Fixing a bent mower deck WITHOUT a hammer

[@amathonn]

I had left a piece of 4x4 in tall grass next to a beehive and it did a number on my Snapper mower deck when i ran over it. Didn't have a fancy table like you but I used the same concept with a few well-placed pipe clamp squeezes. Came out great. Thanks for your inginuity!

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Sometimes all we need is that little spark to ignite the ideas.

[@creek2coastpestcontrol548]

I've been scratching my head for months trying to work out why my deck hasn't been cutting evenly. I've replaced a spindle, blades, levelled the deck and I never thought I might have damaged the deck at some point. Brilliant, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@amathonn]

Pretty slick! Necessity is the mother of invention.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Thank you!

[@Kit-qc8lt]

"No hammer needed" then uses elaborate table which requires buying and welding metal, then uses special tools..... ok

[@latouselatrec]

Well its obvious your not a pro

[@DelaneyStudios]

@@latouselatrec the point was everyone needs a doable solution, not a fancy solution they can replicate, so who is lacking understanding here. Y dont Mark Lewis try and fix the mower without the same equipment. His tools are not standard John Deere. Go figure. I'm glad he created a solution, now i have to think of a way to duplicate this. I only need a wooden table w/o a center so i can view the bottom. a work bench made of 2/6's 4 and a few post. etc.

[@latouselatrec]

@@DelaneyStudios well its obvious your not a pro

[@TheRedRaven_]

@@latouselatrec Well it's obvious you're* not a pro at basic grammar.

[@latouselatrec]

@@TheRedRaven_ you can always tell when people run out of intelligent things to say..they criticize your grammer

[@Mikael-jt1hk]

i could have hammered 8 decks straight in the time it took to watch this video

[@rickleger3528]

Thank you for that info, my son ran over his water meter box with my new 46 in cub cadet riding mower, it tore the center of the blade edge in two like a piece of paper and warped the deck, mower has 46 hrs on it And the blade had 2 hours on it, I hope the dealer uses your method to fix it otherwise I’m out $800 + for an new deck Thanks again

[@Rpotts1999]

I did it with a car jack lifting up on my truck

[@aaronj7327]

I was a John Deere tech for 10 years and fixed literally 1000's of decks with this issue. I just cut a length of I beam to fit under the deck and had two movable 1 inch circular plates to fit where the spindle holes are located. I would lay the deck on the i beam with the spindles removed and just hammered the bent spindle pockets flush with the plates on the I beam. Although this doesnt work with most AYP mower decks due to having a raised lip on the bottom of the pockets. Those decks i would pop the pulley off the spindle and tweak the deck with a large pipe over the spindle hub. On the shorter spindle hubs i made a shaft extension to be able to get leverage with the pipe.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

The John Deere decks bend easier than any other brands we've seen. Most people think that this only happens on the cheaper 100 series decks, but its common on all of them all the way up through their 700 series tractors. This has been an issue for since the early 2000's. We see broken spindle housings now and then on some AYP, Husqvarna, and MTD decks when someone really hits something, but usually on those the deck doesn't bend and all you need to d is replace the spindle bearing housing to fix it.

[@aaronj7327]

That’s very true unfortunately.

[@moneymikegotuvideos312]

Watch 1.25x speed much more bearable

[@serge4856]

2.0x for me

[@cslloyd1]

2x here and still dragging

[@genesloan3175]

Table side rail was bending, but that is a fantastic method to do the aligning.

[@HHTTRRNN]

A 5-6 foot pipe with a diameter large enough to fit over the spindle OD can be used as a lever to bend the sheet metal and straighten the spindle parallel to the other spindle.

[@RyanGessner123]

Neat idea. How do you attach the pipe to the deck?

[@cb7pwn]

thank you john deere, for making a 6 000$ lawn tractor, that bends out of shape for no reason and cuts like shit after only a few years...you'd think that when you drop a few THOUSAND $$ on a mower that you'd get something that could handle a bit of uneven terrain not to mention steel that isnt made of cheese wiz ...anyways GREAT VIDEO, thank you

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Yeah I could never understand why they didn't make a version of the 7 Iron deck for on the X500 series and up tractors. Or at least use larger spindle housings and reinforce the decks a bit more.

