Backhoe 2520 MMM Lift Kit to Backhoe Instructions

[jdbower]

As some of you may know, there is an issue with the 2520's independent lift kit for a mid mount mower and the backhoe. Essentially the lift kit interferes with the beefy subframe of the backhoe and part must be removed. I didn't see any set of instructions on how to do this so I thought I'd write them up myself. Once you're done it a few times this is a pretty simple process that takes about 15-30 minutes.

Step one is to remove the toplink, this is pretty easy to do. Just knock out the hairpin holding it in and remove the connector. This is at the base of the toplink behind the seat.



Then we have to remove the sidelinks. First I remove the top support link which is attached to a small arm near the toplink, just pop out the hairpin and you're done.



Then remove the connector shown below, it's below and to the side of the rear PTO. Then slide the long pin towards the wheels, you may need a toplink pin or similar device to hammer the pin out. Be careful because the sidearm connector will slip out, then a spacer and finally the draft adjustment sleeve. The pin will hit the wheel, but not before it frees up enough space to slide the draft adjustment sleeve out. You do NOT need to remove the rear wheels even though it does cross your mind in a moment of panic.



Now for the mower mount. First step is the easiest, remove the rings near the front of the tractor that hold the lift kit arms to the tractor.



Near the rear wheels on the side with the cylinder the arms are attached to another set of mechanics including the height control knob mechanism. This was a cotter pin but I removed it and replaced it with a hairpin as shown.



Next, disconnect the hoses for the cylinder and free them from the routing. Note you may need to cut (and eventually replace) some cable ties make note of how they're routed on your tractor. At the top of the cylinder is another cotter pin (again, I recommend replacing it with a removable hairpin), there's another one at the bottom.



One step left, take a 13mm wrench and socket and remove the four brass bolts holding the lift kit "axle" to the tractor. Both halves of the block will come off and you'll be free to pull the arms away and install the backhoe.



To reinstall, just follow the directions in reverse. After you replace all the cotter pins with hairpins you only need a 13mm wrench/socket, a diagonal cutter and some cable ties but I typically have a pair of needle nose pliers and a hammer around just in case.



Let me know if you've got any questions or want any more pictures!

 

[farmerhays]

I was afraid to open up the "pill-box" (the two halves that hold the axle for the mower pivot arm), so I have been taking that entire brass bracket off the frame, including the rod and two halves around it.

Isn't there grease, etc. within those two halves, and is it really easier to remove the vertical bolts you picture rather than the horizontal bolts that hold the wide u-shaped bracket to which the vertical bolts mount?

 

[jdbower]

Isn't there grease, etc. within those two halves, and is it really easier to remove the vertical bolts you picture rather than the horizontal bolts that hold the wide u-shaped bracket to which the vertical bolts mount?

For me it's a bit easier (at least the first time) because the larger bolts holding the whole bracket up were much more difficult to remove. I was also concerned about how tight a fit the bracket was, the part I removed didn't have the risk that I'd need to pound the bracket back on afterwards - it's an awkward angle for me and I'm stuck doing this operation on a dirt floor. While I intentionally didn't check to see if there was any light grease involved it was a pretty clean operation with no visible grease.

Of course, your method is also perfectly fine if it works for you.

 

[stg2500]

I am currently in the market for a CUT and finally narrowed my search down to the 2520. I think. But this thread concerns me.

Does the above mentioned procedure need to be done everytime the switch from MMM to BH is done? Seems time consuming. Are the procedures different with the 2320? I would like to get a versatile tractor that I can cut grass with and have a FEL and BH.

Should I consider a RFM instead of the MMM. I just concerned that the RFM would be difficult to cut with arounds trees, etc.

 

[jdbower]

The majority of the work (removing the 3PH, etc.) needs to be done no matter what chassis you get. On the 2520 you need to remove the bracket that holds the mower up, this is removing 4 bolts and a few hairpins - probably adds 10-15 leisurely minutes to the process once you've done it once or twice. I believe this is not an issue for the 2320 or the larger chasses, but I would imagine with heavy use you'd save more time in the long run sticking with the 2520 which can do some tasks faster than the 2320. An RFM would avoid that step, but you'd still need to remove the 3PH.

Something to consider depending on what you mow is that for the price of the MMM alone you can also get a cheap ZTR or a dedicated lawn tractor. If you primarily use the tractor for real tractor work and anticipate using the backhoe/loader most of the time this may be a better solution. It could also allow you to upgrade to a 3000 series since mowing requires the most maneuverability. You can also look into a third party backhoe that mounts to the 3PH so you don't need to remove it, but I couldn't find any decent ones for a tractor as small as the 2520.

CUTs are great in that they can do everything fairly well, but I'm afraid there are drawbacks in that morphing from a construction machine to a field tractor to a lawn mower will have quirks you'll need to figure out no matter what make or model you decide on.