How To Remove John Deere Deck

[Margorie Gomoran]

Oneof the most common calls we get from customers is "Can you show me how to remove my mower deck again?". To help, we decided to lay out the steps in a very detailed step-by-step how-to video. In this video, Justin Goodrich, a 15+ year experienced Prairie State Tractor compact tractor sales professional, will walk you through how to remove and re-install an AutoConnect Drive Over Mower Deck with Mechanical Lift for your John Deere 1023E, 1025R, or 2025R Compact Utility Tractor. With the fastest two-click attachment and detachment mower deck system on the market, you'll be back to work in no time.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: In these instructions, we use a 2022 John Deere 60D 7-Iron AutoConnect Mower Deck (Code 701CLV) which is compatible with Model Year 2017 and newer 1023E, 1025R, and 2025R tractors. Also, these are steps for an AutoConnect Mower Deck with a Mechanical Mower Lift option. The standard mechanical mower lift system moves the mower in conjunction with the rear implement and is controlled using the rockshaft lever.

We hope this guide helped you easily remove and reattach your AutoConnect mower deck! If you have any suggestions for future how-to videos you'd like to see, click here to fill out our contact form with your idea(s).

Prairie State Tractor is a leading full-service John Deere dealership in the northwest and central part of Illinois with eight locations in the cities of Dixon, Freeport, Geneseo, Lacon, Mendota, Pontiac, Princeton, and Streator. We have dedicated Small Tractor and Turf Sales Consultants at each store who are ready to assist you with all your John Deere equipment questions and needs. Give us a call today or click below to chat.

3. Before driving over the mower deck, ensure that the linkage arms on the deck are at their lowest position. If the deck has just come out of storage, you might have to apply some pressure to the arms to bring them all the way down.

3. Next, from the ground, release the gauge wheels; after this is done, you can lower the deck to the ground by using the mechanism that your 1 Series is equipped with, such as a lever or button.

4. From the ground, find the rear bracket located in the back of the deck and flip it down. You can do this on either the left or right side of the tractor as one side always engages and disengages the other.

5. Climb back into the operator station of the tractor to ensure that it is set to 4WD and in low range. Carefully back up the tractor off of the mower deck and use the raised green bar on the left-hand side of the deck to help guide you.

Reminder: 1 Series decks are designed to be attached only by moving forward and removed by backing off of the equipment. This cannot be done in the opposite direction because the connecting parts can only be engaged in the designated driving position.

4. Disconnect the PTO. Push the shiny gold collar towards the mower deck (forwards), and pull it off the shaft. The person with the longest arms should do this (i.e. Matt), as the PTO is right in the middle under the tractor, and you have to reach over the deck and around the back wheel to reach it.

6. Pull the pins that attach the deck to the tractor. There are three on each side. The quick connect pins at the front and back are on springs. Just pull them out and turn them out of the way. The other pins at the very front have split rings that you have to remove first.

What type of mower do you use at your house? Have you tucked your mower away for the season yet? Do you have any jobs that put your relationship to the test? Do you have a sidekick who helps (and celebrates) the tough jobs?

Thank You! I have the same tractor and removing was actually not as hard as trying to put this back on. LOL! Do the make a lift that could slide just under this deck and hydraulic it up and down? Need to invent one.

I bought a new '18 model but have not yet had the deck off. Would like to do this to both access the transmission drain plugs and also to remove, sharpen blades as well as clean the underside of the deck. I've read some indications that these J-hooks can be an issue. Also have to wonder why the newer versions of this tractor no longer have the long belt tension rod. Instead, there is a mechanism underneath that needs to be accessed with a ratchet. I'm debating between having my dealer simply pick up the tractor and take care of most of the maintenance items versus tackling this myself. I'm used to working on my old Cub Cadet 129 - where the deck is MUCH lighter in weight and relatively easy to take on and off. I do like the idea of the 590 deck being on wheels so, once they are realigned, it should roll out from underneath fairly easily, but then there is the 143 lbs. to deal with. I'd like to get it flipped over to access the blades.

