New to me F3680, first use and impressions

[JOHNTHOMAS]

One othe thing. I have started mowing my steep hill from lower left to upper right and then next time I do across the other way and then across it and some times straight up and down . It feels more stable with the angle vs straight across it with no crabbing.I do believe your extra weights are having a gravitational pull of the back end down the hill greater than the drive wheels. Remove them and see. i

 

[jcummins]

johncar, do you have rear weights on yours like mine? I think we both bought well. Really nice mowers.

Any pictures of the worn part you are talking about? Can't picture in my mine what you are talking about. 480hrs isn't that much, so wear to the point where part replacement is needed probably means anyone with an F series needs to may attention to that area.

JOHNTHOMAS, I've ran as a test wide open in low...and high. My F is considerably faster in high. And yes it whines more in high. I've got areas that high range is far more suitable to use than low, but agree low range in areas you are maneuvering a lot is better.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I do a lot of manuvering for sure.
The deck is rolling on 4 wheels at the 4 corners. If your on anything but perfectly flat surface there is a probability ofat least one wheel being off the ground at all times. I have one of my front wheels doing the wiggle often and it will be the opposite wheel when I reverse direction. This will be more so with a bigger deck and one of the reasons some people want smaller decks on manacured lawns which I don't have. I have a yard, no lawn. My brother next door has a small deck Husquavarna riding mower and a manacured lawn. He lets me mow the steep rough gullied cliff in the back of his lawn.

 

[greenrider1]

Well, I finally was able to convince the wife to let me mow the lawn with our new F3080 with 72" RD deck. I had done some playing around on it before the grass really needed cutting, but no real seat time until yesterday. Overall, I really like the machine compared to mowing with the L5740, because it is so much more maneuverable and really cuts down on trimming with the push mower. Our property is all pretty much flat ground, except for a ditch out by the road, so I can't really comment on side hill performance. If I could do it again, I probably would have gotten the side discharge deck instead of the rear discharge. The RD seems to leave a fine cut at any speed, but with tall grass in the 5" range the clippings seem to clump. I also noticed the grass seems to blow out of the left rear corner, which blows grass onto the side of the house. JohnThomas was right, the machine seems to get covered with clippings. I only have about an hour of mowing, and when I'm done, the hood screens are almost covered. My only complaint with the machine itself is what seems like excessive inside wheel spin. I think it has to do with the weight ratio, since this thing is basically like driving a tractor backwards, with the engine over the non-driving wheels. I'm now wondering if a Z series would have been better for our situation? Maybe loading the drive tires would help.

As far as fine adjustments on the mower wheels are concerned, the only ones I am aware of, according to the manual, are where the rear of the deck attaches to the lift arms. Different washer thicknesses to fine tune leveling of the deck. My front guage wheels track straight, unless mowing my ditch where the front middle roller is holding the weight. I also found deck height adjustments to be a pain in the butt, but in reality I will probably just leave it alone now that I have the height set (2.5"). Anyone want to trade a 72" side discharge for a 72" rear discharge deck? I may give Messicks a call to see how much it would cost me to swap decks.

I originally thought the whine was excessive when I picked the thing up, and it is unless running the engine wide open. I mowed full throttle in low range, and could not hear much of a whine over the engine and mower noise. My L5740 HST can run at any engine speed with no noticeable whine, so I'm not sure why some machines are different. I would assume SUDT2 must come in these F series machines from the factory. Overall, I like the machine, other than the quirks I have already mentioned. We did purchase it new, with the intention that this will be the last mower we will ever need to buy. I hope I made the right decision.

 

[jcummins]

greenrider1....for me the F is most definitely the right choice. Wife was concerned with me mowing next to house around trees etc. Looks the same as if I used the ZD326.

Here's a good buy on a 72" deck, not sure if it's rear or side. kubota mower deck rck72 f36 fits

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I've traded my F2680e with the 72" side discharge deck that came off my F3080 to Barlows and if I still owned it I sure would trade with you. Maybe Barlows will if you contact him. Hate the side discharge deck because it blows grass all over me with the slightest breeze, rows the cut grass bad when it's deep and determined by mowing pattern, can't mow on both sides against edge/house and it still blows some grass on the deck and under machine.

 

[greenrider1]

greenrider1....for me the F is most definitely the right choice. Wife was concerned with me mowing next to house around trees etc. Looks the same as if I used the ZD326.

