54” MMM VS. 60”

[robertm]

Any thoughts on 54” over the 60” deck? Besides being able to get closer to weed beds with a 60” because it sticks out further, or getting through narrower openings with a 54”, am I missing any pros or cons of either? This would be on a B2601.
Thanks!

 

[ning]

The wider a rigid deck is, the more likely you are to scalp while mowing.

 

[Rdrcr]

I have the 60" deck on my B2601. It works great! No issues. But, I haven't mowed with a 54" so I can't compare it to the 60".

I can tell you mowing with the 60" deck is a lot faster than mowing with a 48" deck...

Mike

 

[Diggin It]

I have a 60 on my blue machine and it works fine.

 

[JWR]

I can't think of any reason to go with the 54 if you can get a 60 inch. I have 2 of them -- one on an older B2150 and one on a BX2200. Both excellent in my opinion. The difference is the older one on the B2150 is "ground following" while the one on the BX2200 is suspended. I think the ground follower does a slightly better clean cutting job. Especially on the 2601 go for the 60 inch. You will never regret it.

 

[Diggin It]

Not sure how the orange ones are constructed, but I hit a mole hole on a slope and bent one of the gauge wheels. Once I straightened it back out, I added some reinforcement.

 

[oldballs]

Any thoughts on 54” over the 60” deck? Besides being able to get closer to weed beds with a 60” because it sticks out further, or getting through narrower openings with a 54”, am I missing any pros or cons of either? This would be on a B2601.
Thanks!

I've had three 60 inch decks on my three different Kubotas. Besides the other responses......I found that they all just barely fit on the width of my equipment trailer (width wise)......but they did just fit. Never had any 54 inch MMM. The ground engaging (MMM) wheels on the B2650 are more robustly mounted than those on the suspended deck of the B2620
Cheers,
Mike

 

[JWR]

I've had three 60 inch decks on my three different Kubotas. Besides the other responses......I found that they all just barely fit on the width of my equipment trailer (width wise)......but they did just fit. Never had any 54 inch MMM. The ground engaging (MMM) wheels on the B2650 are more robustly mounted than those on the suspended deck of the B2620
Cheers,
Mike

Good point. I found the suspended deck wheels are much less strongly mounted than the ground following type. Ones on my daighter's BX2000 had to be reinforced and rewelded (mainly due to prior owner letting them rust.) And the trailer issue too -- I got a 6" wider trailer when I replaced the old trailer & that works great. My 60" deck on a BX2200 is just too tight to use on a 6ft wide trailer. It CAN be done depending on how the trailer is made and whether you added side boards to the trailer, etc. but really just too tight.

 

[robertm]

I found two used B2601’s. One, a has a 54” deck, and the other has none. They are telling me the current model decks won’t fit these tractors. I suspect they only have interest in selling new, which they don’t have. Price will tell. I can’t think of anything that changed in the deck area after Swift-Tatch loaders were added to the B2601. They made it sound like they couldn’t order a deck for either B... which aren’t swift-tatch.

 

[nikerret]

I have a 60” for my BX. It’s a beast. I don’t know if the 54” is as heavy duty, but I would verify before buying. Frankly, I don’t know what the difference might be, between the deck for the BX vs the B.