Replacement blades for MMM on bx1860

[casolorz]

Here is the Gator blade compatibility info, direct from Oregon (see page 2):

BX1860 54" MMM RCK54-23BX -- What hole size /or/ PN Gator Mulcher blade?

Regards,
wrooster

Yeah I read that when researching but you can't deny there are lots of people who found ways to make them work, and some people even claim the 23/32'' blade fits.

 

[CHDinCT]

I've been waiting almost 3 years for Oregon to make this blade. With 1,000's of 54" BX decks out there, I assumed they'd make one eventually, but for whatever reason, they just keep missing this market opportunity. They could take an existing blade and bore out the center hole to 7/8" and offer it for sale. How hard of a decision is that? Astounding.

 

[wrooster]

Yeah I read that when researching but you can't deny there are lots of people who found ways to make them work, and some people even claim the 23/32'' blade fits.

The problem is that most folks don't list any specific information in their post, just "Yep, these here Gator blades seem to fit pretty good on my ol' Kubota". This approach leads to a lot of confusion.

Take the BX1860 -- you can get a 48" MMM, a 54" MMM, a 54" Fine Cut MMM, and so on. All appear to take different blade types in terms of length and drive spindle hole diameter. Hence when owners write, "What Gator blade fits on my BX1860?", the result is a lot of variability in the answers -- some of which (as we have seen) misdirect folks into buying blades that do not fit.

Yours in search of greater clarity and precision in Internet forum postings,
wrooster

 

[casolorz]

The problem is that most folks don't list any specific information in their post, just "Yep, these here Gator blades seem to fit pretty good on my ol' Kubota". This approach leads to a lot of confusion.

Take the BX1860 -- you can get a 48" MMM, a 54" MMM, a 54" Fine Cut MMM, and so on. All appear to take different blade types in terms of length and drive spindle hole diameter. Hence when owners write, "What Gator blade fits on my BX1860?", the result is a lot of variability in the answers -- some of which (as we have seen) misdirect folks into buying blades that do not fit.

Yours in search of greater clarity and precision in Internet forum postings,
wrooster

Totally agree, happens on all forums, thats why after I fix my problems I usually go into the respective forums and describe what I did. Once I get these blades I'll do the same, of course I have no idea if I have a regular 54'' or fine cut. My wife gave me the tractor as a birthday gift and the invoice doesn't really list anything about the mower and of course the sales guy is gone now.

 

[wrooster]

I have no idea if I have a regular 54'' or fine cut.

Should be a label on the top of the MMM deck:

Regular = RCK54-23BX
Fine cut = RCK54P-23BX

ps
Like a modern Ferrari, the "Fine cut" deck is only sold to thoroughly vetted and well-heeled customers, and only after a social outing with the salesperson; this way, Joe Random Homeowner doesn't end up with an awesome lawn due to the exquisitely cultured performance of the "Fine cut" deck...

Regards,
Wrooster

 

[Volfandt]

Can't help w/the 54" mower but I can remark on adapting a set of gatorblades for use on my BX23's 60" MMM. I'm one that had to use a Cat 1 to Cat 2 bushing, cut down to approx 1/4" thick (just slightly thinner than the blade) to adapt a set of std GB's to my MMM and after approx 400hrs and now going on the 5th season, mowing once a week from mid March to late Nov, I've had absolutely NO Issues with this setup, none....
I am so impressed w/the performance of the GB's that I upgraded this season to the 3 in 1 Hi lift Fusions in hopes of getting more lift and hopefully an even batter cut. The juries still out as the lawn hasn't completely filled in so it's hard to tell but it does seem that they cut through the thicker growth easier than the std GB's did.
I'm also impressed in how the std GB's hold their edge.

re. OEM mulching blades. Theres been many that have posted, both here and on other tractor sites, that the OEM mulching blades produce as good if not better results as the std GB's do. Those that have posted these results did so w/just the OEM mulching blades mounted and not the mulching kit. If going w/a bushing and/or the GB's still not having the correct spindle hole size is still an issue, ordering just the OEM mulching blades MAY be a viable solution to improve your finish cut. They have higher lift and additonal cutting edges over the std Kubota blades.

re. bagging and side diischarge mowing w/mulching type blades. I side discharge as well as bag (w/a cyclone rake) and the performance of the GB's has been nothing less than great, much better than the std OEM blades that came std on my 60" MMM.
Since these blades cut the clippings, leaves etc up finer, I can cover more ground inbetween dumping the bagger and they compost easier, win/win...

