Price Check on mmm...............Ouch!

[sixdogs]

I have a rear discharge Woods 8400 and love it more than the belley MMM. Trouble is, the rear mower is hard to navigate and a lot of damage gets done to the wife's flaura and fauna.
The rear mower is 7 Ft wide and leaves a beautiful lawn. But, I can only do the straight portions because of the obstacles. The MMM is a B7800 with 6ft mower and is great around obstacles but takes longer for the big portions because I can't go as fast. The RD8400 is on an L4300. I mow 2 1/2 acres.
What I have decided to do is teach the wife how to use the B7800 and to mow around everything and then I will use the RD8400 for the balance,
That's my plan for right now but is subject to revision based on her attitude towards my ideas.
If i had a three acre field with no trees I would choose the RD and if I had a bunch of trees and obstacles I like the MMM with a hydro.

[smfcpacfp]

What dealer were you talking to (where in the UP)?

[teeravis1]

Originally Posted by smfcpacfp

What dealer were you talking to (where in the UP)?

I talked to D&B Equipment down in Lena WI. Thats where I bought my tractor. I looked at the dealer in Marquette when I first did my tractor shopping, but haven't talked to them about the mmm. Marquette dealer is about 1.5 hrs from me and Lena is about 1.75 hrs from me. So they're about the same distance.

[Tom_H]

The 60" MMM on my BX2200 cuts about three times faster than my old MTD garden tractor with 54" deck could cut, and that thing did start to have problems in less than 100 hours. The MTD would stall if the grass was too tall. Sixdogs has some good points about a RFM. That is easier to get on and off than an MMM, though having the MMM on a dolly and pavement makes it much easier.

BTW sixdogs, sorry to hear that all of your wife's plants and animals got cut up by the RFM. (Flora is Latin for plants-actually the Roman goddess of flowers, while fauna is Latin for animals.) As the British would say, "That must have been a bloody mess."

[dillo99]

I faced that same question and chose to purchase a zero turn radius mower - same cutting width...much more maneuverable.

[sixdogs]

Originally Posted by Tom_H

The 60" MMM on my BX2200 cuts about three times faster than my old MTD garden tractor with 54" deck could cut, and that thing did start to have problems in less than 100 hours. The MTD would stall if the grass was too tall. Sixdogs has some good points about a RFM. That is easier to get on and off than an MMM, though having the MMM on a dolly and pavement makes it much easier.

BTW sixdogs, sorry to hear that all of your wife's plants and animals got cut up by the RFM. (Flora is Latin for plants-actually the Roman goddess of flowers, while fauna is Latin for animals.) As the British would say, "That must have been a bloody mess."

OK Tom H--cancel on the fauna and double on the flora.
I mowed more stuff than most people put in. Not all was an accident which led to, as the Brits would say, a bloody confrontation with the lady of the house.

[orangebluegreen]

Originally Posted by teeravis1

They quoted me a price of about $3300.

You didn't say if that was 60" or 72" but that seems a bit high considering suggested retail for 2007.
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/equipment...8/kubota_3.pdf


A few other considerations. I had the biggest craftsman (at the time) 18HP Kohler 42" as my main mower for about 15+ years, still have it as backup. Went through 1 deck (kinda thin compared to the Kubota) two sets of blades per year, a set of 2 to 3 belts per year, spindles that cannot be greased and started dying every couple of years at $65-70 each (later bought Stens with replaceable bearings). So after the first couple years of little wear I started spending about $110 a year on blades, $40-60 on belts, and perhaps $70 avg a year on spindles. After a while you start looking at $200-250 a year on belts blades and spindles. I also have had the rear main cook and fail about 4 times, lots of my labor to fix. The Kohler obviously needed an oil cooler in my application and Craftsman didn't add one. Of course when I called Kohler they had never heard of that problem (yeah right) but my local shop saw it all the time....funny how most machines today have coolers. It's sitting the past year in need of seals, haven't had time to get to it. Maybe I should press Kohler to send me a cooler considering my hassle over the years.

The Kubota deck heading into its third season, original belt, original blades. The blades could make a third season but the "lift" is pretty well worn off. I may or may not replace them, suppose just to go faster I will replace them within a month but I could easily use them a third season.

[Tom_H]

Originally Posted by sixdogs

Not all was an accident which led to, as the Brits would say, a bloody confrontation with the lady of the house.

Ouch, If I were you, mine would have me sleeping in the same little house as those six dogs!!

[teeravis1]

Has anyone bought the 60" mmm for the B3030 lately? Could you let me know what the dealer charged you? - Thanks

[cschlaps]

Here's a different question - does the snow melt long enough that you even need to mow grass?