OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions On Cox Ride On Mower Frames Cox XL Scout - Cutter Brake

Hi. Does anyone happen to have an XL Scout 10HP Electric start that could give me some information on the cutter brake. In the manual, from here, it mentions about where the adjustment mechanism on the left hand side but I cannot find anything that looks like a brake mechanism on my latest freebie find. Any information or perhaps a photograph or drawing would be greatly appreciated since that is the last thing I need to figure out to have it back to a great little mower again.

G'day
I have never seen under a scout before, but here is the brake from a cox compact tractor 28inch cut.


To adjust it, tighten or loosen the nut and spring, so that when you move the cutting lever to stop cutting, the brake pad should be feathering on the pulley to slow the blade carrier plate down.



I disliked the brake on my two tractors so much, that I removed them both.
I certainly don't recommend doing that.

This maintenance tip below is from the cox website:
http://www.coxmowers.com.au/?page_id=1308

I fitted a new cutter belt and the cutter brake won�t stop the cutter.

Cutter disengagement should be adjusted so that when the engine is started and the cutter is raised to full height there is no take up of the belt. The cutter brake will only stop the disc if the cutter belt disengagement is adjusted correctly. (Screw adjuster out for more disengagement). Belt may be stretched (replace).

Thanks guys. I'll put her up on the lift today and see if I can get it adjusted.

Well it seems like the brake mechanism has broken at some stage and most of it has been removed, just a small bit of rod and clamp remain on the cutter engage pivot bar. Very sad now, have to look at making something.

Trev, the brake pads are available online.
I made one once out of an old car brake pad, once cut down to the right size, drilled, counter sunk and pop riveted in place, worked alright.
A bit of fabrication, enjoy.

Don't suppose you are interested in selling that mechanism in the photos are you Mark? Would save most of the fab work, just would need to make an adaption to the hooked end to mate to the scout cutter engage :-)

Sorry Trev, I will need to refit these brakes if I ever sell my ride ons.
Cheers

No worries Mark. Would it be possible to give me some measurements for distance from brake pad to pivot point and from pivot point to bolt where adjuster joins on? If too much of an imposition I'll understand. Thanks.

Just let me know if you need any other measurements.

Thanks Mark. I was thinking that rather than fab up the adjuster part I'm going to see if a spring and a turnbuckle will do instead which means I just have to make the bell crank assembly. If that doesn't work then I'll make the adjuster.

Phase one, bell crank fabbed up with a cut down brake shoe I had spare from my tip find Rover Rancher Auto Drive.

Thanks Trev for posting your progress, another step closer to having a completed ride on.

Low Fab replacement for the adjuster section, works like a charm. Easy one hand tool free adjustment of the brake. Drilled out and replaced one end of the turnbuckle with a modified bolt from a dynabolt. The spring is off an old iron frame single bed. The eye end bolts to the top hole on the bell crank and the spring is attached to a tab bolted on the shaft of the cutter engagement lever.

Can the dynabolt end rotate in the turnbuckle? If it can, you need a locknut on the other end. If it can't rotate, it looks right as it is.

Hi Grumpy
Under tension the taper on the dynabolt locks pretty solid into the turnbuckle and you cannot turn it by hand but when it is not under tension, i.e., when the cutter is engaged, then it can be turned relatively easily although it still is firm. Are you thinking it might vibrate loose? So far it hasn't but I have only done a small amount of mowing as a test. Unfortunately the only turnbuckles I had lying around were ring/hook types and of course the ring end is the left hand thread so finding a lock nut might be a bit tough. If it does work loose I will buy a ring/ring type, or a marine type which come with lock nuts, and replace it.

That sounds like a good plan, Trev. I can see you had thought it through. My guess is that sooner or later it will work loose - I don't think a mower manufacturer would take the chance on designing it that way.

Hi grumpy
I have a problem on the cutter break as well mine is that I don't know where to fit the hook part onto I know that it fiton the cutter brake but it's the other end that has me stumped can you help please mine is a scout XL28
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Thanks in advance

Looks like a pretty rough homemade job there. My turnbuckle solution has been going well now for 2 and a half years. I made a plate that wraps around the cutter engage cross bar and hooked the spring into that.

Hi AussieTrev this is the original that's fitted from cox never seen such cheap made parts it has the spring set up inside the box steel this rod goes way past the cutter engage cross bar I picked this mower up with parts in a box and looking at the drawings in the manual they don't show where they fit and I havent played around with a cox before I also have another part that am not sure of I think it's the disengaging adjuster see photo maybe you can enlighten me where it goes all answers welcome thanks