bx2200 - a rock stalled it

[wjmst]

While I was cutting the grass on Saturday, the mower on my bx2200 snagged a big rock out of the ground and got wedged half under the mower deck.

I heard some loud rock smashing and then the entire bx shut down. The whole thing lasted less than probably 3 seconds. It happend so fast I didn't even have time to react.

I removed the rock and restarted, everything seemed ok. The blade wasn't damaged beyond use, but it was dull and a little nicked up. The rock was about 10"x12" and about 2-3 inches thick.

I don't know why the bx stalled, but it sure did save some damage to my equipment!

Just wanted to share the story with everyone.

 

[VABlue]

It stalled because the mower blades stopped, which stopped the mid-pto shaft, which put a lot of pressure on the hydraulic pump to keep the shaft moving, which put a large amount of pressure on the engine to keep the hydraulic pump going. Basically, that rock loaded the snot out of the engine!

Glad it still runs smoothly and nothing more than the blades were dinged up.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

You would think the belt on the MMM would have continued to turn, smoked real bad and broke before stalling the tractor???

 

[Av8r3400]

VABlue - I don't think the hydraulics have anything to do with it. I think the PTOs are mechanically connected to the engine's drive shaft. The PTOs aren't hydrostatic.

NY_Fan - Na. I stalled my BX a couple of times with the snowblower on the front (ice usually). The mower is on the same drive, so if it got jammed, you can stall it out.

It happens. If she's still running smooth, you're good to go.

 

[RobJ]

It stalled because it's a 22hp BX2200. Lots of times as mentioned stalling can be a good thing.

Run over some smaller rocks and you should be fine.

 

[DiezNutz]

VABlue - I don't think the hydraulics have anything to do with it. I think the PTOs are mechanically connected to the engine's drive shaft. The PTOs aren't hydrostatic.

You are correct, Sir. Thank Kubota for breeding this confusion with their "hydraulic independent PTO" on some models (of which the BX2200 is not one, as it were). All it really means is that the PTO clutch is completely internal the HST and hydraulically actuated via the valve assembly connected to that PTO lever in your eager little mitt.

 

[John R. Blair Jr.]

I stalled my bx2200 twice now on the same stump (gone now) and I'm afraid it did damage??? Only because I think the 60 inch MMM sounds different, is it jus me or could it be real? Does not seem as quite as before a little bit more rumble from the deck, in its 7th year on 4.5 acres and I pretty good with the scheduled maintenance!?!?!?
Thanks
John

 

[Harry c]

Check for bent blades and / or spindles. They can create vibrations and obviously, strange noises.

 

[Tom_H]

I stalled my bx2200 twice now on the same stump (gone now) and I'm afraid it did damage??? Only because I think the 60 inch MMM sounds different, is it jus me or could it be real? Does not seem as quite as before a little bit more rumble from the deck, in its 7th year on 4.5 acres and I pretty good with the scheduled maintenance!?!?!?
Thanks
John

It is possible that one of the blades is out of balance. Every spring I lift my MMM with a hoist, remove and sharpen the blades myself with a bench vice and an angle grinder. I just use a finish nail sticking out of the wall to center the blade and see whether the two sides allign horizontally to the ground. If one side drops lower, that side is heavier and would cause vibration from being out of balance at high rpm. I just grind off a tiny bit more until the blade balances.

There are, of course, other things that could be the source of the problem, but this one comes to mind for me. Good luck with this.

 

[simpilot]

Do I need an overrun clutch on my BX2230 to be safe when running a rotary cutter? Keith--I may have an SUDT tree on my place. Lon.

 

[John R. Blair Jr.]

Thanks guys:
Bent / unbalanced blades somewhat of a possibility, but they are only in their 2nd or 3rd summer and as you know they are real hefty blades and I do not think they are easily bent??? I知 thinking (very dangerous) that the 3 blades are no longer set in their correct in deck positions (saw this possibility somewhere else) middle front to rear - outside two left to right or some such config -- I -- or I -- I ,but for the life of me I can not find a diagram or do I know how to release the tension on the belt!?!? Help there? I looked/worked under the deck and the blades do not come to a balanced configuration of any sort!!! I know this sounds bizarre but just based on how the stall happened I think this theory has some merit, However this winter upon my new retirement I will remove the deck (second time for me) and have a go over, but you know how it is I just want peace of mind and quick reach under fix!
Thanks for any and all commiserations
John
P.S. I did the power steering hydro lines myself the last two summers in a row PHEW!!!?hat an ordeal, the wife wants me to hire the mowing out but at just 53 I知 not quite there, can you feel me???

 

[Harry c]

John, The position of the blades is not an issue as each blade is balanced (supposedly). The owner's manual recommends rotating the position of the blades to even the wear.
If you hit a solid object like a stump there is a real possibility of a bent blade or a bent spindle. If you noticed vibration or noise immediately after the encounter, it's likely that something is bent. The blades are easy to check. Just remove and "eyeball" for straightness. The spindle is a little more work. They will likely have to be removed from the deck and checked. If a spindle is indeed bent, it will damage the bearings if not repaired.
I'm not sure of the recommended procedure for loosening the belt tension. I've just rotated the blades by hand and "jumped" the belt off one of the pulleys.

 

[John R. Blair Jr.]

Thanks Harry&All:
Bent blade may be it; I do not recall noise immediately after hitting the stump though.
Been on the forum a lot and you are right about orientation of blades it does not matter because the middle blade is forward! Another TBN member had u joint troubles that caused vibrations. So the first thing I知 going to do is get the grease gun on the ujoint! I did grease the spindles just not the joint. I will also check the blade that struck the stump!
Thanks
John

 

[Ol'Dean]

for the life of me I can not find a diagram or do I know how to release the tension on the belt!?!? Help there?

Hey John, see attached pic for my high-tech solution

O'Dean, BX2230

 

[John R. Blair Jr.]

O'Dean:
we speak the same language! That there is my kinda macanikin! saving the photo for belt install as well, I see you turned your anti scalps for ease; me I just drag the deck with them unturned!?!?!?
Thanks
John

 

[Tom_H]

Do I need an overrun clutch on my BX2230 to be safe when running a rotary cutter?

Most rotary cutters (aka rough cutter, brush hog) will already have a shear pin or a slip clutch built into the machine. If your model has a shear pin, it is advisable to have some spares on hand. Still, it would not hurt to have the overrun clutch. Another thing that makes the rotary cutter less succeptible to a cold stall when hitting an obstacle is the stump jumper, i.e. a spindle pan that's saucer shaped and has two free pivoting blades. When the blade strikes something, it just deflects off as the pan continues to rotate and the blade pivots at the hinge. The blades on a rough cutter are thicker and wider than on a lawn mower. As such, they build up a lot of kinetic energy. When these blades hit something like a cluster of sapplings, it is that inertia already in the blade that breaks through the material rather than the torque in the driveline of a lawn mower.

 

[RobJ]

Do I need an overrun clutch on my BX2230 to be safe when running a rotary cutter? Keith--I may have an SUDT tree on my place. Lon.

Most of the newer tractors have one built in. They are there to keep the spinning motion of the blades from sort of driving the tractor(blades acting as a motor so to speak).

 

[John R. Blair Jr.]

Wes:
Sorry for hijacking your thread, but thanks to ya'lls help I believe I found the source of the noise coming from my deck. The Center nut on the left spindle was loose by 3 or 4 turns.
Thank you THANKYOUVERYMUCH
John