The temperature dipped to 19.3 degrees (f) last night, so today I removed the mower deck from the 414-8 in preparation for the plow (another post). I have seen posts previously asking how to do this, so I decided to document the process:

FIRST loosen up the mule drive, note to loosen you turn the knob clockwise



SECOND remove the belt from the mower center pulley, this works best with the mower lowered.



THIRD raise the deck and unhook the attach-a-matic holding the deck to the center hitch by pressing in the button and sliding the release lever over. Once unhooked, lower the deck slowly to remove the rod from the hitch.



FOURTH Remove the front mule drive same as the center hitch ***CAREFUL*** as the mule drive will drop down, keep hands clear.



FIFTH remove the pin holding the PTO engagement lever to the PTO spindle, then remove the rod and remove the belt.



SIXTH slide the mower deck from under the tractor by first sliding the deck until the lift pin drops, then raise the lift lever and remove the deck the rest of the way





and you're done!!!

Nice documentation, Karl. I haven't even attempted to remove a deck off either the C-141 or the 314-8. Question, and pardon the stupidity here as I don't have the tractor in front of me (I'm at work) where's the button you refer to in the "Third" step?

The button is well hidden by my fat thumb! Actually I was holding the button in with my thumb, not sure why I did that since this really isn't an action shot

I'll add one step to make removal easier.

Lower deck to lowest mowing position. It'll slide out from under the tractor easier.

Lest we not forget, total time to all those steps, about a minute, minute and a half if you take you time. Slightly more going on. Same with snowthrower and many other attachments. You GOTTA this about Wheel Horses!!

Dale

A while back I was talking with a neighbor when the topic of tractors came up. He told me that he recently had to take the deck off his Craftsman, which took a long time, and told me that they never go back on exactly. I told him, that I take mine off all the time, clean the underside, sharpen the blades and put it back on again and it is always the same. Then I told him that taking it off and putting it on on;y takes about 90 seconds..... Well, no more free beer for me!

I store mine standing on it's rear wheels and tied securely to the wall of the shed. It really doesn't take up that much room at all.

I stand mine on end and use a simple bungee cord. I like to live dangerously.


Dale, with LIMITED storage for 15 years of collecting!!

Karl, what is that thing attached to the front of the mule drive? I have several mule drives and none of em have anything attached to the front of em.
Mike.......

That's for the genuine John Deere dethacher, which can be barely seen in the upper right:





I was originally going to get another mule drive, but that mounting bracket makes for a good brush guard

Here's another tip to make sliding a deck out the side easier. I use two peices of tempered hardboard, about 1 eigth inch thick. One is cut just larger than the deck and the other is cut to that size width but twice the length. Lay the long one on the ground slick side up. Place the shorter one slick side down under the deck. drop the deck onto the hardboard and you can push it sideways with very little effort. Oh! I do almost all my mowing with a ten year old Craftsman (Kohler powered of course). It takes reaching up under the thing Sears calls a tractor to pull SEVEN keepers, and dislodge SIX levers to drop it off. And it always need adjusting when remounted.