Why no Front Mount Mower Deck ?

[DHD]

I have often wondered why there isn't a front mount mower attachment available for the Kubota Quick Hitch System as is used on the B series Kubota tractor ?
Snow blowers and a rotary broom are PTO powered and available for the Quick Hitch System.

It seems the Quick Hitch System would be able to lift a mower for transport purposes, as it can lift a heavy FM snow blower with no issues.
IMHO a Front Mount Mowers would be easier to install than MMM.
Grass would not be packed down by the tractors tires prior to mowing as with the MMM or RMM.

Front Mount Mower decks on tractors like Ventrac also have a flip up feature for easier cleaning and blade maintenance, as can be seen in this video.
Ventrac Flip-Up Deck Design - YouTube
It seems the benefits of a FMM would far out weigh any negative issues.
Are there any negative issues ?:confused3:

 

[NC419N]

The biggest problem I could see is powering the mower. You would either have a drive shaft or a Hydraulic Motor to turn the blades. Just thinking out loud.

 

[DHD]

Couldn't a driveshaft be used as is used with the front mount snow blower ?

 

[countrybumpkin]

You can get a flail mower for the auto hitch not sure about a standard rotary mower. The auto hitch is on the grand L not sure about a B series.

 

[DHD]

You can get a flail mower for the auto hitch not sure about a standard rotary mower.

I did not realize a front mount flail mower was available, I had not seen one offered by Kubota.

 

[Jeff F.]

I would rather have a front mount mower also. The blower and broom both are powered by pto. I think it should be an option. Cost for the deck really shouldn't be any higher.

 

[bdhsfz6]

What I would really like to see is a mower that would attach to the QA on my FEL. You could mow with the FEL in float position and raise it to get into hard to reach places. Blade maintenance would be a breeze. As mentioned earlier, getting the necessary horsepower up front is the big issue. A driveshaft would be out of the question and the hydraulics required would be both bulky and expensive.

 

[DHD]

Found this info about Caroni front mount mowers, don't know if they're available in North America, or if they can be adapted to fit a Kubota B-series or BX series.

Caroni Front Mower - YouTube

 

[JWR]

What I would really like to see is a mower that would attach to the QA on my FEL. You could mow with the FEL in float position and raise it to get into hard to reach places. Blade maintenance would be a breeze. As mentioned earlier, getting the necessary horsepower up front is the big issue. A driveshaft would be out of the question and the hydraulics required would be both bulky and expensive.

No, a driveshaft is not out of the question and probably would be the best way to go IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS. You do not have adequate hydraulic pump capacity on these BX to drive a mower deck even if it were otherwise practical. As some have already mentioned, the mid-PTO on these smaller Kubotas drives the front snow blower and broom attachments. No reason it could not be adapted for a front mower. Also mentioned are advantages like "cut the grass before you drive over it." One disadvantage is that the whole rig takes up nearly twice the storage space as a MMM configuration and takes a longer trailer to haul it. There are some tight places it would be nice to push the mower into without putting the tractor into it, etc. Also maneuverability suffers badly. One should not minimize the complexity and "moving parts to go wrong" with a front mount mower. There's a need to accommodate the left/right tilt too which the FEL does not do. I do not see the worth of the extra expense and complexity myself. Note that in Europe it is very common for larger farm tractors to have a front 3pt hitch and PTO which is great for bush hogs cutting brush and not having to drive over it first. That can be had in the US for big bucks on larger tractors. I'm not sure I buy into it for these smaller tractors. The MMM is just too practical.

My older B2150's have a "drive over the deck" ability. The BX's need to restore that feature.

 

[TMGT]

No, a driveshaft is not out of the question and probably would be the best way to go IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS. You do not have adequate hydraulic pump capacity on these BX to drive a mower deck even if it were otherwise practical. As some have already mentioned, the mid-PTO on these smaller Kubotas drives the front snow blower and broom attachments. No reason it could not be adapted for a front mower. Also mentioned are advantages like "cut the grass before you drive over it." One disadvantage is that the whole rig takes up nearly twice the storage space as a MMM configuration and takes a longer trailer to haul it. There are some tight places it would be nice to push the mower into without putting the tractor into it, etc. Also maneuverability suffers badly. One should not minimize the complexity and "moving parts to go wrong" with a front mount mower. There's a need to accommodate the left/right tilt too which the FEL does not do. I do not see the worth of the extra expense and complexity myself. Note that in Europe it is very common for larger farm tractors to have a front 3pt hitch and PTO which is great for bush hogs cutting brush and not having to drive over it first. That can be had in the US for big bucks on larger tractors. I'm not sure I buy into it for these smaller tractors. The MMM is just too practical.

My older B2150's have a "drive over the deck" ability. The BX's need to restore that feature.

The BX has a drive over deck and quick connect now, as for the powering the mower.
The person you quoted was refering to a deck mounted to the loader arms that can be raised so a driveshaft would not practically work.
Hyd. can be added via a power pack assembly if you have enough pto hp bit not the most efficient system.