There are also some that have posted that they didn't see any improvement when they went w/the GB's and wasn't impressed w/them. Like every thing out there, theres differing opinions on everything, so I 'm throwing mine out there too

Good luck in the quest for this elusive 54" GB, I believe y'all are on the right path
Dave

 

[casolorz]

So according to the plaque on the mower I have a RCK54P-23BX.

I received the gator blades today (396-748) and they did not fit. I am going to have to have someone drill a larger hole into them.

 

[CHDinCT]

So according to the plaque on the mower I have a RCK54P-23BX.

I received the gator blades today (396-748) and they did not fit. I am going to have to have someone drill a larger hole into them.

Casolorz, thanks for posting back. Sorry they didn't fit. Might want to let that web site that sells them and says they fit know. As I think about it, buying the undersized center hole ones and getting them bored out would be easier for most than making up a bushing if you don't have good metal cutting tools.

 

[dex3361]

So according to the plaque on the mower I have a RCK54P-23BX.

I received the gator blades today (396-748) and they did not fit. I am going to have to have someone drill a larger hole into them.

The hole size is 7/8" or 0.875" I have just went through the same thing. I chose to get new blades from Kubota. Drilling them out would work great though.

 

[casolorz]

The hole size is 7/8" or 0.875" I have just went through the same thing. I chose to get new blades from Kubota. Drilling them out would work great though.

I have a guy drilling them right now, 15 bucks each blade. Kinda pricey but no one wanted to touch them, he even said he will have to resharpen his bits several times. So I don't really recommend this way but since I have the blades already I went for it.

 

[dex3361]

I have a guy drilling them right now, 15 bucks each blade. Kinda pricey but no one wanted to touch them, he even said he will have to resharpen his bits several times. So I don't really recommend this way but since I have the blades already I went for it.

Thanks I will not be drilling if they are that hard. I appreciate the warning.

 

[rdsaustintx]

There are also some that have posted that they didn't see any improvement when they went w/the GB's and wasn't impressed w/them.

Put me on that list Volf. Especially after the hassle of cutting bushing adapters. I really couldn't see any difference. I got wiry grass though (mostly KR bluegrass, some bermuda).

 

[catawampus]

So this is more complicated than it seems. The RCK54P-BX23 has a different blade with a different mounting hole than the RCK54-BX23. The stock blade on the fine cut deck (RCK54P-BX23) actually has a 23/32" or 0.719" hole as measured from my original blade with a vernier caliper. The mounting hub is actually 0.703".

But and this is a BIG but, Oregon lists blade 96-748 and the original posters model, the G6 mulcher version 396-748 as having a 23/32" hole in some documents. Go here and look at the documents that hit the search for 96-748. In the first hit you will see 0.63" noted, but in all the later documents you will see 23/32" noted. So if you actually got the blade Oregon thinks it makes you would in fact get a blade that fits the Kubota 54" Fine Cut deck RCK54P-BX23.

You are most certainly out of luck for the standard deck since Oregon does not list anywhere a 7/8" bore blade.

The hole size is 7/8" or 0.875" I have just went through the same thing. I chose to get new blades from Kubota. Drilling them out would work great though.

 

[catawampus]

So I just received 3x 396-748 blades and sure enough they do in fact have a 23/32" (0.719") bore and they bolt right up to my 2009 RCK54P-BX23. I also decided to email customer support at Oregon Chain and the reply I received confirmed the bore size and they also said they were not aware of any time when the blade had a different bore size. Here's a funny development though, I saw a link to a 2011 Oregon blade catalog and it said the bore was 3/4". Go figure...

 

[casolorz]

So I just received 3x 396-748 blades and sure enough they do in fact have a 23/32" (0.719") bore and they bolt right up to my 2009 RCK54P-BX23. I also decided to email customer support at Oregon Chain and the reply I received confirmed the bore size and they also said they were not aware of any time when the blade had a different bore size. Here's a funny development though, I saw a link to a 2011 Oregon blade catalog and it said the bore was 3/4". Go figure...

Thats crazy, according to my mower deck, it is a RCK54P-BX23, from 2010, and those blades did not fit. Unless I am reading some number wrong. The holes I had someone make worked great but it is too much of a hassle, don't think I will do that again.