Weekend Freedom Machines banner
Cancel

Is this deck too far gone to repair?

1823 Views 20 Replies 15 Participants Last post by  Rryanstrickland, 
R
5
Me again....

Give me you brutal honest opinion. Is this 312 mower deck too far gone to repair? I thought about trying to basically cut out the whole top part of the deck and weld in new sheet metal. But I'm not sure how to make the spindles back in their original height position, because the original locations are recessed from the factory stamping. And as you can see there has already been lots of welding years ago. Any brutal thoughts/opinions?






(Message edited by aaytay on August 15, 2009)
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 21 Posts
J
2
Ryan,

Could I fix it? Absolutely!! Would I fix it ?? NO!!

You can not weld rust!! For as many pit holes that I see, even MIG welding would be tough. Plates need to weld to something and will warp the original frame making the spindles to be out of level.
The original metal is thin to start with, so you just chase more holes as you weld. BTDT. I have attempted to fix a few decks in better shape and was not happy with the results.

But that is just my opinion,

George of Buford
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 21 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Weekend Freedom Machines
A forum community dedicated to Vintage John Deere Tractors owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about classic restorations, references, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Hydrostatic Drive Tractors Gear Drive Tractors John Deere and Allied Attachments Round Fendered Tractors FOR SALE
Top