[@lindabalk7806]

I am in the middle of finding a z to replace a john deere mower that had to have expensive repairs after the 2 year warrantee expired. I am in the process of shopping for another make and model and will not put another dime into this piece of junk from John Deere. It is disgusting to deal with the dealership. It has had to be repaired again by another repair company this year. I consider the company to be putting out junk for high prices, with staff who are unconscious, mean, and have no consideration for the people who buy their junk.

[@johnh5913]

Never leave the deck dirty after completing the work or better yet, CLEAN before you start.

[@michaelwilliams4768]

Each time you checked for movement your cameraman should have focused on the deck below to see what is happening! Just an idea!

[@RyanKudasik]

That was the worst place to put the camera. Couldn't see what you were doing.

[@ricklane8342]

Was dying to look from that discharge end straight across both blades because I'm a carpenter mechanic LOL

[@randompowerequipment6201]

GOOD AS NEW!! Customers are always thrilled to save money by not having to buy a new deck!

[@walterbartels3994]

Just plain Brilliant. You have saved me a lot of time and money, not to mention the easy way to fix my problem. Thank you.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

If you build something like this and people find out that you have it, you will be able to do a LOT of business!

[@rhyoliteaquacade]

You can use a bottle jack and the metal frame of a heavy truck to do this "at home". Rest on some 4x4's so you can see below. I have an LT2000 with one bogey wheel toed way out. I need to bend it back with some all thread to the center mount to pull it back in alignment. I will also be checking the new blades for alignment given the abuse it has been seeing.

[@shobud7561]

Good idea on the table configuration. Also, using the hydraulics, there's no noise ! Great job...

[@melliehiram]

That was really good, but I wish your camera man would have moved around and showed where you were applying pressure from the top. It would have been helpful. Anyway, thank you.

[@gregfisher216]

Great video ,finally somebody address's the fact that your deck might be bent ! I would surmise for the DYI home owner a good 3# hammer and some patience might do . I saw in the comments what you charged for the repair and people need to understand ,you run a business and this is at least a 2 hour job or longer and in business you make profit or you go out of business! As far as cleaning the bottom of the deck ,that would be nice but at the end of the day the owner should do that and maybe not cut wet grass all the time !

[@richprich]

My neighbor's zero turn got something bent left side. Slightly blade was hitting. I had to take the deck off and hit it 3 times with a sledge hammer. I was able to test the blade that it didn't make contact. It was a easy fix

[@johnkennedy528]

Thank you for your excellent demonstration!

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rudedawg5087]

Great video. I have the same 42" deck & same problem. I wish my deck was in your shop being repaired but you're a long way from MS - lol.Thanks again for the video, RP.

[@Freemanpressx]

I don’t have a setup like that, but I do have bottle jacks. I think that I can make this happen. Thanks!

[@SouthernMaineRemodel]

I thought of this method but didn't have the set up ...I would make one observation ,,,,,it isn't the whole deck that is bent its just the reinforced pocketed area that the 4 bolt spindle is attached to that has deformed as evidenced by the cracked paint as such three 4x4's are needed to take the jacking load properly ...one near each end and one across the spindle,,, this should greatly enhance the jacks ability to quickly get things back where you want them and take away a lot of that deck flexing that is still running you around some ,,,,just a thought

[@nottabidenfan660]

I bet that's EXACTLY what's wrong with mine! - PSI All tires - 2 Idler pulleys - new blades - Leveled deck And STILL leaving high rows!

[@lomgshorts3]

You don't have to think to hard that the decks of ALL rider mowers we spend thousands on are stamped on too thin metals and not supported sufficiently. I had an old Gravely stand behind mower that I bought third hand that lasted me 20 years before rust finally claimed the deck. I bought a 42" Yardman by MTD new in 2007 for $1600 and had the deck warp in the very first year I used it. My yard was flat as a pancake, no rocks or exposed roots, yet it warped somehow. I took a hydraulic press and unwarped it, welded some supports along the front of the deck and have had no problems since. The MTD looks brand new still cause it gets a bath after every use and tthree times a season, full maintenance, same as I did the Gravely. Most mowers fail because the owners do very little maintenance after mowing their yard, but the manufacturer is most of the blame, too.

