BX24 - Rotary or MMM?

[Tom_H]

For me on asphalt, a little less on the FEL, more on the BH...but on average, 10's a good number. I'm not even close on the MMM yet , but I've only had the BX since last June...I need more OJT...

I rotate the gauge wheels 90 degrees and re-pin them, raise the front end with the FEL, and the MMM rolls right out to the side. Now...we won't talk about reconnecting the U-joint

without the concrete floor to build a dolly for the MMM it can be a total pain in the arse to put on and take off. I am really debating on just changing the guard wheels to casters.

The paved floor makes so much difference. Not trying to be critical of anyone here, but if one uses the FEL to raise the tractor for MMM attachment, then removes the FEL, mows, reattaches the FEL, then removes the MMM, that requires a considerable amount of time and work.

I have discovered that the dolly makes it so fast. In order to have enough clearance, the plywood needed to be thin; I used half-inch (or a hair less). The smallest swivel casters I could find were 2". The plywood was cut to match the exact profile of the bottom of the MMM skirt. Sixteen casters around the perimeter helps distribute the weight.

The MMM originally sagged just enough that the 3 spindle bolts beneath the blade centers rested on the plywood. This prevented me from being able to rotate the female PTO coupling when trying to reattach. This was solved by cutting small circular holes in the plywood beneath the bolts. The inner surface of the blades still rested on the plywood slightly. I noticed that the outer side edges of the skirt were not making contact with the deck surface, while the front and back were. I used some left over scraps of metal shelving standard (these are the metal strips that brackets are inserted into for shelf supports) as shims to go under those left and right sides. This lifted the sides of the MMM carcas ever so slightly, taking the pressue off the blades. That allowed the blades to pivot, and the receiver end of the PTO attachment to rotate. I used wood screws to attach the scraps of standard. Small wood trim strips would have worked as well. The front and back edges of the MMM skirt still make contact with the plywood.

The dolly leaves just enough clearance for the MMM to roll beneath the tractor (swivel casters make course adjustments far easier than when rolling with the anti-scalp wheels turned sideways). I still have to navigate slightly to avoid contact by the spring stems in a couple of places. This allows the anti-scalp wheels to always stay in the same position, though that position is slightly higher than I previously used them while cutting. I have found, however, that there has been no negative effect on the cut of the lawn.

My first season re-attaching the PTO coupling was frustrating. For me, it seems that delicate finesse accomplishes much more than brute force. Firstly, I angle the MMM on the dolly so that it is pushed a bit forward on the left side of the tractor. Laying on my left side, I can then get one arm on the receiver with enough room to maneuver it to the PTO shaft. I find that when it seems not to want to couple, I have success by lessening the amount of force and pressure I am using rather than increasing it. Having generous lube on the shaft and recepticle is helpful. I pull the locking ring back and let it lock in its retracted position. Using the very slightest amount of forward pressure, while simultaneously tilting/cantering slightly in every direction, while also slightly rotating the receiver back and forth, I find that the receiver usually slips over the shaft in less than 5 seconds. If it does not go, that almost always means I am forcing it too hard. When I push the receiver to the fully docked position, the slip link in the drive shaft does extend, but stops just short of coming apart. The dolly can now be alligned with the lift arm pins. The arms are dropped most of the way, final allignment made, then they are dropped fully. With the locking pins retracted but not locked back, the dolly can be wiggled as needed for the pins to slip through the holes. Three minutes on and off has become fairly consistant, but I've had my BX since Sept. of 2000. Experience has made a difference. I can't say whether frictional wear has broken in the shaft and receiver any and whether that has made coupling any easier.

 

[Bobcar]

I have a BX24 with a 60" mmm love it spend a lot more time with family . 1 problem with 60"mmm if youre land is not somewhat level you tend to do some scalping but after 2 seasings of cutting no more scalping.

 

[megaboz]

Go with the MMM if you can use it. For the most part you don't need to remove it for casual use of the FEL and BH. If you getting into tight spots, then remove it. The occasional remove and installation won't be that bad. I've used both the FEL and BH with the MMM with little issues.

A mower on the 3 pt has it's purposes, but if you have some tight turns or not very wide areas, the MMM will probably get around better because you won't have to keep looking behind you to make sure you're not going to swing into something. If you got wide open areas, the 3 pt mower would probably make the most sense.

