Newbie buying 7800 soon, many questions....

dmnsmith2 · Jun 2, 2003

I am new to the tractor world and will be buying a new BX7800, FEL and MMM. I have 3 acres with some minor sloping. I plan to mow mainly but also there are many unlevel areas that I plan to level. Also will be maintaing a garden. First question, would it be alright to leave the mmm on all the time? I don't see a need to take it off, but thought I'd ask. Some of the sloped areas near the road are a little steep, so how can I tell if I should attempt to mow there without turning the tractor over. Not sure if it is too steep or not and don't want to risk injury. Also what regular maintenance do I need to do on the tractor, ie oil change, fuel filter, etc. and how much do these items cost? Any other tips or info to a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

dmnsmith2 · Jun 2, 2003

Also, would a MMM be better than a finishing mower. That is would it be more manuverable, less backtracking, etc? Thanks!

Bird · Jun 2, 2003

I'm going to assume you mean the B7800 since the BX series only includes 1500/1800/2200/22. And the only mid-mount mowers I know of are finish mowers. If you go with a mower that hooks up to the 3-point and the rear PTO, then you can go with finish mower (either side or rear discharge) or a rotary cutter (also known as a brush hog or shredder) that does a little rougher job, but will cut brush and saplings. Can you leave it on all the time? Certainly, but you may not want to because you'll have to watch the sides of the mower to make sure you don't run it into something, and you will have less ground clearance; no problem on fairly level ground in the open spaces. Slopes too steep? You might consider a tiltmeter from R&B Manufacturing if you'd like to know just how steep they are. And when in doubt, back up the slope, go forward down the slope in 4WD, and don't try to go across the slope. No one (including me) is going to tell you exactly how steep a slope you can go across because it can vary with the way the tractor is equipped; i.e. where the center of gravity is. Generally speaking, it shouldn't turn over up to 20 degrees, but 12-15 degrees is my personal limit, and if you go to the maximum, just remember that one tiny little bump (stick, rock, etc.) on the high side or one little soft spot on the low side, and over you go.

Regular maintenance? Look through the Operator's Manual at the dealer and you'll find what needs to be done and instructions for doing it. Basicallly, it's changing engine oil & filter, changing or cleaning air filters and fuel filter, and changing hydraulic oil & filter(2) and cleaning a strainer (screen), and greasing the grease fittings on the front end loader and mower.

And while we'll be glad to answer your questions on this forum, these are all items you also want to discuss with the dealer if you're looking at a new tractor.

dmnsmith2 · Jun 2, 2003

Thanks much Bird! You are right, I meant the B7800. And the finishing mowers I was talking about was the pull behind and the belly. Thanks again for your input!!

GAKubotaFan · Jun 2, 2003

I have the B7800 and love it. I like the MMM better than a RFM. It is easier for me to drive. I am not always turning my neck to see what I am cutting and it is easier to move around. I went with the 6' and not the 5'. It is easy to take on and off and you also get an exta foot of cut. I would remove it before doing any serious landscaping. It is too expensive to damage and with the drive over feature it comes off in 10 minutes or less.

B7800, FEL, BH4690, Roll-over,6'Finish mower,bushhog.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 3, 2003

Well, I am of the other camp I like the RFM. I have a 60: Bush Hog Rear Discharge and as I just posted in another today I can get under trees by backing in that with a MMM I couldn't due to the ROPS. If you do get the 7800 get the HST with the Mid PTO, even if you decide to get a RFM - better to get this done upfront, under warranty and part of a financing deal if you take it. I know I would beat up a MMM going into areas I shouldn't be, but was too lazy /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif to take the MMM off. To me the RFM works great.

LOL, Frank

frank_f15 · Jun 4, 2003

i prefer the rfm also, but the grass i use it on is not lawn grass. i guess it all depends on the individaul mowing needs.

HarleyMan46929 · May 12, 2009

DONOTDELETE said:
Well, I am of the other camp I like the RFM. I have a 60: Bush Hog Rear Discharge and as I just posted in another today I can get under trees by backing in that with a MMM I couldn't due to the ROPS. If you do get the 7800 get the HST with the Mid PTO, even if you decide to get a RFM - better to get this done upfront, under warranty and part of a financing deal if you take it. I know I would beat up a MMM going into areas I shouldn't be, but was too lazy /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif to take the MMM off. To me the RFM works great.

LOL, Frank

I also like a RFM, even though I was trained to mow by my Father (a deeply devoted MMM man; why? I'll NEVER understand!?) I learned to mow on a Wheel Horse D-180 with the 48" MMM, graduated to a Woods U306 MMM under a Ford 671 Select-O-Speed, then I moved it back to it's original home under the John Deere 1020. When my father died, I got a Ford 930 RFM to replace the badly-beaten Woods U306 MMM, and I have never been happier!
It's so much easier to stay a tad cleaner with a RFM than a MMM, since most of the dirt/grass/weed pollen is behind you. The ONLY thing that would be better is to have the grass exit the mower at the rear, which is why I just purchased a Kubota B7800HSD-F with the easily-removable loader, EZ-hitch (3pt), and a 60" LandPride RFM with Rear-discharge (I'm tired of breaking windows in the house by rocks, sticks, etc, and having to take 3 baths just to feel halfway clean!). I have a few places, pine trees mainly, that I have to back into in order to mow without having to start the Stihl weed-eater, which puts my hands to sleep faster than carpal tunnel syndrome! I can hardly wait to actually get to work with my Kubota, but knowing Indiana weather, it will likely be raining pitchforks and hoe-handles when the dealer finally delivers it, hopefully TOMORROW!!!

rickster · May 15, 2009

The B7800 sounds like its going away. Its been a great seller and I love mine.
Can't go wrong with a B7800. I don't have a finish mower but if I bought one I'd get a rear mount for sure!

JOHNTHOMAS · May 15, 2009

Had a B7800 for 3 years. Prior to that I had a BX2200 MMM. When I got the B7800 I got the rear discharge RFM, I have some trees, gullies and hill side. For the B7800 I preferred the RFM. My first RFM was light weight and had welds that were so good you couldn't even see them. It kept falling apart on my rough yard so Barlows gave me what I paid for the cheapo $1200 toward the 6' Landpride $1700. You can see the welds on the Landpride from a quarter mile away and I love it. It's a tank. It's so heavy that it sort of turns the tractor at the bottom of the hill but it was easily controllable. Traded B7800 to a L3240HST but at the crest of the hill the L would start slowing but the B never slowed. That's what 2000 more lbs does on a steep hill. Trade L back or forward to a new B3200 and I'm back to smiling on my tractor. I do have a BX2350 with 5' MMM that I do most of my mowing with now but for the B size I preferred the rear discharge RFM. The rear discharge lays the cut grass down flat instead of the piled up rows and looks better after the yard is mowed.