# Toro 3100d HOC adjustment



## joerob2211 (Apr 27, 2018)

I have been cutting at 1.5 inches on the 3100d. I am trying to get the HOC down to 1.25 but it will not go that low on the current settings. I am trying to figure out what setting the front and back rollers need to be set on based off the height increments on the side of the cutting units. I will also be paralleling the units. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is a 1999 Toro 3100d sidewinder.

Thanks


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Look on both sides of each reel...you will see L-shaped pin(Circled in Red) held in by cotter pins along with a height range increment chart. The chart should be silver aluminum color. You can do this adjustment pretty easily with the reels installed on the machine, just lift them up off the ground. If you going to do fine heights adjustments and parallel adjustment it's easier to take them off the traction unit and do one at a time to dial things in.

What I do is take off the hydro-motor, undo the chain, undo the black rocker arms bolts(#82), then take off the reels and lift the reels onto a bench. They are very heavy to the tune of about 150+lbs each. Once on the ground or bench, the rollers are held on by a jam nut(circled in Blue), which must me loosened on both side first. Then pull the L-shaped pins and move the rollers up or down according to the desired height range chart(Circled in Yellow), reinstall the pins. Then you can make fine height adjustments using the #89 bolts and #77 jam nuts on this schematic pictured below.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Here is an actual picture of the reel. Jam nut circled in yellow. Major Height adjustment pins, fine adjustment bolts and depth silver gauge charts circled in red.


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## joerob2211 (Apr 27, 2018)

MrMeaner said:


> Here is an actual picture of the reel. Jam nut circled in yellow. Major Height adjustment pins, fine adjustment bolts and depth silver gauge charts circled in red.


Yep that is exactly what mine looks like. Great explanation and I really appreciate it. I am going to tackle it this afternoon. If I am changing the height range on the rollers, do you feel like I need to parallel the rollers with only cutting at 1.25?


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

I never felt the need to purchase the crazy expensive tool to parallel the rollers. For that matter I'm not even sure how or where to adjust them to make them parallel. Obviously if you or previous owner hit something very hard and bent the reel frame or more likely the roller support brackets they could possible be out of parallel alignment. If you have not purchased the tool already, I suppose once you have the reels off and on a bench you can do some measuring. I would suggest measureing the distance on both sides of the reel rollers front to back. Maybe even, once the reel is upside down measure the distance from the inside of each roller on both side to the bedknives front or back edge.

The reels are very heavy duty. Unless your setting them up to cut very low on a fancy golf course, in my opinion, they don't have to be in ultra perfect parallel alignment. I would venture to say that's more of a golf course perfection adjustment than what your wanting for a cutting a home lawn or sports field.

Your profile says you have 5K of Tif419, is this what your cutting with this mower? Is your grass dormant in Dallas? 5K of turf will hardly get the machine warmed up before your done cutting :lol: :lol:


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## joerob2211 (Apr 27, 2018)

MrMeaner said:


> I never felt the need to purchase the crazy expensive tool to parallel the rollers. For that matter I'm not even sure how or where to adjust them to make them parallel. Obviously if you or previous owner hit something very hard and bent the reel frame or more likely the roller support brackets they could possible be out of parallel alignment. If you have not purchased the tool already, I suppose once you have the reels off and on a bench you can do some measuring. I would suggest measureing the distance on both sides of the reel rollers front to back. Maybe even, once the reel is upside down measure the distance from the inside of each roller on both side to the bedknives front or back edge.
> 
> The reels are very heavy duty. Unless your setting them up to cut very low on a fancy golf course, in my opinion, they don't have to be in ultra perfect parallel alignment. I would venture to say that's more of a golf course perfection adjustment than what your wanting for a cutting a home lawn or sports field.
> 
> Your profile says you have 5K of Tif419, is this what your cutting with this mower? Is your grass dormant in Dallas? 5K of turf will hardly get the machine warmed up before your done cutting :lol: :lol:


I had my ag department make a bench plate so I did not have to buy it but I feel the same way you do about paralleling. Since I'm not cutting below an inch it probably wont make that big of a difference. No not my yard but I wish I had a big enough yard to use it because it is sweet. I am a high school baseball coach and talked my school into buying this mower from a local golf course that I know the sup. I am currently using it on the baseball field and in the summer/fall it will be used on the football field. It is a 1999 that had been sitting for 3 or 4 years and only has 1700 hours on it. Changed out the fluids and the golf course backlapped.

