easy to use tool, I've used a tape measure but kind of a pain to get it under the deck LOL. I always have to check mine at the beginning of the season when I put the deck back on after pulling the snow blower off just to make sure everything is back where its supposed to be.

Thanks, Neil, very useful and perfect timing.

I just got finished doing this on my bx this afternoon. In my first experience the only thing I'll say is, when I put the adjustment knob on 3.5 and lowered the deck down on the stops and went down to check the left and right, it was 3 5/8 on one side and 3 3/8 on the other. So once I leveled it, my number at the blade was dead nuts to the knob.

Great video. I just took delivery of a new Ferris ISX 3300 mower from Messicks. $13K. The deck level is way off. Noticed it the first time I used the mower (cutting poorly). I purchased one of these tools from your website to see if I can get the deck leveled out.

About four years ago I found a 1998 model Toro Pro Line 36 inch commercial walk behind lawnmower rated at 12.5 hp. It was residentially owned so it wasn’t beat up and used by a commercial outfit. That was the best $700 I ever spent on yard tools. The only problem is is that the engine is not emissions compliant and gives off a lot of exhaust-not smoke, but just an old fashioned exhaust smell. It does smoke on start up but I noticed that using synthetic engine oil and non-ethanol gasoline makes the motor run a lot more efficient. I know the newer Kawasaki motors on the Toros have catalytic converter like systems for Carb compliance.

Cool looking tool

Thanks as always great video

I use a 2x4 ripped to 3 inches and use it like a feeler gauge. Neat tool though.

Great Video! Thanks

Messick's-fan-boy-here: I have to say, if taking pressures from tractor tires, get a quality low pressure or regular tire pressure gauge, you don't want to overinflate these low pressure tires. Important that the tire gauge used is consistant with repeated pressure readings

@wildbill23c

4 жыл бұрын

I always check tire pressure more than once at each tire too just to be certain its right, never know if you don't get the gauge on just right the first time type deal. Yep, a good quality tire gauge is a must, those cheap dollar store things aren't gonna work very well.

Assuming the shop floor is true, from side to side of deck? Great video!

The best piece of advice is what you said at first about verifying tire pressures.... ask me how I know. It's a much more difficult process on my TG1860, but the principle is the same.

I had every intention of saying that you could do that job just as easily with a tape measure as with some tool but after watching the video, I think the tool would be helpful. Ultimately though, it depends on the price of the tool.

@MessicksEquip

4 жыл бұрын

$8.00

Messick’s rocks

Another point I would have mentioned, is if the surface from where you are taking your measurements is flat by using a straight edge or just a 4 feet in lenght level and see if there are any dips or bumps in your surface right below where you are going to place your height tool.

@wildbill23c

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, if the surface you are parked on isn't level, neither will be whatever you are trying to level LOL. Most garage and shop floors aren't level.

@denniseft6460

2 жыл бұрын

Front caster wheels pointing forward as well. Make everything as if you were mowing.

Your link takes me to the cheap plastic tool. Looking for the one you used.

very good! did not know you could jack the front end up with the assembly.

@wildbill23c

4 жыл бұрын

I think that's only on a select few models, first time I seen that, pretty cool feature.

@ferencbrown7090

4 жыл бұрын

@@wildbill23c my ZD28 has that feature, its a bit old

@wildbill23c

4 жыл бұрын

@@ferencbrown7090 Ok, thanks.

Which you would have a video for leveling rotary mowers

If 3 1/2" is an acceptable grass height, just use a chunk of 2x4 as a cheap height gauge. Or, if you have a higher preferred height, just cut a piece of 2x4 to the exact height you want to use as a gauge and lay it on the end grain side to measure. Wood is cheap to free if you have some laying around.

Can you touch on adjusting mid mount deck on a BX ? As well as adjusting the rear linkage to the deck? Having a lot of trouble getting it correct and videos out there dont seem to do it correctly. Mine seems to pitch up. I believe if anything it should be level front to back or pitched down in the front.

@roberthalstead4772

2 жыл бұрын

I agree . I have a bx and it’s a messed up right now and most of the information if it even relates covers only slight knowledge . My deck goes past the stopper that’s on the tractor.The deck adjustment on the left rear isn’t explained well anyplace I can find. Figure it should be zeroed at what ever your cutting height is and then adjusted so the deck goes from ground to the deck stop minus little stop space needed..

Picked up this tool from you guys this past fall and when I leveled my BX1880 MMM I noticed one side adjuster was almost bottomed out and the other had a ton more room and it appears my adjustment knob is about 1/2" off from where I am measuring. What could be the cause of this?

I asked my Bad Boy dealership technician how to level my deck. He pointed to the mounting hardware and said "Des Nutz!"

