Why doesn't my MX6 suck?

[ddivinia]

Would you change the tailwheel setting for that or just raise the mower with the arms?

D.

 

[Lou66]

So the idea here is for ALL of the weight of the cutter to be on the 3-point? I have been purposefully leaving slack in the top link so the wheel is almost always on the ground thinking it would deliver a more even cut through the ups and downs. But that's not really how I should be operating her?

I leave slack in the top link also.. I drop the front down to toe high,, where I can stick my boot under it.. both sides,, the back in maybe 3 to 4 inches higher.. I run about 4 to 5 mph,, but I keep my rpm at 2400.. I have never had a problem like you have unless the grass is real thin.. Lou

 

[econometrics]

econometrics
Have you tried mowing in the opposite direction than you previously mowed? The direction you mow verses the direction the blades turn gives the blades an opportunity to lift the mashed down grass.

This is what I have started doing when I've cut the last couple of times, and it has helped a lot, yes. Still leaving a good amount of stalks of grass standing from where the wheels on the tractor are crushing it down, but it DOES work better this way.

it may just be a condition with the height of the material, trying to take it from
2-3' down to 6-8" in 1 pass causes too much material to gather under the mower
preventing a good "suck" of all the grass.
I'd be interested to know if it does the same thing if you were to cut from 12-18 inches
down to 6-8 inches....

I think you're right that this is the biggest contributor to it all. My grass is pretty thick out there. I've never hayed it and I don't spray it with anything. I just shred it all and let it naturally decompose back into the soil. The 2nd of the 3 times I've cut this year yielded the best results in the finish of the cut. And that was because the grass was shorter when I started, like you suggested here.

I think that, overall, the mower is fighting too hard against the 2-3' grass that the tractor tires smash down. Most likely, if I want to keep cutting it at such high heights, I should get an MX8 or some other dual-spindle cutter.

 

[arlen4720]

I should get an MX8 or some other dual-spindle cutter.

Or some critters to eat it:licking:

 

[ddivinia]

I actually have a MX8 pull type on order for my wife. I hat a batwing, but she gets confused sometimes on levers, etc. I figure a pull type MX8 will be easier than anything for her to mow with. I'll report back when we have it up and running.

D.

 

[ovrszd]

I don't want to start an argument, but don't run your top link tight. That's not the builder's intent. When cutting on flat ground your top link should be slack. You should only tighten it enough to allow you to easily pick the tail wheel up off the ground at full lift. This allows the deck to run over uneven ground without picking the rear of the cutter up off the ground,,,,, which will leave a horrible looking cut. Best scenario is to run a hyrdaulic top link to gain even more height when carrying.

I would ask, are your blades "lift" blades or "flat" blades?? If you are running flat blades, you will leave an uneven cut. Especially over tall grass because the blades do not create any suction to pull the uncut, tall grass up into the blades.

 

[ddivinia]

I doubt buy it. The MX6 top link is setup to run tight.

If you leave it loose - I have seen people run their PTO shaft right into the deck.

D.

 

[ovrszd]

I doubt buy it. The MX6 top link is setup to run tight.

If you leave it loose - I have seen people run their PTO shaft right into the deck.

D.

Hmm,, I just looked at the picture taken with the trail camera. The top link setup is running loose. There's a hinged bracket fastening the flat iron braces that lift the rear of the deck to the top link bracket that is held by the quick hitch. The hinge is hanging loose as it should be.

If you shorten the tractor top link until this hinged affair is lifting on the rear of the deck when in the mowing position you will instantly lift the tail wheel if the front tires of the tractor drop into a low spot. This is not what you want to happen.

I guess in an extreme situation, such as no top link at all, and a very steep hump to drive over or ditch to drop the front tires in you could hit the PTO shaft on the deck. But that's certainly not what I'm talking about doing.

I'm just saying run it as loose as you can run it and still pick the trail wheel up a respectable height for transporting or turning around in the field.

 

[Tx Jim]

ovrszd

I agree with ovrszd that the top link should have some slack in it so the cutter can follow the contour of the ground better. I'll bet that is what is stated in the operators manual.

 

[ddivinia]

I think we are both right.


http://manuals.deere.com/omview/OMW49246_19/

Manual says to take all the slack out of the linkage but use the rear wheel to support the rear of the mower. I might need to adjust my rear wheel some.

D.