New MX 6 on the ground!

[Builder]

I think it's the color "sunset on Kubota orange", bud. lol
The sun did some wicked fading on my fenders and I can't afford to replace them. I'm not in the "barnfull of dragsters" crowd.
Thanks on the positive compliments. That tractor makes me > $50,000 gross income/yr on field cutting, harley raking & snowplowing. Now if I could just stop spending it. :ashamed:

 

[jenkinsph]

I think it's the color "sunset on Kubota orange", bud. lol
The sun did some wicked fading on my fenders and I can't afford to replace them. I'm not in the "barnfull of dragsters" crowd.
Thanks on the positive compliments. That tractor makes me > $50,000 gross income/yr on field cutting, harley raking & snowplowing. Now if I could just stop spending it. :ashamed:

I have the MX6 with the Spanish gearbox too Look on the bright side since you have the multiple spindle setup the shafts may be different.

I know if mine breaks I would take it to a machine shop and have it welded back together, might be possible to heat it and remove some of the hardness too. I am not a metalurgist but a good machinist may know.

 

[AKfish]

I own an MX-8. What a sweet mower. I have the hydraulic tailheight adjust and the hydraulic swing on mine. Got it for $3,000 used-looks like a brand new mower. Couldn't be happier.

Dumb question: Why doesn't the slip clutch slip when these nice folks are striking immovable objects and breaking shafts???

I've hit some real nasty rocks with mine and it just merrily chugs along. So far it's my best/favorite attachment. Now I'm gettin "a-scared" about these gearboxes breaking.

$3,000... Man - I'm really "GREEN"! You sure fell into something there! I'm "kickin the tires" right now for a rotary cutter.

Looked at a 7' Frontier and a MX-7. Not much of a contest, there... The Frontier looked like it would do better on a golf course! Dealer had a good used MX-6 too. But it won't cover my tire tracks.

AKfish

 

[sweettractors]

$3,000... Man - I'm really "GREEN"! You sure fell into something there! I'm "kickin the tires" right now for a rotary cutter.

Looked at a 7' Frontier and a MX-7. Not much of a contest, there... The Frontier looked like it would do better on a golf course! Dealer had a good used MX-6 too. But it won't cover my tire tracks.

AKfish

Check out this JD 717 that my Son has for sale. It is super nice. Ken Sweet
Farm Equipment, SWEET FARMS Stanford, KY Equipment for Sale

 

[Builder]

$3,000... Man - I'm really "GREEN"! You sure fell into something there! I'm "kickin the tires" right now for a rotary cutter.

Looked at a 7' Frontier and a MX-7. Not much of a contest, there... The Frontier looked like it would do better on a golf course! Dealer had a good used MX-6 too. But it won't cover my tire tracks.

AKfish

Yeah, when I walked into the guy's shop, I couldn't believe my eyes. I think it was $7,500 new back in '07. The guy actually delivered it to my house on his rollback for $3,000. Thing looked like brand new when I saw it. With the hydraulic swing it's awesome for cutting along trees & fences. Another neat thing about the tailswing is getting through gates and cutting on steep slopes. I have some real "pucker" slopes to cut so what I do is swing the mower up above the tractor on the slope if I have to cut along the slope and it seems to make the tractor wider & more stable. Puts more weight up the hill.

I want to get the transportation light kit on it since I road the machine all over the place ($469). Wouldn't mind the aircraft tires over the segment tires, either.($322)

 

[Builder]

I have the MX6 with the Spanish gearbox too Look on the bright side since you have the multiple spindle setup the shafts may be different.

Yeah, maybe, but I'd doubt it. Maybe since I have what amounts to (2) 4' mowers, the blades don't put as much stress on the shaft as one 6' blade. I still can't see why the slip clutch doesn't help. Maybe s/c isn't "fast" enough reacting??

I know if mine breaks I would take it to a machine shop and have it welded back together, might be possible to heat it and remove some of the hardness too. I am not a metalurgist but a good machinist may know.

We have a bunch of machinists around here. I could get that shaft fixed for ~$100. My question is would it then balance correctly or would the weld hold long term?

Kinda makes me want to carefully drive any new customer's property with the 4 wheeler a little more carefully before a virgin cut.

