Why doesn't my MX6 suck?

[brown40]

I always take all the slack out of the linkage on the MX5 on level ground, set the stop so the front is 0.5-1 inch lower, then back the top link a couple turns so the cutter can rise & fall with terrain unevenness. I see the same problems with this cutter regardless, but it doesn't have the blade tip speed the way the MX6 does. A friend that does a lot of cutting went to another brand & found it just worked better. I think the two layer top (intended to keep the top intact longer) eats into the space enough to restrict the uplift the foil on the blade is supposed to create. It may be worth checking underneath to see if you have the corner packed; that'd further restrict the uplifting, but it seems to be a common complaint with the 5 & 6 anyway.

 

[Tx Jim]

This was snipped from the operators manual you posted.

 

[ddivinia]

Here is the rest of it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Sadly, you guys have went off on a tangent that has nothing to do with what the OP asked. The cut is not going to be any different where the tires run regardless of how the top link is set. Running tires over Bermuda grass that is 3 feet high will press it down and no mower is going to pick it ALL back up, not even a finish mower. That is some nice grass and should be baled into hay. Your options would be to get a mower that cuts to the side of the tractor like a sickle mower or disc mower so you aren't cutting where your tractor runs. The other option would be to double mow it after waiting a few days to give the grass a chance to stand back up a bit. As suggested, mowing prior to the grass getting that high might not leave as much standing grass but it will still leave some. A wider mower would mean less tire tracks per given width but you would still have them even with a 15 foot batwing, that is just the nature of the beast.
NOW if you had a hydraulic powered mower pushing in front of your tractor like one TBN member built, you would be set for lawn quality mowing.

 

[ddivinia]

We went off on a tangent. Now lets tell him to bale hay....


D.

 

[ovrszd]

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.

I mow on uneven ground. Even with respectable slack in the top link I still ocassionally pick up the tail wheels of my cutter.

 

[econometrics]

Get ready for a flurry of replies from me (the OP) :laughing:

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.

Yes, feel free to PM me and let me know, or just post up a review! I'd like to hear about it! I think the extra 2' of cut and the dual spindles, along with the better contour of the mower from a pull-type cutter would really work nicely!

Or some critters to eat it:licking:

Haha, this is actually what has stopped me from getting an MX8 already! Knowing that we will run some "natural" grass eaters on the pastures sometime in the next couple of years! :thumbsup:

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.

I have the OEM lift blades on the cutter.

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.

This is exactly why I decided to run it loose in the first place. I was noticing the mower picking up and slamming down a LOT when I was mowing over uneven surfaces. Loosening the top link really helped keep the mower on the ground more often.

Sadly, you guys have went off on a tangent that has nothing to do with what the OP asked. The cut is not going to be any different where the tires run regardless of how the top link is set. Running tires over Bermuda grass that is 3 feet high will press it down and no mower is going to pick it ALL back up, not even a finish mower. That is some nice grass and should be baled into hay. Your options would be to get a mower that cuts to the side of the tractor like a sickle mower or disc mower so you aren't cutting where your tractor runs. The other option would be to double mow it after waiting a few days to give the grass a chance to stand back up a bit. As suggested, mowing prior to the grass getting that high might not leave as much standing grass but it will still leave some. A wider mower would mean less tire tracks per given width but you would still have them even with a 15 foot batwing, that is just the nature of the beast.
NOW if you had a hydraulic powered mower pushing in front of your tractor like one TBN member built, you would be set for lawn quality mowing.

We went off on a tangent. Now lets tell him to bale hay....

Lol! I was actually bracing for this response from the get-go. I am surprised it took so long! :laughing:

I don't have any haying equipment right now, and no need for the hay itself since we have no animals to feed, nor will we for a couple of years. And I realize I can sell it or someone might pay me to hay my pastures, but I like keeping the grass tall and thick in the summers without spraying any kind of chemical on it. For trying to grow the grass completely naturally, I have found that shredding it a few times per year really helps keep it strong and healthy - and adds good stuff back into the soil, too!

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

 

[ddivinia]

Here is how I run my mx6. Cleaning up stump infested pastures.

D.

 

[econometrics]

Here is how I run my mx6. Cleaning up stump infested pastures. D.

That's a nice cut! But you sure have yours set wayyyy lower than mine, wow!

 

[ddivinia]

I am clearing stumps with my compact loader. Then grinding up the remains from the mulching with the mx6.

D.