Good video brother...quick question, can you by chance mount the seat that is on the Kubota ZD model on a Kubota Z421 (2020 model) Thanks! :)

@MessicksEquip

3 жыл бұрын

Not sure, but I doubt it.

The version he used?

Do a GR series video on this please

@MessicksEquip

2 ай бұрын

all the same concepts shown here apply to GR.

I dont have a zero turn, but I do have a land pride FDR1672 grooming mower that I pull behind my tractor. Question for you is how do you go about setting that thing up so that the blade plane tilts down in front a 1/4'? Or is the forward down plane built into this deck and the only adjustment are side to side (lift arm adjustment) and height adjustment on all 4 traveling wheels

@wildbill23c

2 жыл бұрын

If that mower is like other's I've seen, you adjust the left and right and front to back by changing the amount of washers stacked above and below the wheel mounting tabs. So once its level left to right, you can move a set of washers or spacers on the front 2 wheels to allow the slight forward angle.

Good video Neal. The question I have is,... Once you have your deck properly leveled, at the height you want to mow, what height do you put the rolling 4 wheels on the deck? Setting on the floor or Just above ground level? I would guess if they are too high, you can scalp the lawn or too low and you don't cut low enough when mowing over uneven lawn, as God knows, my lawn is far from perfectly level.

@MessicksEquip

4 жыл бұрын

they are scalp wheels, not height wheels. So generally you want to set them a notch or two above where you are cutting.

@wildbill23c

2 жыл бұрын

According to the manual for my BX2680's mid mount mower deck, you adjust the anti-scalp wheels so they are 1/4" to 1/2" above the ground...this will also depend on what type of terrain you are mowing. The manual tells exactly what hole to slide the pins into depending on what height you are cutting at.

i presume with this tool if the floor is not level . it wouldn't matter as the mower adapts ?

@MessicksEquip

11 ай бұрын

correct, it would have to be wildly off level to matter.

Don't most mower decks have pre-designated points on the edges that you CAN use as a measuring point for leveling without jacking up the machine or crawling underneath to measure the blade tip? Every riding mower I have ever owned did. The manufacturer typically designs in these points knowing they represent the true position of the blades and it makes it convenient for the operator to perform a leveling operating. Now, if you want to know the exact cut height or wish to compare the actual cut height to your cut-height knob markings, then using one of those blade tip measuring devices in the way to go.

Is it true that a BX deck does not hold level as you choose different cutting settings (heights)? Thanks!

@ralphnapierii1184

4 жыл бұрын

In my experience, it does hold level at every setting except for the "top" (transport) setting where one side invariably seems to raise higher.

Can you provide the part number for the blade height measurement device? Thanks

@MessicksEquip

4 жыл бұрын

link is in the description

@steviegene4006

4 жыл бұрын

Messick's Thank you,just ordered one.

My BX2230 60" deck sits level when it's lowered, but when I raise it, the left side sits much lower than the right. Is there something to adjust to fix that? Is it supposed to do that? Manual doesn't really say anything about it.

@wildbill23c

2 жыл бұрын

As long as its level when you are mowing it don't matter once you have the deck raised for transport.

is the front back adjustment only for a ZTM or All mowers (aka the 60" MMM on my BX2380)?

@MessicksEquip

4 жыл бұрын

All

@wf4919

4 жыл бұрын

@@MessicksEquip Sorry that question was poorly worded.....are all mower decks supposed to be tilted so the blades are slightly lower when they rotate towards the front of the deck (0 degrees) ...and conversly slightly higher when they rotate towards the back of the deck (180 degrees)? What does that "tilt" do to improve the mower deck? And what about a Mulch Kit? Same story?

@MessicksEquip

4 жыл бұрын

@@wf4919 I'm not 100% sure what the thinking is, but you'll find that advice in the owners manual of about every product. on mulch kits. The style that each blade has a ring around it works well, side plugs do not. You do need to cut your grass more often or you will get clumping.

@wf4919

4 жыл бұрын

@@MessicksEquip Thanks for the quick reply . Manual states Level (0 inches/mm) to .2 inches (5 mm) lower in the front.

@paullambert2668

4 жыл бұрын

My view has always been that it's to avoid cutting the grass over and over. If you're a bit higher at the front it'll take some off, then by the time the blade gets around the back it's gotta cut that same grass again. A little lower at the front is probably more for making sure than anything else - level is probably fine, but when you go over bumps and whatnot you need a bit of room.

quick and dirty is to just lever four bricks under the deck then put air in the tires until it's off of all four... but sure, another tool to kick around...

Been nice if he would have put the name of the tool he was using. This is not a stens metal version - those are crap - and the plastic versions are even worse.

John Deere sells those tools.

@311hitwall

Ай бұрын

The version he used?