NEED HELP: MMM is wedged with link arms

rrod321 · Mar 8, 2015

Hello,
I have run into a problem that I can't seem to solve. I was mounting my MMM yesterday on my Kubota BX 2370. I was able to get one of the link arms set with the L pin going through the way it should. I went around to attach the other link arm to the mower but it was not lining up so I wiggled/pushed and pulled it to try and line it up. In the process, somehow it shifted and now it seems that the link arm and the L pin that is suppose to go through the mower mount is much lower and will not go through. I have been wrestling with it and it will not budge. I went to the other side and pulled the L pin to see if I could re work it and now that side has slipped lower than the slot where the L pin should go through the mower mount.

When I try to raise the link arms (like how you normally do when you are taking the mower off it is somehow wedged and it still lifts the mower, but it is all crooked and unlevel. Not sure if anyone has experienced this and can share some ideas on how to get it off or how to unwedge the link arms from the mower. I'm attaching some pictures to give an idea of what it looks like.

The first photo is the side that had originally hooked up correctly, you can see a bit of space between the mower mount and the link arm. The second picture is of the other side and the one that I think is somehow wedged. You can see that there is no space between the mower mount and the link arm.

Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated!!!!

beckmurph · Mar 8, 2015

If it were mine: I would lock the pins in their outer position. Start the BX and slowly raise the lift arms.
It might pop loose.

GPintheMitten · Mar 8, 2015

Do you have a loader on it that you can use to raise the tractor?

If not or if that doesn't help, you may be able to unbolt some of the linkage to the 3 pt arms to get it freed up.

rrod321 · Mar 8, 2015

Beckmurph and GPintheMitten, Thanks for the suggestions I will try them tomorrow morning. How do you lock the pins in their outer position? Is that by pulling the Lpins back and hooked on the little indention?

I have a loader on the BX, so your saying to just bring the loader all the way down and have it push the tractor up and then be able to get a better view and see if I can work the mower off? Never had experience unbolting linkage arms so I will need to consult the owners manual.

I will try these tomorrow. Hopefully it will come of,f if not I may look to try something else or call the dealer and see if there is a service guy that can come out.

GPintheMitten · Mar 8, 2015

I don't know the BX specifically. But if I recall correctly, on my B2620, there are some linkages set up for the mower lift that are connected to one of the 3 pt lower arms.

I cant remember exactly why I had to disconnect it but had to sometime in the past.

Be careful if you raise the tractor and try to work under it. You don't want to accidentally hit the joy stick and lower it.

Leejohn · Mar 8, 2015

Mine has done that and I tool a flat bar or a big long screwdriver and popped the deck backs
Just make sure you lock the pins open.

beckmurph · Mar 8, 2015

Yes on pulling the pins out and turning them so that they are locked in place.
With the L pins locked in place, move your mmm lift arms up, and hopefully the arms will clear your
mmm hitches {wrong terminology}.

Pepsiboy · Mar 9, 2015

rrod321 said:
Hello,
I have run into a problem that I can't seem to solve. I was mounting my MMM yesterday on my Kubota BX 2370. I was able to get one of the link arms set with the L pin going through the way it should. I went around to attach the other link arm to the mower but it was not lining up so I wiggled/pushed and pulled it to try and line it up. In the process, somehow it shifted and now it seems that the link arm and the L pin that is suppose to go through the mower mount is much lower and will not go through. I have been wrestling with it and it will not budge. I went to the other side and pulled the L pin to see if I could re work it and now that side has slipped lower than the slot where the L pin should go through the mower mount.

When I try to raise the link arms (like how you normally do when you are taking the mower off it is somehow wedged and it still lifts the mower, but it is all crooked and unlevel. Not sure if anyone has experienced this and can share some ideas on how to get it off or how to unwedge the link arms from the mower. I'm attaching some pictures to give an idea of what it looks like.

The first photo is the side that had originally hooked up correctly, you can see a bit of space between the mower mount and the link arm. The second picture is of the other side and the one that I think is somehow wedged. You can see that there is no space between the mower mount and the link arm.

Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated!!!!

rrod,

When I had that problem, I followed the instructions to unhook the FRONT deck mount first, then unhook the rear mounts. When installing the deck hook up the rear mounts FIRST, then the front mount. Make things go a LOT easier. You will probably still have to muscle the deck a bit to get things to line up. but nothing should bind doing it this way. :2cents:

Dave

rrod321 · Mar 13, 2015

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I was finally able to get out and work on the tractor (it had been rainy here the first part of the week) and get the belly mower unwedged. I used pretty much all of the suggestions (the lifting the tractor with the FEL helped a ton as it gave more wiggle room) and with my father in law and some muscle power we were able to get it unhinged. I hooked up the brush mower on the back and did some much needed cutting in the field today.

However, a new problem did arise. Once I got the MMM off, the knob that is used to adjust the mower height is getting stuck. After I raise the link arms I tried to turn the adjustment knob up to the TOP position so I could cut with the brush mower. I was able to go through the number settings, but when I came to make that last turn so that it was in the TOP position it would not go any further. After playing around with it a bit I was able to turn it to the TOP position if I used my free hand and pushed up on the link arms and then turned the dial.

Any ideas what could be causing this? It seems like when I lift up on the hydraulic handle it picks up the mower links but isn't raising them to the top. Again any and all suggestion are appreciated! Thanks!