Mowing Any Love for the BX Drive-Over Deck?

[robertm]

After several years of ownership, I’m not finding any love for the drive-over mower deck on my BX2670.
I find it more cumbersome to deal with the drive-over alignment sub-chassis that stays with the tractor, that I’m thinking of ditching the mower for the standard deck... or trading it off.
More often than not, it’s a pain to take the DO deck off. It’s gotta be on a level field, and on my concrete floor, it slides. Last fall, I tried to get the deck off the night before a snow storm, and actually had the deck spin 180-degrees and there sat my tractor on top of the mower. I had to jack the tractor up and use a 12-foot 4x4 to lever it up without tipping it over to get the deck out. I’m very mechanically inclined, and the deck spun sideways SO fast, I couldn’t react fast enough. Not doing that again.
With the DO, I can’t run the front blade, because the secondary alignment lift chassis is in the way, so the complete mower must come off. It’s a lot more than the standard deck. My last BX had the standard deck, and I lowered it on teacup casters and slid it out. Two minutes top, and it was off. The DO is much more involved, and cannot be taken off without moving the tractor. Like last fall, my confined barn requires me to move outside, and those early snows require me to take the deck off 100% to push snow.
I could go on about the DO deck, but I was wondering if anyone else sees the drive-over as a plain blunder causing more work than it’s worth.

 

[RickB]

Agree.

 

[diesel85]

I do and don't like mid-mount mowers...

For one, as I get older it's hard for me to get under there an make sure the PTO shaft is hooked on. This needs to be done right or else you risk costly damage if that comes loose.

Secondly, because it's a MMM, it requires more cleaning on top, to make sure twigs, grass and other debris doesn't trash up the belt. Which to get it clean, usually requires me to remove it.

Lastly, I can't get under my pine trees! I've used my neighbor's TC33D with a 72" Kingkutter rear mount to get under my trees in frustration (didn't feel like using a push mower!) and sometimes used it to just do my whole lawn... and filled it up with diesel for him when I'm done.

Only thing I do like about a MMM is that is saves space which is not a problem for me...

I don't know if it's my MMM or not, but it's never given me a good cut from day one either. It leave streaks and in some areas partially cuts the grass. No one has been able to figure it out. At first we all thought a baffle was missing, but according to Kubota, everything looks OK. Again, no one has been able to figure it out. So me and my family have been living with it for the past 18 years now. Yes, that is with a new gear box, new bearings, new blades (properly torqued/fitted on), new belt, new tension spring, etc, etc.

Next machine will NOT have a MMM.

 

[robertm]

I like the MMM cut for my yard, which is becoming a lawn this year. My yard is so bumpy, the old ground-contact type just cut poorly. Pie plates everywhere from the deck bouncing even at slow speeds. A rear-mount I don’t think would give a good cut, but I could be off-base.
I think the biggest issue with the BX can be that the weight to surface area of the tires lays the grass down, and the mower can’t lift it to cut it off. So, sometimes I get stripes where the tire tracks were.
Maintenance on a MMM is a pita over a clearly more accessible rear mount. The price of the MMM is also much higher. After looking tonight, I see many drive-over decks for BX’s than standard decks. Great. Looks like more are of the same position as me on Kubotas keeping up with the Jones’ stab at a drive-over deck.

 

[skipperbrown]

Well, I have the standard deck that I cuss every time I take it off and always thought a drive over would be easier. Thanks for the education. I'm wishing I had gone with a rear finish mower on my b2650. That deck makes the bx deck look easy as pie. The only consolation is the ability to nudge right up to the fence line/obstacles when mowing.

 

[diesel85]

I was out driving yesterday picking up some errands, and I just so happened to see a guy out in his yard with a B2650 mowing his lawn with a RFM, and man did the cut look good.

I don't understand, some people say that the MMM is better for bumpy ground, but I found that the RFM works better.

Then again, I also had a friend brag about his Ferris three wheel mower... so he brought it over, and almost broke his wrists on a divot going too fast. That handle bar contraption is dangerous with the little wheel in the back like that... he said never expected it.

Maybe my property needs a huge 40 ton roller in the Spring time to flatten it all out. LOL

With all this said, watch when I buy my next tractor with a RFM, it will cut like garbage. The way my luck has been lately, it's completely possible...

 

[robertm]

If I didn’t have use for a bagger, I’d consider a RFM. There are many positives for an RFM, but bagging simultaneously is not one of them.
I see a lot of drive-over decks for the BX for sale. I can’t judge if it’s guys just not using them and deciding to get rid of them, or if it’s guys frustrated with the PITA they are and dumping them.
The ground contact mowers on my B7500 and B7510 were great to adjust, but provided poor results after my yard quality deteriorated. Now, I’m getting the health back to the grass, and fussing with the poor adjustability of the BX deck... and having TWO carriages for the drive-over makes it worse. It’s always something.

 

[oldballs]

I had the DO deck on a BX2660 and now on the B2620., but never tired using that feature. It seemed easier to remove/attach the other way, especially if the FEL happened to be mounted. After over ten years on the three Kubotas, I got it down pretty good, but is still no fun. Being a little agile guy, I'm used to sliding under the rear axle to hook up the mid PTO. But tractor guys are not suppose to be whimps.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[robertm]

I see a lot of guys mentioning the drive over on the B-Series. Those decks are ONLY beefed up at the spindle covers and little bent plate ramps added. These decks are nowhere a comparison to the BX drive-over decks. The B-Series deck still attaches one simple way. It has no secondary alignment carriage like the BX drive-over.
I had a B2620, which had a drive-over deck. It was a simple operation, just like the BX standard deck. You could drive over it if you wanted to, or slide it in from the side (std. BX is not a drive-over). The BX drive-over can’t be slid in place from the side. It has a self-aligning secondary carriage with pins so the deck positions properly, AND allows the slave to accept the drive shaft at the deck gearbox. The secondary alignment/lift chassis is ALWAYS connected to the mid-PTO. Even if you can disconnect the drive shaft to the deck at the transfer box, you can’t disengage the deck off the alignment chassis to slide it out. The B-Series is ONLY a drive over, NOT a true drive-over, self-aligning, easy couple deck like the BX. Sorry, but the B-Series is just a simple standard deck with non-skid tape and bent plate ramps added...that’s it.

 

[civilian]

Dad and I both have standard BX mowers that slide in from the side. When the deck wheels can be rotated to allow for sliding from the side, it works. But when the whhels freeze in the forward position, then it becomes a real pain. But someone here on TBN suggested driving up to the mower deck with the bucket raised. Then lower the bucket and raise the front wheels off the ground and roll the deck into position. Lower the wheels and finish hooking up the deck. Does the secondary/lift chassis have to come off to allow for the snowblower mounting frame to work with the mid PTO? What does it take to remove that secondary/lift chassis? Does it need to be removed for dirt/woods work where the hydraulic fan needs protection?

What I would really like to see is a front mount mower deck that maybe attaches to the snowblower lift frame. I have a Gravely 2 wheel walk behind that has a front mount mower. I prefer that at times for better visibility. Especially when needing to mow under low bushes. Jon