Restoring 50c deck with gators

[squatch]

Over the last couple of months I've been working on getting my super ready to mow. I was going to restore the original deck but it had too much daylight showing through it. Some rust much abuse. I picked up a very nice used one from a fellow in PA and restored that. I took it apart and sandblasted everything.








Then I painted the whole thing with "ezslide" graphite paint from TSC. Sorry if the color offends the purists but this tractor is for working not pretty.


My spindles were in decent shape so I just rebuilt and greased and added new seals top and bottom.




I've been mowing with a tractor with a mulcher and plug for over 10 years. I like the way it leaves the yard so I bought some "gator blades" for this deck. About as close as I could get to a dedicated mulcher. Only thing is the baldes were just a very tiny bit too long.




I got a little carried away grinding the end of one blade so I overdid both ends and put it in the middle and just buffed the ends of the outer 2. I balanced them on one of those little cone things. Thought I might have taken too much off the one blade but it mows great with no gaps of unmowed grass.


Ready to mount.


Lets mow some grass.

[drysumpjet]

Nice work! I have gators on both my 44 and 50" decks, the 50" seriously outcuts the 44. (Both have the speed up pulley)

Although both decks are spinning the same rpm, the speed at the tip of the blade is faster with the 50" which is why I think it cuts better.

[tubbyfirefighter]

that deck looks almost identical to the one i have, what is the difference between the 50, 50a and 50c? and is the speed up pulley worth the money and where can i find one

[RPalmer]

squatch,

Nice job. I've read from another user that that paint works wonders on the underside keeping grass from sticking and it clean. Hope you get the same mileage.

[squatch]

Thanks for the kind words. As for the deck differences I can't answer that question. I'm a relative newby to cub world(1st one) and learning more everyday. This is also the 1st I've heard of the speed-up pulley. Do you lose much torque at the blades in heavy grass when you install it?

[Matt G.]

50 and 50A are basically the same deck...the 50 was used on the 1x8/9 series, 50A on the quietlines. The 50C is identical with the exception of a 5/8" drive pulley instead of 1/2" as on the 50 and 50A.

Any torque loss with the speed-up pulley would be negligible.

[klejeune]

I put Gators on my 44A deck 5 or so years back. A couple of years ago I took some steel I had laying around that was just the right width and bent it around a wheel to get the same arc as the blade spins and bolted it in as a block off plate. Made a huge difference as to the ability for the blades to really mulch. Other wise you're just cutting grass and throwing it out, not mulching and dropping back onto the lawn. If I cut too tall of grass it will leave a little row of clippings around the yard. But it's easy to blow that around with the power blower and you don't notice it after that.

I want to clean mine up and put that graphite paint on the bottom, but will repaint the top white.

Nice work,
Keith

[squatch]

Originally Posted by klejeune

I put Gators on my 44A deck 5 or so years back. A couple of years ago I took some steel I had laying around that was just the right width and bent it around a wheel to get the same arc as the blade spins and bolted it in as a block off plate. Made a huge difference as to the ability for the blades to really mulch. Other wise you're just cutting grass and throwing it out, not mulching and dropping back onto the lawn. If I cut too tall of grass it will leave a little row of clippings around the yard. But it's easy to blow that around with the power blower and you don't notice it after that.

I want to clean mine up and put that graphite paint on the bottom, but will repaint the top white.

Nice work,
Keith

I had thought of making a baffle like that for mulching. Thanks for the info. I figured I would try it out 1st as is. I did install a metal chute deflector as a 1/2 way step. I was going to paint the top white or with rustoliem pro black but it was just easier to do it all the same. I always seem pressed for time. Besides I figured the leading edge of a white deck just gets crudded up quick anyway.

[papaglide]

Squatch, nice job. Is the hood of your 1872 metal or plastic?

[squatch]

Originally Posted by papaglide

Squatch, nice job. Is the hood of your 1872 metal or plastic?

Thanks, Metal!