This picture is from a week and a half ago cut at 1.5". We have always just used a rotary mower.


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## joerob2211 (Apr 27, 2018)

Still working on getting those straight lines HAHAHA.


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## joerob2211 (Apr 27, 2018)

@MrMeaner i appreciate the help. I adjusted the back rollers and was able to mow at 1.25. That is what we will play on.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

joerob2211 said:


> @MrMeaner i appreciate the help. I adjusted the back rollers and was able to mow at 1.25. That is what we will play on.


Yes sir, your welcome!! Baseball fields looks awesome!! Let me know if you have any other questions..i would be happy to answer.


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## doughy87 (Jul 10, 2020)

Hi @MrMeaner I have just bought a 3100d and the front and rear rollers are set at different heights going by the silver height gauge on the side should they both be set to say 1/2" if that's the height you want to cut?


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## Kmartel (Feb 12, 2019)

There is an entire Manuel on setting up these cutting units. One of the sections describes the "attitude" of the bed knife. Essentially depending on HOC you want the rear roller farther from the reel then front to give better cut quality.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

doughy87 said:


> Hi @MrMeaner I have just bought a 3100d and the front and rear rollers are set at different heights going by the silver height gauge on the side should they both be set to say 1/2" if that's the height you want to cut?


I have found for for Celebration bermuda a slightly less aggressive/attitude cuts better than a real aggressive setting(meaning rear roller being set up higher than the front roller... so to answer you question yes, I would set them equal to each other then you can work your way setting the back roller lower(raises the bedknife height and adds a more aggressive cut. The older style reels have a secondary HOC screw with jam nut for fine HOC adjustments....the newer style reels have height adjustment shims you can move up or down to change the attitude. Like Kmartel suggested Toro has videos on youtube and online manuals explaining


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

I dont change my HOC. I'm at max height basically about 1.75. May drop it to cut some fairways, we will see.

I find I need to tweak the reel speed a bit from 1.25 to 1.75. I am at speed 3 with 8 blades at 1.75". At 1.25" with 8 blade reel I ran them at 4.


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## doughy87 (Jul 10, 2020)

Thanks a lot to all, that explains a lot I will find the reel manual and have a play want to get in and have a play on the FIL lawn and see how it goes until my place is ready for turf. Thought it was strange the back roller been set at 3/8 and the front at just over 1/2". But those adjustments affecting cut quality is just nteresting snd good to know.


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## Kmartel (Feb 12, 2019)

And don't forget about the clip speed control. That's a good baseline for cut quality. The chart is under the door of the storage area. Lots of good info on that door.


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## doughy87 (Jul 10, 2020)

Yes I did see the chart in the mower owners manual and will adjust that once I get a chance to use it. Have found the manual thank you and is very informative. Can't wait to give this a whirl and see what dirt if cut it gives me.


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## MedozK (Jun 6, 2017)

I just bought an older 3100D and am trying to set the HOC. I would like it at .75, but this thing is set at like 2". Trying to figure this out, and looking at it.. it looks like it really isn't properly put together. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Any idea @MrMeaner


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

MedozK said:


> I just bought an older 3100D and am trying to set the HOC. I would like it at .75, but this thing is set at like 2". Trying to figure this out, and looking at it.. it looks like it really isn't properly put together. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Any idea @MrMeaner


At a minimum I would say that carriage bolt should be riding in that slot (not above the bracket). I don't know if they put a longer adjusting screw in it or not. Someone who has one will know.


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## MedozK (Jun 6, 2017)

Ware said:


> MedozK said:
> 
> 
> > I just bought an older 3100D and am trying to set the HOC. I would like it at .75, but this thing is set at like 2". Trying to figure this out, and looking at it.. it looks like it really isn't properly put together. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> ...


Thanks, I was thinking the same thing. Because I can't adjust it upwards anymore because the bolt is in the way. And the length of the bolt to adjust does look overly long.


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## Kmartel (Feb 12, 2019)

MedozK said:


> I just bought an older 3100D and am trying to set the HOC. I would like it at .75, but this thing is set at like 2". Trying to figure this out, and looking at it.. it looks like it really isn't properly put together. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Any idea @MrMeaner


 That bolt is definitely wrong, to long for sure. You adjusted HOC using the bolt for fine adjustment and repositioning the bins in the holes for macro adjustments. Ware is correct on how that bolt should be riding in the slot. This should be covered in the owners manual. They are readily available based off model number on toro site.


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