[@rhyoliteaquacade]

I think the way the belts work and leverage the spindles, tends to force the tips of the blades from each other. All it takes is to jam up on a big branch in the middle to finish it off. MTD has dozens of deck versions all incompatible parts. It would be simple to make one 42 inch deck design that is standard and make it as beefy as hell.

[@williammurray7499]

I weld rebar around edge (clamp and weld ) checking clearances

[@rollingrecords9019]

Genius, I’m gonna use my hydraulic jack against something this is perfect 👍

[@corygriffiths4394]

A large 48 inch pipe wrench or even a 36 inch pipe wrench will bend a deck back in place I had to do that a long time ago because I had accidentally hit a tree root and it bent the edge of the deck.

[@Yhrim70]

for a mower shop, the $$$ for a porta power would be good investment. but for most home owners, not going to have these tools. yeah, as others have said, might be able to get a jack and make it work. But a hammer, a large steel bar, and a bit of time works good too. I am rebuilding a 3 blade mower deck right now. I might have to try the jack idea, but have to figure out what I can put the jack under that is heavy (or strong) enough to only push down on the mower deck. really don't want to have to weld up a support table like that just for one job.

[@ronstrong9560]

I know this was 3 years ago, but I could not tell where the port-a-power was attached, or what it moved. One of my blades is hitting the thin spot near the side opening (chute). I need to lower that thin area. (Ron from Connecticut).

[@driverjamescopeland]

This will get them cutting even and keep from streaking the center... but how does it solve fore/aft tilt of the spindle axis? It doesn't look like you can fit the deck in there, facing the other direction.

[@richardkenworthy9312]

Thanks, it says 4.6 quarts but to get the oil ti the top notch on the dipstick I had to put the full 5 quarts, is this normal ?

[@watsjd1]

Could you just run a straight edge over the two pulleys to see which one is out of kilter? Or a short bubble level on each pulley?

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Yes, you could give that a shot. That would work better for side to side, but be a little tougher to tell is the deck is bent towards the front or back.

[@watsjd1]

Thanks for the reply. I'll let you know how it worked out.

[@avenqer]

I have blades that are colliding... Spindle or Deck? People were lifting the lawn tractor from the mower deck to get it on to a pick up. Mowed and was uneven. Put on new blades and crash/clang with small chunks from end of blades gone. Definitely uneven.

[@avenqer]

Damn it, I bet its deck... *Grabs 3# sledge*....

[@EshlemaniaTV]

You are probably correct that it is the deck that is bent. If the blades were bent they would be shorter and less likely to hit each other.

[@urieldelatorre2098]

My mower had this and we beat the deck with a hammer and evened it up with a

[@avenqer]

@@urieldelatorre2098 Ya thats what I did, took out the spindle and smashed it with a sledge until it was level again.

[@danielebrparish4271]

The table is bending more than the deck. It's a great setup and much easier and safer than the good old beat down method so I would make a sturdier table or beef up the sides of this one with a few more plates of 1/4 steel. It looks like the table is made with tubular steel instead of plate or angle iron which I think would be stronger.

[@kev5162]

My blades line up perfectly like when you finished, they are new, they mark on the same line every time on the edges, I’ve leveled my deck, spindles don’t seem to need changed since there is no play in the rotation…. It is still leaving a ridge on the right side edge when I cut the pass next to it….🤷🏻‍♂️

[@kev5162]

And I have the same deck in the video…Cub Cadet 2146

[@michaelostrom-xm4zy]

Way over the top IMHO. Special tools, custom built steel stand. This isn’t easily replicated without spending hundreds of dollars and time. It took me less than a minute to hammer mine top deck back into spec

[@tblake3286]

I would have used a straight edge on top of the sheaves. That will tell you if they are out of spec with each other.

[@keanulance9566]

you probably dont give a shit but if you're stoned like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all the new series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my brother for the last weeks :)

[@edenlevi8494]

@Keanu Lance Yup, I have been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :D

[@markwenzel810]

Didn't mention that bent up rub plate on bottom of deck.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

That part is an easy fix with a hammer. Or at worst unbolting it and flattening it out in a vise.

[@EFFTrudeau-001]

I looked and can't find the video you state about leveling a mower deck. Can you link it?

