Mowing Kubota Mower for BX or B: belly or rear grooming mower?

[GreenBFarms]

Looking at a Kubota BX or B series with a front loader and mower. Unsure if a belly mower or rear finishing mower is the way to go... We have a 2 acre lime grove to keep weed-free (sloped hills) and an approx. acre of grass that we need to plant- mowing will be for both purposes. Our grass is going to be less "golf course" and more "nature park" (manicured, but longer and not hugely perfect looking). Any recommendations- we can't wait to get our new machine but want to make sure we get the right one! Thanks in advance!

 

[radioman]

BX all the way around. Its a joy to mow with BX 60 inch and 2 acres wont take long. However, if you despise mowing and you are good with looking behind you, get a B with rear 7 ft mower. It swings wide and its good to get grass under low branches but less nimble then BX belly mower. The B also has a belly mower, but on 2 acres BX is all you need.

 

[aczlan]

We have a BX with a 60" MMM and a B with a 60" MMM and a loader.
The B is faster, has a folding ROPS and is slightly more comfortable on bumpy ground (longer wheelbase), but in our case the BX has more power (B7500 vs BX2660).

Aaron Z

 

[DHD]

If there is any chance you might hit a rock, stump, or heavy object, I would go with the RM finish mower. The RM finish mowers are more durable than the belly mower. Also, the belly mower has a gear box and the output shaft connects directly to the middle blade of the mower. Hit a rock with that middle blade and you could have an expensive gear box replacement. The RM also has a gear box, but the output shaft is connected to a pulley, and belts drive the mower blades. If a blade hits a rock on the RM, you may have to replace a blade and spindle, but at far less money than a gear box.
Since 2005 I've used a Kubota B7800 with a Sitrex 6ft. RM rear discharge for mowing old hay fields and will occasionally hit an embedded rock. I have never had a break down, and I'm still using the original mower blades.
This spring I plan on getting a BX2370 with a Sitrex 5 ft. RM rear discharge for mowing the 2.5 acres around my house.

 

[gogojuice]

I bought a BX2670 last year. I did the 54 inch mmm fine cut with mulch kit. I'm not a fan of windrows or any clippings left behind….but that is just me. I have a couple of trees to through around into the mix as well. As far as I know, both the B and BX have folding ROPS. At least mine does and it's the bx variety

 

[Kevinc2004]

I bought a BX1860 in dec 2010 with loader 48 in belly mower and 48 in disk. One recommendation is to get the rear Quick attatch hitch. There is precious little room to hook up the 3 pt hitch on the BX. I love my unit. The dealership loaded my rear tires for me. I purchased the loader stand from B-Expanded to take off and reinstall my loader when I need to with ease.
After 2 years use on verry uneven ground, I have nothing but praise for my unit.

 

[Gcorron]

When I bought my BX-25, I really did not intend it for mowing. I only mow a bit more than an acre. I had a good riding mower that I used. Noticing the tractor not getting a lot of hours, last year I bought a 60" MMM for it.

My original thought was that it was too large for my situation, but then noticed my old rider was a 48", so not that much difference.

The Kubota mower really does cut much more even and level. It it also nice that it doesn't bog down like the rider if the grass gets a little tall!

Just thought I'd ring in on the MMM being a great piece of equipment!

I would add, if you are going to take it off and put it back on a lot, I would go with the rear mower for ease of operation. I put mine on in the spring, and take it off in the fall.

 

[zionview]

I have 4 foot(Del Marino) and 5 foot(Woods) RMMs on 3 acres of lawn. Neither cuts well following the wheel tracks, especially the BX with turf tires(the B has ag's and doesn't seem to flatten as much grass). The best thing about them is a quick hookup and easy servicing. If you are concerned with a quality cut, a MMM of front mounted would do better.

 

[michahicks]

If it were not for rocks, stumps, etc. mentioned above, I don't think a rear mounted mower can stand a chance when compared to the mid mount's ease of use and trimming capabilities? So though I agree the rear mower might be more durable when hitting something immovable, the mid mount is by far and away the friendlier.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

After buying a Kubota B7510 with 60" mmm, I sold my Woods rear-mounted finish mower. The mmm does a much better job on uneven lawns because of the geometry of pto implements: every dip produces a corresponding irregularity in the mower's cut. I still use 48" and 60" rotary mowers for the rows between 15,000 seedlings on the property, though.

The best feature of the rear-mounted mower was its ease of installation and the ease of touch-ups to the blades: raise the mower, secure something underneath to ensure safety, then have at it with an angle grinder. My decision to sell the Woods came when I realized that I could take off or install the Kubota mmm in ten minutes if I lifted the front of the tractor with a chain attached to the rear arms of my car hoist. This provided the necessary clearance to roll the mmm directly underneath the tractor for hook-up.

My wife is well pleased with the quality of cut of the new mid-mounted mower on the Kubota. She never approved of the job the 48" Woods did on the lawns, regardless of how carefully I set it up with the old Bolens.