Craftsman how to level the mower deck

[Gord Baker]

Strange that the deck will not lower less than 4". Are you measuring from the cutting edge of the blade?
Is there an adjustment to that linkage?
Park on a Level surface and adjust the Gauge Wheels equally so they are about 3/8" above the surface. Done.

 

[Freddie21]

Hey OldDiyer, do those come with a YouTube instruction video?

 

[OldDiyer]

Sorry no they don't, and I do not have written instructions either.

 

[Robusta]

Thanks for your reply and attempt to help. However, your reprimands are not appreciated, and they are incorrect.

But you didn't address the wheel deck adjustment at all. Your reprimand of "don't start bad mouthing the forum or guy trying to help you." HE is the one who decided to change which hole (both are to be in the same HOLES, as per the manual). Neither did this mechanic follow the "Lubrication Chart" on p. 16. He only greased the Spindle Zerks & said there is nothing else to grease.

It is not "bad mouthing the forum" simply by saying that the site will not attach something as minimal as one page. This obviously needs to be fixed by the site, or the attachment function is unuseable. 1300KB is a very small file.

Tire pressure is, per manual, 10 psi rear & 14 psi front, stamped right on the tires, not the 12psi & 25psi that you state.

The deck height selector will not go down to below 4" - that is Craftsman's poor design. Thus, you have only 4" to 6" of height adjustment, or a total of 2". Other tractors of higher quality & design can adjust anywhere from 1 or 2" up to 6" (some go to 8").

 

[Timbuktu]

Trust me, 25 psi in the front tires is way too much. Every lawnmower I've ever delt with was close to 10 psi rear and 14 psi front. Also, when leveling the deck, shake it after making any adjustment as it could be hung up or tight and this will make sure it's moving during adjustment. This tool also works very well if you don't have one.

 

[Rivets]

Disagree, as most tractor and Z-turn manuals suggest 20-25 psi in the front.

 

[STEVES]

QUESTIONS:

You state:

"The deck is leveled left right using the height adjusters on the hangers that hold the deck


This is not what the manual says:

(1) p. 12 never uses the term "height adjustors". So, please use the terminology the mfr. uses, or explain fully what the terms you use mean.

(2) You state:
"On a good quality mower there will be one at each side usually on the rear hangers
"Rear hangers are never mentioned in the manual". The manual says NOTHING about rear hangers. It is

(3) You state "Then the deck is leveled front to back using the front drag link". I do not know what the "front drag link" is, nor is this term used in the manual. Please explain.

(4) As I quote you below: You have assumed that I am posting via my cell phone. I'm NOT. I'm on my computer & don't use my cell phone for any of this.

"As for the forum server , yes it has a file size limit because disc space costs money
Most computer users have no idea about file formats & sizes
The server does not display PD file , just provides a down load link
I generally post text pages as a JPG so they display in the post.....If you are posting using your phone then the server will see the file as being many times larger than it actually is because of the way phones save data
I have told people thousands of times that a phone is not a computer but they never seem to get it"

So all you state here is not applicable to my posts. My pages from the manual I downloaded to my computer in MB, which use a SMALL amount of space. So, there is a problem w/the site not accepting them, stating they are "too large."

(5) Manual p. 23 discusses TO LEVEL MOWER & PRECISION SIDE-TO-SIDE ADJUSTMENT. And in doing so, it talks about "Loosen jam nut "A" first - "Tighten adjust nut "B" to raise mower. - Loosen adjust nut "B" to lower mower." You don't address any of this at all. I find manual's instructions very scant & skimpy, far from explanatory enough for a non-professional mechanic to understand and accomplish in an "Operator's Manual" intended for the homeowner.

(6) Not certain this follows the manual, so what you state is not clear to my understanding.
'Normally I would level the deck with the blades dead across the deck left right then do the front back with the blades directly ahead
Because the blades are aligned with the left in front of the right a properly leveled deck will have the left side of the left blade slightly lower than the right tip of the right blade when the deck has the correct attack angle ( slightly lower at the front )"

Tomatoes, tamotos, red things, page 23 looks clear to me!? Drag link / front rod, again! Deck wheel, page 12, adjust to just off the ground after deck level completed. Then says put in same hole = miss print in manual, can't be in same hole & adjust just off ground in all cases.

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

It looks to me that you are here to start a fight instead of getting the help you are asking for. I have been on this site for a while and when I ask questions, I don't start a fight if the answers aren't what I think they should be to me, but I will take the suggestions from people that are doing the repairs on these unit's day in and day out. Sometimes they may differ with what they think but I use the information and draw my own conclusions most of the time they are all pretty close to saying the same thing it's just how the explain it. Another thing that is hard is that these people giving you free help and knowledge are not standing next to you so aren't seeing what you see but are still trying to get you to where you want to be.
If you use a desktop or lap top computer, go to YouTube and look up how to downsize photos and use it any time you post online, I use 800x800 and seems to be fine and the pictures come out fine so I would think print would work out fine even if you had to size them a bit smaller.
As to your last post you say you HAD a Craftsman mechanic well you had a bunch of mechanics trying to do you right with information to help you here as well. Maybe you pissed off the other guy to and that's why he's not your guy anymore.
If you don't feel the people here are Helping move on to some other site and ask there someone else may solve your problem better to your liking.

Your accusation of my being here "to start a fight" is baseless. If asking questions is starting a fight, you're not only completely wrong, but it seems you enjoy abusing and degrading others.

YOU should be ashamed of making caustic, groundless & unfounded statements like, "If you don't feel the people here are helping move on to some other site......."

Don't post to my forum anymore - get it?

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

Tomatoes, tamotos, red things, page 23 looks clear to me!? Drag link / front rod, again! Deck wheel, page 12, adjust to just off the ground after deck level completed. Then says put in same hole = miss print in manual, can't be in same hole & adjust just off ground in all cases.

If you're going to post p. 23, then post the entire page, not just part of it, as it doesn't show the entire page or its instructions.

As far as your assertion that the Deck wheels "can't be in same hole & adjust just off ground in all cases", is clearly wrong as per the manual.
Page 12, " 2. With mower in desired height of cut position, gauge wheel should be assembled so they are slightly off the ground. Install gauge wheel in appropriate hole..... 3. Repeat for all, installing gauge wheel in SAME ADJUSTMENT HOLE." In other words, the front & wheels should both be in the same adjustment hole. It couldn't be stated more clearly than that.

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

Strange that the deck will not lower less than 4". Are you measuring from the cutting edge of the blade?
Is there an adjustment to that linkage?
Park on a Level surface and adjust the Gauge Wheels equally so they are about 3/8" above the surface. Done.

You are confusing things. I did not state the deck will not lower less than 4". I was talking about the height lever of the deck, which has number 2 - 6, which are not inch numbers, but simply numbers Craftsman decided to use to indicate lowest to highest. In other words, putting that lever on 4 does not place the deck bottom 4" from the ground, rather, the deck is then 1-5/8" from the ground.

And that is not where the blades are. Blades in any deck are significantly higher than the bottom of the deck.