Mid mount lift on BX23 issue.

[pipefitter]

I got my BX stuck a month or so back. I pulled it out, but now, there is an issue with the MMM raising and lowering. I can't get the mower to lower very much. I dropped the deck, thinking maybe something was twisted from being pulled out, but the arms all seem fine. I tried putting the deck in "lower", and prying the arms a bit but they hardly moved at all. I only keep the deck on it a few months a year. Thanks far any ideas.

 

[RickB]

I can't see it from here. Crawl under there and figure out what you bent.

 

[pipefitter]

Re-read the post. Been there done that. Nothing's bent.

 

[RickB]

That you've seen yet. Do the 3 point arms go down?

 

[Henro]

I got my BX stuck a month or so back. I pulled it out, but now, there is an issue with the MMM raising and lowering. I can't get the mower to lower very much. I dropped the deck, thinking maybe something was twisted from being pulled out, but the arms all seem fine. I tried putting the deck in "lower", and prying the arms a bit but they hardly moved at all. I only keep the deck on it a few months a year. Thanks far any ideas.

is there an adjustment for 3PH lowering speed? I think there is on my BX2200. Maybe it got closed somehow. Would be a knob a shin/ankle level below the seat front.

If so turn the knob and see what happens…

 

[pipefitter]

is there an adjustment for 3PH lowering speed? I think there is on my BX2200. Maybe it got closed somehow. Would be a knob a shin/ankle level below the seat front.

If so turn the knob and see what happens…

That you've seen yet. Do the 3 point arms go down?

The 3 point arms seem to drag as well. I haven't played with the lowering speed adjustment yet. I ran out of time, but hope to check it later today.

 

[JWR]

I had this same problem with a BX2200. Could not resolve it myself doing the same as you did. The shop I took it to put it up on a lift and pryed/wiggled/pulled the thing free and it works fine now. There are 2 basic issues. One is the raising/lowering speed knob and associated "cam" under it. If that is stuck and won't turn that is your primary problem. The other is the raising/lowering overall mechanism limited by your depth knob/control. The depth knob should not be turned EXCEPT when the hydraulics is all the way up -- otherwise you are trying to turn the knob while under the load of the deck (and MANY people have broken off the knob that way, including me!) So get it up where you can work on it, lube the heck out of the cam and lift control mechanism (under the sheet metal under the seat) and persist until you get it loose. Unlikely that anything is really bent, more like "jammed." If you are lucky you will be able to get it unjammed without sheet metal removal (the shop I took mine to was able to do that...) or with less luck you may need to remove enough sheet metal to really get at the problem.

 

[pipefitter]

I had this same problem with a BX2200. Could not resolve it myself doing the same as you did. The shop I took it to put it up on a lift and pryed/wiggled/pulled the thing free and it works fine now. There are 2 basic issues. One is the raising/lowering speed knob and associated "cam" under it. If that is stuck and won't turn that is your primary problem. The other is the raising/lowering overall mechanism limited by your depth knob/control. The depth knob should not be turned EXCEPT when the hydraulics is all the way up -- otherwise you are trying to turn the knob while under the load of the deck (and MANY people have broken off the knob that way, including me!) So get it up where you can work on it, lube the heck out of the cam and lift control mechanism (under the sheet metal under the seat) and persist until you get it loose. Unlikely that anything is really bent, more like "jammed." If you are lucky you will be able to get it unjammed without sheet metal removal (the shop I took mine to was able to do that...) or with less luck you may need to remove enough sheet metal to really get at the problem.

Thanks. My depth knob is broken as well, (now I know why), and the depth control is also something to look at. My lift arms do move, but not enough as they should. The right side lowers more than the left, if that makes any sense at all. When I pulled it out, the nose was pointed down, and the mower had bottomed out. It was on soft ground, so jamming the deck into the bottom seems more likely than bending anything. Although it is entirely possible something was bent.

 

[pipefitter]

Fixed it. It was jammed against the bottom of the tractor. Fiddled with it long enough that it will lower properly.

 

[Grandad4]

Don't like to be "that guy", but it's worth saying that MMM's and really rough terrain are not a good combination. Better to remove the dang thing, even though it's a PITA, especially for those of us who are, er, "less agile". Glad it got un-jammed.

 

[JWR]

Fixed it. It was jammed against the bottom of the tractor. Fiddled with it long enough that it will lower properly.

Very good ! I suspected that would be the case. I was stymied on ours, took it to a shop and basically all they did was unjam it and do extra lube. In my case at least it had NOT been on rough terrain. Those suspension MMM take a beating bouncing around when the ground is rough even though the wheels are only intermittently touching. And somehow ours got jammed in the "up" position. I think this is probably not all that rare.

 

[pipefitter]

In my case, I wasn't on rough terrain. I was cutting the grass on a runoff that feeds into a pond. Smooth ground, and a gentle slope. However, it was the only still soft part of my field, and I got it stuck. I'm certain the damage came from tugging it out. I was delighted when it popped loose. I use that thing a lot.

 

[Lakebuster]

Our 60” mmm was not coming up correctly. Removed mower deck and found shaft sleeve not lubricated. On my ZD331 ZTR the shaft coming down to mower deck has a grease fitting. Not so on the mmm of a BX2660 series.

 

[scaredychicken]

even though the issue is now resolved, I would remove the deck and give it a good cleaning to get rid of mud, dirt, grass etc. then re-install everything.

 

[pipefitter]

even though the issue is now resolved, I would remove the deck and give it a good cleaning to get rid of mud, dirt, grass etc. then re-install everything.

When I had if off, I cleaned and lubed everything.