moving mower deck with FEL?

[MattEffinCameron]

stupid question here but is there a good way to move a 60" mower deck around with the FEL (for me specifically this would ba an LA364 on B series?

I am thinking it would be easier to move around from point A to point B (aside from mounting it to the belly) if I could use the loader, and maybe if I was to work on the deck, hanging it from hooks on the loader vertically might make the underside more conveniently accessible....but then I am picturing, especially if carrying ti vertically, that the loader would have to be high in the air for there to be enough space for the deck to hang and this might not be good for moving from point A to point B?

 

[IslandTractor]

When I first got my tractor I had to move the tractor with fel, the backhoe and the bush hog at the same time via a ferry trip. No possibility of two trips. The backhoe was mounted, and the bush hog was loaded into the bucket and held in place by a number of straps. Worked fine. Drove about four miles along dirt roads with lots of bouncing and nothing moved.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

that hadnt even occured to me...I was thinking of lifting it with a strap...that seems to make more sense though

 

[IslandTractor]

that hadnt even occured to me...I was thinking of lifting it with a strap...that seems to make more sense though

Lifting with a strap leaves the mower flopping about and it could easily crash into your grill. It is easy to secure the mower inside the bucket so long as you have some bucket hooks. If you don't have bucket hooks (why not???) then perhaps a couple of long chains to loop around the mower and bucket with some ratchet straps to provide tension on the chain should work to secure it.

I just noticed the details in your post. An LA364 doesn't have a whole lot of lift and the mower, in the bucket, sticks out so lift capacity will be even lower with all that weight forward of the pivot points. On the other hand, loaders are spec'd to lift to full height and you really only need to raise the load a couple of feet. Might be close to the loader limit.

The Kioti CK20 loader is probably capable of lifting a couple hundred pounds more than the LA364. Do you know the weight of the mower?

 

[The Suburban Farmer]

If you have pallet forks, that's the way I move my 62D 7-Iron deck around when it's not mounted. Pick it up, tilt it back a bit and go... holds it plenty steady when bouncing from place to place and if I have the guild wheels down on the deck, the forks slide right under it without having to tug at it or even get off my seat.

 

[davesl708]

I move my 60" with the FEL. I lower the bucket to just above the deck then attach two chains to the front and one in the back. This keeps the load low and prevents the MMM from swinging very much over rough terrain.

 

[IslandTractor]

Another thought, if the mower fits inside the bucket with the tailwheel sticking out in front of the tractor, you could just use the tailwheel to carry part of the load. Just raise the bucket a foot or so with the bucket slightly "dumped" so some of the weight is on the tailwheel.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

Another thought, if the mower fits inside the bucket with the tailwheel sticking out in front of the tractor, you could just use the tailwheel to carry part of the load. Just raise the bucket a foot or so with the bucket slightly "dumped" so some of the weight is on the tailwheel.

guess i forgot to mention, this is a MMM...

Davesl708, any pictures of this?

 

[IslandTractor]

guess i forgot to mention, this is a MMM... Davesl708, any pictures of this?

Then it should be light enough to lift even sticking out. If too wide to fit in the bucket, consider picking up a set of light duty clamp on forks. You'll find other uses for forks down the road.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

yea, I dont know that I will wind up going this direction but I am currently waiting on some pricing from a few places on a kubota B1658 quick attach and a set of forks that work with that system...if that proves to be unattainable I will check out the clamp-ons. I did just order a piranha toothbar though so that would make using clamp-ons a little more difficult.