Use and Care Manual

11Section 3 — ASSembly & Set-Up
Setting the Front Gauge Wheels
WARNING! Keep hands and feet away from the
discharge opening of the cutting deck.
NOTE: The deck wheels are an anti-scalp feature of the deck and
are not designed to support the weight of the cutting deck.
Move the tractor on a firm and level surface, preferably pavement,
and proceed as follows:
1. Check the tire pressure, make sure the pressure is correct
and equal on all tires.
2. Make sure the deck is level, both front-to-back and side-to-
side. See the Maintenance & Adjustments section for deck
leveling information and instructions.
3. Select the height position of the cutting deck by placing the
deck lift lever in the normally desired mowing height setting.
4. Check the wheels for contact or excessive clearance with
the surface below. The deck wheels should have between
¼” and ½” clearance above the ground. Proceed as follows
to adjust the wheels:
a. Remove the lock nut securing one of the front gauge
wheel shoulder screws to the deck. Remove the
gauge wheel and shoulder screw. See Figure 3-9.
Lock
Nut
Front Gauge
Wheel
Shoulder
Screw
Gauge Wheel
Bracket
Index Holes
Figure 3-9
b. Insert the shoulder screw into the one of four index
holes in the front gauge wheel bracket that will give
the gauge wheel a ⁄⁄” clearance with the ground.
c. Note the index hole of the just adjusted wheel, and
adjust the other front gauge wheel into the respective
index hole of the other front gauge wheel bracket.
NOTE: Refer to Adjusting the Deck in the Maintenance
& Adjustments section of this manual for more detailed
instructions regarding various deck adjustments.
3. Install the discharge chute deflector using the carriage bolts,
push nuts and flange lock nuts as shown in Figure 3-7.
Figure 3-7
4. On some models the chute is shipped attached and with a
stop bracket holding the chute upright. The stop bracket
must be removed prior to operating the tractor.
5. Holding the chute deflector fully upward, remove the stop
bracket by grasping it and rotating it clockwise. Lower the
chute deflector Figure 3-8.
Figure 3-8