1953 CA Mowing Implements?
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=188284
Printed Date: 09 Sep 2025 at 3:22pm
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Topic: 1953 CA Mowing Implements?
Posted By: NMev
Subject: 1953 CA Mowing Implements?
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 8:08pm
| I'm getting a 1953 CA and I'm trying to find any mower decks that I can get that will mount straight from a manufacturer without having to do anything tricky. I know about the Woods L306 which is kind of hard to find for a decent price when I see new equipment not much more expensive. However, I'm totally unknowledgeable in regards to how things hook to a tractor. Been trying to search for weeks and can't seem to find anything other than the Woods, and most posts seem recent from 2015, but I'm quickly realizing how much closer to 10 years ago that really is. Please feel free to post to other forum posts to read through, or give product recommendations that will hook up. The tractor is still completely stock, 6V system and all. I want to keep it that way, but be able to mow my 5 acres with it. |
Replies:
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 8:35pm
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Our CA has a L306 on it. Buying something cheap has always led to disappointment for me. This deck has been on Dads CA since 2003. It mows the farm yard and river frontage weekly. About 2.5 acres worth. To my knowledge we are on belt 3, which is pretty darn good in 19 years. It’s not a bush hog, it’s a finish mower. So it depends on how you are planning on keeping that 5 acres trimmed? If you want yard quality mowing look no further than a L306. JMO after 19 years of knowledge ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 8:39pm
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If you decide to get the Woods, please do yourself a favor and follow the instructions to a tee. The belt takes many turns and roll overs. Make sure you do the measurements as they describe and it will give you years of great mowing. To remove the blades, they are clockwise nuts! ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: sparky
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:01pm
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Yes to the Wood L306. I mow with one on my CA and have a like new one on a pallet in the barn. The “L” stands for left hand discharge and left handed threads on the spindles. Good luck in your search. ------------- It's the color tractor my grandpa had! |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:27pm
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an L306 will go a great job if you want a FINISH MOWER.... If you just want to cut the field 3-4 times a year to keep the "grass down"... you could invest in a cheaper 3 point or pull behind mower driven off the PTO shaft... They dont cost quite as much, and will cut small brush / weeds / etc.. better than the L306. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: sparky
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:32pm
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I totally agree. ------------- It's the color tractor my grandpa had! |
Posted By: NMev
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 11:33pm
| Well I'm about to buy a pair of L306 decks and mounting brackets for $700. One is in really good condition the other is clearly just a parts deck. The only thing they don't have are the mounting/hanging chains which I can either buy/make for not too much more. |
Posted By: rustyorange45
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 11:47pm
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A CA will handle a 5 foot rotary mower just fine. I have pull type Allis 160 mower. Hook to the draw bar, slip the pto shaft on and start mowing. I also have a Woods RM306 3 point finish mower that works well also. If you put a L306 mower on, plan on leaving it on. It is a job mounting it and if you want to use the tractor for anything else the mower will have to come off. I have a narrow front CA with a L306 and turf tires for mowing the yard and a wide front CA for everything else. I did mow the yard with the wide front CA and RM306 one time and it mowed just fine but left bar marks from the rear tires. ------------- 1953 WD45 WF/Model 90 Loader, Oxnard Rear Blade, 80R Mower, Model 209 Disc, WD Rear Mounted Scoop, Model 184 & 160 Rotary Mowers, 1952 CA NF/L306CA mower, 1953 CA WF/Model 8 Loader. |
Posted By: rustyorange45
Date Posted: 15 May 2022 at 11:58pm
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How does the deck lift with mowers you want to purchase? Do they come with the hydraulic lift parts or the mechanical lift? Make sure you get the pto pulley as well. You can contact Woods and get the owners manual sent to you in a pdf. Manual number F-5059 is the one for a CA. It is for the L59-CA and L306-CA ------------- 1953 WD45 WF/Model 90 Loader, Oxnard Rear Blade, 80R Mower, Model 209 Disc, WD Rear Mounted Scoop, Model 184 & 160 Rotary Mowers, 1952 CA NF/L306CA mower, 1953 CA WF/Model 8 Loader. |
Posted By: NMev
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 4:25am
| It looks like manual lift, no hydraulic. Which it will very much be a set and forget. |
Posted By: NMev
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 4:39am