I only have 23.1 hours on it but see that the break-in service interval calls for changing the transaxle fluid at 50 - so I suppose I could wait - but if I'm removing the deck anyway to do the blades, figuring I may well do the trans fluid also. Have not changed the oil and filter yet either, so time to do that at the least.

The temperature dipped to 19.3 degrees (f) last night, so today I removed the mower deck from the 414-8 in preparation for the plow (another post). I have seen posts previously asking how to do this, so I decided to document the process:

THIRD raise the deck and unhook the attach-a-matic holding the deck to the center hitch by pressing in the button and sliding the release lever over. Once unhooked, lower the deck slowly to remove the rod from the hitch.

Nice documentation, Karl. I haven't even attempted to remove a deck off either the C-141 or the 314-8. Question, and pardon the stupidity here as I don't have the tractor in front of me (I'm at work) where's the button you refer to in the "Third" step?

Lest we not forget, total time to all those steps, about a minute, minute and a half if you take you time. Slightly more going on. Same with snowthrower and many other attachments. You GOTTA this about Wheel Horses!!

Here's another tip to make sliding a deck out the side easier. I use two peices of tempered hardboard, about 1 eigth inch thick. One is cut just larger than the deck and the other is cut to that size width but twice the length. Lay the long one on the ground slick side up. Place the shorter one slick side down under the deck. drop the deck onto the hardboard and you can push it sideways with very little effort. Oh! I do almost all my mowing with a ten year old Craftsman (Kohler powered of course). It takes reaching up under the thing Sears calls a tractor to pull SEVEN keepers, and dislodge SIX levers to drop it off. And it always need adjusting when remounted.

I use my floor jack and raise the tractor from the rear. (after the deck is disconnected) Then I can slide it out from either side. When doing that, I can set it on an old creeper and roll it out. (on concrete or blacktop of course) The neighbor down the road has a 416h and says he can remove or install a deck faster than anyone. I think I'll let him show me that on my 165 this spring :techie-eureka:

I should have bought a wheel Horse snow plow when I first bought my tractor in 1993. As it is I had to find one online, and was lucky enough that someone had a brand new one in storage. Taking off the mower deck, and putting on the plow was "Wheel Horse" easy. Much thanks again for the posting.

Leave the deck on the Horse! Then get additional Stallions for other chores; i.e.: one for snow, another for plowing the earth, one more for grading the drives, a puller for your WH cart, one hydro for the grandchildren, another for township parades.

Having problems. Rod for PTO will not drop down far enough. So I needed to take top bracket off to get rid out and remove belt? Next item, is there a truck to remove belt? I can not get it out of pulley area as it is twisted and to tight to pull through. What is the trick? I reserved forcing through as I am not sure it will go back on? See pics. I appreciate any help I can get. First time pulling off the deck.

Assuming we're talking about tractors with the Attach-a-Matic hitch system, you don't need to remove the mule drive cover or the mower drive belt to remove the deck. Just loosening the belt will give it enough slack to allow you to remove the belt from the pulley on the deck itself. Absolutely no tools necessary.

I always keep big pieces of corrugated cardboard like you might get if you bought a new washer or water heater around the shop to lay on when I need to work on my back. I use these to make removing the deck easier as above with the hardboard.

Put a smaller piece that fits between the tires but is big enough for the deck to sit on underneath the deck. The whole thing slides so nice, right out from under. No more dragging the rollers or wheels sideways.

You first need to set the mower deck setting at high noon toread "blank". More or less between the 1" and 3.5" setting. Thenpull deck release arm to allow for the deck to drop to the ground.Once locked into the down position, you need to release the Ulocks(that are spring loaded) located on the back half, and on bothsides of the mower deck. This will allow for the arms that you haveunlocked to be retracted up for clearance later. After that youmust release the tension bar for the belt pulleys located on top ofmower deck, left hand side, and remove the belt connected to theengine pulley located towards the front. After that, you mustunlatch the front U-bar from the mower deck. After this iscompleted. Pull the mower Deck ARM back up, to the position normalfor traveling. This will give you clearance to slide the mower deckout from the right side (chute side).

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