ck20 lost the mid mount PTO

[vtkiotiguy]

At my local dealer, I am looking at a couple of possibilities...

One is a used CK20, 2006, ~900 miles, FEL, $7800
Or, I could buy new CK20. They are doing tractor and loader right now for only $11,500

On closer look though, the new CK doesn't have a mid mount PTO, the 2006 does.

I really like the idea of a mid PTO. Both the idea of a mid mount mower and a front snow blower are attractive!

Can you get said attachments for the CK20 easily?
Are there any issues with running them? The dealer said CK20's were bad for finish mowing cos they are so heavy. They'll do a number on your septic tank if you go over it.

 

[DirtHauler]

Funny, I do mowing/rototilling as a side job and have gone over many septic tanks and leach fields with my CK30 !! and I have loaded rear R4s, not sure what the dealer is saying unless he's drivin over an old wooden tank!

 

[Dmace]

Kioti no longer offers a mid-mount mower option on the CK20 which is really the only viable use for a mid-mount PTO. The rear mount mowers seem to be easier to mount, cut just as good and are much cheaper. If you wanted a front mount snow blower, they make one that has a drive shaft that connects to your rear 540 rpm PTO. With the lower gearing of the rear pto vs a mid (1000 or 2000rpms) you don't need additional gearing in the snow blower.

Many people use the CK20 as a finish mower, if you are worried about tearing up the ground then get the turf tires or industrials and don't load them to keep the weight down. You could also remove the loader pretty easily to save another couple of hundred pounds.

 

[LaVoie Equipment]

I have a CK20S HST in our Rental Fleet. I rent it with a KIOTI KL120 Loader, Woods 60" mower - HIGH LIFT BLADES, 4' Woods Cutter, 54" Tiller. I hear nothing but praises from the way it handles and operates.

Could it leave tracks? - sure, and like DMACE said, if you are concerned opt for the turf tires.

The Mid Mount PTO is still available as a dealer installed option, which only leaves a few choices in Mid Mount Mower Decks if you want one. Check Nolts Power website.

CK20S - A GREAT COMPACT TRACTOR!

 

[IslandTractor]

Mid mount mowers on CUTs are for wimps. MMMs are for lawnmowers not tractors.

A rear finish mower is more flexible and cheaper. I cannot believe anyone who has actually learned to use a 3PT hitch would ever opt for a MMM. If you are not yet familiar with the 3PT hitch then put a little effort into figuring it out. Not a big deal. If you are concerned about the length of the RFM then opt for a finish flail mower. If you really must have a MMM go to a box store and buy a lawnmower.

(Sorry for being a bit aggressive here, I'm feeling fiesty this morning. Maybe I'll go out and wrestle with my 3PT hitch a while to work it out.)

 

[Josh61513]

While the Kioti MMM design does have some design flaws, I've been happy with the cut quality and quality of construction of the MMM. The deck is a welded design (not a big stamping) and made of very heavy gauge steel (1/4" I wanna say?). Installation and removal is actually not very difficult once you get the hang of it-four pins plus the PTO shaft. The wheels can be turned 90 degrees so that the deck will roll sideways.

I.T. listed the pros of the rear finish mower, so i'll offer up a few for the MMM design:
- Ability to cut closely around the house/trees and see what your cutting instead of looking behind you periodically and hoping you haven't missed anything.
- You only run the grass down once with the front tires before it's mowed. With a RFM your front and rear tires both smash the grass down before the RFM has to suck it back up so that it can be cut.
- You aren't looking behind you to watch the mower, no sore necks with the MMM.
- Your 3-point hitch isn't used. The MMM can be locked in the up position so that the 3-point is still available for other attachments either while mowing or for different jobs.
- Storage space: with the MMM mounted on the tractor your footprint only increases by ~1 foot in width. For those with limited covered storage (myself) the RFM would take up plenty of valuable space in my garage.

All things considered, I think the most significant difference is in the ability to cut close around contours. If you are okay with push mowing or weed wacking around the house & trees or if you are just finish mowing big open spaces than the RFM is a good option, otherwise I wouldn't rule out the MMM.

Also, a little birdie told me that there may be a new line of Kioti MMM decks in the works...

