Use care when buying a JD belly mower

   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #1  
L

Lawnjocky

Bronze Member
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
84
Location
Central Illinois
Tractor
JD 3520
I thought I would post a cautionary warning to anyone thinking of buying a mid mount mower. Last year I purchased a 3520 with a MMM for use in my mowing business. The problem is there is no deck clearance. My deck will just barely lift off the ground enough to clear the deck wheels, I'm guessing and inch or two. So far Deere has welded the deck 3 times (ugly welds), replaced several broken bolts, and I've bent a yoke on one of the front deck wheels. The 3520 and I'm sure other model's do not have the clearence needed for a MMM. I have checked it and two JD dealers have looked. It's just not there. My previous tractors were 855's and a 955 which didn't have any trouble.
This is just a warning to others that depending on your plans you might want a rear mounted deck.
I'm very happy with the tractor otherwise. But the need for me to spend an extra 2500-3000 dollars is growing every day. That I'm not happy about.
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #2  
I'm kind of surprised to hear that. I wonder if others have the same problem. I assume for a mowing business that you have to trailer the tractor. Does it have trouble with clearance when loading the tractor? Why the welds? Did it hit something because it is too low?
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #3  
2003 model 4310 here with the 72" MMM. There is four inches of clearance between the ground and the "anti-scalp" wheels on all four corners (meaured on concrete). There is another 1 1/2" before the deck hits the upstops so if I wanted to adjust it I could get a maximum of 5 1/2" between the wheels and the ground. The tractor has the optional 6 ply R4's which have a slightly larger diameter which may have something to do with it.
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #4  
Just converted my 2520 IL to a machanical lift to accomadate the 46 BH. I can't believe how little clearance there is also. I am going to call the dealership on monday to see if I had installed it properly. Also the deck only moves up and down a couple of inches. My old 4010 the deck tucked up tight aginst the tractor. This hardly makes any sense but after seeing your post it may be the norm. Hope not. I will post the dealers response when I talk to them.

Jamie
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #5  
Lawnjocky said:
I thought I would post a cautionary warning to anyone thinking of buying a mid mount mower. Last year I purchased a 3520 with a MMM for use in my mowing business. The problem is there is no deck clearance. My deck will just barely lift off the ground enough to clear the deck wheels, I'm guessing and inch or two. So far Deere has welded the deck 3 times (ugly welds), replaced several broken bolts, and I've bent a yoke on one of the front deck wheels. The 3520 and I'm sure other model's do not have the clearence needed for a MMM. I have checked it and two JD dealers have looked. It's just not there. My previous tractors were 855's and a 955 which didn't have any trouble.
This is just a warning to others that depending on your plans you might want a rear mounted deck.
I'm very happy with the tractor otherwise. But the need for me to spend an extra 2500-3000 dollars is growing every day. That I'm not happy about.
Click to expand...

Which MMM did you go with. I have the 7-iron on my 3320 and will measure the clearence as well. So far mine works great and I do not have an issue with clearence.
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Mike,
I have the 72" 7 iron deck.

I forgot to mention that we have been stuck at least two times that I can remember because of the deck bottoming out and causing the tractor to loose traction. Once when I was comming out of a ditch and another time by an emplyee who was crossing a gravel road. Neither instance was a case of major grade changes. But when there is no clearence you're just stuck, literally.

As I said in my first post, this is just a warning for some models. If you plan to mow flat ground and won't be useing attachments that would put you in rough or uneven terrain, the deck is great. Just check the clearence before you buy. Otherwise you may be limited in what you can do or will need to pull the deck more often than you'd like.
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #7  
How about upgrading to the larger tires, would that give you additional clearance that would solve your problem? Just a thought.

Derek
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #8  
Just a heads up on tire sizes. Be certain they work with the attachments. I have seen the larger tires interfere with the mower and even with certain loader combinations. I don't know about the combination in question, but you'd be best to make sure the dealer is aware what is going to be used together...
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I've got R4's on and they are tight, so bigger tire's are not an option.
 
   / Use care when buying a JD belly mower #10  
Wonder what changed from the 10 to 20 series with MMM. I had a 4310 that had an issue of not lifting the deck up high enough. I shortened the rear hangers on both sides of the 72 MMM. The deck raised up till the linkage hit on the stops. Plenty high enough for me.

I traded the 4310 for a 4410 and asked the dealer to setup the deck the same way before they brought it out. It was correct the day I got it. Matter of fact there are times, not often, that I leave the MMM on while using the FEL and 48BH without really much of an issue in damaging the MMM. Depends on the job I'm doing.

Craig
 
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