Mowing BX2200 Mower Choice

[TomInPA]

I am about ready buy a BX2200 w/ FEL but still haven't decided on what mower to get. I have reviewed all of the posts regarding mower choices but I still have some questions. I think I have decided on a 3pt rotary mower for several reasons: versatility-being able to handle light brush as well as mow the lawn, price-usually cheaper than mid-mount mowers, easier to get on and off.

1. Do the rough cut rotary mowers do a decent job when cutting the lawn?
2. What size mower is the best fit for the BX2200?
3. If I mow with the FEL off, do I need front weights to offset the mower weight?
4. Any recommendations for a mower that will do a decent job on the lawn as well as handling light brush.

Thanks for your help.

 

[MReeter]

Tom,I don't think you will find a Rotary Cutter that will mow a "finished" lawn as well as a "finish" mower.You will find that a 4' rotary cutter for the BX is more expensive than say a 5' or 6' cutter.I would buy a 60" mid-mount and hire someone to knock down the bigger stuff for you,then try to maintain it from there with a finish mower.You can raise a finish mower up to cut tall grass,but they won't cut the sprouts.

 

[TresCrows]

Unfortunately it sounds like you need both. For one thing it just does not get much easier than the Kubota midmount on the BX to remove and install--pretty darn easy--very easy--did I say VERY EASY. A 4 foot rotary cutter will require more passes to cut the same area and will not provide a smooth cut like a finish mower such as the 60 inch. Oh well, you know your needs best, good luck. J

 

[RPM]

Couple of questions:

- What's your definition of light brush?
- How much of it do you have?

If you mean heavy field weeds then the mid-mount will slice through them with no problem. If you only have a small area you might consider just taking the brush out with the FEL or hiring out the cutting. After the first cut you could certainly keep the growth under control with the mid-mount - it's built like a tank.

If you have a large area of brush (acre+), the ground is rocky or badly rutted then it may be smart to get the rotary cutter.

Just from personal experience - I have a 'pasture' that used to be cut with a brush hog once a year. It was full of rocks. I spent a day with my BX and cart pulling rocks (softball size and smaller). I also hacked out a couple of rose-bush root systems. The rest was all 12-18" tall tough field weeds. I now keep it cut on a weekly basis and am pleased to report that the weeds are now growing low and dense so it looks rather nice - lots of clover too! Watch out for rutted ground though - the mid-mount doesn't deal with that as well as a rotary cutter from my understanding.

The guy on the next lot tried the same with his Sears GT but kept stalling it out when he hit the big weeds - these are really tough buggers that the BX goes through with no problem ... have also heard of one guy locally using his BX to cut rose bushes down (the wild kind) - don't know how well advised this is though.

 

[bpence]

I have a B7100 and use both the rotary cutter (bush hog) and a 60" mid-mount finish mower. The rotary cutter is a 4ft. Land Pride and does a great job cutting fields, trails, brushy areas, but is by no means a "lawn mower". If you keep the finish mower blades nice and sharp, whether it's a mid-mount or 3 pt. mount, you can keep your yard looking like a golf course fairway. A rotary cutter just won't give you that kind of cut.....essentially one big blade that is designed to chop stuff down and they do leave a kind of rough cut.

I bought the 4ft. Land Pride from a dealer that had sold it to a customer, then after a couple of months the customer came back and wanted a larger bush hog. Although the rotary cutter had a few dings and scuffs, it was essentially new and I bought it for $150 less than a brand new one. Might consider shopping for a moderately used bush hog and invest now in a decent finish mower.

Bob Pence

 

[woodstock]

I got a 60 mid mount and it is awesome

 

[Charliebrn]

Well, most guys would cringe at what I did with my 60" MM mower on my BX...this spring i used it to brush hog aobut 2 acres of 3-4' high weeds that grew over the last 10 years. Yes, I did take it slow...well, reasonably...and yes, I did have to resharpen the blades after I was done, and I can't tell you the cleaning job I had to do to my little workhorse! The BX did the job just fine! Now that the rough stuff is done, I keep it finish mowed and the clover is spreading, as is the wild strawberries. The only real precaution I took was to take my kids back there and do a systematic cleaning of the scrub, removing anything not meant to be cut. It's one tough mower, and I recommend it unless your going to be brush hogging on a regular basis...

 

[glennmac]

My inability to find a satisfactory brush cutter for my BX and its small, compromised 3ph were among the reasons I traded the BX in after 3 weeks of ownership.

