Mowing BX24 in the tall grass

zoltanthegypsy · Jun 21, 2010

Hi all,

I'm a first-timer here. I hope I didn't just miss this issue in the search tool.

I have a 2-year old BX24 that I enjoy a lot. It has been trouble-free for all of its 77 hours. It doesn't get used a lot. Some irrigation trench digging, general pushing stuff around, but mostly just mowing a field of tall grass a few times a year with a little brush hog.

Last time out it died about 3 hours in. The fuel pump wiring was wrapped around the drive shaft and the front (main) drive shaft boot was torn in half. The mechanic's theory was a deadly missile of some kind, and maybe it was - but see below. I didn't find anything in the tractor's path but grass.

Got it repaired and went back to finish that field. Finished OK, but found a major glob of grass wrapped around the front wheel drive shaft and the plastic boot ripped off. Further inspection showed some grass fibers wrapped very tightly around the pinion spline.

My first thought was "crap, this looks too much like when fish line gets into the prop-shaft seal". Sure enough, it's bleeding super UDF. There's also a defect in the metal of the pinion shaft where it meets the seal that couldn't possible have come from outside, so maybe the seal was on its way out and the grass finished it off. The mechanic may warranty this one.

Bottom line: how can I use this thing in 3-foot high grass? I've got a Bro-tek crunch plate kit on the way to protect the main drive line and fans, but I don't see any way to protect the front wheel drive shaft - and I have to mow in 4wd in this application.

I'm a little shocked at - and poorer because of - the lack of protection on the bottom of this little machine. It's been great, but if I can't mow my field, I'll have to come up with something else.

Anyone throw me a clue?

Thanks,
Z.

TripleR · Jun 21, 2010

Did you order the front set too?

dodge man · Jun 21, 2010

If I read your post correctly, it sounds like grass is getting wound around things and cutting seals. Other than trying to make your own skid plate to protect other parts, I'm not sure what to tell you to do. Can you cut the grass more often?

You often see a lot of posts where people ask should they buy a BX or a B. One issue that is often brought up is ground clearance. The BX has limited ground clearance compared to a B tractor, and there is really no way to fix that problem.

JOHNTHOMAS · Jun 22, 2010

dodge man said:
If I read your post correctly, it sounds like grass is getting wound around things and cutting seals. Other than trying to make your own skid plate to protect other parts, I'm not sure what to tell you to do. Can you cut the grass more often?

You often see a lot of posts where people ask should they buy a BX or a B. One issue that is often brought up is ground clearance. The BX has limited ground clearance compared to a B tractor, and there is really no way to fix that problem.

Well, there is a way. I had clearance issues due to gullies and rocks. I traded the BX2200 to a B7800 several years ago. That fixed the clearance issue. Course that just started something that didn't stop for 6 years but has now.

oldnslo · Jun 22, 2010

Can the OP make a cover for the drive shaft. I am picturing either a cover wagon look or a flat plate enclosing the bottom of the frame. Should be cheaper than trading to a "B" series unless you have the "JT" disease

Roy

radioman · Jun 22, 2010

I hope you have the front loader on and lowered to 6 " from ground to "mush" down the tall grass as you drive along. Also what you need to do is make a add on additional brush lower guard in the front. Since your BX already comes with brush gaurd for front hood, add on a gaurd for front on lower half to help push the grass down and away from esstenial parts on the BX belly. This should help.

TripleR · Jun 22, 2010

radioman said:
I hope you have the front loader on and lowered to 6 " from ground to "mush" down the tall grass as you drive along. Also what you need to do is make a add on additional brush lower guard in the front. Since your BX already comes with brush gaurd for front hood, add on a gaurd for front on lower half to help push the grass down and away from esstenial parts on the BX belly. This should help.

I got the tie rod protector from Bro Tek and it does a pretty good job of keeping grass etc out; also use the FEL.

rlsmith · Jun 22, 2010

Just like Radioman said I use the bucket as a guard sitting 3 to 6 inches off ground when using my rotary cutter. This has saved me lots of problems with items getting up underneath my BX23 like rocks, large pcs of tree limbs and woodchuck mounds just to name a few on my BX23 that has over 1200 hours, and also I do not have any added shielding on mine and this way has served me well so far.

zoltanthegypsy · Jun 22, 2010

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I have been using the loader (unintentionally) to flatten the grass a little, but I'll start running it closer to the ground.

I do have both Bro-tek plates on order. The front one may help but it doesn't really protect the front pinion shaft and u-joint. The plastic boot is supposed to do that - I think. What I suspect happened is that grass somehow poked into the slot on the bottom of that boot and wrapped the u-joint, and that's what probably spun the boot.

I'll try to jigger up some kind of plate attached to the pinion casing that protects that area. maybe some stout aluminum curved and held on by a couple of giant hose clamps.

I guess it's expecting too much that the Kubota designers would have addressed this already. I can understand crap getting wound around things from time to time, but having the tractor commit suicide when this happens seems a little much. </whine>.

Thanks again for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming! (Now I've got to figure out why I'm not getting email notices for the replies here).

Z.

TripleR · Jun 22, 2010

zoltanthegypsy said:
Thanks for all the good suggestions. I have been using the loader (unintentionally) to flatten the grass a little, but I'll start running it closer to the ground.

I do have both Bro-tek plates on order. The front one may help but it doesn't really protect the front pinion shaft and u-joint. The plastic boot is supposed to do that - I think. What I suspect happened is that grass somehow poked into the slot on the bottom of that boot and wrapped the u-joint, and that's what probably spun the boot.

I'll try to jigger up some kind of plate attached to the pinion casing that protects that area. maybe some stout aluminum curved and held on by a couple of giant hose clamps.

I guess it's expecting too much that the Kubota designers would have addressed this already. I can understand crap getting wound around things from time to time, but having the tractor commit suicide when this happens seems a little much. </whine>.

Thanks again for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming! (Now I've got to figure out why I'm not getting email notices for the replies here).

Z.