New B3030

[eyedoc]

I just took delivery of my new B3030 today and I have a question about the 72" MMM. The technician who delivered the tractor walked me through all the major functions, including how to attach and detach the FEL and MMM. He admitted that he had never worked with the 72" mowing deck personally, so it was a learning experience for both of us. The dealer had told me all along that the deck was not a drive over deck and is removed by sliding it out the right side. I was OK with this, but as the delivery guy was trying to figure it out, I browsed through the manual which indicated that the 72" deck is a drive over deck. According to the owner's manual, the 60" deck slides out the side, but the 72" deck is a drive over model. It even had pictures to prove it. The model # on the instructions matched the model # on the deck. The delivery guy then called the salesman/owner of the dealership and he insisted that the 72" deck was not a drive over deck. I talked to him my self and he insisted that the manual was incorrect.

The part that I don't get is that the front linkage is not a quick release design like the one on the smaller decks I had seen. Removing the linkage arm would require removal of a couple of easily lost pins and washers. They described and showed me how to use the loader to lift the front of the tractor so I could slide the mower out despite the presence of the front linkage arms. With the front tires off the ground, the link arms clear the front tires easily. Now how can that be the proper technique for someone who just owns the mower and not a FEL?? What gives?

Who is right? The dealer or the Kubota owner's manual??????

By the way, I sprayed the underside of the deck with WD40 for easy cleaning, and mowed a 1 acre lot this evening in 1/3 the time it takes with my old 17 hp Yard Man. It was unbelievable. My only complaint is that the clippings were not spread out at all. They were left in terrible windrows. Any objections to removing the discharge chute? I will primarily be mowing a vacant lot behind my office in town, and out on the farm away from buildings or people.

 

[Ductape]

Well, i do not have the belly mower for my 3030, but i have read here many times it IS a drive-over mower.

 

[ronjhall]

Congrat's on your new tractor.
Easiest way to remove the 72" MMM is use the FEL to raise front tires off ground. Then slide the deck out either side of tractor.
When cutting grass with the mower always run at PTO speed. 2500 RPM. I have found the best speed is in M range and full HST pedal. If grass is over height then expect clumping.

 

[stimpee]

When cutting heavy stuff, and if I don't have the kids running around, etc, I just flip up the discharge chute on my 72" MMM on my B3030 and the windrow probably is all but eliminated on anything but the heaviest, damp grass.

And, that way, you can put it back down when you need to.

No need to remove the chute....

It is a driveover deck, but I have yet to remove mine, so can't speak to how difficult the process is.

 

[Lindy]

When I originally bought my B3030 I got the 60" MMM. But that was a mistake, and I quickly traded it back in to my dealer after a couple of mowings for the 72" MMM (RC72-30B). Among other things, it was hard getting close to my fence lines with the 60" deck. The 72" deck sticks out a little further, and that makes it a lot easier. Plus, with the price of diesel these days, the quicker I can finish mowing, the better. I took a bit of a bath on the deal, but if I was going to make the trade, the sooner the better. I wound up paying the difference between the two decks, plus the labor for removal of the old linkage, installation of the new linkage, plus a little bit of depreciation.

I agree with you, it certainly doesn't look like a drive-over deck. My dealer didn't think it was when I asked him about it either. Even when I told him the manual says it's a drive-over deck, he still told me to pop the front end up with the loader to attach/remove the deck. I got the impression he thought the manual is wrong. Now I don't think that's the case, because I've heard of several other people who drive over the deck and it works just fine. Myself, I'll pop up the front end with the loader. It's easy to do, and I'd just as soon not put the additional stress on the thing (it was EXPENSIVE!).

The 60" deck seemed a little better "integrated" into the tractor. For example, pinning it up was easier than on my new 72" deck. For the 72", there are a couple of loose clevis pins you have to round up whenever you want to pin up the deck. For the 60" deck, you just flip around an already-attached dual pin. No risk of misplacing that dual pin because it's always attached to the deck. I will say that the 72" deck height is easier to change than the 60" deck height. On the 72", all you have to do is change the wheel heights. On the 60" deck, in addition to changing the height settings on THREE of the wheels, there is a roller on the discharge side that is attached with bolts, and you have to get out the socket set to change between some of the height settings.

They both mow very well. FWIW, the 60" deck leaves more roller marks in the lawn (from the two rollers that the 72" doesn't have). The 72" only leaves two parallel lines of wheel marks -- useful guides for the next pass. In either case, they fade away after a day or two so it doesn't really matter.

 

[swmpbgy1]

By the way, I sprayed the underside of the deck with WD40 for easy cleaning, and mowed a 1 acre lot this evening in 1/3 the time it takes with my old 17 hp Yard Man. It was unbelievable. My only complaint is that the clippings were not spread out at all. They were left in terrible windrows. Any objections to removing the discharge chute? I will primarily be mowing a vacant lot behind my office in town, and out on the farm away from buildings or people.

EyeDoc:

I can't speak from experience on the 72" deck, but from my understanding when I bought my 3030, and trying to decide between the 2 decks, the 72 was a drive over......I use a bungee cord to hold the chute up to avoid the windrows......works great!

Swmpbgy1