New Chopper Not cutting very good

[luckylawnboy]

I have still been having problems with my 60" Flatlander leaving strips of grass un cut. I tried to adjust the deck but As soon as I get the front blade tips set at 3" on the second notch on the foot pedel. I will go to set the back tips a 1/4 hight but they will be way off side to side. So when level them out it throws the front off again. Is there any way that the deck could be bent or warped. It just seems there is something out of balance. I am taking it to the dealer in the morning, but I am affraid they know less about the machine than I do. Has any one else had problems with there chopper not cutting good. It only has 120 hours on it new blades did not help either.

[Eric ELM]

You have 4 adjustments on the deck for leveling it. First of all, make sure you have the tires at the proper air preasure. Then put it on a completely flat surface, like level concrete.

Now you can level it from front to back and left to right and get it right. I would let the dealer do it, but if he can't, try this yourself. He should be able to get it right for you.

It is an easy process to get it right. You want a 1/4" pitch, front lower than the back and level from left to right. Do this by measuring from the blade tips and make sure they are not bent.

I hope this helps.
Eric

[luckylawnboy]

Yea, I know it is an easy process but it has not been going very well. I am going to have my dad machine blocks at 3" and two at 3" 1/4" set the tips on it and take out the slack in the chains. I just can't see this little of an adjustment make that big of a difference. but I hope this is all that is wrong

Thanks

[Eric ELM]

Are you using double blades? If so, what combo are you using?

[Likestomow]

I bought a new 60” Dixie last year in February, and soon discovered the same problem with the deck that you are having.

I could get the front tips of the blades set to 3”; the right rear then would be at 3.25”, but the left rear would be at 3.50”. If I made both rear tips level, the front tips would be off ¼”.

I took it to the dealer, and he fiddled with it for a day, ending up with the same result I did. He called the factory and then said it was an adjustment problem. The factory told my mechanic how to set the deck level. So he tried, but came up with the same ¼” off, every time.

After I complained to the factory, they sent out a completely new deck. My mechanic put it on, and checked the blades for level. The result was EXACTLY the same! Still off ¼” in the back.

And not only that, one of the deck chains has constant slack in it. I could remove the adjusting nut, because of the slack and it wouldn’t make any difference.

I talked to the owner, Art, and he said I should loosen the crooked spindle and put brass shims under it to level it. I felt like that should have been done by the factory, but they would not pay for my dealer to do it. They sent out a complete new deck, but wouldn’t pay to fix the real problem…. I could never understand that one.

[Richard Martin]

I have the same problem with my deck. It seems like the deck (or all 60" Dixie decks as it is turning out) is twisted. The mower is cutting great and I have a 1/4" pitch and the front of the deck level. This is an issue that Magic Circle needs to fix now.

[mowerconsultant]

"I talked to the owner, Art, and he said I should loosen the crooked spindle and put brass shims under it to level it."

What type of fix is that ?
I have been in the commercial mower repair and sales business for over 10 years, and the only time we had to shim a spindle is when the deck was so beat from abuse, that it was twisted from side to side.
I would call the owner of chopper (again) and demand a fix to this problem, or get a lawyer involved.

[TLS]

Lucky Lawnboy,

I had a '97 60" Flatlander with what seems to be the same problem. I, after a season, I determined that the trim side spindle to deck mounting surface was bent or tweaked. If I would properly set the center and discharge blade pitch and height, the trim side was actually 1/8" higher in the front than the back???? It mowed fine on most lawns, but on the REALLY nice lawns, you could see the difference. My one front chain was always loose. This causes the deck to see-saw on that one point front lift chain. It made it seem as though a tire was low and was scalping the trimside. I was told that I "must have hit something" to bend the deck that bad! O.K. ..... MAYBE if it was bent the other way, but hitting something going forward would cause it to tilt back, not forward. They simply quoted me the price of a new deck!

Now, I use a Lazer.

Deck problem solved.

[luckylawnboy]

You guys have hit it right on the head. I would have chain with slack in it. I just thought I was going crazy not being able to get my deck level. I use double blades with the regular blade on bottom and smaller blades from my 52" WB on top, and still it just was not cutting as good as my Exmark Hydyo WB that has almost 3000 hours on it I put a new motor this season but the deck has almost 3000 hours on it. I hope they can find a fix, but I demand better out of a $ 8,500 unit. It is at the dealer right now so I will keep you posted on what they find out.

[luckylawnboy]

This is how it used to cutA:\Mvc-o26s.jpg

[turfquip]

Gee, This thread is devastating to those of us who were considering a Dixie Chopper.

[Administrator]

Doubt that....;)

[Dave]

I know of two people that had scags that had the same problem,one put another link in the chain himself,solving the problem,the otherwent the route with the dealer and dist ,then scag ,ended up with a new deck but did not solve the problem,as the bracket thats holds the chain was welded 1/4 inch off,maybe something to check????

[TLS]

The problem isnt the length of chain or mounting bracket, those are all adjustable. The problem is a warped deck, or spindle mating area. I just figured that mine was a fluke, wish I would have followed through better with it then:rolleyes:

[luckylawnboy]

Well got my dixie fixed, all it was, was a bushing in the deck. I think it must have going bad because I forgot how alsome the thing cuts. Well I must say these are the best mowers out there. Just when I was getting down on my dixie it came back and redeemed its self.

Thanks for every info.

Josh

[ridetoslide]

Just wondering, where was the bad bushing on the deck located? My dixie has the same symptoms of being off slightly on one side, etc.