| Also the ones I'm getting sound like they came off an AC, they come with the manuals for the AC I'm getting a manual for the CA from Woods. May need to acquire and swap some parts to mount up I'm assuming? |
Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 6:12am
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The L306 is a great mower for the CA tractor as everyone has mentioned. However for lifting I prefer to use a set of CA cultivator levers and a third hydraulic cylinder. With 2 chains (1 on each side) the mower rides level without running on the wheels. With the WOODS single chain lift the mower either has to run on the wheels (wearing them out faster) or flop all around hanging from the single chain. ------------- If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere. Real pullers don't have speed limits. If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY |
Posted By: Lon(MN)
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 6:53am
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I have two CAs. Each have a six foot Artsway mower on them. ------------- http://lonsallischalmers.com |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 9:17am
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NMEv.... you mower could have brackets for a B, C, or CA .... if they dont fit, you may have to cut or modify the crossbar between the final drives to fit... After that, the mower slides into place and connects up pretty easy...... Hydraulic lift is nice for various applications, but i have a manual lift on a B and 90% of the time it stays in one height... Not a real problem. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 4:56pm
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Our CA uses the existing lift cylinders to lift the mower via a chain to the deck. It all came in the Woods package. ------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: jvin248
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 6:08pm
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. Easiest may be a towable finish mower. I picked up a 3 point finish mower project this winter as a backup to my zero turn mower, but I've seen towable finish mowers out there and that would be a solution too. First video is more of a towable brush hog (I think called a 'field mower'), while the second does a little factory tour and then shows their whole range of products which should include the towable finish mower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX__NtqPDgY" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX__NtqPDgY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWhscviI4zw" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWhscviI4zw And then this shows the range of similar products out there. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=towable+finish+mower" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=towable+finish+mower The benefit of a towable mower instead of one that mounts directly on your CA is you will likely get another tractor as your fleet expands from the TAS or Tractor Acquisition Syndrome ;) .
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Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 7:12pm
Yes, that is how Woods does it. However due to the design of the CA hydraulic system, when you swing the right cylinder forward to work the Woods lift or front cultivator levers, the Right cylinder will only have a lift lower function. When you add a 3rd cylinder to the remote connection which is also plumbed with the LH cylinder you get "Lift & Hold" and this feature can be used for crossing ditches and ridges and not continuously load the hydraulic pump by moving the handle back to the "hold" position. If you can't get a 3rd cylinder, you can move the connection for the RH cylinder to the other port on the "hold valve" to get "lift & Hold" on the RH cylinder. This is describe in the OXNARD CA implements manual for lifting "heavy" implements. However this will disable the traction booster function. ------------- If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere. Real pullers don't have speed limits. If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY |
AC720Man wrote:Posted By: Leon B MO
Date Posted: 16 May 2022 at 8:22pm
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I have 2 CA's, one is a narrow front with an L306 deck that has been mowing grass on our place since the early 70's. I did rebuild the motor and the deck about 10 years ago but still very cheap to maintain. If I take care of it, that tractor will be worth more 5 years from now then it was 20 years ago, you can't say that about any other mower. I also have a wide front 53 CA, it has a woods C80 pull type brush hog behind it for mowing around the farm buildings, grassy areas and so on. If the grass is thick and more than 2 " tall, the ca has its hands full but they do pair well together. It really depends on your situation, if you have three to four acres of open ground, a pull type brush hog would be your best option, in my opinion. Best of luck with you CA. My uncle always said "CA stands for It's the Cat's As*"! Of coarse that was back in the 50's when the only tractors on the farm were a WC and a 51 CA. Leon B Mo ------------- Uncle always said "Fill the back of the shovel and the front will take care of itself". |