Suspended Vs.ground contact mowers???

[Kubota Jeff]

Brian,

I recently purchased a 2003 BX2200 with 60" deck. You say you have a floating deck and I'm wondering if I can make mine float. The few times I've used it, I lower the PTO and it rides on the ground--making the roller wheels often tear up the grass when I turn. Any thoughts. Thanks, Jeff

 

[BrianR]

Brian,

I recently purchased a 2003 BX2200 with 60" deck. You say you have a floating deck and I'm wondering if I can make mine float. The few times I've used it, I lower the PTO and it rides on the ground--making the roller wheels often tear up the grass when I turn. Any thoughts. Thanks, Jeff

Yours should also be a "Floating" deck from the factory. I don't remember there being a midmount mower with "Ground Engaging" capabilities for those models. Are you sure that someone hasn't just adjusted the wheels so that they roll on the ground? Those wheels are not supposed to carry the weight of the deck all of the time. They are "anti-scalp" rollers only. I adjust mine to be about 1/2" to 3/4" off the ground (measured on concrete floor) while the deck is lowered to cutting height.

 

[Kubota Jeff]

Thanks Brian. Just so I'm clear, you lower the deck all the way down via the lowering arm. Then adjust the pins that the wheels are attached to in the appropriate hole to allow a small clearance for the wheels on a flat surface. Right now I think mine are set in the 3rd or fourth hole from the top. I'm going to try it as you described. Do you still get one of the wheels ever digging into your lawn on tight or off-balanced turns? Thank you, Jeff

 

[willi67]

I mowed 3 seasons with a BX23, suspended deck, and this is my 3rd season with my B3030, ground contact deck.

Suspended - pros are that it is easier to adjust the cut height cons are that it scalps on the downhill side when cross cutting a slope, some folks report having a problem getting suspended decks set up, I never had a problem adjusting mine though

Ground contact - pros are that it does not scalp on the downhill side of a cross cut on a slope and cons as has been mentioned is that it can leave wheel tracks in soft conditions, but I found that if it was that soft my tractor wheels would sink and then even the suspended deck would dig in some

I find the cut quality to be the same between the two and really couldn't find a compelling reason to get one over the other, or even recommend one over the other. The one thought that I do have is that I wouldn't select a tractor based on this, I would look at all of the other specifications to make a decision.

I totally agree with all of the above .. got a BX2360 after years of using a RFM and at first was very dissappointed with the stepped cut when going across a slope .. I adjusted the anti-scalp wheels so they are 1/4" (6mm) above ground when mowing at the lowest setting .. 2.5" in my case. No more stepped cut! I suppose there is more wear and tear on the scalp wheels but I reckon they are a wear item anyway. For a sloping block I would choose a ground contact mower.

 

[BrianR]

Thanks Brian. Just so I'm clear, you lower the deck all the way down via the lowering arm. Then adjust the pins that the wheels are attached to in the appropriate hole to allow a small clearance for the wheels on a flat surface. Right now I think mine are set in the 3rd or fourth hole from the top. I'm going to try it as you described. Do you still get one of the wheels ever digging into your lawn on tight or off-balanced turns? Thank you, Jeff

Jeff,

You are correct. The decks suspension linkage rests on the stops provided by the deck height adjustment knob on the operators platform. My yard is mostly flat, and I do not get any gouging of the wheels into the lawn. The only time it might be an issue is if you are mowing while your yard is saturated from recent rains.......but most wouldn't mow then, due to rutting of the yard!