 

[AKfish]

Yeah, when I walked into the guy's shop, I couldn't believe my eyes. I think it was $7,500 new back in '07. The guy actually delivered it to my house on his rollback for $3,000. Thing looked like brand new when I saw it. With the hydraulic swing it's awesome for cutting along trees & fences. Another neat thing about the tailswing is getting through gates and cutting on steep slopes. I have some real "pucker" slopes to cut so what I do is swing the mower up above the tractor on the slope if I have to cut along the slope and it seems to make the tractor wider & more stable. Puts more weight up the hill.

I want to get the transportation light kit on it since I road the machine all over the place ($469). Wouldn't mind the aircraft tires over the segment tires, either.($322)

I talked to the local JD guys about the MX-8... the price quote backed me right up!!

I looked at that front hyd cylinder in your pics and it didn't click for me that was for the "offset" mower deck. Very nice. Keep the rear tire and the cab away from all those things that just happen to reach out too close..

Yah, I'd bet those laminate tires can get a bit "jiggly" at 20mph on blacktop roads!

AKfish

 

[AKfish]

I still can't see why the slip clutch doesn't help. Maybe s/c isn't "fast" enough reacting??

Kinda makes me want to carefully drive any new customer's property with the 4 wheeler a little more carefully before a virgin cut.

If I had to guess - I'd bet most guys never check or adjust the spring tension on the clutch. Supposed to back the tension off for long storage... and then re-adjust. Doubt that happens routinely as well.

Amen - to checking and double checking! Half buried cable or log chains and Romex coils!

AKfish

 

[Builder]

I talked to the local JD guys about the MX-8... the price quote backed me right up!!

I looked at that front hyd cylinder in your pics and it didn't click for me that was for the "offset" mower deck. Very nice. Keep the rear tire and the cab away from all those things that just happen to reach out too close..

Yah, I'd bet those laminate tires can get a bit "jiggly" at 20mph on blacktop roads!

AKfish

I have the aircraft tires & light kit on my "order" list with the stealer. All I gotta do is call him and pull trigger. The laminate tires really aren't too bad. What I don't like is they tend to really pound the mower when going down the bumpy roads.

I really love my MX-8. There's definately a build quality about it and a finish quality missing on other mowers I looked at. Lots of grease fittings. Very easy to get to them. Did I mention it has stump jumper pans on it, too? Looking & considering a Landpride "commander" 10 or 12' single wing, but $12,000??? That's crazy. I could buy an older open station JD5300 4x4 with a 8' flail mower for $12,000!!!
Found a used Woods 10' single batwing for $6,500. Thought that was high, too.

I tend to wait and try to get really good deals and [knocking on wood] have been very successful thusfar.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I have a MX5 was mowing a feild and the output shaft broke . It was clearly a foulty casting and John Deere Said go pound salt !!!!! I will never buy Deere again !!! And yeah , I can buy a new gear box for $700 and the new pan for $600 !!!! that is the parts update, Can't buy or replace the broken shaft. Thed new gearbox and pan is the 3/4's the price of the new unit. Like I will get right on that Deere,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NOT

What makes you think the casting was faulty? It broke at a circlip ring groove. (the weakest point). They can make the groove with small radii at the bottom to improve strength. Was the stump jumper pan damaged? Hitting something unmoveable can put an extreme amount of force on the shaft. When a shaft breaks from overpowering, it will break in a "coiled helix" type break. When it has too much side load, it will shear as yours did. Like when you hit something and the whole mower jumps up and comes back down on what you hit. I would think that you could buy that part if you can decipher who makes it. Except for the gear teeth, the thing could be easily made at most machine shops.

Its a relatively fine line making it hard enough to do the job but soft enough not to break. Better quality steels broaden the line.

I have the cheapo LX5 and I've hit some pretty bad stuff with it. So far, I guess I've been lucky.

I would recommend against buying a 7 footer for this reason. Too much load can be put on the shaft with a 3.5 foot radius. Unless you are only maintaining pastures you know about, shy away from a 7 foot single shaft mower. Move up to an 8 footer(2- 4 footers combined) or go back down to a 6 footer.