BX MMM

[Tom_H]

Don't worry about the brakes, when you release the HST the tractor stops even on a steep hill; never use mine except for park. I also have a John Deere 2305 on another property and it has the brake on the left; never use it either. I use the Kubota and John Deere both on very steep terrain.

From reading posts on here, I think a significant number of BX23,24,25 owners load their tires.

My BX is 10 years old. It is now at the point that it will roll on a steep hill if I don't put the brake on.

If you load the tires and have FEL and backhoe on while mowing with MMM, that can be enough pressure to affect a moist lawn in a sharp turn, especially if you forgot and left the tractor in 4wd. Some feel you don't need extra ballast if you already have implements and ag tires. Others do. It depends on the application you're going to do. I personally use ag tires all the time now. The turfs would spin if I was plowing or ripping, yet the ags do no harm at all to the lawn. My extra set of turfs have been sitting under the house in the crawl space for 8 years now. I recommend just going with ag tires.

 

[DGS]

Looks like I am going for the BX25. The only thing that I need to figure out is the reason that they do not recommend filling the tires? I live in very steep terrain and was reading about wheel spacers. Not sure I want to do that with the extra weight of the hoe on the bearings, and seals being amplified. The only drawback to the BX is the brake on the same side as the accelerators. Looks like it would be hard to stop and go on the steep hills out here, two footing on one side of the tractor looks dangerous. Wish it was set up like the Massey!!! Thanks all again!!

The reason for not filling the rear tires is you already have weight on your rear with the backhoe so adding more would be too much weight out back. If on the other hand if one doesn't have a backhoe on then loading would be ok. If you had the woods the same would apply.
Regards
DGS

 

[Grandad4]

The reason for not filling the rear tires is you already have weight on your rear with the backhoe so adding more would be too much weight out back. If on the other hand if one doesn't have a backhoe on then loading would be ok. If you had the woods the same would apply.
Regards
DGS

Just a guess on my part, but the combination of a backhoe and filled tires may add too much weight for the ROPS to do its job properly in a rollover.
That's what they told me on my larger Kubota when we added the factory backhoe. I'm guessing the lawyers prevailed over the marketing guys when they had a meeting about it at Kubota hq

 

[Tom_H]

While the loaded tires might or might not move the center of gravity further to the rear of a TLB, the extra weight does nothing at all to cause the tractor to be more likely to tip over backwards. In such a case, the rear tires themselves are the fulcrum upon which the complete rig pivots. More weight in front of that fulcrum makes it less likely that the tractor would tip backwards. More weight behind the fulcrum makes it more likely that the tractor will tip backwards. More weight in the fulcrum itself has a neutral effect. Any vectored forces have a summative value of zero in the physics equation.

Now if you are on a muddy hillside, the vectors are different. The heavier total mass could have any number of effects depending upon coefficient of friction, soil structure, etc. On flat ground, with all other things being the same, however, loaded rears do absolutely nothing to make a tractor more likely to tip backwards from a math/physics perspective.

 

[Wacky]

I will be mowing without the BH, or FEL on for now, don't want to grab the deck or house with that thing sticking out the back or front plus I think it would be much easier to get around the yard. So I guess I will fill them.
:thumbsup:
Just called to check on a few prices and the salesman said that the price I was quoted for the BX 25 may not be good till the end of May. I was hoping to wait to put some more money down! Now he said there may be a price increase by then. I would not think that Kubota would do that in the middle of the promotion, but who knows. I guess we will be going in to order one soon!!!

 

[dougtrr2]

I would add it will stop if you are on the low side and in 4-wheel. Heavily loaded like with a FEL of firewood and a cart full of firewood I am told it can almost get away from you on a downhill. DAMHIKT. Since "hearing" about that I always stop at the top of a hill and double check my settings.

Take Care
Doug in SW IA

 

[SPYDERLK]

I dont believe there are any with aluminum gears. They would be too soft and weak. The 54" mmm I have does use an aluminum bracket to hold the gearbox tho. I broke 2 of them [expensive and weak] before I made a steel bracket to replace it.
larry

 

[SPYDERLK]

While the loaded tires might or might not move the center of gravity further to the rear of a TLB, the extra weight does nothing at all to cause the tractor to be more likely to tip over backwards. In such a case, the rear tires themselves are the fulcrum upon which the complete rig pivots. More weight in front of that fulcrum makes it less likely that the tractor would tip backwards. More weight behind the fulcrum makes it more likely that the tractor will tip backwards. More weight in the fulcrum itself has a neutral effect. Any vectored forces have a summative value of zero in the physics equation.

Now if you are on a muddy hillside, the vectors are different. The heavier total mass could have any number of effects depending upon coefficient of friction, soil structure, etc. On flat ground, with all other things being the same, however, loaded rears do absolutely nothing to make a tractor more likely to tip backwards from a math/physics perspective.

Any mass added to the rears increases backtip tendency during acceleration. This is because the mass is above the tire contact patch where the accelerative force is delivered. Same idea on a slope, where a component of G provides the acceleration force even if the tractor is not gaining speed. If it is gaining speed its a double whammy.
larry

 

[bp fick]

This is fun! This thread is beginning to sound a lot like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory!!
I love physics.

 

[Wacky]

Any mass added to the rears increases backtip tendency during acceleration. This is because the mass is above the tire contact patch where the accelerative force is delivered. Same idea on a slope, where a component of G provides the acceleration force even if the tractor is not gaining speed. If it is gaining speed its a double whammy.
larry

Sooo... basically the liquid in the tires are forced opposite the direction in which the tractor is moving up a hill moving the balance point back increasing the tendency to roll?? If so, what would this do while "side sloping" the hill?? Are the loaded tires so close to the ground for the risk of rollover to be diminished?
I'm not so sure there is a really benefit of loading tires on such a narrow, low setting machine. Maybe if the BH is off and your FEL is loaded. But just for basic mowing, not sold. Wonder if the bolt on weights would be more beneficial?