Bucket off with bushhog attached

[LHS Inc]

How does my JD 3520 balance out with the bucket off the 300CX FEL with the RC 1060 attached?

Just wondering if I can cut without the bucket on in fields I've been mowing this year.

Is there still enough weight on the front that the tractor would handle safely?

The main thing I'm looking at is a little less weight on the trailer and less work fitting it on the trailer.

There is a slope in one section of the field where I'm cutting and I've been cutting it without any problem with the bucket on.
I cut the lawn at this place so I was thinking of cutting the slope section while I'm there to do the lawn with the zero-turn the one time of the month that I cut the field.


Thanks

 

[aczlan]

We have a Kubota L3830 (no loader) which is similar in size. We run a 60" light/medium duty cutter behind it and it behaves well.
The B7500 on the other hand gets real "teeter-totter" like with the same mower if we take the loader off.

Aaron Z

 

[arlen4720]

How does my JD 3520 balance out with the bucket off the 300CX FEL with the RC 1060 attached?

Just wondering if I can cut without the bucket on in fields I've been mowing this year.

Is there still enough weight on the front that the tractor would handle safely?

The main thing I'm looking at is a little less weight on the trailer and less work fitting it on the trailer.

There is a slope in one section of the field where I'm cutting and I've been cutting it without any problem with the bucket on.
I cut the lawn at this place so I was thinking of cutting the slope section while I'm there to do the lawn with the zero-turn the one time of the month that I cut the field.


Thanks

I've been wondering the same thing. Mainly, I'm wondering if the bucket on, carried as low as possible, is safer than the whole loader removed and weights on the front? Some people say the CG is too high on the loader, therefore should be removed for mowing on slopes, but I question that.

 

[megaboz]

It is really going to just depend on the property. If you can get away without the bucket good, but really think either that the whole loader off or leave it all on. Without the bucket there really isn't much weight out front and at that point I don't think it is worth having it on.

With a brush hog on, your COG is already going to be much lower, but the real issue is the weight balance from front to rear. I have steep hills and need all the weight I can get in the front.

 

[Code54]

Without trying it yourself it would be hard to say. The lay of the land has a lot to do with it plus some people are just generally more comfortable on hills and such. Maybe take the bucket and try it out for a bit, then drop the bucket in the field and re-cut some of the worse areas and see what you think. Good luck

 

[greg_g]

Some people say the CG is too high on the loader, therefore should be removed for mowing on slopes, but I question that.

So do I. Given the bucket is lowered to a sensible position that is. Quite obviously the COG changes with bucket height, so it would be foolish to drive around with it raised to a point where your forward view is beneath it. I have some serious slopes to traverse, and do so with the bucket no more than 12" off the ground. Besides acting as a mower counterweight, that puts the COG as low as feasible w/o risking striking the ground during a down-slope to up-slope transition. Plus, from there it can be quickly dropped completely if/when needed as an emergency outrigger.

//greg//

 

[LHS Inc]

So do I. Given the bucket is lowered to a sensible position that is. Quite obviously the COG changes with bucket height, so it would be foolish to drive around with it raised to a point where your forward view is beneath it. I have some serious slopes to traverse, and do so with the bucket no more than 12" off the ground. Besides acting as a mower counterweight, that puts the COG as low as feasible w/o risking striking the ground during a down-slope to up-slope transition. Plus, from there it can be quickly dropped completely if/when needed as an emergency outrigger.

//greg//

Yeah no way I'm cutting even a little bit of side slope without the bucket on. How much of a counter weight is it with the bucket on? These CUT's are so light in the back it seems like it would balance out more towards the front even without the bucket on and the cutter attached.

 

[Runner]

I have a 2520 and use an RC1060. I have mowed with the bucket on, off and with my front quick hitch (weighs about 80 lbs). I never noticed any horrendous handling without the bucket, however, the front end will slide a little in corners when going uphill and turning tight.

I don't feel it's unsafe to mow without the bucket on, however, I do believe this machine handles better with it. On a machine such as yours, which weighs more than mine, I would not hesitate to mow without the bucket if it was more convenient for me to do so (such as to allow more trailer space).

 

[LHS Inc]

I have a 2520 and use an RC1060. I have mowed with the bucket on, off and with my front quick hitch (weighs about 80 lbs). I never noticed any horrendous handling without the bucket, however, the front end will slide a little in corners when going uphill and turning tight.

I don't feel it's unsafe to mow without the bucket on, however, I do believe this machine handles better with it. On a machine such as yours, which weighs more than mine, I would not hesitate to mow without the bucket if it was more convenient for me to do so (such as to allow more trailer space).

Thanks for the info Runner. It comes down to a trailer issue more than anything else. I'll give it a try without the bucket and see how it goes when I cut again in a couple of weeks.

 

[RoyJackson]

Thanks for the info Runner. It comes down to a trailer issue more than anything else. I'll give it a try without the bucket and see how it goes when I cut again in a couple of weeks.

Always the best bet...try it and see how it works for you.
Ultimately, you might want to consider dropping the loader off and putting suitcase weights on the front.