Kubota bagger mod

[wooddd123]

So, late in the summer I bought a GCK60-76BA bagger for my B2620. I am very happy with the performance of the bagger but am greatly disappointed with how it attaches to the tractor. I honestly did not know that I had to rip the 3 point off the tractor in order to use the bagger. Given that I have a handful of 3pt implements and all have been modified to work with my HF quick hitch; having a bagger that was not compatible was not going to work for me.

So I went looking for a QH mount for the bagger and I couldn't find one. I found some older videos of people hacking their baggers apart to make them 3 point capable but I didn't want to hack up something that I just bought and spent a good deal of money on. I wanted a bolt on solution.

Since I didn't find anything, I decided to make it myself. So after many measurements and a couple of designs I ended up with this one.

I removed the upper bagger mounts off the tractor and off the bagger. I removed the lower mounting system off the tractor. I also removed the U shaped upper-to-lower brackets that were on the bagger. I then had some new lower mount extension pieces made up for the bagger. Then went on to make a new upper link mount (all bolt on).

Now that the bagger is 9-12 farther behind the tractor than before, the OEM driveshaft will not work. For some stupid reason, the stub shaft that drives the pulley system is welded to the yoke of the driveshaft so the main pulley has to be removed and the shaft pressed out of the bearings in order to remove the whole driveshaft. There is a driveshaft company nearby, so I went to them and got the parts to make up a new slip shaft. I then had a new stub shaft made up and installed that into the bearing housing and reassembled the pulley. The driveshaft is keyed and set screwed onto the stub shaft.

Even with the QH mount and the bagger in the highest position my suction tube was just long enough to work. I then had to make new feet for the bagger because the OEM ones are not tall enough. So, I fabbed up some new legs. Now, I can back my tractor up to my bagger and be on my way in under 2 minutes; vs an hour.

I've posted this info on here in case there are others out there in the same boat as me with this bagger. Love to use it but hate dinking around taking parts on and off the tractor. If you are handy and capable of doing the mods yourself feel free to copy the idea. If you don't have the time or means to make the parts yourself I would be willing to sell a conversion kit to anyone that is interested. The lower mounts and stub shaft I had made up at a machine shop and I have pricing for doing batches. The upper mount and legs I made up and know how much I have into those and the driveshaft is purchased.

If you have a B2320, B2620 or B2920 and have a QH on the back and are interested in a kit I think I can get away with selling them for $650, free shipping in the lower 48.
The kit would include:
the two lower mounts
upper mount
2 feet
Driveshaft
Stub shaft
all necessary hardware to attach everything to the bagger
only parts reused would be the pulley, pulley key, pulley retaining washer, nut and the current pins for the feet)

If you are interested in a kit either reply in this thread or PM me. I'm not looking for orders right now just trying to get a feel for what the market might be for something like this. Depending on how many people are interested, I might be able to buy/make in higher quantities and lower my selling price some more.

I realize it is winter time but spring will be here before you know it. I'm looking at starting manufacturing in January or February.
If you have questions; ask away and I will try to answer to the best of my ability.

 

[milkman]

Slick looking fix, does your bagger raise and lower when you raise or lower the deck? I had the same problem with the Pats Easy Change when I went to mount my bagger on the BX2200. Just a little figuring and fabricating to solve the problem. Link below shows the fix.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/87494-bagger-install.html?highlight=

 

[wooddd123]

Milkman,
Yes the bagger goes up down with mower. On the B2620 the raise on the MMM doesn't happen until the last 2-3" of motion on the 3pt so it isn't a 1 for 1 relation.

I drop the deck and look back and try to get the driveshaft roughly horizontal. That keeps the bottom of the bagger off the ground for hills and valleys and less wear and tear on the driveshaft. When I go to dump the grass/leaves, depending on where I do it, how heavy the bags are, etc, I may raise or lower the bagger for ergonomic reasons.

When I was looking to see if there were systems out there for the B's I came across your BX thread. Nice work.

 

[robstaples]

Wooddd123, I have a B3350 and similar bagger ( need to look up the model #) . I, too, don't like the disassembly needed to switch to winter mode. I put a hydraulic pack on for winter and like what you've done. And it's peaked my interest in simplifying my transition. I built my hydro pack and am considering modifying to fit the bagger rack.
Did you consider extending the original drive shafts instead of replacement? Like cutting and adding in a piece? Nice job.

 

[wooddd123]

Rob, I wanted to but didn't for a couple of reasons:
1. the bagger was "used" when I bought it but basically it was in showroom condition. I just bought it ($$$$) and didn't want to hack it up.
2. I wanted to be able to go back to stock for whatever reason needed.
3. I didn't want to cut the shaft and put a filler in and end up with an unbalanced shaft.
4. The stock shaft is not a slip shaft and I think it would have been a PITA to hook up the new way without it being a slip shaft.

By the time I came to #4 I realized that I just needed to bite the bullet and buy a new shaft. I tried all of the ag companies and I couldn't find a mass produced PTO shaft as short as I needed. As well as finding one with the ends that I needed. So I went to a local driveshaft company and they helped piece me together with easy to come by joints and yolks.

The harder part was designing up a new stub shaft to work with the new driveshaft and have it be sized correctly for the bearings and pulley.