Most of us who buy a BX aren't planning on using the the FEL and BH daily, so even taking those attachments on and off isn't that big of a deal, especially if you have a relatively flat place to do it. I tend to leave mine off until I need whichever piece and then install it then, usually leaving the MMM on. If you're tires are filled, Kubota doesn't recommend leaving the BH on with the FEL any way, and from what I have seen the BH isn't needed with FEL work most of the time for a counter balance. Of course I baby mine a little bit just because I'd rather buy fuel the replace something that I broke trying to do it quicker.

The only real thing that ever seems to get in the way leaving my MMM on is the shoot on the mower deck. I've caught it a few times in tight spots.

You might even consider renting a 3 pt mower and see if you think is easy to use (assuming you have somewhere to rent one).

That's my 2 cents.

 

[FullBucket]

Thought I'd add a question regarding BX2350 and taking the backhoe out of the equation. I have a 60" rear mower on order to tackle my 3 acres. My thinking was that atttaching and detaching a rear mower would be easier than MMM. I still have landscaping to do and didn't want MMM to catch on any rough ground. Will raer mower quality be on par with MMM? Other than some maneuverability loss, are there any other concerns?

 

[megaboz]

A rear mounted mower would be easier to remove and put back on, but for quality, I think it would depend on the quality of the equipment.

I have a neighbor that cuts his grass with one and it looks pretty good.

 

[JJPP]

Everyone is making way to big of deal about this. The mm mower is the way to go unless you are mowing ditches. The maneuverability, cut, and ride with the mmm is much better than a rear mount (Think of something sticking out 5 feet on turns. Kind of like the fel but in the rear. Watch out!) As for removal concrete makes it much easier to slide the mmm but a simple sheet of plywood is even easier and you don't even have to turn the wheels. If you don't have a fel to raise the tractor you can just pull the front wheels up on some pieces of wood just make sure to chuck the rears so it can't roll on you. You don't have to raise it up very much to make it much easier.

 

[BotaBigot]

...The only real thing that ever seems to get in the way leaving my MMM on is the shoot on the mower deck. I've caught it a few times in tight spots...

Something that works for me...12"-18" bungee cord thru hole on front lip of deck, flip deflector up and hook other end in front corner. Keeps deflector pulled back out of the way whenever I'm not mowing.

When I use the bagger, there's a baffle the uses that bolt hole, so I find another anchor point for the bungee.

 

[LBrown59]

1*I'd say it would be.
2*I've done over 900 hours of this kind of work in the last 3 years with my BX23.
The 60'' mid mount mower has never been off it and has never been a problem while using the tractor.
I look at it like this.
Why hash it back and forth between a MMM and a RFM Trying to decide which is easier to R&R when you don't have to do it with either if you Just go with the MMM and forget the hassle.
Here is something else to think about.
Suppose you could get by with leaving a mmm mower on the tractor 75% of the time. If you could do that then why go from a mower that you only have to RR 25% of the time to A RFM that you have to R&R 100% of the time?
3*Most comments I've heard say the RFM cut is on a par with a MMM.

1*My thinking was that atttaching and detaching a rear mower would be easier than MMM.
2*I still have landscaping to do and didn't want MMM to catch on any rough ground.
3*Will rear mower quality be on par with MMM?

 

[LBrown59]

Something that works for me...12"-18" bungee cord thru hole on front lip of deck, flip deflector up and hook other end in front corner. Keeps deflector pulled back out of the way whenever I'm not mowing.
.

I use a bungee cord to keep the deflector flipped up also.
Using the tractor with the MMM attached is not a problem but you do have to use a little common sense by not plowing into things like a bull in a china shop
== L B ==

 

[stnemason]

I have a Bro-Tek skid plate mounted that fits with the mid mount mower. I prefer the MMM. I can install the MMM in less time than installing the 3 pt assy and then attaching the rfm. I also am very impressed with the clearance the deck has when fully raised.

I agree with Sqidget. I have the same setup and taking the MMM off is a snap compared with the 3pt assembly. I pull the MMM off after every mowing anyway to clean the grass out from underneath the deck and then spray down with WD-40. But even if you were inclined to leave it on, it does have a lot of clearance when fully raised.