Input on new B2x20 mmm's
- Thread starter ChuckinNH
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jcaledon
Bronze Member
Chuck,
Take my comments with a grain of salt - my only prior experience was with a garden tractor.
I purchased a B2620 and had it delivered about a month ago. I have 2 1/4 acres of landscaped lawn. Much of it consists of a steep hill. I have some large apple trees, planted another 12 fruit trees, plus a whole bunch of maples, pines etc. The new B will be used primarily for mowing. I have many additional landscaping plans, including putting in a wildflower meadow, bocce court, formal gardens etc. So I needed a loader. Was initially comparing the JD2320 to the new Kubota B series.
The B is an excellent lawn mower. The cut quality is excellent. I have turf tires, which are loaded, and they do not mark up the grass whatsoever. I can mow my hill in mid range, without the tractor slowing down (although you can hear the HST starting to whine). If you turn too quickly the anti-scalp rollers can mark up the lawn, so you have to be careful. The turning radius isn't nearly as good as my garden tractor, but its good enough. I just spread 10 yards of mulch, and could use another 10, around the trees, so that I don't have to cut so close, to reduce my trimming and mowing time. Just bought a set of mulching blades from Kubota and will let you know how they work - without the mulch kit - once I install them. Also bought the Herd M-96 (painted it orange!), and was able to spread 500# of organic fertilizer in an hour and a half. Will be overseeding and topdressing in the fall.
The loader is really strong, and fast in comparison to the JD. I couldn't use anything faster or stronger than the B's loader - and its very easy to put on and take off. The JD's loader was anemic in comparison.
Things I don't like. I wish they would have gotten rid of the clutch. Its a pain to have to fiddle with it to shut down the mower or change gears. The JDs independent setup is much nicer. Having said that, because of the three ranges, I rarely need to change ranges. I just use mid for everything. One more thing - if the rops were one inch shorter, the tractor would fit through a standard garage door opening without having to be folded. I'm sure that every homeowner parking his tractor in the garage would have appreciated this.
All in all, I'm glad I went with the B. The erogonimics are first rate. It runs very smoothly, and is also very stable on slopes. I would have been happy with a BX, but for not that much more money, the B adds a lot more power and capabilities that will carry forward into the future.
I was extremely close to getting the JD2320, but am glad I went with the Kubota. The three speed hydro was a deal breaker for me. If you are going to use the machine for any type of mowing, the JDs two speed is simply inadequate - unless you've got a lot of time to waste, which I don't. Went with the 2620 over the 2320 to get the wider stance of the 2620 for my hills, plus the stronger loader. The tractor has way more power than I need, so getting the 2920 for me would have been a waste of money.
Take my comments with a grain of salt - my only prior experience was with a garden tractor.
I purchased a B2620 and had it delivered about a month ago. I have 2 1/4 acres of landscaped lawn. Much of it consists of a steep hill. I have some large apple trees, planted another 12 fruit trees, plus a whole bunch of maples, pines etc. The new B will be used primarily for mowing. I have many additional landscaping plans, including putting in a wildflower meadow, bocce court, formal gardens etc. So I needed a loader. Was initially comparing the JD2320 to the new Kubota B series.
The B is an excellent lawn mower. The cut quality is excellent. I have turf tires, which are loaded, and they do not mark up the grass whatsoever. I can mow my hill in mid range, without the tractor slowing down (although you can hear the HST starting to whine). If you turn too quickly the anti-scalp rollers can mark up the lawn, so you have to be careful. The turning radius isn't nearly as good as my garden tractor, but its good enough. I just spread 10 yards of mulch, and could use another 10, around the trees, so that I don't have to cut so close, to reduce my trimming and mowing time. Just bought a set of mulching blades from Kubota and will let you know how they work - without the mulch kit - once I install them. Also bought the Herd M-96 (painted it orange!), and was able to spread 500# of organic fertilizer in an hour and a half. Will be overseeding and topdressing in the fall.
The loader is really strong, and fast in comparison to the JD. I couldn't use anything faster or stronger than the B's loader - and its very easy to put on and take off. The JD's loader was anemic in comparison.
