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TECHNICAL


The wear-cycle of rotary blades. If not maintained correctly, they will eventually break in half, with potentially devastating consequences


Rotary mowers do need to have the underside of the deck pressure washed every week, to prevent build-up, and to allow blade





replacements and a good visual inspection of the anti-scalp rollers and other components


gearboxes and belts), hydraulically driven (by a single motor and final belt drive, or by individual blade motors). Each system has its merits.


Mechanical drives are usually more efficient, as less power is lost through the drive system. However, they generate more noise and vibration for the operator. They also require significantly more maintenance, lubrication and adjustment as belts stretch and wear. The greasing of PTO shafts and bearings can be time consuming, and as previously mentioned, if it’s too difficult it simply doesn’t get done as it should.


Hydraulic drive systems, particularly those with individual motors, represent the lowest maintenance currently possible. There is nothing to adjust or maintain, apart from the floating arms and perhaps the castor wheels the deck runs on. The disadvantage is some loss of raw power, as the drive is converted from hydraulic back to mechanical in the drive motors.


Hydraulic systems also benefit from relief valves, which prevent the system from being overloaded by the operator.


Height of cut adjustment


There is a wide range of adjustment mechanisms for rotary decks, ranging from


hand wheel adjustment of the deck suspension system (very popular on mid- mount lawn tractors) which are easy to use, but perhaps not so accurate, to the individual spacers or multi-pin hole systems used by floating head units for close mowing on undulating ground. The angle of the blade to the ground is critical to the performance of the deck. It should be either parallel to the ground, or ideally slightly lower at the front of the deck. This means that the blade cuts the grass at the front of the deck and passes just over it at the rear. This reduces drag on the blade and allows for a cleaner discharge from the deck.


If the front adjusters are set higher than the rear, then the blade will effectively have to cut the same piece of grass twice, once at the front, then again at the rear, increasing the parasitic load.


Any grass cut at the rear of the deck is


then likely to be pushed right around the underside of the deck before it can exit at the rear, further increasing the drag or loading of the deck. So, do always check the deck adjustments to ensure that it is either level, or slightly higher at the rear. The operator’s instruction book will detail how the deck should the set, and the instructions should always be followed.


Washing and cleaning


The underside of a rotary deck can be caked in cut grass, mud and debris. Such build-up can adversely impact the discharge of the cut grass and, therefore, the output of the mower. Rotary mowers do need to have the underside of the deck pressure washed every week, to prevent build-up, and to allow blade replacements and a good visual inspection of the anti-scalp rollers and other components. Again, having a deck which easily flips up for service is key to making this process easy and achievable. Given the environment which most rotary mowers work in, cleaning the underside of the deck is also a hygiene and personal safety issue, making regular cleaning and maintenance even more important.


The Ransomes MP Series, built in the UK, features easy-service rotary decks PC October/November 2018 125


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