Terry Coombs wrote:
Steve W. wrote:
Terry Coombs wrote:
It's a JD model 317 of 1982 vintage - one of the last ones before
they changed to the pressure lubed motor . The deck is a 46" three
blade with hydraulic lift . This unit has a height control on the
floor in front of the seat , and now I'm confused again . Which do I
use to set cut height ? Does it matter what kind of terrain I'm
cutting ? Set it with the knob , and let the wheels raise the deck
as necessary to prevent scalping ?
http://public.fotki.com/blazbk/john-...eere-317-oper/
http://public.fotki.com/blazbk/john-...eere-317-hydr/
grab them before deere kills them...
If the deck has front wheels like
http://www.garden-tractor-info.com/w...john-deere.jpg
it's a terrain following deck. Those you set the height with the
wheels and the deck follows the ground. You just set the height
adjuster on the tractor to the lowest setting.
If the deck looks like this style
http://www.mytractorforum.com/attach...5&d=1336672145
with no front wheels it's NOT a terrain following deck. These you need
to set up and level under the tractor. Then you set the cutting height
with the adjuster on the tractor. The tractor then carries the deck.
Mine looks more like the first one , with wheels front and rear . The
adjustment mechanism is different though , it uses a pin-in-hole arrangement
. I've already bookmarked links to both the mower and deck manuals , see no
(easy) way to actually download them, to my comp though . Those manuals have
been up since 2009 , I'd think if JD was going to kill them it would have
happened by now ...
The only reason they are still up is probably because it's pictures and
not a single file.
They went after a few other sites with lawyers. Told them to take the
manuals off line or else.
The only problem I see with letting the tractor carry the deck is that it
can then cut taller where the ground dips . I don't think that will be a
problem with the rough cutting I have planned though . Good to know I can
run it either way , I did get the adjuster on the tractor freed up yesterday
.
So many people have contributed information , my thanks to all !
--
Steve W.