[Richard Martin]

Yeah, can you share with us where this bushing is? My deck has been crooked since the day I brought it home.

And Eric, you have some pull over at MC. They need to send someone over here to Lawnsite and address this issue now. There have already been 358 views of this thread so that's a lot of potential customers that might not be buying Choppers because of this issue.

[Kirt Shore]

:cool: From nothing but Dixie Chopper supporters I'm Glad I bought an Exmark Lazer. Hope you guys can figure out your Choppers. I've never seen a nicer cut than the Exmark for a ZTR.

[Davis TLC]

Glad to hear you got the problem fixed on your Dixie, luckylawnboy. I have had 0 problems with my DC. The best cut in town here, now the other lawn care providers here are starting to try and copy my stripes. I get lots of compliments on the quality of the cut on my lawns. I'm happy with my DC and so are my customers.

[bdemir]

I also have the deck problem and many lawns to prove it. I wish the deck was not on bike chains but on real chains like other ztrs. The chains have loosened from riding rough lawns and repairing them never gets the deck leven again. This is one area that dixie is not on top of. Their deck tend to scalp more than others and the adjustments are ancient technology. Lets get it together dixie youve had many years now to come up with something better.



Bedros

[luckylawnboy]

Leveling of the deck is a very easy process. My problem was that I had a bushing go bad and had every thing in a bind. I have had a Scag and a Ferris, and this machine will out cut those two by a long shot.

[Richard Martin]

Originally posted by luckylawnboy
Leveling of the deck is a very easy process. My problem was that I had a bushing go bad and had every thing in a bind

And again I ask, where is the bushing located?

[John DiMartino]

I am so glad this has come to light here.I tried to level my deck,like Josh did,and just gave up.They are warped from the factory.My discharge side spindle never has the same pitch as the other 2,and the discharge chute itself looks like its severly nose down,which it is,while the trim side of the deck is almost level.My antiscalp roller on the discharge side spins in the grass at 2 1/2" cut,while the trim side roller misses by 1" or more.My one chain has had slack in it since day one too.My dealer levels them like this,they get it on level ground,slide a 2x4,on end, under the deck on each side,and drop the deck onto them,then the loosen the adjustment's,and retighten them to the new level deck-To be honest there were so many problems with my machine,when it was new,it was the least of my worrys,it cuts decent now,but it is 2 months out of warrany .I just make sure I tell others my experience .The part that upsets me is,Im neither a carpenter nor a fabricator,but all the things Ive built from sheds to sprayers,all all fairly square and level-the DC has so many things uneven,and just sloppy,from the rigged wirng harness,T-tapped and scotchlocked from the factory,to the unlevel deck-to the discharge side rear wheel that it crooked and out of aligment,to the cheap,made in China spindle bearings that blew out at 90 hrs,to the stickers that were put on very crooked,Ive had to insulate most of my oil cooler lines,since they were rubbing thru the frame in spots.I had both hydro and oil leaks from poor assembly within 20 hours of taking delivery.I am very disappointed overall with the quality of the machine.I hope DC read this and others posts and takes the appropriate actions to correct these problems.I see some others have had Zero problems-before I even got my zero hour DC on my trailer at the dealer,it sprung an oil leak,from a loose clamp at the oil cooler line,it was so loose it wouldve fell off,and seized the motor if i got it hot.I shouldve left the machine right there and tore up the papers-if I had known what was in store as far as problems go.I have addressed most of the problems,and like the simplicity of the mower,but the deck is still one I need to work on,I might try shimming the one spindle,it will still look crooked,but cut better.This mower cost way to much to have this nonsense happen.

[TLS]

John,

I agree with and can personally attest to all of your problems/gripes wholeheartedly. I really do hope Dixie does read this, as they need to do some serious changes in order to get me back as a customer.

BTW: Everything that has happened to Johns, has happened to mine, and then some.

[John DiMartino]

Im glad it wasnt just mine,Tom,and these things are just the tip of the iceberg-it has had many more problems,just scratched the surface of them here.

[awm]

one thing this post makes me think is
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A DEALER WHO REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF.
THERES TO MANY THAT LOVEUM SO SO THATS THE ONLY
EXPLANATION I CAN FIGURE.

[John DiMartino]

AWM,out of the 20 or so things that are/were wrong with my DC,only 2 were my dealers fault,and only 1/2 of the problems are fixable within reason.My dealer shouldve caught the oil leak when they prepped it,and they should've known my deck was reversed pitched when I complained about the cut to them-I had to spend an hr+ on the phone to tech in indiana to figure that out.How can my dealer fix my crooked deck? it would need a new one-that is also crooked.My left rear wheel is crooked too,and leans in at the top,and its always turning to the left-always has since day one-I guess they dont check there jigs when they weld the brackets for the wheel motors,how they going to fix that?-new frame thats also crooked?They fixed the blown head gaskets for me,its going to happen again,bad design,they cant fix that either.I guess they could get me new stickers,and any one not drunk could apply them better than they were from factory.I fixed the 2 hydro leaks,one of them was bad,when I converted to VTC.It is not the fault of my dealer that my DC is a problem machine.We bought our Ford 1910 tractor new from them in 1987,its never needed to go back for anything,and its got over 3500 hrs on it,multiple operators,and many of the hours are hard,shouldve had a bigger tractor,but this one has to do hours.

[ridetoslide]

Anyone ever find out where the suspected bad bushing is located? I'm tired of mine cutting shorter on one side.