You can drink beer on a ZTR, but you gotta really want it...or get a camel pack.
Cub engine queston?
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Okay, I need to learn here. I have this crappy little 42" / 160 lb. plug aerator I always towed behind the Cub 123. It works, but takes a long time to cover 4 acres of lawn. Now that I have the Deere 855 (25hp diesel with cat.1 rear 3-point hitch), I'm thinking I should have a bigger aerator. What the heck is 6-way aeration, and a double aerator?
You put a hitch on the first aerator and pull the second behind it. Then you do your normal mow pattern so your going across it from different angles. It should look like a heard of buffalos went though after your done. So 6 different directions with 2 aerators would be 12 pass's. This has tons of benefits but helping to smooth the lawn out is my favorite. After a heavy rain you can hear the lawn it sounds like a big sponge. I have a very high water table so its a most for me.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
6 passes? So, you mean you mow 6 consecutive weeks with this rig on the back of your tractor? Pulling an aerator while mowing is not a good option for ZTR riders.
Usually best to aerate all at once. You don't want to re-aerate grass that is just starting regenerate a week later. Sounds like Jay spends the afternoon driving his mower around the yard drinking beer.
If done correctly your yard will look like hell when you're done, but don't worry...it is just fine.
If done correctly your yard will look like hell when you're done, but don't worry...it is just fine.
No do it once I see a rain pattern starting. Good soil moisture. But it could take me a couple weeks just depending on how much time I have. You can curse pretty fast but with a double aeration set-up its larger turns. (Your not mowing when you do this) Get as much wait as possible on the aerator. If I am not pulling at-least 2-1/2 inch plugs its not wet enough.
Just went to the machine shop. Heads not done hes on vacation and there just now telling me this. 
Now I had another guy measure for flatness. One corner is off .004. Would you wait or rool with it?
Now I had another guy measure for flatness. One corner is off .004. Would you wait or rool with it?With an 855 at your disposal......
There are a LOT of old towable and PTO powered aerators collecting dust in the back corner of a golf course shed. Might be old tech for them but would do a helluva job on a residential lawn. I'd start asking around.
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The Jd 3 point was what I was useing for commercial work back in the 90s double pass and good to go. 3-1/2 average plugs. How about the head.004 off on one cornor?
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I was hoping you'd chime in. Will have to make some calls next week! I thought they used self-powered machines, tho... I'm looking for something I can park in a corner (or even outside) when I'm done with it.
I did look into some 3-point aerators... holy sh$t! Anything not made of Chinese tinfoil was over $2000. Heck... it's a steel tray, two hangers, a CRS spindle, and some tines. I paid $250 new for my current unit, and aside from being way too narrow for my current tractor, it does a great job!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Just a pull behind 3 point and it will throw! 8 foot rooaster tails with 3-1/2 inch plugs. Not even a Ryan 28 compairs.
You could use some fine sand paper on a piece of glass and run the head in a figure eight motion over the paper in a pinch.. Then keep checking the head with a straight edge and feeler gauge.. Or just use a piece of glass to set the head on and go around with a feeler gauge..Harley school they had a nice gauge block to check things like head flatness. You should be able to see the low spot as you sand on the glass, as you keep checking the head..Just went to the machine shop. Heads not done hes on vacation and there just now telling me this.
Another idea....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mTv7KfWtE4g
Hah. Toro ProCore 648 will make that thing dig a hole and hide!
Little different price tag (and application!) however.
The ground literally shakes when we're out running the ProCore! 
Just went to the machine shop. Heads not done hes on vacation and there just now telling me this.
Piece of 120 grit on a flat backing plate, run the head round in figure 8's until it's flat. .004 in one corner ain't bad, could roll with it but the sandpaper treatment is quick and easy.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Just went to the machine shop. Heads not done hes on vacation and there just now telling me this.
Oops... Missed this! I did mine with a sheet of SiC paper on a piece of thick glass. Will 'splain when I'm typing on something bigger than a phone!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Okay, so here's how to flatten a Cub head, when you don't have a friend who owns a machine shop doing it for you.
Get a sheet of SiC (silicon carbide) paper. Aluminum Oxide can be sub'd in a pinch, but won't cut or last as well. I just bought a range of grits, approx. 80 - 600 grit.
Get yourself a spray bottle full of water. Steal the one your wife uses for ironing, if you have to.
Find a flat surface. A sheet of thick (0.250" or thicker) glass is great, but a cast table saw or jointer table works great, in a pinch.
Look at your head, and take a guess at what grit to start with. MasterMech's guess at 120 grit might be a good place to start.
Spray some water on your flat surface, and throw the paper down on it. If the surface is really smooth and flat (as it should be), the surface tension of the water will hold the paper in place quite well.
Spray more water on top of the paper (this helps keep the paper from clogging up with aluminum), and work your head on the flat paper in a figure-8 or circular motion. Be sure you keep your head flat as you work, 'cause SiC cuts FAST when you accidentally rock the head.
You'll be able to see where the paper is cutting, and where it is not, by looking at the sheen left on the gasket surface of the head. If the grit you chose is cutting quick enough, go until you have even finish all 'round. If it's too far out for the grit you're using, switch to coarser.
Once flat, work your way up thru the finer grits, until you're happy with the finish. Should be at least as smooth as the finish before you started.
When done, dry the hell out of your cast table, and hose it down with WD-40 or equivalent. I like to let the oil sit on the table, not wipe it off, until next time I need to use it next.
That's it! Pretty simple.
I have a 2-1/2 inch piece of granite would that work for a flat surface?
Okay, so here's how to flatten a Cub head, when you don't have a friend who owns a machine shop doing it for you.
Get a sheet of SiC (silicon carbide) paper. Aluminum Oxide can be sub'd in a pinch, but won't cut or last as well. I just bought a range of grits, approx. 80 - 600 grit.
Get yourself a spray bottle full of water. Steal the one your wife uses for ironing, if you have to.
Find a flat surface. A sheet of thick (0.250" or thicker) glass is great, but a cast table saw or jointer table works great, in a pinch.
Look at your head, and take a guess at what grit to start with. MasterMech's guess at 120 grit might be a good place to start.
Spray some water on your flat surface, and throw the paper down on it. If the surface is really smooth and flat (as it should be), the surface tension of the water will hold the paper in place quite well.
Spray more water on top of the paper (this helps keep the paper from clogging up with aluminum), and work your head on the flat paper in a figure-8 or circular motion. Be sure you keep your head flat as you work, 'cause SiC cuts FAST when you accidentally rock the head.
You'll be able to see where the paper is cutting, and where it is not, by looking at the sheen left on the gasket surface of the head. If the grit you chose is cutting quick enough, go until you have even finish all 'round. If it's too far out for the grit you're using, switch to coarser.
Once flat, work your way up thru the finer grits, until you're happy with the finish. Should be at least as smooth as the finish before you started.
When done, dry the hell out of your cast table, and hose it down with WD-40 or equivalent. I like to let the oil sit on the table, not wipe it off, until next time I need to use it next.
That's it! Pretty simple.
I have a tool and die makers granite top. Its the flattest thing I have would that work?
Ashful
Minister of Fire
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