mid PTO & 72" MMM on L3430

Builder · Oct 18, 2008

Do all L-3430's come with a mid PTO? If not what is the cost to add it? Does it interfere with use of the rear PTO?

How would a L3430 cab with a 72" MMM raise & lower the mower deck?

Is it hydraulic?

Would you disconnect the loader & use the loader hydraulics to raise/lower it?

Thanks

cheesehead · Oct 19, 2008

I have that mower on an L3130, but it should be the same for your question. When I bought the tractor, the mid-PTO was an option that cost $300 (2005). It comes with a lever that comes through a slot, near your right foot, which selects either the rear or mid-PTO (only one is active at a time).

Raising and lowering the deck is done off of the three point hitch arms. I linkage is supplied with the mower deck for that purpose and also allows you to pin the lift arms in a stationary position when you have the deck off and want to use other three point attachments.

IMHO, unless you have a lot of tight areas to mow I would not recommend this solution. Get a rear finish mower (RFM) to save $2000 and your long term sanity. Taking the MMM on and off of a Grand L is a pain.

Builder · Oct 19, 2008

cheesehead said:
I have that mower on an L3130, but it should be the same for your question. When I bought the tractor, the mid-PTO was an option that cost $300 (2005). It comes with a lever that comes through a slot, near your right foot, which selects either the rear or mid-PTO (only one is active at a time).

Raising and lowering the deck is done off of the three point hitch arms. I linkage is supplied with the mower deck for that purpose and also allows you to pin the lift arms in a stationary position when you have the deck off and want to use other three point attachments.

IMHO, unless you have a lot of tight areas to mow I would not recommend this solution. Get a rear finish mower (RFM) to save $2000 and your long term sanity. Taking the MMM on and off of a Grand L is a pain.

Thanks. Sage advice there. I was really having a tough time trying to figure out what to do if i buy this L3430. I had no idea the MMM was that expensive, either.

What's involved in removing the mower? They make it sound as if you pull some pins and it slides off. I'm pretty "farm strong", but I can't help but think it must be tough to pull that bugger out sideways. Surprised Kubota doesn't have the "drive over" mower deck.

cheesehead · Oct 20, 2008

There are three attachment points and the PTO shaft which attach to the tractor. The front bracket swings into a holder and is locked in place with a spring pin. The two back points are lowering arms controlled by the three point hitch that also have spring pins. If everything is perfectly aligned, this goes real fast. The problem is that the mower deck weighs about 350 pounds and it isn't designed to move side-to-side. There isn't a whole lot of clearance under the Grand L with the loader frame in place, so options for putting a device underneath to make positioning easier are also limited. You'll still need to slide in from the rear to attach the mid-PTO shaft when everything is hooked-up.

I've resorted to "the not factory recommended" method of driving over the deck, and muscling it the last few inches. A caution here, lower the gauge wheels and rear roller in advanc eand do this on soft ground. The deck and wheels are not designed to take the weight of the tractor and the deck will be sprung if you forget that operation.

BTW, also forget the MMM is you have anything but turf tires. R1's and R4's are stated by the factory as not having enough clearance. The grass deflector on the side is formed sheet metal so don't tap anything solid as the deflector will crumple into a useless blob.

By now you should be running to TSC to get that RFM. Another note on an RFM is that you can go larger than 72", my L3130 has never strained with the MMM attached running at max-speed in mid-range.