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Getting fed up with this 314

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mopar4u

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
Deere 314 with 46" 3 blade deck. Since I obtained this machine a year ago it has always left 2 strips of uncut grass mostly in the corners when I turn. Occasionally I'll find dandelions untouched!!

It has brand new never used until today gator blades. I've leveled the deck with the Deere deck leveling tool making sure the front was a tad lower in the front. I cleaned all the crud/buildup under the deck before today's mow. The spindles felt smooth with no slop, 1 of the 3 is brand new because I snapped a blade bolt inside of it. All tires are set to the recommended pressure. I'm cutting at full throttle at a very slow pace. I'm cutting grass to about 1 3/4". Grass is dry.

Yeah I can go back over or do more overlap when mowing but this seems to defeat the purpose of having a 46" deck. I'm frustrated as all heck and am ready to get rid of this thing. I had a rear engine snapper that cut beautiful before my 314, starting to wish I had it back. Please help.
 
#2 ·
I have a 316 with (I think( the same deck as you...
I too get stripes especially when turning. I also installed Gator's and they do help...but overall I am pretty bummed about the quality of cut I get with the 46.
Before this I had a GT275 with 44" Piranha deck and it was AWESOME.

I hear the 50" deck that fits this series does a better job, but while I love this tractor, I think the 46" deck does a pretty sub-par job of cutting. Ii I had never owned the Piranha I probably would not notice nearly as much!
 
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#3 ·
Sory to hear about your problem, but maybe its something simple. Not to be rude, but are you sure its a 46" and not a 48" If it was that would cause wide missed strips. I don't know the 46" deck but this is probably a sign that the blades aren't overlapping enough, meaning that they are ofset poorly.

Might be a design flaw, or you just have a 48" and the P.O. thought it was a 46"

sorry I don't know more.
 
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#6 ·
I would pull the deck flip it over and do some measuring of the blades and clearances. I would also talk to a dealer who is familiar with that type of deck. Maybe even have them look at it to see if everything is there and in the correct place. Have you checked your tire pressures? Any of the lift arms bent? Does your deck seem to lift on the sides when you turn ? slkpk
 
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#8 ·
I would get it straight, and measure blade tip to blade tip on the outside blades. then turn the middle blade and each outside blade so that they are lined up, and measure the distance between them. On most decks it is less than 1/2" and more than 3/32" or so. If the clearance there and around rim of the deck is somewhat wide, I would try finding blades that close the gap, but there needs to be about 3/16" between the deck and the blades, and as stated before between the blades.
 
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#10 ·
The deck wheels should be about 1/2" above the ground at mowing height and should only contact the ground on uneven sections. That is a 46" deck and they are a VERY shallow deck, your complaint is as old as those decks are and I have never seen a justifiable fix for them. I too do not like the 46" decks and usually will not buy a tractor because of it. I can say first hand the 48 and 50 are both HUGE improvements over that deck, mostly due to their depth, the 50 being the best in my opinion.

Dan
 
#12 ·
My 46 inch deck was a great deck, except hard right and left turns did leave the uncut swath. So I learned to cut the yard without having to do them. Then I had no problem. My 48 inch deck doesn't have that problem. Also the 38 inch deck did not have the problem either!
 
#13 ·
PA318Guy said:
My 46 inch deck was a great deck, except hard right and left turns did leave the uncut swath. So I learned to cut the yard without having to do them. Then I had no problem. My 48 inch deck doesn't have that problem. Also the 38 inch deck did not have the problem either!
Click to expand...
I agree with PA Guy on this issue.. I sold my 314 last season.. (I niss that reock solid hydro at times but not the deck and hard steering) :goodl:
 
#15 ·
mopar4u, I wish I could tell you that it would, but I had my 46 inch deck for about a decade on a JD 212 and it would do it at any height I cut. I have one spot in my front yard that when I followed a particular pattern it'd do that. So when I did that pattern I'd just go back at the end and line up on the missed patches and pull a Seal Team 6 on them (take them out!).
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
eddyyy302 said:
People have made speedup pulleys for these decks, they haven't seemed to help. Please revert to my previous statement. "Your complaint is as old as the 46" deck, I have never heard a good solution to the problem."

Dan
Click to expand...

I believe ya but I'm not seeing these complaints all over the internet. Maybe I'm too picky.

So is the issue not much vaccum to pull the grass up (possibly where the tire rides)? How about high lift blades? Or blocking the chute? I'd even be happy if anything improved the problem, not necessarily solved the problem.
 
#20 ·
A deep deck makes more vacuum, thus pulling the grass up and holding it more easily. The way the 46 was constructed it is difficult to lift the grass when going in a line, moving over the lawn at an angle causes the problem. It is the exact problem wheel horse had for years and years, but theirs was a combination of semi shallow deck and low blade tip speed. I would guess that they bagging blades would be the best alternative.

Dan
 
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mopar4u
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