[@Anonymous-it5jw]

Great idea and implementation.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Thanks! Work smarter, not harder

[@Duece66]

Wish you would of showed what you were putting the porta power on? Like what spot? We're you on the spindle?

[@EshlemaniaTV]

No, on the deck shell. Each deck bends in a different spot so you have to figure out where it bent and push on that part of the deck.

[@dandydonslife9869]

Really cool idea, thanks for sharing

[@SuperHerefords]

Curious. How much tonnage does a Porta-Power need to be to straighten say a 10 ga. deck, I think it's 10 ga.. We have a JD 54C deck that hit something and the left side blade is about 1/2" lower than the center blade when you spin it and they meet, both blade tips. I put another set of blades on it that I knew weren't bent just to see what was going on. Thinking about getting 2 pieces of steel channel and some threaded rod and making something similar to what you have but just for hopefully for a one time use. A new deck shell is over $1000. May try to get by with a short bottle jack. Thanks for the video.

[@conniejbaker]

Great Discovery, But We Can't See The Technique. Please repeat with better camera VEIWS!

[@ILOVEYESHUA1ST]

Would this also cause my deck belts to keep breaking as the pulleys would be out of sink?

[@NicoleZ1494]

How did the deck get the way it is now

[@sidallen685]

Hi I have a JD 54” Edge Deck that is bent, do most JD dealers offer deck straightening service?

[@DirtyBuffaloProductions]

Looks like a case of "Work smarter, not harder". LOL

[@thebigbient8736]

Ran over a garden hose and the engine stalled. Mower deck Doesnt sound right now, would this be a bent deck?

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Hard to say. Could be a bent blade of a bent baffle.

[@user-ny7tc2vl5f]

I think it's better off just to use it with the jacked until you can't anymore and then just buy a new deck. This method or hammering it is only good if you never hit anything again, which is almost guaranteed to happen and it will just throw it back off again and again.

[@johnelooby]

Question.. I have a 42 inch x345r John deere zero turn.. most of the time when I am mowing, my right front tire is barely touching the ground, and sometimes it's not touching at all.. makes it hard to steer.. wondering if it's possible that it's because my deck might be bent?

[@riceski]

Your frame is bent or something like that. Can't figure how the frame got bent but it must be bent in my experience that's it.

[@cwotats]

I like your video BUT a recent video I watched convinced me that the blades need to be TIMED on this mower with this deck. the blades are NOT supposed to be opposite each other (although they should be evenly matched) but 90 degrees apart. notice the arrows on the top of the drive and driven spindles. a little research will show which way they should face. just my $0.02 !

[@EshlemaniaTV]

This is just a standard deck. It is not a timed mulching deck.

[@nathanf1245]

the porta power works wonders but if you wanted to get the deck back to the way it should have been you needed to heat the metal up when you had the blades flush and let it cool there's some things that a good smack with a hammer will fix better than just trying to gently bend it back into place

[@hiscifi2986]

No totally wrong from an engineering point of view. Mild steel does not require heat for it to bend, just enough force to exceed the elastic yield point. .. How do you think car roofs are built... They just hit a flat sheet of metal with a big press, and out it pops all bent to the correct shape... No heat needed.

[@Trump985]

I love how people say it hit something. How about just normal mowing? These “residential grade” mowers are complete garbage and can’t even mow normal stuff without these decks bending, spindles breaking, ect. They are only good for cutting frequently mowed golf course quality grass. As soon as you get into normal stuff like brush and tall weeds these POS mowers bend and break. You have to spend a small fortune for a commercial grade mower or deal with this crap every singe time you use it🤬🤬🤬

[@marshallborder9089]

Great informative video , Thanks Smart !

[@politicaljabo]

I’m fixing the exact problem tomorrow

[@randyreader4520]

You couldnt tell what was bent cause of the new blades,i could clearly see damage on area around left spindle mount,,bent badly upward for sure

[@GeorgeMcIntyre-o9i]

Well that is not my problem my problem is on my is higher than the other how do I get a level Alice chalmer 611 and I cannot get the mower deck p how do I fix

[@WILSON.1]

I wonder if this was cheaper for the customer than buying a new deck directly from Cub Cadet. New deck is slightly less than $300 I believe.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Yes it was under $300 and that included sharpening blades, fixing bent front baffle, and installing it on the tractor.

