Gonna put a mid mower deck on my older BX

[bp fick]

A big thank you to JB aka Valkyrie9901 for selling me the mowing deck. Won't pick it up until spring as we're absolutely stuck in the zero weather of winter now. As JB stated, it's the RCK60-23BX which is far too wide for some narrow areas between trees. But a 48 or 54 would be no different. I like the idea of projection on the sides of the 60" which allows for closer trimming, so while it taketh away, it also giveth.

In early spring, I'll put the old Craftsman YTH 5000 up for sale. It should fetch a few hundred anyway.

Right now it is hard to even think about grass and mowing as we're so hunkered down in brutal winter weather. -5F here this morning with today's high forecast at 5F. The older I get, the more I dislike it. Gotta go put more wood in the stove.

 

[robertm]

Woke up to below zero here in northern Illinois this morning. Pup went out to drain the pipes, and locked up in the snow with frozen paws. Almost ran out in my funderwear to rush him inside. Walking slow, he came in.

 

[captronr]

I have a BX2200 and 54" MMM. Typically, I leave the mower on unless I'm doing a lot of FEL work.

To me, hooking up the lift linkage and front bracket is EASY. What I have trouble with is hooking up the PTO. I've tried a lot of different things, but the bottom line, is you have to lie on your back, reach around the rear tire, hold your tongue just right and TRY to slide the PTO attachment to the tractor.

Two things have assisted me:

1. Slide the MMM under and insert the two shafts together, then slide the MMM aft to hook the PTO up.

2. After much frustration, I've found that if I jack up the Left Rear tire, use an impact wrench to remove the rear tire, THEN I can see what the **** I'm doing with the PTO. Slip the PTO on, hook up the lift linkage and the front bracket, zip on the tire, and ready to roll. Much faster for me this way.

Ron

 

[robertm]

Boy, Ron, sounds like something is wrong with the PTO shaft or the coupler. That is just about the easiest part for me. Check to see if you have a burr on the end of the PTO output shaft or the inside of the coupler. I can usually do it by feel and may only need to slightly rotate the MMM shaft to align the splines.

 

[captronr]

I don't know. I spray with silicon the slip lock on the PTO coupler to make sure it is free. I think I have trouble holding and lining things up. Removing the tire allows me easier/faster access.

Ron

 

[dodge man]

My PTO is also hard to hook up sometimes, other times its easy.

 

[valkyrie9901]

Unless you hold the collar back slightly it will give a rough time slipping over the shaft...

 

[oldballs]

Boy, Ron, sounds like something is wrong with the PTO shaft or the coupler. That is just about the easiest part for me. Check to see if you have a burr on the end of the PTO output shaft or the inside of the coupler. I can usually do it by feel and may only need to slightly rotate the MMM shaft to align the splines.

What robertm forgot to tell you is that he has really long arms.......and...really good knees..:laughing:

 

[robertm]

What robertm forgot to tell you is that he has really long arms.......and...really good knees..:laughing:

Well... I am a little taller than some at 6'-5" and have an arm span of almost 7 feet. BUT... my knees are SHOT.

 

[JWR]

Say BP -- I just read all the posts. Many informative. I think you will be happy with the 60" deck. I have one on my BX2200 (been using it happily for 17 years with no problems), have used them on BX2230 and my older B2150. You do need a 6 1/2 ft wide trailer rather than the all-too-common 6ft ones. Those decks are tough, well made and very repairable if things wear out. The wide "double V" belts are really durable and last forever if you keep grease off them. Here are a couple of comments leading toward your springtime installation:

1) Hopefully you got ALL the attaching hardware. That takes a lot of attention to make sure you have it all with the various rods and links and scissors suspension parts. One thing I ran into with the B2150 was that the pre-threaded holes in the tractor frame (for mounting the suspension hardware) are not just metric, they are finer than normal thread metric. Only way to be sure is take one of the old ones that you know for sure fits and turns in easy by hand if you go buy bolts. Otherwise you get ones that seem to fit but really don't and go cross threaded if forced.
2) The loader is handy for getting the front wheels up out of the way when rolling the deck back under. Without the loader you essentially have to scoot the deck sideways and it is NOT light. I'm 74 and have frustrations getting up and down to/from the ground too. Even so, I do not find installing/removing the deck much trouble. You will find the loader hazardous to the health of your downspouts, siding, outbuildings and shrubs so I like to take it off for mowing season, if I can do without the loader. Makes a much more comfy mower without the loader on it.
3) PTO connections are always my nemesis. Astounds me that no genius inventor has come up with a PTO connection tool that is foolproof. I have a whole lot worse trouble with the large farm tractor PTOs than with the BX. The main problem with the BX is getting your arm up in there in the right place and once you do you have no strength left to push the collar on the shaft while magically using your third arm and 7th finger to take the spring pressure off the release hub BBs. As another guy said, sometimes it goes easy. Sometimes.
4) I've never seen any sense in taking the deck off more than once a year (when I sharpen it & do the check-up.) By the way, the air wrench is THE only sensible way to remove the blade nuts. Makes sharpening a quick job.
5) The phenolic knob that you use to set mowing height: be sure the deck is all the way up hydraulically before you turn that knob. Otherwise you are trying to lift the weight of the deck with the knob and you then break it and pay around $30 at your friendly Kubota dealer for a new one.

No doubt I have forgotten other things but that's enough for now. Please shoot us a post in the spring when you put on the deck. And try to stay warm up there.