54" versus 60" Deck on BX

[JoeG]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

I do agree that if the 60” works for you then get it. For $100 the only thing that should stop you should be size limitations (not to be glib about finances.)

But… the arguments as to why the 60” is better don’t add up in my mind. How can anyone’s positive experience with a 60” mower justify a conclusion that it is superior to a 54” mower?

Both units are wider than the track of the tractor, we know that. The 6” increase can mean 3” additional inches of clearance on the left (drivers) side if the units are centered under the tractor. That’s a big if. My recollection of these two units is that they are justified along the left side of the tractor equally; that most of the additional 6” is actually on the discharge side of the mower. If that’s true then out the window go the theories about mowing against ditches and better turning radius. Calling all 54” and 60” owners out there, how about providing us measurements from the left 3ph lift attachment bracket to the outside of the mower?

Maybe I’m wrong?

 

[Musclford]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do agree that if the 60” works for you then get it. For $100 the only thing that should stop you should be size limitations (not to be glib about finances.)

But… the arguments as to why the 60” is better don’t add up in my mind. How can anyone’s positive experience with a 60” mower shed any light on usage with a 54” mower?

Both units are wider than the track of the tracker, we know that. The 6” increase can mean 3” additional inches of clearance on the left (drivers) side if the units are centered under the tractor. That’s a big if. My recollection of these two units is that they are justified along the left side of the tractor equally; that most of the additional 6” is actually on the discharge side of the mower. If that’s true then out the window go the theories about mowing against ditches and better turning radius. Calling all 54” and 60” owners out there, how about providing us measurements from the left 3ph lift attachment bracket to the outside of the mower?

Maybe I’m wrong?
)</font>

Ya, what JoeG said ?????????

Thnx

 

[Musclford]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do agree that if the 60” works for you then get it. For $100 the only thing that should stop you should be size limitations (not to be glib about finances.)

But… the arguments as to why the 60” is better don’t add up in my mind. How can anyone’s positive experience with a 60” mower shed any light on usage with a 54” mower?

Both units are wider than the track of the tracker, we know that. The 6” increase can mean 3” additional inches of clearance on the left (drivers) side if the units are centered under the tractor. That’s a big if. My recollection of these two units is that they are justified along the left side of the tractor equally; that most of the additional 6” is actually on the discharge side of the mower. If that’s true then out the window go the theories about mowing against ditches and better turning radius. Calling all 54” and 60” owners out there, how about providing us measurements from the left 3ph lift attachment bracket to the outside of the mower?

Maybe I’m wrong?
)</font>

Ya, what JoeG said ?????????

Thnx

 

[Qrazy]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

I chose the 54" for a couple of reasons. First, it was a $200 difference for me, so cost did play a role. But more importantly, after factoring in the disharge chute, the 54" deck is pretty wide. My mowable area currently is only about 1/2 acre, so the extra 6 inches would only save me a few minutes per cutting. Most of the time I do not cut beat the clock style, so it's really a non issue for me. Backing it into my garage, and having just that much more clearance works well for me, and the 54" compared to my old 42" is already a big improvement. All I can say so far about the 54" is what an absolutely beautiful, and smooth cut it gives me....It is 1,000% better than I expected it to be....So, I am happy, and that all that matters... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I am also using the standard deck, not the fine cut one....

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Qrazy]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

I chose the 54" for a couple of reasons. First, it was a $200 difference for me, so cost did play a role. But more importantly, after factoring in the disharge chute, the 54" deck is pretty wide. My mowable area currently is only about 1/2 acre, so the extra 6 inches would only save me a few minutes per cutting. Most of the time I do not cut beat the clock style, so it's really a non issue for me. Backing it into my garage, and having just that much more clearance works well for me, and the 54" compared to my old 42" is already a big improvement. All I can say so far about the 54" is what an absolutely beautiful, and smooth cut it gives me....It is 1,000% better than I expected it to be....So, I am happy, and that all that matters... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I am also using the standard deck, not the fine cut one....

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Henro]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

<font color="blue"> Maybe I’m wrong? </font>

Joe, I would guess you probably are, but I don't know for sure.

When I get a chance to get out there I will take a look at the 60" mower on my BX2200 and see how the spindles relate position wise to the rear tires. Or how the center blade spindle centers with respect to the frame.

A 6" offset would be pretty apparent I would expect, and it could be there I suppose, but it never appeared to me that the deck would be that much off center.

Now if it the 60" were offset to the left side, I might just like that! would center the mower deck overall, and let the left cutting blade stick out even more to get close to things. As it is right now, I sometimes wish for a little hydraulic cylinder to lift tie discharge cover when cutting past things on the right side.

 

[Henro]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

<font color="blue"> Maybe I’m wrong? </font>

Joe, I would guess you probably are, but I don't know for sure.

When I get a chance to get out there I will take a look at the 60" mower on my BX2200 and see how the spindles relate position wise to the rear tires. Or how the center blade spindle centers with respect to the frame.

A 6" offset would be pretty apparent I would expect, and it could be there I suppose, but it never appeared to me that the deck would be that much off center.

Now if it the 60" were offset to the left side, I might just like that! would center the mower deck overall, and let the left cutting blade stick out even more to get close to things. As it is right now, I sometimes wish for a little hydraulic cylinder to lift tie discharge cover when cutting past things on the right side.

