Thank you for all the great information. Just started working on a year 2000 445 with a 54 inch deck. Your videos have been a huge help, and given me the confidence to maintain it correctly. (I believe with the late model 445, I’ve luckily avoided the plastic cam problem of earlier 445 model years.) Cheers!
Nice to hear you find the videos helpful! Your 2000 445 is the same year as mine so, yes, you should not have to worry about cam gear. Good luck with it 👍
I like your videos. It'd be great to have a couple of 4_5 series tractors like you have! I wire wheel rusty bolts from mower blades and apply anti-seize paste on them. Next time they will come out easily. No heat required. It's good to see close ups and video that's up on the screen long enough to be able to focus and see the mechanical bits well enough to understand how they work.
Good video. IMHO the hardest part of installing the deck is attaching the coupling to the PTO. It's a long reach and the splines have to line up perfectly. My advise is to take good care of your coupling and give it a healthy shot of silicone spray every so often so that coupling ring is easy to pull back and push forward. I've struggled to find a coating for the underside of the deck to prevent grass build up and rust. So far POR15 has been the best but I'm open to any other options.
I’ve got a 445 with the 60” deck. My manual (OMM145182) says use GL-5 gear lubricant. 135ml. Check level every 100hrs and change every 500hrs. (Deck gear box)
late to be asking but what do the bolts look like that hold the plastic guard down to the yellow guard? Just longer versions of the ones there now?? and check the oil, Those gear boxes are 600 USED on your hands and knees beggin.. it could have water in it and the oil be milky as well. grease behind the pivot bolt as well. there is a kit for the front of the deck as well to keep grass from blowing out the front . you can get wheels for them from Stens.. complete spindles as well. and spray the underneath with a grease or oil that sets up.. to install a deck, set a piece a piece of plywood the width that fits between the tires, and the mower on it,, then you can slide the deck in wayyyy easier.
Thanks, I find the deck slips in fine without boards. The plastic cover over the MC519 drive pulley uses two of the holes for the regular cover, with slightly longer screws. I know those gear boxes are expensive but main thing is to ensure no gasket leaks, allowing oil out and water in...
Thank you for your video. I have few questions about my 54 inch deck, I’m new owner of my 445, and don’t have much experience with jd mowers. When I move for the first 10-15 min my spindle is getting hot and the belt seems lose, it flopping and hitting along side the deck taking a paint of and leaving black marks. I did grease the spindles. Could it be a bad stretch belt? How can I check the tightness of the belt once it’s installed, what’s normal? Is there any way to tighten the belt system? The tension spring seems to be good.
I bought mine in 2016, after doing a lot of cross-referencing on numbers as to what would fit. I just checked and they are still available. I saved a lot of money and they've performed well. www.amazon.com/dp/B005BGWYQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_9HFSEbHJGY18K
You mentioned rough cutting. I don't currently have a deck for my 445, but I know where one is that I could obtain. I don't have any lawn exactly to mow, but I do have a lot of rough mowing to keep up fire clearances in the spring and early summer. This is really rough stuff, finger sized weeds, etc. Probably about 1.5 - 2 acres of rough uneven and hilly ground. Rocks and stones here and there as well that I might not always see. How well would these decks stand up to that? I'd hate to destroy a deck by using it for something that it's not designed for. I have the Little Buck Loader on and would like to leave it on pretty much all the time. Any issues putting the deck on and off with that in place? My other option is a rear mower of some sort. My 445 doesn't have a rear PTO (and that is extremely hard kit to find) or I might do a 4' PTO driven Brush Hog. I'm not super keen on a self driven tow behind mower, but those do seem pretty sturdy. Another engine to maintain and 'wake up' in the spring after sitting for 6 months isn't appealing.
My experience with these decks is that they are built very tough and robust. The rough cutting I do is meadow grass, trails and perimeter scrub, a lot of it on uneven ground. Plus, I also have a lot of regular lawn. Being shaft driven is what makes these decks so effective. Sounds like you ideally need a 3pt brush hog but a mid deck could work. If I were you, using one of these decks, I would set it at the highest level and work slowly, taking multiple passes the first time out. Then, once you have it under control, you just need to mow regularly to keep it in order. Anyway, good luck with finding a solution that works for you...
@@tesser5250 Any issues with the front mount for the mid mower with the LBL installed? This season is pretty much over already, so I have some time to get prepared for next March.
I keep my LBL on my 445 virtually all the time and can't remember ever simultaneously having the deck installed (I mow with the 425), but there should be no problem running them together. However, to install the deck you'd probably need to drop the loader fitment, so as to properly locate the deck yoke, before reattaching the LBL.
New belts are always best. Too much work to fool with two decks for 35$ or so. I also recommend a Milwaukee cordless grease gun and a locking coupler. Make greasing fun and so simple. Good info on the sharpening.
Good info, can you post the model number of the mower deck you use with the leaf collector. Thank you
Thank you for all the great information. Just started working on a year 2000 445 with a 54 inch deck. Your videos have been a huge help, and given me the confidence to maintain it correctly. (I believe with the late model 445, I’ve luckily avoided the plastic cam problem of earlier 445 model years.) Cheers!
