3260 Deck

[wagonmaster]

Getting tired of welding patches over holes in deck. Does anybody sell replacement deck shells that I could bolt all of my hardware from the old deck onto? Old hardware is all good.

[Eugene]

I've patched up my 3260 mower deck several times, replaced spindle bearings and blades. Patching the deck and repairs is a whole lot cheaper than purchasing another mower.

[gitractorman]

The answer is NO, nobody makes a replacement deck. If you had a Woods deck, you could still get a replacement, but you really wouldn't like the cost! If you want a new deck, I'd find a local fabrication shop and see if they'd weld one up for you. They're really pretty simple, and it wouldn't take a ton of work for a small welding or fab shop. If you stripped your deck down, took all the spindles and hardware out, and took the bare deck to them, I would think they could fab one up in less than a week. Still probably looking at $1000 (40 hrs x $25/hr), maybe even more, but if you find the right place, you might get it done for less.

Another option would be a local high school or continuing education program. They're often looking for projects like this, and may get it done for you for the cost of materials, but the workmanship may not be the best. Still, I've seen my son's high school shop turn out some pretty nice stuff.

If you're like me, I'd tackle it myself. Even though my welding isn't great, I think I could fab it up, get everything tacked together with my little MIG welder, then take it somewhere to get it finish welded. Again, it's not a bad little project and then you'd have something to brag about!

[Eugene]

I'd tackle it myself.

My out of pocket cost for welding up the mower deck is slightly above zero. I own a wire and stick welder, plasma cutter, scrap sheet metal in various thickness.

It actually takes me more time to dismount and remount the mower deck than the repairs.

[gitractorman]

I'm with you Eugene! I really like the new "fabricated" decks that Exmark, Cub Cadet, Simplicity (well, I guess everyone) are using. They use this "butt plate" style welding (well, that's what I call it anyway), where the plates are kept flat, and just butt welded together. I think you could fab up the 3260 in similar style, and probably build a better deck than IH originally did. The 3260 was made to look like the other Cub Cadet 48" and 42" mower decks, but that "ramped/angled" chute was nothing special, and mostly for cosmetics just so they all looked the same. Sure would be fun to try. I can tell you, having worked on literally hundreds of mowers, there's nothing special about any of them. If you keep the geometry of the blade spindles correct, and keep the mounting points correct, anything else could be changed and made to work.

[Eugene]

Not to belabor this topic. My tractors and mowers are work machines. I don't care what the patch jobs look like as long as it works.

[wagonmaster]

I agree, Eugene. But i'm getting to the point ware i'm welding patches to patches.

[wagonmaster]

Checked with one fab shop a couple weeks ago and they didn't want such a one-off project. They said if I wanted 300 of them we could talk. I'm going to check other smaller shops.

[Indy4570]

you might be better off having a shop cut you sections, remove all the patches and go back to good metal and replace quadrants if you will. not seeing your deck I cant say exactly what I want but you get the idea, you would simply be buying cut sections of steel ready made to replace whole sections. this sort of repair would seemingly last longer than piecemeal patches. and a possibly a redesign in the mix with maybe some thicker gauge material on areas that seem to be failing more rapidly? Like a fender section you buy to repair a car, go all the way back to good material and be done with all the rusted parts. a good longevity repair but less than a full deck fabrication.

[wagonmaster]

Just got back from another fab shop who
will do it for a little over 300 dollars. He has a 12 foot brake. Other small shops only have 4 foot. I will have to drill and cut all the holes, but thatsnot a problem. I have one more shop to check with Next week.

[AL Farmall Boy]

post before and after pictures! Never know, you might get them some more work from folks on here!

[outdoors4evr]

OMG $300 seems like a great deal!

[wagonmaster]

I guess this project will have to wait for another winter. The grass is starting to grow and I did a nice job patching it up already, although I was looking forward to the challenge.