[csnyder750]

So I bought my tractor a couple months ago and took the MMM off immediately and put it away for winter. The dealer showed me how to attach/unattach the deck when I bought it. When I got home, I took it off in the middle of my paved driveway. I put it back on when I took it off just to make sure I knew how and then took it off and put it away for winter.

Yesterday I got the deck out with my load and go and put it in the same area of the paved driveway that I disconnected it at. I struggled. and struggled. and struggled some more.

Some was user error, some was because I had my toddler son wanting a ride on the tractor and having to keep an eye on him during this process as he was running around. My first error was i had it in 4wheel hi instead of low. I was like why is this struggling to climb over this. then it hit me and it went right over. But then i had trouble with the alignment as the deck pushed on one side when climbing over or dropping off. i could get the front arm of the deck in the hooks but the pto would not line up. I was inches away from getting the bars into the hook. i tried and tried. i was on the ground looking at things, on the tractor trying to attach it.

I ended up calling my dad who is a retired JD and small engine mechanic and service manager. He was walking me thru it and of course as I am on the phone doing the exact same thing I had been doing, i got closer than I had before I called him. I said its close. let me try giving it one more good jolt forward and that did it.

I took it out and did a quick test mow to set the height that I wanted to mow with. But I am definitely going to learn from this and from now on, remove the deck and put the deck on in the lawn so the deck wont move around as much. I am also going to remove the deck and put it on a few times when i have a few minutes so i can get more familiar with this.

I dont know what I did wrong that didn't let me connect but it seemed to me like i had to constantly be adjusting the 3 pt lever to try and get the height correct. I thought i just lowered that all the way down originally and it would lift the pto into place.

I tried watching a video but the first video i picked was very unhelpful as it just showed a person driving off and on the deck and didn't show any close up details of anything.

 

[Kbar]

Shouldn’t have to adjust the 3 Pt height. All the way down is where it needs to be. You might have linkage alignment issues. Coulda hit your yolk over the winter and knocked it outta wack. Always smart to do a visual and physical check (along with greasing everything up) before the first hook up of the year. These auto connect systems have lots of parts that can get misaligned, bent, or just fall off. If your having a hard time on the concrete some users have noted success with the deck behaving better after buying a tubber mat of sorts.

 

[scooterman]

I have dropped and installed the autoconnect deck on my 2018 no less than 50 times. I still have alignment issues from time to time. Even on grass, sometimes you’re not 100% straight, or the deck shifts and now the deck lift isn’t perfectly aligned anymore. Practice helps, but I still have moments where I’m on hands and knees getting things lined up.
Finally, sometimes you just need to goose it a bit to latch. Nothing crazy mind you, but a well-placed rock in the right direction is sometimes all you need to latch up.

 

[scooterman]

Ohh, also- make sure the PTO selector is in rear only. That makes sure the mid-pto can spin freely

 

[csnyder750]

Thanks guys, I plan on practicing taking it off and putting it on. I used my tractor pretty hard hauling tree brush so its possible that things got hit and moved around underneath. I know the dealer told me once i get driven over and its there to kind of goose it a little forward to make sure everything is set.

i would get it close and think it was hooked and tried to lift and the pto would lift and pull right out of the hooks. so i assume my pto wasn't lined up and not allowing it to move far enough forward.

I wanted to ask if its okay to have an attachment on the 3 pt when doing this. I have a 3pt hitch receiver attachment on there. I didn't think that would matter much other than when the 3pt is all the way down, when driving over the deck, the attachment would drag on the pavement.

 

[Kbar]

The pick it up and fall off scenario has been my experience that the rear latch isn’t clicking shut therefore it slides out and the whole mess drops. Goosing it is a kinda click it in thing.

 

[dodgeman]

For me sometimes the latches just miss closing and a small yank is enough for them to flip closed.

 

[coaltrain]

I had my toddler son wanting a ride on the tractor and having to keep an eye on him during this process as he was running around.

This part concerns me more than anything.

But I know....mind my own business.

 

[scooterman]

This part concerns me more than anything.

But I know....mind my own business.

I agree 100%. I have been in that situation with kids when you're trying to concentrate on tractor stuff. It's dangerous, especially when the kids want to get at the tractor. I have found that having frequent safety chats with the kids as well as non-negotiable rules about how to act around equipment is the only way to stay safe.

 

[scooterman]

... along with knowing my own limits. When I'm doing something new or that I'm not comfortable with, I call a timeout and either wait till the kids are inside or able to go in.

 

[John Deere 1025R TLB]

The pick it up and fall off scenario has been my experience that the rear latch isn’t clicking shut therefore it slides out and the whole mess drops. Goosing it is a kinda click it in thing.

