King Kutter Bush Hog leveling?

Bud in FLA · Jun 5, 2016

I picked up a "new to me" 5 ft King Kutter bush hog a couple of weeks ago for $300. At that price, you can guess it's a long way from new. I noticed the cut isn't level so I parked it on my shop floor to look under it (after it'd stopped). The right side cuts about 2" lower than the left side. The shaft appears to be straight with no wobble showing. The bearings seem to be tight - no slop when I tried to move it sideways. The bush hog is pretty beat up and it looks like the deck may be a little bent where the gear box mounts to it.

Anyone got any good reasons why I can't just shim the gear box back to level with some washers rather than rebuild the deck? Thanks for any info!

Hayfarmer · Jun 5, 2016

can you level it out with 3 point arn adjustment?

charlie n · Jun 5, 2016

Without seeing it I would say

1 Roll the top link in to get the deck on the ground and off the tail wheel

2 Level the lift arms with the crank.

3 If it's that bent find another one.

Good Luck

Bud in FLA · Jun 5, 2016

I thought of that but I'd rather fix it so I don't have to re-level it every time, crawling under and measuring blade clearance. The rest of my toys like the box blade, scraper blade, finish mower, etc still need to run level, too. It'd be less work in the long run to just fix the bush hog.....

(Ain't gonna do like an "ingeneer" I worked with....the boy was educated beyond his intelligence! His PTO went out so instead of fixing the PTO he replaced the gear box with a 20 HP Kohler engine he had laying around. His neighbor said it sounded like Airwolf coming in.)

Bud in FLA · Jun 5, 2016

Lift arms are OK - everything else is nice and level. The *deck* on this mower is level but the gear box is slightly tilted to the right. No idea what they hit with it - even less HOW they did that but the gear box mount on the deck has a slight bend - maybe they dropped the whole deck somehow.

TomH in PA · Jun 6, 2016

Shimming should work. Although I kind of agree with the others, measure it once and remember how many turns the leveling arm needs.

Tx Jim · Jun 6, 2016

(quoted from post at 15:38:23 06/05/16) can you level it out with 3 point arn adjustment?

DITTO adjust 3 pt draft arms to compensate for bent deck at gearbox attachment IE no shims required to level cutting height.

Ultradog MN · Jun 6, 2016

I bought a KK rotary mower new and worked it hard for a few years. When I got a bigger tractor I sold it.
It was a good mower.
But it wasn't a Bush Hog? by any means.
Not even close.

Bud in FLA · Jun 6, 2016

Thanks for the info!

Angle Iron · Jun 6, 2016

If your going to the trouble of unbolting the gearbox why not remove it heat and straighten the deck? May need to rig a hyd jack in to a press type situation with channel and threaded rod. I would be concerned about breaking the gearbox by using shims and applying uneven pressure to the mounts. Last but not least it's yours to fix the best way for you.

Bud in FLA · Jun 6, 2016

That will probably be the plan - fix it right so I don't have to change everything every time I change implements. Good suggestion on straightening the bend, too.
I was a millwright/ pipe welder years ago. My rosebud hasn't been used in a while. It needs some gas run through to clean it out. Hope the hydraulic rams and a 4" I beam chained to the frame will straighten it.

Thanks for all the input, Guys!

GordoSD · Jun 8, 2016

Raise the right side 1 inches with the right draft arm, lower the left an inch.

King Kutter Bush Hog leveling?

Bud in FLA

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Hayfarmer

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charlie n

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Bud in FLA

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Bud in FLA

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TomH in PA

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Tx Jim

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Ultradog MN

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Bud in FLA

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Angle Iron

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Bud in FLA

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