1200 Mowing Speed - Page 4

ccannon222 · #31 06-25-2014, 10:15 AM

I'll lend my 2 cents. I have a 126 with a 42" deck and located in VA. If my grass had any height or thickness I could not get a good cut in first gear and the deck would stop up.

I tried raising the deck and cutting twice, didn't really help. I had to cut half widths and mixed results. Making sure the blades are sharp and deck adjusted correctly helped but didn't completely solve the problem.

I ended up installing a creeper gear which helped a lot. Third gear creeper low worked well. Occasionally 2nd gear creeper low was needed. The creeper also allowed my to use our snow blower which was a nice bonus.

Word of caution, shifting is difficult. You will need to shift the creeper into neutral in order to change gears. My yard requires a lot for backing up so I have to shift the creeper a lot.

Now I only use my 126 for rough cutting along the road and I use my 782 with 44C for my yard. Hydro helped with speed and the 44C doesn't stop up as much.

I also have a 46GT deck I use with a bagger for leaf removal in the fall. That deck cuts great! Only down side is it is noisier than the 44C and takes more fuel to run.

Chris

darkminion_17 · #32 06-25-2014, 10:37 AM

You should not have to do that.there is no neutral on a creeper and will damage it eventually using it that way. If you have an issue shifting using the gear shifter your clutch adjustment needs to be checked.RTFM it is in there on how to use a creeper.

My 86 has a creeper and I mowed with it yesterday using the creeper in high spots and I did not have to shift the way you described in your post.

sawdustdad · #33 06-25-2014, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olds45512

A larger pulley on the deck would make it slower, you must have went from 5" to 4"

Yes, of course, you're correct. Reduced the pulley size. Duh!

IH Cub Cadet · #34 06-25-2014, 01:21 PM

I've got a 126 with a 48 inch deck and while it does a great job mowing, the gear ratios in the tranny are not that great IMHO. Keep in mind that I live in VA where there are lots of hills, so it's not dead flat like other places where one probably could run really fast.

1st gear is to slow for mowing, it is to fast for close trimming and 2nd gear, while again I get a great cut and FAST, is really to fast for my bumpy, hilly and obsticle filled yard. 1st gear is 2.3 mph, 2nd gear is 3.9 mph.

For a comparison, I've got a Wheelhorse gear drive garden tractor and 1st gear is 2.0 mph and 2nd gear is 3.2 mph. 2nd gear is very comfortable and controllable for mowing and 1st gear is nice for trimming. This tractor has a low range and where I use it, as I would an IH creeper, is when I am pulling against a building or somewhere where if the clutch slips, I've got dented sheet metal or I'm going over the hood. Remember - there are no trip springs on a mower deck!

I have considered getting a 1x8 Cub Cadet as the 2nd gear speed is 3.5 mph and I seem to recall that the 582 Cub Cadets (maybe the CCC ones) have a 3.3 mph speed.

I can see, back in the day, that if one were buying a new IHCC and they test drove a gear drive model like the 126, they might move over to a hydro just to slow things down from 2nd gear or speed things up from 1st gear and hey - every hydro has a creeper built-in!

That's my story and I"m stickin' to it!!!!!

Bill

dvogtvpe · #35 06-25-2014, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeave96

I've got a 126 with a 48 inch deck and while it does a great job mowing, the gear ratios in the tranny are not that great IMHO. Keep in mind that I live in VA where there are lots of hills, so it's not dead flat like other places where one probably could run really fast.

1st gear is to slow for mowing, it is to fast for close trimming and 2nd gear, while again I get a great cut and FAST, is really to fast for my bumpy, hilly and obsticle filled yard. 1st gear is 2.3 mph, 2nd gear is 3.9 mph.

For a comparison, I've got a Wheelhorse gear drive garden tractor and 1st gear is 2.0 mph and 2nd gear is 3.2 mph. 2nd gear is very comfortable and controllable for mowing and 1st gear is nice for trimming. This tractor has a low range and where I use it, as I would an IH creeper, is when I am pulling against a building or somewhere where if the clutch slips, I've got dented sheet metal or I'm going over the hood. Remember - there are no trip springs on a mower deck!

