Mowing Converting BX Mower to Ground Contact Type?

[Henro]

Just wondering...anyone done this?

I've concluded that doing so might be better for my "lawn" as it is more like the ocean on a calm day than a Walmart parking lot.

I mean, it just seems to me that a floating mower would shine on a flat surface, but that a ground contact mower would be better on a surface that is wavy, both in the direction of travel and side to side as well.

Any one done it? Any thoughts or experience along these lines?

 

[Volfandt]

I dunno, a full floater would tend to even out the waves moreso than a ground contact does. Plus a full floater will withstand the pounding much better than a ground contact mower will on uneven terrain.

Lets see if'n I can 'splain.
The ground contact will rise and fall with the hills and dips which would seem to exaggerate these differences in terrain moreso.

The floater will drop somewhat when it encounters a dip as the tractor is dropping but since it isn't following the contour of the ground it won't drop as far as the ground contact. There by making the dip seem less deep and keeping the cut more even with thehigher spot(s).

When a floater encounters a hill or slight rise, it won't raise along the contour of the hill as a ground contact will, it'll only raise when the anti-scalp wheels dictate it too. So if the rise isn't enough to contact the anti-scalp wheels the mower's cut will remain more constant with the lower spots....

Clear as mud?

Volfandt

 

[Hootie]

OK Henro, you got me going. I will be watching this..........

 

[Barnboy]

My yard is rough. Many times I wish i had a floating deck becuse it sounds like i'm beating my deck to pieces.I think toolguy added a piece of chain to his deck to allow it to float.

 

[cabinfever]

I just switched from a Simplicity with ground contact rollers (continuous along rear of deck) to a BX2350. I have only mowed the lawn twice with it so far. One thing I was starting to see was that the grass seemed to get matted down with the ground contact rollers, especially in areas where I could not mow in a different direction. One plus to the ground rollers is that they do help with not scalping the lawn (already did that with the BX). So far I think the BX has a slightly better cut.

 

[wjmst]

I was considering that same question last night as I was mowing. I have several places where the right side of the mower barely cuts the grass and the right side of the mower is scalping the lawn. The 60" MMM is great on the level areas, but can really scalp the unlevel places.

My boss has a 60"mmm on his deere. It has rollers on the deck. His yard in not real level either. He says that he rarely scalps the grass, however, it doesn't always prove to be an even cut either.

I suppose the best solution for all is to level the lawn! I am interested to hear what everyone else here thinks.

Wes

 

[JWE]

I went from a ground contact mower to a 60 inch floater on my BX2200. My property is on a hillside with many angulations. My BX2200 gives a much better cut than the ground contact deck. I’ve never had a problem with scalping. If the anti-scalp rollers are set properly I don’t see how it could scalp anymore than a ground engaging deck. Maybe my ground is not as rough as I think it is! What may help more than ground contact deck is a smaller deck.

 

[teachdocs]

Float will give a better cut if adjusted properly.

 

[Henro]

A couple years ago I had a 60" RFM on my B2910. I remember that the cut was pretty good, but that I had issues with cutting around things.

So I traded in the RFM on a BX (still have the B2910) and bought into the idea that a floating deck would be better.

Now I am not sure. I am pretty sure that a floating deck would be best on a flat lawn.

What I have noticed is that I see places where there are lines that result from the tractor being at a different angle, going on direction as opposed to the other. I got to thinking that IF the mower ran on the ground like my RFM did, rather than be dependent on the angle the tractor is at, at any given moment in time, that the cut might actually be better. Better meaning less of those lines where the grass is at different hights.

I normall mow in the direction I am viewing from the back sitting area. I really noticed the "lines" when I once decided to mow across the direction that I view the pond from...

If no one reports doing such a conversion, I may just try it on my BX and see what I think. Won't be this year though...

I also wonder if some of us are actually running the BX mowers in a semi-on-the-ground mode. Reason being that I have no issue with wear on the wheels, but others have found the need to install axles with grease fitting due to wearing out their BX deck wheels.

 

[Henro]

Float will give a better cut if adjusted properly.

Why would this be?

Imagine a lawn that is like a checker board, with the center of each square being a fair amount higher than the edges. The tractor rolls and pitches like a ship on the sea. The mower being wider than the tractors amplifies the roll.

IF the tractor were much wider than the squares, or much narrower, that would be one situation. But if the tractor were about the same width as the squares, the outer edges of a properly adjusted mower might dig in and cause height differences in cut length of the grass. With lines resulting.

I am pretty sure this happens, but do not know how to adjust the mower deck to account for differnt roll angles that the tractor might find itself at.

Any and all insight would be appreciated...