416-8 & 42" deck vs 520H with 48" deck

Per another thread, I had a wiring melt down on the 416-8 with the 42" side discharge deck. I found a good deal on a 520H with a 48" deck and bought it.

Last night I cut the grass for the first time with the 520.

1. It didn't seem to cut so low, the 42" side I had at the highest setting and even added bigger wheels to the back, I adjusted the manual lift to not lower it down much. The 520H & 48" deck seemed to cut Higher (which I wanted) Is this normal, or is there some other setting I missed on the 42" deck to raise it further?

2. I was surprised, but the 520H seemed to turn tighter as well, I expected the opposite, as I read the 520 is longer. Is this my imagination?

3. The Hydro ground speed seemed to vary as I turned and went up or down hills. Is there an adjustment for that?

4. After the 4 hour drive on a trailer home with all of the bouncing on the road, the headlights and tail lights don't come on, but the dash lights still work. I checked the terminals on the head lights, they seemed good. Does the head and tail lights being out give a good starting point of where to look for the problem? I thought the switch was Ok, since the dash lights were ON, later I realized they are ON all the time. I tried to reach back and check the switch connection, but I'll double check that again.

5. Any extra care tips for a 520H, especially the ONAN engine and the Hydraullic lift and Hydro drive parts?

Thanks in advance,
Sam

Hi Sam, Welcome to the world of the 520H. I have two of them, they are one of the finest tractors ever made. The down side of them is a tendency to break the rear cylinder valve seat loose and a long list of wiring issue.

A couple of thought about your questions.

1. Deck height. The fore/aft deck height adjustment can make a big difference in cutting height. The best way to check is crawl under the deck and measure the blade height. I use a block of wood to compare the front and rear. When correct, the deck should be nose down about 1/8"

2. I'm not sure about a tighter radius, but the gear reduction steering sure does make it turn quicker (and easier)

3. If your speed is moving around as you drive, I would adjust the tension. Its under the seat. There are three adjustments there, A cam balances the forward and aft speed, a linkage that will affect centering, and a bolt with a big washer under it. If you tighten this bolt it will be harder to move the speed control, but the speed will stay put. Caution, that bolt is really touchy, it will take some trial and error to hit the sweet spot.

4. I've had problems with keeping my lights going. Vibration sure does take its toll on the filaments. I am slowing replacing mine with LED's. The other issue with the 520H is corrosion on the electrical connections and a complicated system. A good cleaning on all connections will go a long way. Repair as needed.

5. A couple of tips. Pull the engine shroud and clean the cooling fins. The 520H sucks up grass clippings and the fan pushes them into the fins. Its worse if you have an oil leak. The grass plugs up the cooling fins and causes the cylinders to run hot. The rear cylinder is the worse. The over heating leads to loose valve seats. For the hydro, I would change the oil and filter. I recommend synthetic oil and use an OEM Toro filter.

Another couple of thoughs, If you have problems with a long crank to get the engine going. You are probably evaporating the gas in the bowl. The fuel pump is slow to bring gas to the carb. An electric fuel pump will really help. If the engine seem to hunt, clean the carb. You can do a decent job from the top with out pulling the carb.

Kurt

Thank you for the great information!

Does anyone have an idea what year my 520 is from the pictures or can I use the serial number to figure it out?

The 59 in the beginning of the serial number identifies it as a 1995. Just reverse the numbers.