I have considered getting a 1x8 Cub Cadet as the 2nd gear speed is 3.5 mph and I seem to recall that the 582 Cub Cadets (maybe the CCC ones) have a 3.3 mph speed.

I can see, back in the day, that if one were buying a new IHCC and they test drove a gear drive model like the 126, they might move over to a hydro just to slow things down from 2nd gear or speed things up from 1st gear and hey - every hydro has a creeper built-in!

That's my story and I"m stickin' to it!!!!!

Bill

your 126 has a 19t 2nd gear, the 1x8 has a 19t second. so they will be the same ground speed since they have the same size tire and the engines turn the same rpm. the 582 is slower. it has a 17t second. early 70/100 models had a 16t second. they are interchangeable from one trans to another

db4570 · #36 06-25-2014, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeave96

1st gear is to slow for mowing, it is to fast for close trimming and 2nd gear, while again I get a great cut and FAST, is really to fast for my bumpy, hilly and obsticle filled yard. 1st gear is 2.3 mph, 2nd gear is 3.9 mph.

For a comparison, I've got a Wheelhorse gear drive garden tractor and 1st gear is 2.0 mph and 2nd gear is 3.2 mph. 2nd gear is very comfortable and controllable for mowing and 1st gear is nice for trimming.

Bill

Sounds like my situation exactly.

This replacement reduction gear I mentioned also sounds like it would solve your problem, and for only $120. It would lower 1st gear speed to 1.8 mph, and 2nd gear to 3.1 mph, essentially the same as your Wheelhorse.

David

IH Cub Cadet · #37 06-25-2014, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvogtvpe

your 126 has a 19t 2nd gear, the 1x8 has a 19t second. so they will be the same ground speed since they have the same size tire and the engines turn the same rpm. the 582 is slower. it has a 17t second. early 70/100 models had a 16t second. they are interchangeable from one trans to another

Are you sure? I got my mph info from the IH operators manuals and a quick look see at the tranny diagram on parts tree shows a 17 tooth 2nd gear for a 128. I'm thinking the gear drive 1000 and 1200 models were 17 tooth too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by db4570

Sounds like my situation exactly.

This replacement reduction gear I mentioned also sounds like it would solve your problem, and for only $120. It would lower 1st gear speed to 1.8 mph, and 2nd gear to 3.1 mph, essentially the same as your Wheelhorse.

David

David - interesting approach, thanks!

Texas Blues · #38 06-25-2014, 08:03 PM

I just went and looked at, and measured the drive pulleys on my rotted out 50C deck. They measure about 4 3/4 across. The pulleys on the 1200 are an even 5. The pulley on the 50c deck does not look original, like it had been replaced in the past, but before I got it. Might be worth messing with. I need to replace those butter knifes on the 1200 anyway. Its been raining for 3 days now, might not get to that for a few days, But I'll let ya'll know if it works. Thanks, TB

dvogtvpe · #39 06-25-2014, 08:52 PM

[QUOTE=leeave96;269739]Are you sure? I got my mph info from the IH operators manuals and a quick look see at the tranny diagram on parts tree shows a 17 tooth 2nd gear for a 128. I'm thinking the gear drive 1000 and 1200 models were 17 tooth too.

every 108/128 I've ever taken apart had a 19t. I've taken allot of them apart to put 16 or 17 tooth sets in them. even the IH manual I have shows a 17. I always suspected something was messed up during a printing. 582, 1000 & 1200's also had 17t

zippy1 · #40 06-26-2014, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkminion_17

You should not have to do that.there is no neutral on a creeper and will damage it eventually using it that way. If you have an issue shifting using the gear shifter your clutch adjustment needs to be checked.RTFM it is in there on how to use a creeper.

My 86 has a creeper and I mowed with it yesterday using the creeper in high spots and I did not have to shift the way you described in your post.

X-2, never had to do such a thing. As Lew said, "there is no neutral on a creeper"
When I use my 122 with creeper there are spots I use the low range. Stop the tractor shift from 2nd to 3rd, just as you would if in the high range. Definitely sounds like a clutch adjustment issue.