 

[JoeG]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Henro, I'm suggesting that the 60" is centered and that the 54" is offset to the left to make it sit like the 60" along the left side. Take a look at the photos of the two on the Kubota website. When I say like i mean "close", not exactly, and that most of the difference in the cutting width will be found on the discharge side of the deck.

No debate that the 60" is 11% bigger than the 54" deck, but what does that really mean? I don't think it makes much difference cutting close to ditches or around trees.

I threw out a "theory" that needs to be proven right or wrong from fact. Let's get the measurements and photos.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[JoeG]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Henro, I'm suggesting that the 60" is centered and that the 54" is offset to the left to make it sit like the 60" along the left side. Take a look at the photos of the two on the Kubota website. When I say like i mean "close", not exactly, and that most of the difference in the cutting width will be found on the discharge side of the deck.

No debate that the 60" is 11% bigger than the 54" deck, but what does that really mean? I don't think it makes much difference cutting close to ditches or around trees.

I threw out a "theory" that needs to be proven right or wrong from fact. Let's get the measurements and photos.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[Henro]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Joe and all,

The rain here stopped around noon today and when I got home I was able to cut the grass AND look at the position of the 60" deck on my BX2200.

I was surprised to see that the deck is indeed offset, which kind of amazed me that I never noticed that before. BUT it is offset to the left, which is the way I would want it to be, and probably the way it was done to more or less center the deck physically with respect to the chute/guard that is on the right side.

While I did not measure the offset, eyeballing it showed the spindle of the right side (when looking down from the driver's seat) blade being about 5 inchs inside the outside edge of the right tire. The spindle of the left side blade was about an inch outside the outer edge of the left tire.

Net effect being that the blade on the left extends about 3 inches further to the left than would be the case if the center spindle were centered between the frame rails. (of course, if the center spindle were moved, the other blades would follow).

 

[Henro]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Joe and all,

The rain here stopped around noon today and when I got home I was able to cut the grass AND look at the position of the 60" deck on my BX2200.

I was surprised to see that the deck is indeed offset, which kind of amazed me that I never noticed that before. BUT it is offset to the left, which is the way I would want it to be, and probably the way it was done to more or less center the deck physically with respect to the chute/guard that is on the right side.

While I did not measure the offset, eyeballing it showed the spindle of the right side (when looking down from the driver's seat) blade being about 5 inchs inside the outside edge of the right tire. The spindle of the left side blade was about an inch outside the outer edge of the left tire.

Net effect being that the blade on the left extends about 3 inches further to the left than would be the case if the center spindle were centered between the frame rails. (of course, if the center spindle were moved, the other blades would follow).

 

[Volfandt]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Henro, your eyes are not telling you tales /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I just did a measurement on my BX23's mounted 60" MMM.
I measured from the tractor's lift arms to the center of the same side outter spindle.

The right side (discharge side) measurement was 9" lift arm to center of spindle.

The left side measurement was 13 1/8th" lift arm to center of spindle.

This would appear to indicate a little over a 4" offset to the left which would infact push the tractor out further when mowing around obstacles on the left side.

That would probably be too much of an offset for the 54" to make up. I would think that it would then require the same self-balancing system that is found on the 60" to keep it level if it had an equal left side offset as the 60".

Volfandt

 

[Volfandt]

Re: 54\" versus 60\" Deck on BX

Henro, your eyes are not telling you tales /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I just did a measurement on my BX23's mounted 60" MMM.
I measured from the tractor's lift arms to the center of the same side outter spindle.

The right side (discharge side) measurement was 9" lift arm to center of spindle.

The left side measurement was 13 1/8th" lift arm to center of spindle.

This would appear to indicate a little over a 4" offset to the left which would infact push the tractor out further when mowing around obstacles on the left side.

That would probably be too much of an offset for the 54" to make up. I would think that it would then require the same self-balancing system that is found on the 60" to keep it level if it had an equal left side offset as the 60".

Volfandt

 

[JoeG]

Re: 54" versus 60" Deck on BX

Thanks for the measurements Volfandt. Your findings indicate that the 60” decks sticks out from the left side 9” plus half the width of the blade (10”), or 19”, relative to the lifting arm.

I finally had a chance to make the same measurement on the 54” deck to see how it protrudes along the left side.

The left side spindle of the 54” deck is 11” inches from the lift arm.

Poor math and a mixup between left and right have made me recind most of my comments.

 

[Volfandt]

Re: 54" versus 60" Deck on BX

Hey JoeG not so fast my friend.

Useing our listed numbers,
60" left side measurement, (lift arm to spindle plus 1/2 blade length)
13 1/8" + 10" = 23 1/8th" left side blade tip furthest point from tractor lift arm.

54" left side measurement, (lift arm to spindle plus 1/2 blade length)

11" + 9" = 20" left side blade tip furthest point from tractor arm.

The 60" MMM extends out on the left side of the tractor approx 3 more inches..as well as it does on the right side too. Thusly it appears the math works out

Volfandt

 

[JoeG]

Re: 54" versus 60" Deck on BX

Oops! My apologies. I should have double checked my math.

 

[Tom_H]

Re: 54" versus 60" Deck on BX

Someone said there are only 2 nuts to adjust 60" MMM. There are several more than that if you consider the entire suspension. Adjustment can be a challenge, but once you get it, it works well.