ZT52HD DECK VIBRATION FIX

[coder]

NealS, what did you do, drill out the deck for the extra pulley? Did it help? How did you prevent the deck from rusting there, where the powder coating is
drilled out? Sounds like a rational mod, I am just worried that they would cancel my warranty on the deck.
Unclear what you mean by "pressed and indention.." . I think you mean the one of the belt keeper fingers, that maybe is too short in this case?

 

[UFLBret]

Hello all, I read the first 10 pages but didn't have time to read the rest. I have a ZTX-52 mower I bought new 2 years ago for our small 5 acre farm. I used our tractor with 6' bush-hog for the heavy lifting. Mainly use the mower for fence lines and common areas around the house, etc.
When i first got the Gravely i noticed the vibration, it irritated the heck out of me. It was only when the pto was in operation and the hard part to figure out was it was intermittent. Went online and saw it was a rather common issue. At about 25 hours I figured I should sharpen the blades but we were in the process of moving out of our trailer and into the house we built on property so I didn't have a lot of free time. I just went and purchased a new blade set on Amazon. After I changed the blades I haven't experienced the vibration. I'm really perplexed that nobody mentioned it could be a blade issue. It fixed mine, may be worth looking into for others as well. Has anyone with the vibration changed their blades?

 

[MParr]

@UFLBret
I think blade imbalance has been mentioned. Another thing, some Gravely blades are offset. If you were to lay a Gravely blade down on a flat surface, the mounting hole will be about 5/16” above the surface. These blades are stamped and the angles can be off. This can be verified with the blades on the machine. Measure from the ground to the bottom of the blade and record the measurement. Rotate the blade 180 degrees and measure again. If the numbers are off, the blade is not uniform and will cause cavitation. Cavitation causes vibration.

 

[UFLBret]

@UFLBret
I think blade imbalance has been mentioned. Another thing, some Gravely blades are offset. If you were to lay a Gravely blade down on a flat surface, the mounting hole will be about 5/16” above the surface. These blades are stamped and the angles can be off. This can be verified with the blades on the machine. Measure from the ground to the bottom of the blade and record the measurement. Rotate the blade 180 degrees and measure again. If the numbers are off, the blade is not uniform and will cause cavitation. Cavitation causes vibration.

I can say that since I have replaced the blades the mower has cut better than it did when it was new, I can mow faster without windrows and it discharges better from the chute as well. Currently have about 50 hours on the machine now.

 

[coder]

Hello all, I read the first 10 pages but didn't have time to read the rest. I have a ZTX-52 mower I bought new 2 years ago for our small 5 acre farm. I used our tractor with 6' bush-hog for the heavy lifting. Mainly use the mower for fence lines and common areas around the house, etc.
When i first got the Gravely i noticed the vibration, it irritated the heck out of me. It was only when the pto was in operation and the hard part to figure out was it was intermittent. Went online and saw it was a rather common issue. At about 25 hours I figured I should sharpen the blades but we were in the process of moving out of our trailer and into the house we built on property so I didn't have a lot of free time. I just went and purchased a new blade set on Amazon. After I changed the blades I haven't experienced the vibration. I'm really perplexed that nobody mentioned it could be a blade issue. It fixed mine, may be worth looking into for others as well. Has anyone with the vibration changed their blades?

I just did. Have 10 hours on my 52" ari apex ( about the same as the gravely hd). The factory new blades were rather badly out of balance. I have a wall mounted ball bearing blade balancer. Took me 1/2 hours per blade to get them balanced.
Runs noticeably better in every way with the new blades, although I still have belt slapping.

 

[Goldwing]

The plot thickens...I just spoke with a different dealer than the one I bought mine from. Because this dealer sells so many Gravely's they speak frequently with higher ups at Gravely and there IS FOR SURE AN ISSUE WITH THE 52" ZT HD. The 60" and 48" don't make the rattle but it is a common complaint that Gravely is aware of (though they probably won't admit it now until there's a fix). The person I spoke with was very helpful and took a lot of time to talk with me despite it being of no benefit to them. She will give me a call as she finds out more and if there becomes a recall.

I have the ZT HD 48 and it "Rattles" a lot. They do sell a fix kit, but not all dealers have it yet.

 

[Goldwing]

I've got over 150hrs on my ZT HD 48 mower. Its rattled from day 1. I have to keep an eye out for loose bolts every where. I've replaced the dust cover on the left front wheel bracket 3 times, even tried to silicone it on. Not the kind of craftsmanship I expected from Gravely. It mows great, just have to keep replacing missing parts!

 

[ariensapex52gg]

Hello all, I got locked out of my old account somehow. I think I have finally solved the issue with the deck rattle/vibration and it was accidental. Since buying the machine I have never been unimpressed with the power it has but have always felt that the engine speed even at full throttle was slower than it should have been so I borrowed a digital tachometer from another machine that measures the rpm's by wrapping a cable around a spark plug lead and found the speed to be 2800-2900rpm at full throttle. The machine I have has a Kawasaki fs691v engine which should run at 3500+/-100rpm according to info I found online. so I adjusted the throttle linkages and sped the rpm up to 3500. the difference was remarkable and I instantly noticed NO RATTLE at full throttle. If I slowed the engine down to the speed it previously ran at the rattle came but it goes away when sped up almost like a "critical point" on some cars where they will vibrate only at a certain speed. Obviously it also cuts much better now, throws grass farther and is physically faster as well. I highly recommend buying a digital tachometer from amazon and testing it for yourself. Its an easy thing to do and has absolutely transformed the machine.

 

[7394]

I've got over 150hrs on my ZT HD 48 mower. Its rattled from day 1. I have to keep an eye out for loose bolts every where. I've replaced the dust cover on the left front wheel bracket 3 times, even tried to silicone it on. Not the kind of craftsmanship I expected from Gravely. It mows great, just have to keep replacing missing parts!

Loctite

 

[MParr]

I've got over 150hrs on my ZT HD 48 mower. Its rattled from day 1. I have to keep an eye out for loose bolts every where. I've replaced the dust cover on the left front wheel bracket 3 times, even tried to silicone it on. Not the kind of craftsmanship I expected from Gravely. It mows great, just have to keep replacing missing parts!

I’m on my second Gravely in two years. My former Pro Turn 160 was excellent in every category except the Yamaha engine. My new Pro Turn 260 is solid, even the Kohler engine. Would I recommend a Gravely? Heck yes, as long as it doesn’t come with a Yamaha engine.