Rotary Cutter Salvage

[Cedar Pete]

Hey folks!

I have a JD MX8 I bought new maybe 3 years ago. Have used it very little, maybe 80 acres of mowing sericia lespedeza. However, in my ignorance I didn't check the gear box oil for what I considered was light use for such a mower. So, seals are gone and both gearboxes locked up. JD wants over $7100 to repair. Or they'll sell me a new one at some bargain price of over $10k. I only paid about $8500 for it new, with a discount package deal including the tractor. I don't even like the MX8 pull beind that much. Hard to maneuver, not precise enough. I'm thinking more of buying a new/used 3 pt 7 foot cutter for up to $3k and trying to get some part/salvage money out of the MX8.

Is there any way to get rid of and money out of a cutter with two toasted gear boxes?

 

[Roadworthy]

You could sell it to a scrap yard but steel's not worth much by the pound right now.

 

[big bubba]

OP: sorry for hear your event. when buying new, were the gearboxes checked for level before use? it's interesting that many manufacturers, including Kubota ship their tractor front axles very often way low.
my Danuser phd was shipped almost empty. was this the case with yours?
best on the salvage options & replacement. btw, welcome to this forum

 

[Sportsman762]

it's interesting that many manufacturers, including Kubota ship their tractor front axles very often way low. my Danuser phd was shipped almost empty. was this the case with yours?

They are often shipped with just enough fluid for preservation but not enough to make a big mess if they get handled rough during transport. Its a dealers job to fill the unit with fluids prior to sale. If you got them with low fluids, then the dealer did not do their pre delivery checks very well. It is always good to double check everything prior to use on new equipment, because you can catch issues like you found.

 

[flyerdan]

Probably the best approach would be to open everything up and assess the damage. If it's just bearings and seals, that's probably an Amazon or Ebay fix; shafts or gears would need parts from ag suppliers. Either way, it should be a considerable cheaper fix than the dealer option, and if you decide that you don't want to keep it, a 0 time SMOH vs. 'needs repair' makes thousands in price difference when you go to flog it.

 

[RayIN]

Once you sign the paper, it's yours and your responsibility. Hard truth to swallow.
Did the new rotary mower have a sticker on the machine or owners manual stating the gearboxes were shipped empty?
Shipping requirements change greatly if flammable liquids are involved.