Mowing Need a mower and some persuasion.

[LBrown59]

1*I Have a BX23 w/60" MMM and a Wheel Horse 856 w/a 36" mower and the BX23 gets 98% of the mowing duties. It's not because the 856 doesn't give a good cut which it does,
2*it's due more to the great mowing experience provided by the BX23. .
3*Kubota made it very easy to swap implements around, so easy in fact that no tools are required, except to lockdown the locknuts on the 3ph links.
In summation,
4*IF you do mind having to swap implements, do like others and get another machine dedicated for mowing.

2*A 2 foot wider swath has a lot to do with that too.
3*I make it even easier by no attachment switching.
4*I don't like playing musical attachments so I bought 2 more BXs.

 

[LBrown59]

Well, I'll throw in a dissenting opinion. I didn't hear anyone mention the added time to drop the loader and backhoe, which would add a bunch more time to the conversion process unless you're planning on mowing with them on. I guess that will depend on how open your property is.

For me, when my BX is set up for loader work with a ballast box or rake on the back, and I need to mow the lawn as the last or first job of the day,
1* it's very convenient to jump on my wheel horse and just mow. .

Same principal of why the 3 BXs

 

[LBrown59]

I'm sure your local dealer gets used BX mowing deck now and then. Around here they can be had for about $600-1200 depending on the condition and size. I remove the mower from my tractor all the time and it takes about 5 minutes either way. You will get good at it. I try to keep a mental list of chores to be done with FEL but without mower. When it gets long enough I do the mower-removing deed and just go play. I tend to like not to have to maintain an extra engine. My oldie push mower while useful, it does get neglected. I admit.

I know wherw there is1 for 800.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Wish I knew where to buy one for around 800.00 or so..

 

[acohen100]

I think that you are getting a lot of biased opinions here. People have a tendency to justify a purchase, particularly an expensive one. I have a BX24 and the 54" MMM. After one year with it I have decided to put the MMM away and bought a riding mower for the following reasons:

1.) Time and effort spent removing loader and backhoe (and/or 3PH implement). I laugh when I see people here say that they can do it fast and it is no bother. It is actually a tremendous bother. Even 15-20 minutes each way is 40 minutes for a full change back and forth. I could have most of my mowing done by then. Not to mention that other jobs get interrupted for mowing duty. Having to change-out the tractor seriously discouraged me from mowing on a regular basis.

2.) The deck is heavy and difficult to maneuver. Prepare to bust knuckles and break your back pushing it under the tractor and hooking up the PTO, changing wheel heights, changing blades, etc. I can't tell you how many times I was on my back in a wet garage, drenched in sweat and covered with bugs and grease practicing the "F" word while trying to line up splines.

3.) Servicing the deck is painful - draining the gear oil in particular which requires standing it up on one end and is easily a 2-3 man job.

4.) Set up and leveling of the deck is difficult - the manual may as well be written in Chinese. I was never able to get it set up right for a level cut after multiple attempts.

5.) Poor turning radius (compared to lawn tractors).

6.) Lots of extra hours on the tractor doing something a cheap mower does better.

7.) The heavy tractor mashes down the grass leaving two uncut strips consistently unless you mow very frequently with short, dry grass.

I mowed with the BX24 and 54" deck for over a year before I gave up. I have bought a Husqvarna 24HP with 54" deck for about $1600, which is just about what I paid for the MMM. Ever sice I got it I have been kicking myself for suffering with the MMM for as long as I did. The Husq even gives me a better cut, is easier to maintain and level, and you just can't beat jump-on-and-mow as opposed to 20+ minutes of torture before and after mowing. Also I use the mower for other duties like towing a trailer, thatching, spreading - a lawn tractor does those chores better.

Hope that helped.

 

[RayCo]

I think that you are getting a lot of biased opinions here. People have a tendency to justify a purchase, particularly an expensive one.

Very good observation. I also see this very often (here, there, everywhere). It's hard to spend a lot of money on something and then not claim it's the greatest thing ever. I'm not really sure why that is, but it definitely affects the ability to get impartial opinions, if such a thing even exists.
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[srossman]

Not sure if it was mentioned here or not, but you could always look for a used rear finish mower. I just picked one up for 330.00. I figured for that price if I didn't like the way it mowed, I could re-sell it for what I paid pretty easily. Only thing that I found out with this is that it is a little more difficult to mow around things than a mid mount deck would be.

 

[Volfandt]

2*A 2 foot wider swath has a lot to do with that too.

I wouldn't say alot since there are places I mow where a smaller mower would be more efficient. And in these situations a ZTR would be best.....

To clarify my "better mowing experience" and in MHO, the factors listed in order are
1) comfort, bigger machine + bigger tires absorbs the bumps better.
2) treadle pedal controlled HST. I've got a hand controlled HST L&G tractor and have had a separate foot pedal controlled HST' L&G tractor and I find that I like the treadle best. I've never hit the backward when wanting to go forward & visa versa. I don't even have to lift my foot to change directions.
3) power steering. I've got too many obstacles to mow around and this feature makes it much more easier.
4) quieter engine operation. the enclosed diesel in my BX23 makes at least half the noise of my former air cooled gas engine powered tractors and L&G tractors.
5) quieter mower operation. the 60" MMM on my BX is more quiet in it's operation. It makes less noise than my 856 WH, my former JD 48" and my former Craftsman 44" mowers and it's way quieter than my former 5' Howse rotary cutter.
6) mower size. the 60" is great in the wide open spaces and iit's good around overhangs but the only drawback to me and it's a very minor one is that it's a side discharge which limits my mowing manuverability in some limited situations. This is the only case where the rear discharge mower on my 856 WH outshines the BX23's MMM.

I think that you are getting a lot of biased opinions here. People have a tendency to justify a purchase, particularly an expensive one.

I find it ammusing that one would point out that other folks are offering their biased opinions as a lead in to them justifying theres ...... ;D

 

[have_blue]

I vote mower.

Swapping my RFM is a minor pain, and I can imagine an MMM is much worse. I know 2 MMM owners (both JD), and they both complain.

I have bought 2 $2000 mowers. 1 lasted 22 years, the other is 7 years old and still going strong. Either one would mow faster and get a better cut than a small tractor, plus they're better for getting into tight spots.

 

[LBrown59]

I have bought 2 $2000 mowers. 1 lasted 22 years, the other is 7 years old and still going strong. Either one would mow faster and get a better cut than a small tractor, plus
1* they're better for getting into tight spots.

1*I have a Cub Cadet gt2554 garden tractor and a Kubota BX1500 S-Compact.
Surprisingly the dimensions on both of them are very close.
The BX1500 is more maneuverable than the CC garden tractor.
In fact the BX is a real pleasure to drive compared to the C C do to it having Hyd lift and power steering where the CC is manual.
I no longer use the like new CC and am going to sell it and the new tiller and front blade that goes with it.
The 4 wheel drive on the BX1500 is a real bonus since I can mow places where it is impossible to mow with the CC.