Yep. A little lube on it goes a long way. Also if front drag links up front are tight putting a board under the front to hold the front of the deck up some helps. I do that with a 2x6 so I get a little more height when setting up the deck.

Also kicking the PTO into the rear only allows deck front PTO to spin easier, if you have the autoconnect. That can create drag, and even turn the deck under the wheels if it does not easily turn to align up the splines. Gets easier with practice for all attachments.

Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk

 

[fatback]

I don't have any trouble on smooth concrete. Everyone has their opinion, but don't ram into the deck once the front wheels are down. I go slow and raise without stopping. Or you could get one of these.

 

[csnyder750]

This part concerns me more than anything.

But I know....mind my own business.

I started my night giving my son a tractor ride. once i got to the point of putting the deck on, he was off to the side playing with his own little tractor toys. he was in my line of sight when i was moving. the moment he moved from where he was playing i stopped movement.

He came over to the tractor a few times while i was laying on the ground looking at the underside trying to climb on top of me and over me but the tractor wasn't running when i wasn't sitting on the tractor.

I know if he hadn't been there, it would have been easier for me as i could have concentrated on just the task at hand, but sometimes you don't have the ability to send the kid away and have to work when they are around. he plays very well by himself so when he was playing with his tractors, i knew i had time to work on the deck and was never at risk of dangering him.

 

[csnyder750]

I don't have any trouble on smooth concrete. Everyone has their opinion, but don't ram into the deck once the front wheels are down. I go slow and raise without stopping. Or you could get one of these.

View attachment 782042

i was going slow into it and once it got there i was ramming into it. one of these stall mats would be helpful for sure. I am going to try doing it in the yard next time to see if that helps since i dont have a stall mat.

 

[trav]

I feel like I had trouble at first picking the right spot on the deck to line my front tires up with, once I got that down I no longer had trouble getting it to catch and click in on the first try. I haven't mounted the deck since last fall, hopefully I don't have to learn all over again lol. Also I feel like as things wear a little bit it goes on easier. I no longer use a stall mat or rubber floor mats under mine, it goes right on sitting on smooth concrete now.

 

[coaltrain]

I started my night giving my son a tractor ride. once i got to the point of putting the deck on, he was off to the side playing with his own little tractor toys. he was in my line of sight when i was moving. the moment he moved from where he was playing i stopped movement.

He came over to the tractor a few times while i was laying on the ground looking at the underside trying to climb on top of me and over me but the tractor wasn't running when i wasn't sitting on the tractor.

I know if he hadn't been there, it would have been easier for me as i could have concentrated on just the task at hand, but sometimes you don't have the ability to send the kid away and have to work when they are around. he plays very well by himself so when he was playing with his tractors, i knew i had time to work on the deck and was never at risk of dangering him.

I’m glad to hear that.

I’ve been there / done all that with my daughter growing up. She always had to be with me or nearby.

Like you said, she was very good at staying off to the side where I would tell her to stay.

I think one time when we went to the county fair one summer it really sunk in for her. She was 4 or 5 at the time. There was a guy there with a display with some tractors and implements. Of course she wanted to go see with me.

It turned out to be a county extension agent going over safety with PTO shafts. He didn’t scare her but I know she gained a new respect for the dangers of tractors.

More so I think hearing that stuff from someone other than me made it hit home.

Stay vigilant!

 

[Kbar]

My worries about the yard is sinking in and not being aligned to get hooked up. Unless you have very hard soil, I would try to make the concrete work.

 

[Zeke_in_SC]

There a TTWT video from a couple of months ago where Tim is showing a prospective owner (newbie) how the tractor works, etc. At one point he talks him through the deck on and deck off procedures with some helpful hints. It's not the video you would expect would be helpful for this, but it is.

Sorry I can't link it. I'm lucky I can get to this forum from work, but YouTube is blocked.

 

[dodgeman]

I just put mine on and was to far to the right the first time but got it the second time, once I started trying to put it on I spent maybe 2 minutes getting it on and getting the deck height and gauge wheels set.

 

[csnyder750]

I just put mine on and was to far to the right the first time but got it the second time, once I started trying to put it on I spent maybe 2 minutes getting it on and getting the deck height and gauge wheels set.

i noticed I was driving on too far to the right as well. I was lining up the inside of the wheel with the bar but think I need to bias the wheels 1/2 to 1" left of that bar.

I still need to set the gauge wheels. but i plan on once the weather lets me, get out and take it off and put it on a few times. I plan on leaving it on most of the spring and summer for mowing. But i also need the FEL at times and a couple of those things i wont want the deck on for.