Mowing b2910 mid-mount mower

krpig · Jun 27, 2001

considering 2910 purchase. probably going to add MMM, either 60 or 72 inch.
2 questions.
1. have read a thread dealing with tire clearance issues w/ MMM and r4's. i believe this was related to b7500. does anyone know of any problems related to MMM on b2910? also will have la402 fel.
2. are there any significant differences between 60inch and 72 inch?

thanks
kevin

GO SOONERS!!!

thanks,
kevin

GO SOONERS!!!

glennmac · Jun 27, 2001

Kevin,

I have a 2910 with R4's and a 72" belly mower. There have been threads on this. M.Sullivan compared the 60" to the 72" feature by feature in the spring of 2000. There was another thread on 6/11 2000 started by dwarren.

Aside from the obvious difference in size, the 72" deck has rotating gauge wheels on all 4 corners, which makes it comparatively easy to roll around and maneuver on the ground. The 60" has non-rotating scalp wheels on the back of the deck, which makes it harder to maneuver. The 72" also has a nice step welded on the left side to help you climb into the operator area. The 60" doesnt.

According to one post in the 6/11 thread, you can barely squeeze the 60" deck between the tires of a 2910. From experience, I can tell you that you cannot with the 72". Coincidentally, I just happened to be trying to do that today, in fact, and failed.

To mount or dismount the 72" you must either lift up the front wheels with your loader so the deck will slide under the front wheels, or you must chock the deck and drive right over it, which is the method described in the owner's manual. I use the loader. The drive over method requires you to lower all the caster wheels so the deck is flat on the ground, chock the wheels, and maybe use a ramp. Loader is much easier.

But be careful. Put the parking brake on after you lift the front wheels. You dont need to put your body under the lifted tractor for any of the operation. You can engage or disengage everything while the tractor wheels are firmly on the ground, and then lift the wheel only to slide the deck in or out.

I am very glad I got the 72". Not only cuts more, but you can cut tighter circles around trees than with the 60" and you can reach under more things with the side of the deck. I can also mow closer to my creek without worrying about falling in.

krpig · Jun 28, 2001

I am very glad I got the 72". Not only cuts more, but you can cut tighter circles around trees than with the 60"
how does the larger deck enable you to cut tighter circles?

kevin

thanks,
kevin

GO SOONERS!!!

glennmac · Jun 28, 2001

The front wheels of the tractor of course make the same diameter circle regardless of which deck is attached. But since the 72" deck sticks out 6" further to the side, it can mow a tighter diameter circle around the bush or tree you are circling. In other words, if you had 2 2910's, one with the 60" deck and one with the 72" deck, and you cut the tightest circle you could with both on a grassy lawn, the unmowed spot in the middle of the 72" deck mowed circle would be of a smaller diameter than the unmowed spot from the 60" deck. I can mow almost as tight a mowed circle with my 2910 and 72" deck as I could with my BX and a 60" deck. Hope I explained that.

Edited by glennmac on 06/27/01 11:16 PM (server time).

Joe_W · Jun 28, 2001

Hi Glennmac,
I remember reading in my mower manual, that to remove the 72" deck, you have to turn the front wheels of the tractor to the full left position. Then according to the manual you can slide the mower deck out the right side of the tractor. However I have yet to remove the deck from my 2910, so I'm not speaking from experience. Have you tried this method, and if so, it doesn't work either?
The dealer came and took my 2910 back to the dealership so that a Kubota rep could look at it and try to determine why one of the mounting brackets welded to the mower deck is the wrong size. I'm supposed to get it back tomorrow. The temp. dealer fix didn't help much, so maybe the rep can come up with a better fix, or they may exchange decks.
I have 5 1/2 acres of weeds up to 8 feet tall, and my tractor ate it right up. It missed some stuff but the second pass really made the weeds look nice. This is an awesome machine that will do more work by accident than you can do on purpose with hand tools.
Joe W.

ronjhall · Jun 28, 2001

Kevin
Just a couple of added notes to what Glenn has said. Kubota provides a way to hold mower in the up position so the 3PH can be used without it moving up and down. I have found that using Loader to remove mower is easier and faster than trying to install these pins. It does require that a flat area (i.e. concrete floor) big enough to remove mower be available. The MMM is not a good piece of equipment to use for cutting high grass or weeds. It will load up and not throw out the grass. Use a Rotary Cutter for this task. Getting the 72" is a lot cheaper when buying tractor than trying to change later.

hayden · Jun 28, 2001

If you wrote patents, they'd be understandable.

Great description.

Phil Bisaga · Jun 28, 2001

Hi All,
I have a 2710 with a 60" MMM, and think it provides the best mowing advantages.
1) Unless you have a very broad flat lawn the 60" will give a better finish cut over the 72"..
The wider the deck, the less it is able to accomodate the irregular dips and other sudden grade changes.

2) the 60" is smaller / lighter and more easily mounted / removed.

3) the realy fine rear bagger for the 2710/2910 only fits the 60" not the 72".

Phil B

glennmac · Jun 28, 2001

Joe,

The owner's manual covers both the 60" and the 72" decks and sometimes can be confusing if you don't read carefully. I just looked at it again. You are recalling the procedure for the 60" deck. The only procedure the manual describes for the 72" deck is to drive over it. It shows that you should put triangular chocks on each side of each of the 4 gauge wheels, a total of 8 triangular chocks. I remember this well because it peeved me to no end when I took delivery of the deck and first looked at the manual.

I asked my dealer where the 8 triangular chocks were. He looked at me blankly. I felt that if Kubtota had designed a removable belly deck, and the official and only way specified to remove and install it is with 8 triangular chocks, then Kubota should supply them. He stared blankly. And then I told him if the Kubota factory doesn't supply 8 triangular chocks, then he should. I don't own one triangular chock, much less 8 of them. What am I supposed to do, run down to the local triangular chock store? We dont have one in the small town I live in. What am I supposed to do, buy a bunch of wood and try to make triangular chocks. I dont even own any tools, for goodness sake. Have you heard of the Antichrist? Well, I'm the Anti-Tim-the-Toolman. So, give me 8 triangular chocks so I can remove and install the bloody $3000, 500 pound monster deck you just sold me!

He smoothly recovered and explained how much easier it would be to raise the wheels with the loader than use the drive-over-8-triangular-chocks method. I bought this argument and decided not to cross examine him on why the owner's manual neglects to mention this method.

Well, the neglect is for an obvious reason: not everyone has a loader. Yesterday I had my loader off. I wanted to take off the belly mower. Being too lazy to put the loader on, I tried removing the deck by sliding it out. (Maybe the manual had neglected this method, too.).

No dice. First, you cannot possibly get the front link past the wheels. (The front link is the 2 foot long brace that attaches from the front of the deck to underneath the grill.) You would have to remove the front link, which is not a quick attach mechanism (as it is on the 60" deck and on JD decks). So I removed it anyway. But then, even if you could manipulate it past the wheels, the deck is too high to fit under the tractor. The superstructure of the deck itself protrudes up too high. Maybe if you somehow first removed some of the gauge wheels.....but now it would be getting ridiculous.

So, Joe, you better either have a loader or 8 triangular chocks. Have fun.