Here's a good buy on a 72" deck, not sure if it's rear or side. kubota mower deck rck72 f36 fits

I pulled that add up and was delighted to see it's in Spencer, about 1/2 hr from me. Then I realized it's Spencer, MA, not NY. If it were closer I'd scoop it up in a heart beat, try it out, and keep whichever one I like better. It's hard to believe the cost of the deck (new) was 1/4th the cost of the whole package, of course we all know how expensive that orange paint is!

JohnThomas, I read your post regarding the rubber flap on the rear edge of the mower, but it looks like you ended up removing it? Just curious if it kept the machine cleaner, and if the clumping was a major drawback?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

JohnThomas, I read your post regarding the rubber flap on the rear edge of the mower, but it looks like you ended up removing it? Just curious if it kept the machine cleaner, and if the clumping was a major drawback?

I haven't removed it yet but I'm going to. It DID NOT stop the blowing under machine part very much but DID make the grass lay down in a center row instead of spread all over the cut width like it normally always does. I'm always surprised to hear about rear discharge doing clumping because out of 4 rear discharge decks I've never experienced anything but almost perfect spread out over cut area discharge. The side discharge decks shoot it out to a row and if I don't keep mowing that row in the same direction it looks bad and clumped to me. I don't cut grass down real short and that may make a difference, I don't know.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I haven't observed any clumping with my RD either, just evenly spread clippings. My only issue with the RD is if I have to back up while maneuvering I'm engulfed in the dust cloud when really dry.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I haven't observed any clumping with my RD either, just evenly spread clippings. My only issue with the RD is if I have to back up while maneuvering I'm engulfed in the dust cloud when really dry.

You'd be engulfed the whole time if it was side discharge or for sure when the wind was blowing in your direction.which is one of my big objections to side discharge decks.

 

[Barnbuilder]

Well if any of you guys just get disgusted with your orange machine I'd be more than happy to help you get rid of it. I'm tired of reading about how great they are. Its hard to find a used one down this way.

 

[Sigarms]

Well if any of you guys just get disgusted with your orange machine I'd be more than happy to help you get rid of it. I'm tired of reading about how great they are. Its hard to find a used one down this way.

Do what I did, just buy one off of JT. Barlow's shipping price to my place would of been close to probably what it would of cost me in gas to drive and pick it up LOL

 

[jcummins]

Clippings into flower beds, and blowing Clippings into the wind which comes back on you is why I'm looking into a cute blocker.

 

[johncar]

I will have a go at attaching a photo of the steering knuckle wear. I guess the amount of wear for the machines total hours would depend on how and where the mower was used and maintained. Mine is an ex local government machine which are "supposed" to be serviced properly but I have found plenty of signs of inadequate maintenance on this one so I will just go over it and fix what I can. It is in pretty good shape overall though and just hope all the internals and major components are OK. The environment it was used in may have needed lots of maneuvering as well.

If you have a copy of the Workshop Manual the rear axle steering parts I am working on are in section 5 S-12 and it is the steering knuckle bush and support. It is a plastic bush which rotates on a 20mm steel pin. The RHS support pin on mine is worn down to 19mm and the bush out to 21mm so leaving a 2mm or about 1/12" amount of slop. The other side is less at about 1.5mm or 1/16" slop, so both sides far in excess of kubotas specs max allowable limit of 0.4mm. So yeah, a little job to do. I also found my steering ram to be loose at the fixed end so no wonder the mower was wandering around a bit.

In the photos I have shown the support pin wear and secondly the old bush sitting on the worn pin.

 

[johncar]

The rear counter weight on mine is just what seems to be pretty standard around here on the mowers with 72" decks. Don't know the weight of it at this stage but I am guessing around 40-50KG or around 100lbs. I was thinking too that the cutting action of the blades spinning clockwise if you are trying to throw the clippings uphill away from the water or whatever would be encouraging the mower to slide down hill as well which wouldn't be helping the crabbing action. Anyway I had better get off and try and order some parts..

