Options to Repair/Replace Zero Turn Mower Deck

on my old scag, i dropped the deck and brought it to a welder for repairs. in the meantime i replaced the spindles, bearing races/etc. its easy enough to do and the parts are available

All ya gotta do is cut out some 1/8" plates....top and bottom…..drill press the correct bolt hole patterns.....


Voila, done deal!!!

- Does anyone know if mower salvage yards exist and how to contact them?

no but they have lots of guys who repair mowers and keep old mowers around for spare parts to use to fix mowers or to sell so they are sort of like salvage yards just on a very small scale

- Can a welder/fabrication shop repair a mower deck without compromising safety?

no, it can be welded back on securely but will cut like shite since you are never going to get it cutting evenly or level again and the rest of the deck will be falling apart very soon as well

- Any leads on a 2005/06 z-force 50 being parted out or with a blown engine or bad hydrostatic motors?

facebook marketplace is the best place to find used mowers and mowers needing repair (about all facebook is good for)

- I think the 44" mower deck for same year model will also fit--it's an option.

sometimes but its not always that easy, even with the same brand mower, they way things connect sometimes changes from year to year and model number to model number

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bottom line is, once the deck is gone, the best solution is to sell it like it is for whatever you can get for it and buy a new one, or keep it for spare parts and buy a used mower just like it that is still in good condition

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Not being an arse but how does a zero turn deck rust completely through?

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Valid question.
It's a stamped deck and there is a concave ring around the spindles for strength with holes in the deck to allow for drainage. For the first 6 or so years of the mower's life, the public water supply wasn't great--it was actually slightly corrosive (rural, central Louisiana). Rinsing the mower and keeping it clean started the deck rusting. Poor design by Cub Cadet played a roll as it is very difficult to remove the grass clippings of the top of the deck because of the bowl shaped contours (stamped in to give strength to thinner metal) and because the spindle covers are hard to remove (not quick release fasteners like the better, modern mowers).

The combination of the two made the area around one of the spindles rust enough to weaken a spindle mount and after 12 years, the spindle mount failed.

My next zero turn will have a fabricated deck and preferably with a flat, easy to clean surface.

Cub quality actually went up.
They have a residential and professional development plant in Martin, TN. All major stamped parts go through 17 stage coating process as I visited the plant many times on tours.

The plant also makes auto parts for major mfg auto mfg and they have a 17 stage coating process now.
Any new deck bought to replace an old one would have gone through this coating process. They have to do this for the auto parts they stamp which is a very costly process. No other mfg has that coating process which they started that in 2014 if I am correct. They also build some of these major mfg products people tout as better when comes out of the same plant. People forget tuff torque, hydro gear, and Perkins makes most mfg’s transmission. Engines come from either Briggs, Kohler, or Kawasaki. They stamp the metal to specs and build around the design a company gives them and makes their own products in these plants. Funny, they are not going bankrupt like a few brands out there.

Now if I had a model and serial number I can look at my parts cost as I do not pay freight when I order my parts. I changed my brother in law’s deck 15 yr old cub cadet for $295 with spindle, blades, pulleys, and belt to help him out.

Let’s stay tuned to see with the steel tariffs and tariffs on Chinese made products who will be left.
I bet Cub Cadet will still be around while some of the other brands will be folded up and gone.

Cough cough ask husqvarna what happened to their Poulon brand? Chirp chirp you can hear the crickets chirp.

johnnyrocket said:

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Now if I had a model and serial number

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The model number is 53AA5B7P710, the serial number is 9C216Z00018, and the DOM is 03/2006. From what I can determine, the Cub Cadet part number for the Deck Assy-50" is 02000428.


kywildcatfanone said:

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Our local mowing repair places all have some bones sitting around

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I hope to check one this weekend. Unfortunately some of the mower shops I know about are open the same hours I'm at work. If I have to skip work to go search for a 12 year old mower in a bone yard, my lost wages may offset the cost savings of a used mower deck vs a new mower deck.

I had this issue on a John Deere deck. I was able to drill holes 2 inches to the left for the far left spindle. Then i drilled 2 inches to the left for the far right spindle. 2 years later and shes still rollin

Here’s one I did for a Kubota. Its not too bad to do. You can see where I had to cut out all the old roached out shite.

You could try to contact some lawnmower repair shops to see if they have a used deck lying in their parts inventory. The don't keep power push mower decks and will toss them in dumpsters or run them to the dump, but a deck of that type is worth some money and they may save them if still serviceable.

Worth a shot anyway.