b7510 vacuum bagger questions

[EastTractor]

I purchased a gck60-24b bagging unit for my b7510 installed it and it works great. To install it you need to remove the lower arms of the 3 pt hitch and replace them with a pair of silly looking, shorter surrogate arms to allow the mmm to continue to be raised and lowered by the 3 pt hitch. I suppose that the lower arms need to be replaced so that they do not hit the bags when the arms go up and down. The bagger frame is attached rigidly to the tractor and not to the 3 pt hitch.

As a result, I can’t use the three point hitch unless I remove the silly looking, short surrogate arms and put back the lower arms which is a PITA.

I would like to know if anyone knows of a way to disable the movement of the 3 pt hitch lower arms and still have a mmm that can be raised and lowered without replacing the lower arms with the silly surrogate arms so that I can then de-disable the lower arms to use the 3 pt hitch when I need to with less fuss. The objective is simplification.

I was wondering if the lift kit that is available with the pto run TRAC VAC might do the trick.

I would appreciate anyone’s input.

 

[WayneW]

I have had the same compliant with my B7610 & bagger. Looks like a bad decision in the engineering dept if you ask me. If that bag were mounted a bit further back, it'd clear the lift arms. But then you'd have to lengthen the chute.

What I've been doing the last few seasons is to loosen the bolt that holds the lift arm rod from moving left to right. (it's in the center below the rear PTO) I KEEP it a little loose. That way, I can pull out the pins on either side (which keep the rod from sliding left to right anyway) and slide the rod towards one rear tire. Then change that lift arm side. Slide the bar towards the other rear tire and change that lift arm side.

I can do this in under 10 minutes.....and without tools! (except for a hammer to tap the bar left to right)

Another thing I've thought of is to purchase an extra set of top link arms. (the ones that one side is adjustable and the other side is solid) Keep them attached to then short lift arms and the originals attached to the standard lift arms. Then just by sliding the bar left to right swap out the entire assemblies. I believe the dealer said it was around $80 for an extra set. That would get the changeover to less than 5 minutes.

The bagger itself is just big & heavy. I made some "L" brackets that mount it to the barn wall, at about the tractor mounting height. In on swoop, I grab it off the wall and toss it on the mount on the tractor, loosely. Then brace the back of the bagger against the wall with a 2X4 until I can wiggle into the bracket better.

...and then there's the blower motor. Just grunt work there.

Hope this helps a bit. Be sure to monitor the bar to see if the bolt is leaving marks in it when you move it left to right. You may have to loosen the bolt a bit more if it does.

 

[EastTractor]

Thanks, that sounds like a good work-a-round. You probably don't have to go that expensive for the extra set of top link arms since they will only be used for a dummy operation a long with the dummy shorter link arms.

And you're right it does seem to be a bad design decision, but the lawn sure does look great after a fresh cut and baggging. Doesn't it?

 

[WayneW]

Yes, the bagger does do a great job. Esp with leaves! (The 7510 & 7610 use the same bagger for the 60" MMM)

Remember that the top link arms are not "dummy" arms, even with the short 3pt arms installed. They actually lift the MMM. If anything, the lower (3pt) lift arms are the "dummy" arms. The hydrolic lift is generated near the top, under the seat, where those 2 very short (maybe 6-8 inches long) arms are. They lift on the upper arms which lift the 3pt lower lift arms. The little "L" shaped things that are forced to rotate on that lower bar (that is the one that I've loosened the middle bolt on) by the 3pt lift arms. Those "L" shaped things are what's hooked up to the lift mechanism for the MMM. No 3 pt arms (short or normal) Or no "L" shaped doo-dads ---> No MMM lift.

I've always wondered that if I replaced the rigid chute with a flex hose (something like flex drainage pipe type stuff) the bagger might be able to be mounted to the standard 3pt lift, with a custom bracket being made that'd allow the bagger to be off the ground at the lift links lowest point. That way, the bagger can raise and lower with the arms (that will raise & lower with the MMM) and still provide the flexible connection to the blower motor. And mounting that heavy bagger would be easier also, having the 3 pt lift it instead of me lifting it into that bracket. (the stock bracket would not be needed any longer.) Has anyone else thought of something like this, and made it work?

 

[EastTractor]

Wayne,

Have you tried to unscrew the chain tensioner and remove the lower arms and chains without removing the chain collars on the rod? Then all you'd have to do (if this works) is fasten, somehow, the remaining tensioner parts so that they don't dangle and replace the lower arms with the bagger arms, without fussing with the rod.

I will try this. If it works, I think it might be a simpler (faster method) of changing the 3 pt hitch arms to accommodate the bagging system.

Let me know if I have explained this clearly.

Dom