Fast Hitch Mower Deck

[ColdenCub]

I have a fast hitch 60" Kub Klipper mower deck that has been totally refurbished with new spindle bearings, new belt, new pulleys, and new blades. It was made by Sun Industries, Olathe, Kansas. Here's my problem: When I attach it to my Cub (which has a rebuilt engine), the mower runs great with the tractor in neutral, but the tractor stalls out when I put it in gear and release the clutch. Was this mower made for a larger tractor with a bigger engine??

[Rick Spivey]

Looks like PTO driven tag-along. If so, the cub PTO turns at 1600 rpm, in the opposite direction of 540 rpm PTO's. Unless that was made specifically for a cub, you will be turning the blades backwards, and much too fast. Have you confirmed blade direction when attached to the cub?

[Smokeycub]

That's an interesting mower. The name Kub Klipper indicates it was built for a Cub. Yours is the first 60" I've seen. If it was made for a bigger tractor it would most likely have had a 1 3/8" 6 spline pto connector and like Rick said, be set up to run at 540 rpm as well as turn the opposite direction. Additionally if it was original set up as a one point Fast Hitch AND 540 rpm it may have been set up for an A or a 130/140 rather than a Cub. The one point Fast Hitch for the bigger tractors is larger than what a Cub would use as well. I'd be interested to see the attachment coupler of the pto to the tractor and if some sort of adapter was needed to connect it. Good luck.

[Scrivet]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a home made adaptation of a belly mount deck?
Removable fast hitch point.
Seam in socket for fast hitch on deck.
Rear angle iron caster mounts don't match fronts.
Unusual narrow skid design.
Gearbox driven backwards.

[Barnyard]

The ten spline pto shaft and the cub angle drive leads me to think it is for a cub. It may be a modified version of the KD60-FH.

[Harold R]

It appears to be mounted opposite from the first picture. Perhaps a previous owner modification?

[Smokeycub]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a home made adaptation of a belly mount deck?

With a closer look at the pic I agree that the rear caster brackets appear home made and are attached in a non standard fashion. The front caster brackets are welded on, also non standard. The casters themselves appear home made as well.

The ten spline pto shaft and the cub angle drive leads me to think it is for a cub. It may be a modified version of the KD60-FH.

Not that any of this makes any difference with respect to the problem the man is having. I would say it's been heavily modified. We don't know if it has a typical 10 spline coupler or which way the mower is designed to spin. I guess I don't know what is meant by a Cub angle drive. If you mean rotates correct for a Cub pto... we don't know that either. I would add that the modifications make sense in that the 4 caster system and the way the point is attached allows for a deck that follows the contour of the ground better than a typical one point configuration.

I think we need to hear more from GoldenCub.
PS I really like that K-60D-FH

[Barnyard]

I guess I don't know what is meant by a Cub angle drive.

Ray, I am referring to the drive gear on top of the mower. It is the same as the angle drive used on a Cub PTO. The mower shown has the same one as the KD60. I agree with either a home made or highly modified version of something. If it has been turned around, then it may be turning the blades backwards.

[Smokeycub]

If you mean rotates correct for a Cub pto...

I should have said, "If you mean an angle drive that rotates at the correct speed and direction for a 60" deck driven by a Cub..."

It is the same as the angle drive used on a Cub PTO

That would be sweet for GoldenCub as far as the deck is concerned. ...but if it is a Cub correct pto angle drive then (as he stated) he has a serious issue with lack of power. ...maybe governor issues? We need more input from him.

[Matt Kirsch]

I've seen a few of these, and almost bought one. They're rare. A few years back I posted a thread on a rear mount Woods 59, but I'm betting that it was one of these Kub Klippers.

That's a Cub PTO angle gearbox on the top of the mower. Same as they use on the Mott Fast Hitch mower.

The belly mount 60" mowers can be marginal on some Cubs, so I'd imagine a rear mounted one would take as much power, if not more.

It would make sense that the same recommendations we make for running the Woods 59 successfully would also apply to this mower:
1. Free turning spindles.
2. Deck 1/2" lower in front.
3. Don't overtighten the belts.
4. Cub must be properly tuned, valves adjusted, etc..

[Scrivet]

.......
It would make sense that the same recommendations we make for running the Woods 59 successfully would also apply to this mower:
1. Free turning spindles.
2. Deck 1/2" lower in front.
3. Don't overtighten the belts.
4. Cub must be properly tuned, valves adjusted, etc..

I would also ad to start the PTO with the deck raised and not in grass. With my Woods 59 you have to get the PTO wound up to speed before you start cutting. A three spindle mower and getting the Cub moving is a hefty load. I also see a noticeable difference in whether I'm starting the PTO and mowing going up hill or down hill Another couple of points, sharp blades are a must, and you're not going to mow tall thick grass. Tall and thick are subjective depending on what kind of shape everything is in.

............. If it has been turned around, then it may be turning the blades backwards.

Just spinning the deck around from pointing north to pointing south won't change the rotation of the blades. However, running a V-belt down to a mule drive and then rearward instead of the usual forward would change the blade direction. But here we have a PTO shaft driving a pulley and belt in the same plane as the deck, so there would be no reversed rotation of the spindles no matter which way you pointed the deck. Spindle rotation would also depend on how the belts are routed under the shield that we can't see.

[Matt Kirsch]

It's pretty easy to see if the blades are turning the proper direction.

Hook the mower up and raise it so you can see the blades. Turn the tractor engine OFF.

Now, rotate the PTO shaft by hand, clockwise, as you face towards the front of the tractor. Watch which way the sharp edges of the blades go.

If the sharp edges go "into the wind," it is turning the proper direction.

[ColdenCub]

Thank you for all of your input. This deck must have been made for a Cub. The model number on the Kub-Klipper nameplate is FH-360. As Barnyard said, it sure looks similar to his picture of a model K60D-FH. The nameplate proves that it"s not homemade, although it could have been modified from its original condition. The female drive shaft fits directly onto the one inch PTO shaft of the tractor. The mower blades do rotate in the correct direction.
It sounds like 60" mower decks can be a lot for a Cub engine to handle. I may be asking too much of the engine to move the weight of the tractor (which also has a Wagner Loader attached), along with turning the mower blades all at the same time, which causes it to stall! Is there another Farmall tractor that has a one inch PTO and fast hitch but with a bigger engine?

ColdenCub

[Don McCombs]

Is there another Farmall tractor that has a one inch PTO and fast hitch but with a bigger engine?

Not another Farmall model with the same size and direction of rotation as the Cub's PTO. However, the 1975-79 model year Cubs had a slight increase in horsepower. I'm not sure it would be enough of an increase to make a difference, though.

[Scrivet]

Can't think of anything else fast hitch that has that size PTO. Real easy to change the yoke on the end from something else though, so I don't know that that proves much, nor does the tag not attached, to me anyway. It really doesn't matter if it's original or modified from something else, it's a nice mower. What really matters is getting it to work. Assuming everything with the tractor is up to snuff, there has already been several things to look at on the mower. I have a question on the belt routing. I can't quite tell from your picture which side of the v belt is in the groove of the big drive pulley (narrow or wide). If it's the narrow side then the three spindles would be drive from the wide or back side of the belt. If the wide side is in the main drive pulley then the three spindles would be driven from the narrow side. Either way, having the driven spindles, or the big drive pulley, running on the back of the belt just doesn't seem right. Is this not a regular shaped v belt? Also how do you adjust the belt tension?