Converting belly mower to front mount? 72" on 4300

[larboc]

Anyone done this? I have a 72" deck for my 4300 but not the tractor mounts for it. I was looking at the snowblower drive on the front and I think I could make up mounts to hold and lift the deck and drive it off the front PTO. Effectively making it a front mount finishing mower. Would be easier to remove and mount than a belly mower and I wouldn't drive over the grass before cutting it like a rear mount. And I already have it. Anyone attempt this?

 

[texasranger556]

In theory it should work. A quick google suggests that a 72" blower and a 72" mower weigh right around 400 lbs although the mower would stick out farther. The direction of rotation should be correct on the PTO. You will probably have to modify the shaft on the mower deck to the length necessary to meet the snowblower mount. I think the number of splines on the snowblower shaft is the same as the shaft on your mid mount mower, but you'd want to check that first. Those shafts aren't cheap if you need to buy a different one.

It could get tricky building brackets to get the mower to "float" level front to back, you really don't want all the weight on the gauge wheels. For a mid mount mower the wheels are designed more to lift the deck over high spots...the height is adjusted by the lift. You would still want to replace the rear caster wheels with ones that swivel so you don't tear up your while grass turning.

As far as function, it would take some practice going around trees. If your property is hilly, that could make things more interesting. You'd want some extra weight on the rear of the tractor if you don't already have it. It would also take up several extra feet on a trailer and in your garage, and obviously you can't have a front loader on at the same time. I probably wouldn't do it for that reason alone.

This all assumes you already have the snowblower mount and your tractor is 4x4. Post pics if you decide to do it!

 

[dfkrug]

I was looking at the snowblower drive on the front and I think I could make
up mounts to hold and lift the deck and drive it off the front PTO.

Front PTO? Do you mean the Mid-PTO that drives a belly mower? Or is there an optional front PTO
that I am not aware of for the 4300?

Personally, I use a front 3-pt hitch I made that mounts to the FEL. My backhoe is always mounted.
PTO in the front is hydraulic. But I do not mow or blow, where a hydraulic PTO has trade-offs,
versus a mechanical one.

 

[4570Man]

You will have to turn the gearbox around because the deck won't cut well in reverse.

 

[bcp]

I thought he was more or less moving the MMM deck forward about 5 feet. No direction reversal needed.

Bruce

 

[sunnyside360]

I thought he was more or less moving the MMM deck forward about 5 feet. No direction reversal needed.

Bruce

........ my understanding also.

 

[zzvyb6]

The hookup is EXACTLY the same as the 72" deck running on the F-932 and F-935 front mount mowers. Two gauge wheels on the front of the mower set the front ride height and the tractor's front wheels set the rear ride height on the deck. Two extended arms push the mower deck along and can pick it up. You need to hang a front pto shaft and bearing (same setup as the front snowblower) because a shaft from the mid-pto to the deck is too long and will whip and self destruct at 2100 rpm and could also have some interference problems depending on what tires you use.

You could (theoretically) run it from a mount on the loader arms, but then would need a telescoping front pto shaft. Run the loader in float on the valve.

Once you have/get a front mower, nothing else will do. Start with looking at pics from an F-935, Its just two control arms, some beefier front gauge wheels and the extended drive shaft. If you run it from your mid-pto, no change in gearbox is needed. Some guys have run a front mower off of the rear 540 gearbox using an underbelly shaft and belt drive. That takes a gear set change withinin the same gearbox casting.

I've seen the front pto mounts, bearings and shaft in kits sold periodically on eBay, usually before snow season. Cleaning the deck and sharpening blades on a deck you can lift up in your face is just like they say sliced bread became.

 

[zzvyb6]

Here's the copycat setup. The two Y-type control arms fit into some square tubing that can be hinged off of the frame mounts from your current MMM setup. Depending on your tractors size, you might just need aspecial lengthened 2100 rpm pto shaft to make it work. I bought two extra control arms (used) off of ebay a few years ago. They show up all the time, too. Same arms for the 60" deck, too.

 

[4570Man]

Here's my front mount mower. Upon further review you guys are right about the PTO shaft. No modifications needed assuming the front and mid PTO turn at the same RPM.

 

[texasranger556]

Front PTO? Do you mean the Mid-PTO that drives a belly mower? Or is there an optional front PTO
that I am not aware of for the 4300?

Personally, I use a front 3-pt hitch I made that mounts to the FEL. My backhoe is always mounted.
PTO in the front is hydraulic. But I do not mow or blow, where a hydraulic PTO has trade-offs,
versus a mechanical one.

You can get a kit that extends the mid PTO to the front for a snowblower. It looks like this:
221QT-Hitch-4b.jpg Photo by grf58 | Photobucket