The BX owner's manual specifies a cutter no more than 42" in width and no more than 300 lbs. There are a few cutters that small but none is under 300 lbs. Also, these small cutters are more expensive usually than 48 inchers because of the low demand for their small size. My dealer did sell the now-extinct lightweight Woods 48" cutters for the BX, but he had to drill special attachment holes in the A-frame to accomodate the undersized BX hitch. Dont know what he sells now.

As to ease of attachment, I think it would be easier to remove and install the BX's 60" belly mower than struggle with its 3ph. One such struggle convinced me to go with Freedom Hitches on my 2910.

No, a brush mower will not give you as nice a cut on your lawn. I dont think many people would be satisfied with it. In your quest to save money you would be sacrificing what will be your more important and frequent job, finish mowing, to get an implement to accomplish an infrequent job, brush cutting.

If you get the BX, get the 60" belly mower and approach the brush cutting with some of the suggestions made by others.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Why not just use Roundup on the wild roses?

 

[Dooze]

I bought a BX 1800 two years ago with the 54" MMM and a 40" King Kutter brushcutter. I mow a rough area with a creek running through it that overflows in the sping leaving rocks, brush etc. I ruined the mower deck on my Bolens garden tractor before purchasing the BX but I've been very pleased with the results now. I have been using the King Cutter as it was delivered but plan to drill a lower set of holes in the frame as has been suggested in other posts. Good luck with your choice!

 

[TresCrows]

The BX handles the KK 48 inch cutter easily. These are sold at Tractor Supply, Atwoods and several other places --cheap. The only mod needed is lowering the pins and turning them in. It might be needed in some cases to purchase an extended top link just for the hog. As far as weight and power is concerned the BX balances decent with the hog with the loader attached which is useful for knocking over trees. Power does not seem to be a problem. The KK 40 inch is an even better choice for the BX. There also some estate cutters--these are similar to a hog but have scalp rollers up front, dual rear wheels and usually have a higher speed gearbox. I have seen these from 38 inches up to 6 feet. The 4 foot would work well on the BX. The 3-point on the 2910 is only slightly larger than the 2410 and I struggle as much with implements on it as I did on the BX. Actually, I do not seem to have much problem with mounting implements, it is fairly easy, easier with the pins turned in. J

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have the BX2200 with 60" MMM. It cuts very well. However I do not think it is "easy" to get the MMM on and off. I would only want to do it once a year.

I have the loader. Overall I am happy with the outfit. Done again, I would have got the next larger frame size, but at that time it would have cost me about $2500 more.

 

[Charliebrn]

Are you sure you are talking about the BX??? I've never seen a MMM that comes off as easy as the BX! Maybe you aren't doing something right. I can get the deck off in less than 5 minutes, back on in about the same. I take it off every few cuttings to power wash the bottom of the deck and sharpen the blades.

Ive used numerous MTDs, Toros, a Simplicity, two Cub Cadets, a Lazer ZTR, and a Kubota L2910 and I've never seen a mower as easy to take off and install as the BX.....

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I don't understand the problem you are having with the MMM either.... My old Cub was a bear to remove.. You had to drive over the deck. The Simplicity was fairly simple but you still had to drag it out sideways once un-hooked. This Bota MMM is really easy. Rolls out from under like a big skate board. But do be careful hooking the drive shaft back up. Make sure it is locked on good. And, even if you decide not to remove the deck that often, be sure to spray some grease on the shaft coupling from time to time so you don't have a problem when you do decide to remove and re-attach.... Tom

 

[HootervilleMN]

1. Remember to spend the 5 minutes required to detach the gauge wheels and turn them 90 degrees so the mower deck will roll sideways BEFORE you lower the deck and disconnect any linkage (I made that mistake the first time I removed the deck - OUCH!).

2. You DO have to have long arms, a good grip, and tolerance for greasy hands and sleeves if you want to disconnect/connect the drive shaft. If you disagree with me, what's YOUR trick for detaching/attaching the drive shaft?

Al

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I will admit that the worst part of removing and re-installing the deck is the drive shaft. You need to do it first when removing with the deck all the way down and do it last when installing it also with the deck all the way down. Not a lot of arm room. I pull the snap ring back to the locked position and hold the coupler up to the spline and just kind of turn the shaft in my hand back and forth until the coupler slides on.

I find using a "simple good natured frame of mind" really helps. Without it, the job sucks.....

I definately use gloves and not because I have a problem with grease but because I always manage to leave some skin behind without them..... (Wife says a great weekend for me is if I make it to Sunday evening without stitches. A good weekend is when I only have a hole in me and a bandaid will fix it.)

It's helps to keep the snap ring loose with WD40. It gets easier to put back on every time I do it....

Just be careful to read the steps in the book the first few times. I wrote them on a cheat sheet so I wouldn't forget them. Kind of like "pre-flight" check list...... Tom