Wheel Horse rear discharge problems

from my experience cutting with wheelhorses the faster you go the worse they cut whether it's side or rear. for years I cut with a 211-4, side discharge it got the job done but not a nice cut.
my 854 with the 36 rear discharge cuts beautiful as longs it's extra dry grass and 2nd gear. we also have a c85 with a rear discharge too, same thing the drier the better, we use it more in the fall.
 
Blades are all spinning the right direction. The deck is level. Blades are right side up. The center blade IS longer and turns slower. It has to be longer but don't know if its supposed to turn slower or has an incorrect pulley. A week ago I could have said exactly how much slower it turns. Its like 1 rotation of the shorter side blades is 3/4 of a rotation of the longer, center blade. [pretty sure its actually 2 to 1.75, can't remember for sure] Kick on blades is all the same like its a matched set of blades. The blades "kickers" seem kinda small to me but it throws decent.
Footnote: went to work this morning and where I mowed [more like brush cut!!] at work looks fantastic. Mowed that Friday. Saturday night and Sunday had some rain. The clippings were evenly dispersed and The grass had already grown enough to hide the clippings. I was very pleased with that.
Thanks for your comments guys. Yer not gonna make me mad suggesting something is installed wrong. It has happened before. :rolleyes:
 
Is the center pulley the same size as the outer ones?
If so, the blades should turn at the same RPM no matter how long the blade is. Maybe the blade is slipping in that pulley.
 
When the deck was upside down on my work bench and I was installing the new home-brew baffle I was turning the blades and noticed the rate of travel was different. Belt wouldn't have been slipping in that situation. It could have the wrong pulley on the center spindle I suppose. Can't really even see that pulley good because that spindle has 2 pulleys. One belt comes from the engine to drive the deck and that pulley is on top. Then a second belt runs off a second pulley on that center spindle and drives the outside 2 spindles.
I figured the longer blade COULD be designed to turn slightly slower and still have the same tip speed since it travels farther each round.
Thoughts on that?

I do know the driven pulley [on top - belt coming from the engine] is slightly larger than the drive [runs the other 2 blade spindles] pulley on that center spindle.
 
[QUOTE="Gtractor, post: 57433,
I figured the longer blade COULD be designed to turn slightly slower and still have the same tip speed since it travels farther each round.
Thoughts on that?
[/QUOTE]
You took the words out of my mouth.
 
Is it possible that the pulleys are mounted backwards? Is the drive pulley the same size as the two outer pulleys?
 
there's about a million wheelhorse decks out there, I would ask to borrow one if and see how theirs cut in comparison, maybe it's just a cursed deck
 
It is usually wet or wetter then it should be when I mow but with the last few years weather it can't be helped.
I'll have to measure the pulleys to compare size. If I could swap the two pulleys on the center spindle it would turn the blades faster, although I have the governor backed off to where they really percolate as is.
 
Kind of forgot about this thread.
The outside pulleys are 3.25 inches. The center pulley is 4 inches [maybe 3.5 its been too long now] The outside pulleys have rusted and are rough with holes clear through. I tried to find generic pulleys locally that I could weld these hubs in. That was a no-go. 3" or 3.5" is easy to find - 3.25 inch isn't happening. The deck belt breaks every 4th mowing or so. I was trying to be a supporter of the local brick and mortar stores to save local jobs. O'O'O'O'Wrongley's is literally 2 blocks away. $35 for that deck belt every time it breaks. They want to warranty the belt every time. I say no, theres a problem with my mower making it break. I did warranty it one time in 5 purchases before I knew what the problem was.

I've had enough of that Wheel Horse!

Went to the shed where my much older, much more worn Gravely had sat since I stopped using it last spring because the tube was hanging out of one rear tire. Didn't figure the battery was any good in the Gravely by now. Put the key in and the charge light came on nice and bright. Checked the oil and gas and turned the gas on. Blew into the gas tank to pressurize it since the tank is so far from the engine. When I pushed the starter button the Gravely sprang to life instantly. With a switch out of the bad tire [took one off the W.H.] I am back to mowing with the Gravely. The doctor that I mow for across town likes the Gravely's cut MUCH better. and even though I can't get it through my walk gates, its definitely worth going around the long way and utilizing the drive-through gate in my chain-link fence. Although the Gravely is slower in ground speed, the instant fwd/rev and the 14 more inches of deck will do circles around the Wheel Horse.
The little Dodge pickup hasn't been out of its winter slumber yet. Since I'm not hauling the Wheel Horse I really don't need the Dodge anymore. The Gravely barely fits in the full sized pickup but that's how I haul it. Not worth hooking up the trailer.
Funny note:
I could mow the doctors yard with the WH and he never knew I was there - it is that quiet. Now with the Gravely, and its blades turning twice as fast, and 20+ more years of wear on the gears, EVERYONE in the neighborhood knows when I mow. The doctor comes out to chat so mowing takes quite a bit longer now.
;)
 
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