Locked up MX 5

[Dan Hunter]

I'd been mowing trails with my MX 5 and was transporting it back to mow my lawn. Driving over an area I didn't intend to mow without any unusual noises the tractor stalled. I disengaged the pto and restarted the tractor and attempted to re-engage the PTO. The blades didn't spin up and there was a hint of smell like the clutch was hot. The gearbox was quite warm to the touch. The gearbox fluid level checked and smelled OK. I looked underneath but didn't see anything that might be jamming it up.

Thoughts?

 

[brown40]

Can the blades/pto shaft turn when disconnected from the tractor? Can you tie it up against a tree so you have access to the gearbox and underside? Usually when the MX's self-destruct the whole stump jumper and lower shaft assembly drop out the bottom. Every failure bemoaned on here happens when the output shears at the sharp snap ring radius just above your attaching bolt. I have not heard the later castle nut designs failing. Sounds like something broke loose. Get a good look and see if it turns. If not, drain the gearbox into a bucket so you can see what comes out, then have a look.
Comer made those gearboxes--either in Spain or China.

This was the same casting for the bottom of the gearbox, with larger input and output diameters. I never disassembled it to see whether they radiused the snap ring groove--I hope the extra steel will hold up better.
I have the schematic on here somewhere but can't find it.
I hope its minor, and it is still under warranty. Good luck

 

[Dan Hunter]

At full lift, I disconnected the shaft from the tractor's PTO and was unable to spin the assembly but that doesn't surprise me. The stump jumper and blades are still attached to the rest of the assembly. Driving to work today, I tried calculating the hours on the unit and it may be under 20 hours - I just don't use it that much - but I've had it for years and wouldn't expect warranty coverage.

 

[Spindifferent]

Does the MX5 have a slip clutch on it? If yes, check the clutch plate and belleville spring to make sure that the gap between the two is what it needs to be. This is covered in the owners manual. Owners manual here:

OMP75088

Please let us know what you find out.

 

[Btown]

Does the MX5 have a slip clutch on it? If yes, check the clutch plate and belleville spring to make sure that the gap between the two is what it needs to be. This is covered in the owners manual. Owners manual here: OMP75088 Please let us know what you find out.

It sounds like he has a problem in the cutters gear box. Not the tractor or slip clutch. He disconnected the PTO shaft and it will not spin. Sounds like a new gearbox is in order or something else. Do you check the oil level at least yearly, seals can let go and leak out and you might not know and cause major problems.

 

[Dan Hunter]

It's at the dealer service department. Initial inspection was the clutch didn't seem damaged and everything under the deck seems normal with no signs of damage or leakage.

 

[Spindifferent]

It's at the dealer service department. Initial inspection was the clutch didn't seem damaged and everything under the deck seems normal with no signs of damage or leakage.

Please keep us posted. I own a 1 year old MX5, so am interested to see what the dealer finds.

 

[Dan Hunter]

Please keep us posted. I own a 1 year old MX5, so am interested to see what the dealer finds.

Will do. I hate threads that apply to my issues but never get resolved.

Rest assured: one finding will be I'm a tourist on my own land and am likely responsible for the mower's condition.

 

[Dan Hunter]

It was the gearbox. waranteed.

 

[Spindifferent]

Thanks Dan.

Glad to hear that Deere covered it.

Do you know the model year of your MX5? I'm keeping my fingers crossed on mine; I've got around 20 hours on it so far.

 

[ovrszd]

Bummer.

Glad JD covered it.

Bummer that it happened with that few hours.

I've got an old M1008 10ft cutter that has hundreds if not thousands of hours on it with no gearbox problems.

So are you expecting the warranty box to fail again with the approximate hours of the first??

 

[bilrus61]

If I was you I would make sure the mower was fixed and then list it on Craigslist and then go and buy another brand. Just some advice from a former MX6 owner.

 

[ovrszd]

If I was you I would make sure the mower was fixed and then list it on Craigslist and then go and buy another brand. Just some advice from a former MX6 owner.

My point exactly....

 

[Dan Hunter]

I ran the thing for two hours yesterday. Mowed everything I could think of and had no problems. Even my wife noticed that it's much quieter...now that the bearing isn't trying to die.

 

[Spindifferent]

Glad to hear!

I've put 10 hours on the MX5 over the last two weeks and it has been working great. Had to raise the cut level to avoid mowing rocks in a neighbor's pasture. This is the first time that I've had to change the cut height, and it is an easy procedure to do so.