Service Manual
4 - 16 Service Dealer’s Guide to Great Quality of Cut
Checking and Adjusting the Blade Level
260 Series Tractor
There are four mower attachments for the 260 series 
tractors. The process for adjusting the 38-inch 
(96.5cm) mower is different from that for adjusting the 
other mowers, and so it is described separately. The 
42-, 48-, and 52-inch (106.6, 121.9, and 132.0cm) 
mowers all require the same leveling process, and so 
they are covered together. All four mowers require the 
same procedure for checking and adjusting blade 
tracking.
Figure 51
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38-inch (96.5cm) Mower
Adjusting Side-to-Side Level
The mower blades must be level from side to side. 
Check the side-to-side level any time you install the 
mower or when you see an uneven cut on the lawn. 
Before you level the mower, set the air pressure in the 
front and rear tires to 12 psi (83kPa).
This mower attachment is adjustable in two ways. One 
for higher heights of cut where the mower is suspended 
from the chassis and the other for lower positions 
where the level and height of cut are determined by the 
rear gage wheels.
In the 3-4 inch (7.6-10.1cm) range, the mower is 
suspended from the chassis. The two outside blade 
tips should be an equal height from the ground within
3/16 inch (4.76mm). If not, an adjustment is required.
1. Loosen adjustment bolt on one side of the tractor 
and rotate hangar bracket to raise or lower mower 
(Figure 52).
2. After adjusting, tighten the bolt and check 
side-to-side level.
Figure 52
260_38_1.TIF
IMPORTANT: If the hanger is rotated to the end of 
adjustment on one side and the mower is not level, 
adjust the opposite side.
In the 3/4-3 inch (19.0-76.0mm) range, the gage 
wheels contact the ground and determine the level. 
The blades should be level side to side within 3/16 inch 
(4.76mm) (Figure 53).
Figure 53
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1. Bolt 2. Hanger bracket
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