[@rudedawg5087]

Try over $400.00 + shipping for a series 2000 42" deck to fit a Cub Cadet 2166; the porta power ram is

[@jasont1917]

My 44 inch 2006 deck is 900$ it's a qrt inch off. Warped my spindle spacer bearing and bent my deck. I wouldn't mind spending 300 to get mine fixed.

[@rcknason]

WILSON! 750.00 new john deere deck

[@davidjessee7701]

My three blade mower is needing the same thing

[@garyjenkins6629]

Some decks are poor quality to start with. I reinforced my Murray deck by wrapping a piece of steel around it and bolting it down. Thus making the deck strong.

[@jackmann7317]

Camera needs to be closer to see what he is really doing. Who has one of those in their garage?

[@Danny_Wolfe]

Please tell us where you are located...if close enough i want to bring my deck to you!

[@altonrowell613]

Ok thanks for the information.

[@JoeMalovich]

Are you near northwest PA? I have a 60" deck that was bent in along the front edge that I need to get straightened.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Sorry Joe, but this was at a dealership that closed down about 2 months ago.

[@srvafool]

John Deere dealer. I like you already.

[@danhal9966]

That helped me a lot,thanks!

[@armyblouvet54]

Where are you actually pushing on? The spindle arms?

[@EshlemaniaTV]

No, on the deck shell

[@pmini5570]

I have a brand new Husquarna ride-on lawn tractor with three blades that mowes unevenly.

[@kenv9962]

Where is your shop. I need your expertise on my deck!

[@Danny_Wolfe]

i need to know where this shop is as well...can you please share this info?

[@scottc0510]

Just one question... How did you determine exactly where to place the ram?

[@EshlemaniaTV]

After you do a few you usually get a pretty good idea of how to find the hump or bend that needs to be pushed back out.

[@Cajun0ne]

Find the high spot and that's it.

[@frankgreen3229]

How much did that cost the customer

[@EshlemaniaTV]

About $65

[@TonyMontana-tm7ul]

So what the hell did you do?

[@cindycalabrese4225]

Where do you get reinforcement bar to attach to the area on the mower deck edge that is broken,rusted and bent? I notice there are holes all around the rim for possibly attaching something like this.

[@johnwalters7415]

Do John deer decks give a lot of trouble

[@blueovalfan23]

I can't speak for him or shops at all but my john deere deck gave me hell. It's old, thinking late 80s/early 90s. Used, abused and retired on a farm. My uncle got it, ended up giving it to me. I guess he thought it wasn't worth fixing. Deck had pitted rust, rotted out 1/2 around the spindle, every bearing was toast, had crackes around the brackets, rust seized everything... It was a nightmare. I bought a welder and learned a skill, kinda. Put all new bearings in, shaped the blunted blades up and slapped some new wheels on the deck. It ain't perfect, bent a bit. It mowes though and you have o look hard for the uneven part. I'm calling it good enough. If you have and old 38" 185 hydro, the spindle bearings are easy but there a snap ring holding the lower bearing in. Mine was rusted so bad i couldn't see the snap ring. The spindle threads are very easy to mess up. Use brass to knock out the shafts. The doudle pully is a press in deal. It was a pain to remove, broke the race and damaged the pully knocking it out pain. I used liquid nitrogen at work and couldn't drive it in either. The 20ton press done it without issue. Probably a machine shop thing if you haven't those options. It runs quiet now. Also I lied, the idler I drilled apart, popped the seal and e greased the bearings. Welding isn't my thing but I bubble gummed the rot and cracks. It seems fine not. I also wire brush the rust and painted it. It was a pain in the but but 20 minutes to cut the grass was worth it. Also grease is important on the front end, mine was stiff, zerk was bad. I took the front spindles out the other day and one got stuck so bad that I couldn't drive it out with an air hammer or 4lb sledge. Broke a jawed puller on it to. I ended up welding a 5/8 nut on it and pushing it out with a bolt and some 1/4 nuts/bolts spacers. Had to sand it to get it back in. It was all my little 3/8 impact could handle to and it'll zap off lugnuts usually.