Things I don't like. I wish they would have gotten rid of the clutch. Its a pain to have to fiddle with it to shut down the mower or change gears. The JDs independent setup is much nicer. Having said that, because of the three ranges, I rarely need to change ranges. I just use mid for everything. One more thing - if the rops were one inch shorter, the tractor would fit through a standard garage door opening without having to be folded. I'm sure that every homeowner parking his tractor in the garage would have appreciated this.
All in all, I'm glad I went with the B. The erogonimics are first rate. It runs very smoothly, and is also very stable on slopes. I would have been happy with a BX, but for not that much more money, the B adds a lot more power and capabilities that will carry forward into the future.
I was extremely close to getting the JD2320, but am glad I went with the Kubota. The three speed hydro was a deal breaker for me. If you are going to use the machine for any type of mowing, the JDs two speed is simply inadequate - unless you've got a lot of time to waste, which I don't. Went with the 2620 over the 2320 to get the wider stance of the 2620 for my hills, plus the stronger loader. The tractor has way more power than I need, so getting the 2920 for me would have been a waste of money.
OP
ChuckinNH
Elite Member, R.I.P.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
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- (B2620, had BX22) Simplicity Legacy w/48" mmm
Thanks for the excellent review! It helped me, and I'm sure it will help others as well. I am comparing the same two tractors along with the B7800. There are certainly good points about all three! Have you removed, and replaced the mmm yet? If you have, does the drive over feature work well, and are the other attachment points easy to hook up? I do like the B7800, but it might be just a bit large to mow my obstacle course. I know! Two tractors! Yes, there is a solution for everything. 
Chuck, I've also had my B2920 for just about a month now... I've got a loader and a 54" MMM, still waiting for the dealer to provide the already-paid-for grass catcher... not a huge problem, 'cause I only use it for leaf pick up in the fall, but I really didn't think it would take this long to get it.
Let me say this first: I love my little tractor, I'm VERY happy with it. I use it primarily for mowing, about 2.5 acres, and will use it for some snow clearing in the winter. It replaces my B1700, and course, it has MUCH more power! From what little I've seen so far, it does a great job mowing, and it's really easy to handle. I'd like to get some other attachments in the future....
However:
Within an hour of bringing the tractor home for the first time, the height adjustment knob on the mower deck started acting up. You probably know this; you raise the deck, then turn the knob to the desired height setting, then lower the deck and mow. Well, the knob continued to lower itself as I mowed. You could just watch it move. Dealer came out and made an adjustment, it seemed fine, but then you couldn't turn the knob up beyond the #3 setting...Hmmm. However, I continued to use it to mow, as it seemed to be fixed and stayed at the 2.75 - 3 setting.
In addition, I soon discovered that I suffered from the dreaded 'floppy bucket syndrome'... you could curl the bucket all the way back, then watch it sag forward. Dealer picked up, had for a week, replaced cylinders and returned. Bucket seems to work fine now, but now the mower height adjustment is loose again... it moves itself to a lower setting as you lower the mower deck. Not much good to me as-is.
I discovered this about 1/2 hour after they delivered it back to me from fixing the hydraulic issue, and when I called they said they wouldn't be able to pick it up again for service for another week. I sure hope it doesn't take another week after that just to fix it!
All-in-all, I'm happy with it and look forward to many years of mowing and such; but I'm really P.O'd by the continuance of several nit-picky little issues that I feel it shouldn't have had from the beginning.
Let me say this first: I love my little tractor, I'm VERY happy with it. I use it primarily for mowing, about 2.5 acres, and will use it for some snow clearing in the winter. It replaces my B1700, and course, it has MUCH more power! From what little I've seen so far, it does a great job mowing, and it's really easy to handle. I'd like to get some other attachments in the future....
However:
Within an hour of bringing the tractor home for the first time, the height adjustment knob on the mower deck started acting up. You probably know this; you raise the deck, then turn the knob to the desired height setting, then lower the deck and mow. Well, the knob continued to lower itself as I mowed. You could just watch it move. Dealer came out and made an adjustment, it seemed fine, but then you couldn't turn the knob up beyond the #3 setting...Hmmm. However, I continued to use it to mow, as it seemed to be fixed and stayed at the 2.75 - 3 setting.
