Mowing 914A Side Discharge Mower question

[Bob_Skurka]

I traded in my Befco RFM for a New Holland side discharge 914A MMM. The dealer picked up my tractor 10 days ago and FINIALLY retunred my tractor yesterday and I had some work to do so I hopped on the seat, drove to the valley, and started to spread some dirt around with the FEL.

While the 914A was raised as high as I could get it, I did find that the spring loaded chute deflector would hang up on dirt that was pushed aside by the FEL. I've never used a tractor before that had a MMM and an FEL so this was a new experience for me. Has anyone found a way to lock the spring loaded discharge chute in the UP position so it stay out of the way when using the FEL?

I suppose I could have taken the deck off, but it was evening, I had not even seen the manual yet, and I wanted to get some work in because there was rain in the forecast. I had already done all the heavy FEL work with the B2910, most of what I needed to finish was skimming, back dragging a little and leveling. The toothbar is on the B2910 bucket and I figured it would be easier to simply use the TC24 than to remove the toothbar from the larger tractor.

 

[Golfgar4]

Bob,

Could you just attach a bungee cord to it that would hold it up? It would be easy to take on and off then.

 

[MikePA]

Like Garry said, a bungee cord. No other way.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'm not really sure what to attach the bungee to. I suppose I could drill a hole in it to attach the bungee? It would take a really long bungee to run a loop around the chute and back to the deck on either side of the chute and not really sure about attachement points. I could look.

There is one hole pre drilled on the chute, but it is right at the spring point and MIGHT MAYBE POSSIBLY be used for some sort of a locking bar, but IF I recall the configuration correctly, it would probably be more likely to lock the chute DOWN rather than UP.

 

[Golfgar4]

Hmmmmmm.......... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I've seen a number of discharge chutes held up with a bungee cord, but just figured that there was a hole at the end of the chute. Never considered that maybe the hold needed to be "added". Maybe you could find some kind of small clamp that you could clamp on the end of the chute and then attach the bungee to the clamp?

The other end of the bungee would be attached to just about anything that the hook could clip to, such as an open hole in a panel, a linkage arm, etc. I even saw one of our Park department mowers that had the bungee clipped to the handle on the fender.

Now that you've got us scratching our heads, you'd better post a picture of whatever you end up doing! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[MikePA]

You'd have to drill a hole at the end of the chute and connect the bungee cord there and to the front or rear mmm mounting point under the tractor.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I think you are right, drilling a hole may be the only option.

As I bought the tractor originally as a mowing tractor with a RFM. I later added a FEL, and now I switched to the MMM, and never anticipated this problem. It is very minor, and for rough work I'd probably not even use this tractor, or I'd at least pull the deck off.

 

[bandit67]

Bob,

If you don't want to drill the end of the chute and hit the new hole with paint, then attach the bungee hook to the existing hole that's near the hinge from the underside of the chute, then run the cord (following along the underside of the chute) out to the end of the chute and around toward the top side and then attach the other bungee hook somewhere on your tractor. That'll keep the chute angled in toward the tractor in the up position, and one of those 18" long bungees should work.

The outside edge of the chute may end up cutting through the bungee in time, but that should take quite a while if you are only hooking it up occasionally. I used to do it that way on an old garden tractor for transporting it in a pickup bed (to clear the wheel well), and it worked fine.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Bandit : That sure sounds like that will work.

 

[tinner]

I just pick my chute up and put a wood wedge under where it hinges. No holes to drill., the spring of the chute keeps it in place.

Bob in the woods of Vermont