[@trentfrith8094]

Using a hammer is like a skilled tradesman doing panel beating not a machine

[@damianmlamb]

Use rock! Tie to stick, bam bam... Me make hammer

[@TonyMontana-tm7ul]

You didn't want to show us how to use the red machine

[@ussweeneyd]

You never mentioned the turret mounts! My main issues come from them being bent, not the whole deck. Just reset the bends in the turret mounts and alls well. Not table or hydraulics needed.

[@JohnSmith-kz1ll]

😂I just spent 2hrs with a hammer getting mine perfect soft hits but it took a long time

[@timothyallen6207]

Good idea!, Constantly fixing decks...Commercial operator.. Sledge and Block expert lol ..... A press table!! Duh.... Great idea!! and thanks for posting!!!

[@lomgshorts3]

Not everyone has a hydraulic ram and table to unwarp their deck. Also, why not clean and paint the bottom of the deck as a courtesy to the owner? He might be so inclined to come to you for further business. Good way to increase profit in the future, eh?

[@djmedia5229]

Had my deck fixed by these guys. It saved me a few $100's since everyone else said i would need a new deck shell. That alone is enough to make anyone want to come back.

[@Orefamilylawncare]

Because time is money. No reason to detail the bottom of the deck. He fixed the issue at hand.

[@greenmarine5]

those LT series cub cadet decks go threw belts like mad, very poor design with the pully system from MTD

[@jeffreylear7594]

Why not use shims on the Spindle??? I'm dealing with this right now (7-31-17)... [e-mail]

[@EshlemaniaTV]

Next guy that works on this deck probably won't realize there are shims in there and then they will have to figure it all out. Just not really worth the time to unbolt the spindle housing, put shims in, remove to add/replace shims, and repeat. We used to have about 4 bent John Deere decks a week so this was just a big time save for us and the customer.

[@jeffreylear7594]

I don't have all the equipment (press) to bend the mower deck or the money to have it professionally done (wish I did!!!). I hit an Oak tree's exposed root and it bent about 6" of the blade tip 90 degrees! (That's amazing, What force!!!) I've had lots of work done on my 2009 JD LA125... I have 3.5 acres and lots of Oak trees here in NE Florida. Thanks for taking the time to post this "How-to" and reply.

[@EshlemaniaTV]

If you have that many acres to mow and a lot of trees maybe you should consider upgrading to a zero turn. Just a suggestion since the deck is damaged on your tractor and being 8 years old there probably isn't too many seasons left in the trans unless it was already replaced.

[@latouselatrec]

@@EshlemaniaTV kk on

[@quercus4730]

Press. Slow hammer.

[@JDA-88]

Sold my cub cadet to purchase the tools to fix the deck. Problem solved 5/5stars

[@michaelrickman3161]

I want to buy a table like this, or get the materials to build one (then pay for the person welding it) I tried listing a wanted ad on FB marketplace, but the algorhythm keeps banning it due to me not SELLING ANYTHING. My finances are limited due to paying out my meager fixed income every month, but I CAN make payments.

[@frankp7411]

here watch me use specialized equipment that you'll never own.

[@earthn1447]

In place of a hammer - welded steel table and $200 power

[@EshlemaniaTV]

It was a worthwhile investment when we were fixing bent mower decks a few times a week. Made it easier to get the blades lined back up and the deck mowing level again.

[@brandonmurphy8837]

Cub cadent

[@marylynn6928]

Wouldn't hurt to clean the bottom of the deck with a power washer.

[@williamnewsome5169]

From the looks of it, deck has much more going on with it than just being bent! Cannot fix the rust-weakened stress points or the metal fatigue from all the obvious abuse. From a safety standpoint, buy a good used deck from the lawn mower salvage yard. Cannot believe someone would allow their deck to get in that bad of shape to begin with. Do not want to EVEN think about the condition of the engine or transmission - Oh my!

[@exploreworldbirds]

Turn your air conditioner off so we can hear you

[@exploreworldbirds]

Your air conditioner is tremendously noisy and bothersome

[@chuck7879]

Give me back my time............. sure let me just make a table and go buy your tools.........

[@samkitty5894]

Cheap Chinese made mowers. Disposable...