On my John Deere 445 I have to take my mower off and back on numerous times throughout the summer. Sometimes as many times as twice a week. This is a pain in the you know what. What do the people on the forum do to help ease the pain of this chore? Buying another tractor is not an option. Any Ideas?
Mid-Mount Mower Removing and Installing Mid mount mower
- Thread starter narampa
- Start date
BleedingOrange
Platinum Member
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- Apr 19, 2011
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- Tractor
- Kubota BX 2370
Welcome to TBN. It,s a great site.
I have a 455, and I,m assuming your set-up is very close to mine.
This is what I do, hope it helps.
Before starting to remove the mower, with the tractor running, lift it as high as you can with your hieght adjuster.
Then turn all 4 wheels 90 degrees, and lock them in place, and lower the mower down as low as it will go.
Before shutting off tractor, turn the steering wheel to the right as far as it will go.
Release the front mower support and move it out of the way.
Remove the 4 pins that lock in the mower support arms near the back of the mower, and lower the arms gently onto the mower.
Pull the mower towards the front of the front of the tractor, and release the driveshaft, and place it on top of the mower at a 90 * angle.
Then start up the tractor, and lift the mower control as high as you can to get the lift brackets out of the way.
Shut off tractor, and roll the mower out the left side of the tractor.
How long have you had your tractor ? I find it gets easier, the more you do it. The mower is heavy, but it works great.
I live near Prescott, Ontario, in Canada. What part of Canada are you from ?
I have a 455, and I,m assuming your set-up is very close to mine.
This is what I do, hope it helps.
Before starting to remove the mower, with the tractor running, lift it as high as you can with your hieght adjuster.
Then turn all 4 wheels 90 degrees, and lock them in place, and lower the mower down as low as it will go.
Before shutting off tractor, turn the steering wheel to the right as far as it will go.
Release the front mower support and move it out of the way.
Remove the 4 pins that lock in the mower support arms near the back of the mower, and lower the arms gently onto the mower.
Pull the mower towards the front of the front of the tractor, and release the driveshaft, and place it on top of the mower at a 90 * angle.
Then start up the tractor, and lift the mower control as high as you can to get the lift brackets out of the way.
Shut off tractor, and roll the mower out the left side of the tractor.
How long have you had your tractor ? I find it gets easier, the more you do it. The mower is heavy, but it works great.
I live near Prescott, Ontario, in Canada. What part of Canada are you from ?
Thanks for your reply I have owned the tractor since new. I have 700 hrs on it. I do it exactly the way you have suggested. The problem is I have a bunch of home made attachments that I use and I have to switch between them. For the most part I would like to leave the mower on,but some of the terrain I navigate is hard on the mower because of stumps etc. And as per your question I am from Alberta.
I find the mower cumbersome after I remove it, that is if I decide to move it or do routine blade sharpening.
I would like to build some kind of dolly. Maybe somebody has some Ideas about this.
I find the mower cumbersome after I remove it, that is if I decide to move it or do routine blade sharpening.
I would like to build some kind of dolly. Maybe somebody has some Ideas about this.
schmism
Super Member
as your current "tractor" is a rideing lawn mower. What tasks are you constantly having to take the deck off for? If your needing high clearance to pull a tiller or some such in a garden then ya, $100 or less lawnmowers with no decks can be found everywere on craigslist.
You would think that if you do it THAT much you would save the minimal amount of cash it takes to pick up a second rideing mower less deck.
to put it in perspective, my MMM is a 72" deck for my TC33 that weighs more than your entire tractor. THAT is a deck that is a PITA to remove and replace.
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I use my mower as a bush hog. I will post a picture later. Like I said in my last post I need the clearance for stumps etc. Some people would never do what I do with a mower. But if you are careful you can cut brush. I live on 4 acres of bush. For cutting grass I use a push mower takes about 20 min. to cut the grass. For looking after my bush example keeping out dead fall etc I build trails. I also harvest some of the bigger trees. At the present time I am building a pad for my motor home. Again like I said a lot of people would not do what I do but i have done it very successfully for the last few years or at least since the tractor was new. A set of blades are quite cheap compared to a bush hog. ( Have never replaced blades yet)
I use it as a mower to keep the ditch in front of my acreage looking sharp for the neighbors as everybody in the subdivision does this. In winter I run the blade and snow blower. House and buildings are not visible from the road,the ditch just gives the place curb appeal and keeps the neighbors happy ,as the front of the acreage is lined with evergreens.
I use it as a mower to keep the ditch in front of my acreage looking sharp for the neighbors as everybody in the subdivision does this. In winter I run the blade and snow blower. House and buildings are not visible from the road,the ditch just gives the place curb appeal and keeps the neighbors happy ,as the front of the acreage is lined with evergreens.
This is what I mean about rough terrain.
The tractor was referred to as a riding lawnmower??? I guess it depends how you look at it. All my landscaping has been done with this tractor.Far less damage and cleanup than with a real tractor. I guess. Thought of something bigger but it would be a waste.
The tractor was referred to as a riding lawnmower??? I guess it depends how you look at it. All my landscaping has been done with this tractor.Far less damage and cleanup than with a real tractor. I guess. Thought of something bigger but it would be a waste.
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bigtiller
Super Member
Are you turning the front wheels sharp to the right when pushing the deck out? When I had that size mowers I had a hydraulic jack nearby, so I jacked the front up a few inches. If the air pressure is low in the tires that makes it almost necessary to use a jack. A smooth concrete floor helps too.
For a dolly, how about doing what this guy did?
ovrszd
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I had saved that picture, but couldn't find it. There's his solution for storing and moving the deck around if he's got a good concrete floor to work on.
Years ago I had a JD322 that did more "tractor" work than it did lawn work. I applaud the OP for trying to make the best of his current situation. In time hopefully he can get the resources to step up to a CUT tractor for the rough work.
Great Pictures by the way!!!
I guess my biggest issue seems to be the ground conditions I do my mower installs on. I hate putting it in the garage as it takes up so much space.
I do like the dolly. Might look into building one. Thanks for the picture.
I do like the dolly. Might look into building one. Thanks for the picture.
kevin37b
Veteran Member
You have a beautiful place .