In addition, I soon discovered that I suffered from the dreaded 'floppy bucket syndrome'... you could curl the bucket all the way back, then watch it sag forward. Dealer picked up, had for a week, replaced cylinders and returned. Bucket seems to work fine now, but now the mower height adjustment is loose again... it moves itself to a lower setting as you lower the mower deck. Not much good to me as-is.
I discovered this about 1/2 hour after they delivered it back to me from fixing the hydraulic issue, and when I called they said they wouldn't be able to pick it up again for service for another week. I sure hope it doesn't take another week after that just to fix it!
All-in-all, I'm happy with it and look forward to many years of mowing and such; but I'm really P.O'd by the continuance of several nit-picky little issues that I feel it shouldn't have had from the beginning.
jcaledon
Bronze Member
Chuck,
I have not tried to remove the 60" MMM. As you know it is a drive over deck. I haven't had any need to remove it. When it is locked in the top position, it sits pretty high, so using the loader is not a problem if you're working on level ground. I have gone through the manual however, and the procedure appears to be very simple. It looks to be the same process as that used for the JD2320, except that the B series has little ramps that are connected to the deck that you move into place when you either mount or detach the MMM. The video on the JD website which I'm sure everyone has seen demonstrates the process of taking off or putting on the MMM - however, there is another poster KVJohnDeere that has posted what I believe to be a more realistic portrayal of the process. This is a very heavy deck - approx 330#, so having a drive over system is definitely a plus.
I do have to make some adjustments to my MMM (it looks like its pretty simple as per the manual, so rather than having the dealer come out and do it, I might as well take a crack at it myself). While you can lock the deck in the Top position, the manual states that if you are planning to do any sort of loader or 3ph work, you should pin the mower in place. There are pins on both sides of the MMM which basically pin the mower deck to the frame, and allow you to do whatever, without the deck being suspended solely from the height adjustment knob. My deck doesn't line up exactly with the holes under the frame, so some slight adjustments will be necessary.
Also, I've seen some posts (mostly subcompacts) where people have complained about having difficulty getting to the grease points etc. when the mower deck is attached. There are a ton of grease zerks on the deck, plus the PTO shaft. With the mower deck lowered completely they are very easy to reach with a grease gun. The PTO shaft is also very easy to take off and put back on.
One more thing that I haven't seen any posts about. The rear PTO spins when the mid PTO is on. I think everyone knows this by now. However, what I didn't realise is that you can adjust it from 540 to 940 or back again. In other words, you can run the Mid at 2500 and rear at 540, or alternatively, the Mid at 2500 and the rear at 940.
I have not tried to remove the 60" MMM. As you know it is a drive over deck. I haven't had any need to remove it. When it is locked in the top position, it sits pretty high, so using the loader is not a problem if you're working on level ground. I have gone through the manual however, and the procedure appears to be very simple. It looks to be the same process as that used for the JD2320, except that the B series has little ramps that are connected to the deck that you move into place when you either mount or detach the MMM. The video on the JD website which I'm sure everyone has seen demonstrates the process of taking off or putting on the MMM - however, there is another poster KVJohnDeere that has posted what I believe to be a more realistic portrayal of the process. This is a very heavy deck - approx 330#, so having a drive over system is definitely a plus.
I do have to make some adjustments to my MMM (it looks like its pretty simple as per the manual, so rather than having the dealer come out and do it, I might as well take a crack at it myself). While you can lock the deck in the Top position, the manual states that if you are planning to do any sort of loader or 3ph work, you should pin the mower in place. There are pins on both sides of the MMM which basically pin the mower deck to the frame, and allow you to do whatever, without the deck being suspended solely from the height adjustment knob. My deck doesn't line up exactly with the holes under the frame, so some slight adjustments will be necessary.
Also, I've seen some posts (mostly subcompacts) where people have complained about having difficulty getting to the grease points etc. when the mower deck is attached. There are a ton of grease zerks on the deck, plus the PTO shaft. With the mower deck lowered completely they are very easy to reach with a grease gun. The PTO shaft is also very easy to take off and put back on.
One more thing that I haven't seen any posts about. The rear PTO spins when the mid PTO is on. I think everyone knows this by now. However, what I didn't realise is that you can adjust it from 540 to 940 or back again. In other words, you can run the Mid at 2500 and rear at 540, or alternatively, the Mid at 2500 and the rear at 940.