Nice to hear you find the videos helpful! Your 2000 445 is the same year as mine so, yes, you should not have to worry about cam gear. Good luck with it 👍
I like your videos. It'd be great to have a couple of 4_5 series tractors like you have! I wire wheel rusty bolts from mower blades and apply anti-seize paste on them. Next time they will come out easily. No heat required. It's good to see close ups and video that's up on the screen long enough to be able to focus and see the mechanical bits well enough to understand how they work.
Thanks! Good point about using anti-seize paste...
Good video. IMHO the hardest part of installing the deck is attaching the coupling to the PTO. It's a long reach and the splines have to line up perfectly. My advise is to take good care of your coupling and give it a healthy shot of silicone spray every so often so that coupling ring is easy to pull back and push forward. I've struggled to find a coating for the underside of the deck to prevent grass build up and rust. So far POR15 has been the best but I'm open to any other options.
I’ve got a 445 with the 60” deck. My manual (OMM145182) says use GL-5 gear lubricant. 135ml. Check level every 100hrs and change every 500hrs. (Deck gear box)
late to be asking but what do the bolts look like that hold the plastic guard down to the yellow guard? Just longer versions of the ones there now?? and check the oil, Those gear boxes are 600 USED on your hands and knees beggin.. it could have water in it and the oil be milky as well. grease behind the pivot bolt as well. there is a kit for the front of the deck as well to keep grass from blowing out the front . you can get wheels for them from Stens.. complete spindles as well. and spray the underneath with a grease or oil that sets up.. to install a deck, set a piece a piece of plywood the width that fits between the tires, and the mower on it,, then you can slide the deck in wayyyy easier.
Thanks, I find the deck slips in fine without boards. The plastic cover over the MC519 drive pulley uses two of the holes for the regular cover, with slightly longer screws. I know those gear boxes are expensive but main thing is to ensure no gasket leaks, allowing oil out and water in...
@@tesser5250 cheap insurance to check and change the oil if needed.. , make sure you have a good allen key to take it out and well seated
Thank you for your video. I have few questions about my 54 inch deck, I’m new owner of my 445, and don’t have much experience with jd mowers. When I move for the first 10-15 min my spindle is getting hot and the belt seems lose, it flopping and hitting along side the deck taking a paint of and leaving black marks. I did grease the spindles. Could it be a bad stretch belt? How can I check the tightness of the belt once it’s installed, what’s normal? Is there any way to tighten the belt system? The tension spring seems to be good.
What’s the best Affordable place to buy a deck belt?
Do you happen to have a part number or link to those non-greasable wheels you installed? Mine are wore out.
I bought mine in 2016, after doing a lot of cross-referencing on numbers as to what would fit. I just checked and they are still available. I saved a lot of money and they've performed well.
www.amazon.com/dp/B005BGWYQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_9HFSEbHJGY18K
Thanks much, I really appreciate it. I'll be ordering 4.
You mentioned rough cutting. I don't currently have a deck for my 445, but I know where one is that I could obtain. I don't have any lawn exactly to mow, but I do have a lot of rough mowing to keep up fire clearances in the spring and early summer. This is really rough stuff, finger sized weeds, etc. Probably about 1.5 - 2 acres of rough uneven and hilly ground. Rocks and stones here and there as well that I might not always see. How well would these decks stand up to that? I'd hate to destroy a deck by using it for something that it's not designed for. I have the Little Buck Loader on and would like to leave it on pretty much all the time. Any issues putting the deck on and off with that in place?
My other option is a rear mower of some sort. My 445 doesn't have a rear PTO (and that is extremely hard kit to find) or I might do a 4' PTO driven Brush Hog. I'm not super keen on a self driven tow behind mower, but those do seem pretty sturdy. Another engine to maintain and 'wake up' in the spring after sitting for 6 months isn't appealing.
My experience with these decks is that they are built very tough and robust. The rough cutting I do is meadow grass, trails and perimeter scrub, a lot of it on uneven ground. Plus, I also have a lot of regular lawn. Being shaft driven is what makes these decks so effective. Sounds like you ideally need a 3pt brush hog but a mid deck could work. If I were you, using one of these decks, I would set it at the highest level and work slowly, taking multiple passes the first time out. Then, once you have it under control, you just need to mow regularly to keep it in order. Anyway, good luck with finding a solution that works for you...
@@tesser5250 Any issues with the front mount for the mid mower with the LBL installed? This season is pretty much over already, so I have some time to get prepared for next March.
I keep my LBL on my 445 virtually all the time and can't remember ever simultaneously having the deck installed (I mow with the 425), but there should be no problem running them together. However, to install the deck you'd probably need to drop the loader fitment, so as to properly locate the deck yoke, before reattaching the LBL.
New belts are always best. Too much work to fool with two decks for 35$ or so. I also recommend a Milwaukee cordless grease gun and a locking coupler. Make greasing fun and so simple. Good info on the sharpening.
You're right about the belt. Although, have you checked recently with JD as to what they are charging for that belt? You might be shocked! 😃
@@tesser5250 Yep, just paid $97...on sale from $114! Ouch!