 

[greenrider1]

I discussed this situation with my wife, and she thinks I'm crazy and that I'm being too picky. She's probably right, since she seems to be happy with it and will probably be using it more than me. I do tend to over analyze things, and if something isn't perfect, I look for ways to make it better. Unfortunately, there really isn't a lot of info out there on these things. I did a ton of research before buying, but nearly all the reviews come from only a handful of owners, and they were all glowing. There really isn't a bad review out there, especially when considering durability, which is a great thing. After reading JohnThomas' reviews, I half expected this thing to mow the lawn all by itself while I was at work, make diesel fuel, empty the dishwasher and fold the laundry! Overall, I am very pleased with the machine, and don't regret my decision buying it. Once I get the sidewalks in I won't be mowing right up against the house anyways, so what little grass blows out the left rear corner shouldn't be an issue. I'll just have to remember to keep the hood and radiator screens clean after each use. As far as the clumping is concerned, I only noticed this the last time I mowed, when the grass was fairly high. It didn't clump at all, that I noticed, when my wife mowed, so I guess the key here is to mow a little more often. When I mowed this last time, the grass also seemed to pack and stick under the deck really bad, like it was wet. It was early in the day when I mowed, after a night in the upper 30's temperature wise, so maybe the grass was a little too damp, although it didn't seem wet while cutting it. Maybe I can convince the wife to let me get some more seat time on the new mower, so I can post a follow-up review. Or maybe this really is the perfect mower, since the wife seems to enjoy using it so much, which allows me to tend to other things, like sitting on the porch and enjoying a cold beer while watching her mow the lawn!:drink:

 

[greenrider1]

I'm surprised Kubota would use a nylon bushing in there. Okay on a Barbie Jeep, but not on a commercial mower. I wonder if you could have an oilite bronze bushing machined to fit? I'm surprised the pin would wear too, with a nylon bushing.

 

[jcummins]

I wonder about the weights. Kind of a mixed bag, some with a lot of weights, some without any, except the 'standard' wide weight. I've got 275lbs back there, and with just the deck up there, it may be overkill. BUT after thinking more about it, johncar may be right...the big drive wheels losing grip, forcing you to steer uphill, which drops the rear downhill with the rear steer. One thing I did notice was the main drive wheels spin more than I thought they would. Soooo, maybe better gripping tires on main drive wheels would let the whole thing hold better on slopes.

 

[TailDragon]

Been busy between work and mowing.
1. Like others mentioned try removing the extra weights to avoid the crabbing. Neither F3680 I have has extra weights.
2. Run the engine WOT, it reduces hydro whine and gives faster blade tip speed for better cutting.
3. The front deck wheels should have weight on them, check if the front roller is set for a higher cut. The rear anti-scalp rollers normally do not touch the ground.
4. The bar turf tires I bought thru Kubota whole goods, wheel has a different off-set but works.Did have to notch out the rear discharge flap on the deck.
5. I have wondered if the BX front tires 18x9.5-10 would clear on the rear. Is the bolt pattern the same?
6. My ZD331 side discharge would cover me in clippings and cover the air screen.
7. Not sure about that jamb nut but the wheel shafts have a notch on top that should face the same way. Do not remember front or rear.

 

[jcummins]

Been busy between work and mowing.
1. Like others mentioned try removing the extra weights to avoid the crabbing. Neither F3680 I have has extra weights.
2. Run the engine WOT, it reduces hydro whine and gives faster blade tip speed for better cutting.
3. The front deck wheels should have weight on them, check if the front roller is set for a higher cut. The rear anti-scalp rollers normally do not touch the ground.
4. The bar turf tires I bought thru Kubota whole goods, wheel has a different off-set but works.Did have to notch out the rear discharge flap on the deck.
5. I have wondered if the BX front tires 18x9.5-10 would clear on the rear. Is the bolt pattern the same?
6. My ZD331 side discharge would cover me in clippings and cover the air screen.
7. Not sure about that jamb nut but the wheel shafts have a notch on top that should face the same way. Do not remember front or rear.

1. I've noticed those without the weights like I have, have a different structure there...which I think has some weight to it. So If I remove all the weights, I may end up with less weight than you have. But I've already made up my mind that I'm going to experiment with that.
2. WOT...I will try that. I'm not that far off from it.
3. Hmmm don't notice extra weights on front wheels? I'll look at the roller. Anti scalps are off the ground.
4. Any pictures of the tires? Most important, why did you put them on, for muddy conditions or slope mowing? More grip in the tires....kind of thinking....will help with both situations.
5. Dunno
6. Judgment on just the one mowing I did....the ZD326 spread clippings on me much worse than this F3680. Your simply closer to the chute. I had ripped the cover off the ZD chute, and on the F3680, it was taken off because of clearance on trailing it here. I've left it off, and don't intend to put back on...causes trimming problems. I am considering a chute blocker.
7. Intend to open those nuts up....asked questions before I did so. Sometimes asking questions avoids me getting into something that I shouldn't, soooo I ask. You never know it all.