 

[wallace]

I just cut my grass with a Bobcat CT122 54" mid mower, I was to lazy to take the loader off.
I ran over both my septic tank and sand mound with no issue whats so ever.
I took this machine home to see what the quality of cut was and all I can say is when I was done mowing my grass it looked like we could play a round of golf on it.:drool:

 

[IslandTractor]

I.T. listed the pros of the rear finish mower, so i'll offer up a few for the MMM design:
- Ability to cut closely around the house/trees and see what your cutting instead of looking behind you periodically and hoping you haven't missed anything.
- You only run the grass down once with the front tires before it's mowed. With a RFM your front and rear tires both smash the grass down before the RFM has to suck it back up so that it can be cut.
- You aren't looking behind you to watch the mower, no sore necks with the MMM.
- Your 3-point hitch isn't used. The MMM can be locked in the up position so that the 3-point is still available for other attachments either while mowing or for different jobs.
- Storage space: with the MMM mounted on the tractor your footprint only increases by ~1 foot in width. For those with limited covered storage (myself) the RFM would take up plenty of valuable space in my garage....

I agree with some of those relative advantages but would point out that a riding lawnmower would do the same more conveniently for significantly less money than a MMM attachment. And, you don't have to worry about hitting tree limbs with your ROPS or putting as much weight on the turf and the lawnmower is far more manuverable. Storage space is less as indicated but only if you leave the MMM on all the time. The MMM off the tractor takes up close to the same storage as a RFM and more than a flail. Not sure that driving over grass twice verses once is a meaningful benefit either. Also, the indicated benefits seem to be predicated on leaving the MMM on all the time. That is not practical if you are out in the field or woods at all.

CUTs are often used to mow around houses but I think we can all agree that is not really their strength and certainly not in comparison to a riding mower. Too big, too heavy and less manuverable. I did use my CK20 with RFM to mow around my home for a while but reverted to the Craftsman riding mower as it was just quicker and easier. I could leave a bush hog on the CK20 for field work and just use the lawn mower for around the house. That saved switching out the RFM and bush hog each time too.

I think of the CK20 as more of a true CUT and think of the Kubota BX series subCUT as more appropriate to use as dedicated mowers with MMM. I'm just not sold on the idea of a MMM on a CUT except as a clear compromise and that is fine so long as the compromise is understood.

 

[Josh61513]

I agree with some of those relative advantages but would point out that a riding lawnmower would do the same more conveniently for significantly less money than a MMM attachment. And, you don't have to worry about hitting tree limbs with your ROPS or putting as much weight on the turf and the lawnmower is far more manuverable. Storage space is less as indicated but only if you leave the MMM on all the time. The MMM off the tractor takes up close to the same storage as a RFM and more than a flail. Not sure that driving over grass twice verses once is a meaningful benefit either. Also, the indicated benefits seem to be predicated on leaving the MMM on all the time. That is not practical if you are out in the field or woods at all.

CUTs are often used to mow around houses but I think we can all agree that is not really their strength and certainly not in comparison to a riding mower. Too big, too heavy and less manuverable. I did use my CK20 with RFM to mow around my home for a while but reverted to the Craftsman riding mower as it was just quicker and easier. I could leave a bush hog on the CK20 for field work and just use the lawn mower for around the house. That saved switching out the RFM and bush hog each time too.

I think of the CK20 as more of a true CUT and think of the Kubota BX series subCUT as more appropriate to use as dedicated mowers with MMM. I'm just not sold on the idea of a MMM on a CUT except as a clear compromise and that is fine so long as the compromise is understood.

Always a compromise, no doubt about that. Lesser cost of RFM vs poor maneuverability. The weight of my CK20 with R4s and the loader taken off is still less than ideal for a dedicated grass cutting machine. I think we're in agreement that a BX would be a better grass cutter no doubt, but IMO the compromises of its other abilities outweighed the CK20s weight.

A riding mower takes up plenty of space too, and for what I paid for the MMM I couldn't get a riding mower that will last nearly as long as my tractor/MMM setup (JD x300 price range). As a bonus the CK20 is nearly twice as fuel efficient as a gas powered rider at cutting grass, overweight and all. And the power steering, smooth HST, suspension seat, and high ride height make it nearly an enjoyable chore!:laughing:

 

[IslandTractor]

Always a compromise, no doubt about that.

Yep. My main point is that someone who is just buying their first CUT should 1) not be scared of the 3pt and 2) not take their prior experience with a MMM lawnmower to assume that is the best or only choice for lawn mowing.

There are situations where I would choose a MMM such as a B3030 Cab with 72 inch MMM if I owned a huge multiacre lawn (which I don't). I can easily imagine other situations where someone would consider the options and choose the MMM option too.