Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM's?

[BluRidgDav]

Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

I'm looking to buy a Compact tractor.
While I dream about the mountains that I will move with the loader,
and the forests that I will clear with the bush-hog. In reality,
what I do most, is mow the grass, about 5 acres every week.
I have a lawn that's somewhere between "pasture" and Pebble Beach.
But, I'd like the best cut that's available as I work to improve it.
Kubota offers a B7510 Turf Special with a 60" Suspended deck,
or I could get a regular B7510 with a 60" Ground Contact mower.
Deere has the 2520 with a 62D OnRamp Ground Contact mower,
and the new JD2320 looks to offer a Suspended 62D mower?

Disregard any Orange VS Green issues, or +/- 2 hp . . . .
which is the better type of mower, Suspended or Ground Contact,
given a similiar or identical tractor platform?

Thanx, Dave.

 

[Fredex]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

Not sure which is best. I have a 48" deck on a lawn tractor whose manual gives setup instructions for ground contact guage wheels. I did that for a while, then readjusted for floating. Couldn't tell the difference. Opinion: If you cut rather short (close to the ground) I would go with ground contact. Might give a bit more protection from scalping in those contitions.

If you go with ground contact guage wheels, be sure that the front set, at least, have castor swivels, else the wheels wear out in a hurry.

 

[CampMan]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

This might help... Go to Kubota--Owning/Operating
Posted by me (campman) on 03-16-06 (28 replies)
Good luck

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Deere has the 2520 with a 62D OnRamp Ground Contact mower.)</font>

I don't think that's the case. How would the cut length be adjustable from the seat then?

Cliff

 

[Bowhunter]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

I moved from an '86 B9200 with ground contact MMM to an '02 BX2200 with a suspended deck. I am much happier with the suspended deck, although it may be as much because it is a newer, better designed tractor as anything.

 

[jdgreg]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

I've had a Simplicity Legacy with a 60" deck for several years, it has the full rollers in the rear, and is a full contact deck. So my comments are based on my experiences with this deck (and the Duetz Allis I had previously). My observations below on the suspended decks are not from real experience, but are from personal observations and from what I've been told by dealers.

If the full contact deck has the full rollers on the rear of the deck, then it will probably give you more of a "combed" look than a suspended deck. (Combed look is what a baseball field looks like when professionally cut).

If you go with a full contact deck, make sure it has anti-scalping rollers behind the center blade. A full set of rollers on the back is nice too.

A suspended deck may not cut close as close to the ground as with a full-contact deck. As you roll over bumps, etc, it may scalp or leave spots with tall grass.

A suspended deck will keep the dead weight of the mower deck on the tractor, so it should aid in traction. Whereas a full-contact deck is basically pulled along.

I feel a suspended deck takes less abuse than a full-contact deck, for obvious reasons.

 

[Henro]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

Hi,

At first I pulled a RFM behind my B2910 Kubota...

Then I bought a subcut Kubota with a suspended deck for mowing.

I bought into the theory that a suspended deck produces a superior cut before buying the smaller tractor, and also thought it would be nice to have a second tractor... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Two years have now passed, and while being far from scientific, my gut is starting to tell me that quality of cut depends both on the mower type AND the surface that is being mowed.

I am now starting to belive that the suspended deck may be superior for a nice, smooth surface, while the ground contact may be better when the surface is like mine, with swells and dips like the ocean surface on a calm day... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

It just seems to me at this point in time that both are equally good, and it is the land surface that dictates which will perform better in a given situation.

I could be wrong...I really don't know...

 

[beenthere]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

Suspended.

 

[valleydweller1]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

My gut tells me that Henro's assessment is correct. If you have a lawn that is flat and level, the suspended would probably be the best. If your lawn is less than ideal, the ground contact would be the best.

 

[orangebluegreen]

Re: Suspended VS Ground Contact MMM\'s?

I’ve pondered this as well and decided for me suspended is a must, areas of loose sand would not be ideal for ground contact IMO. I pondered the idea of how to turn a ground contact deck into suspended if one did not want the weight riding on the three-point and possible bleed down of the system changing cutting height. Also most used machines have the ground contact decks.


Having thoroughly compared the parts breakdowns of the RCK60B-75B (suspended) and RCK60-24B (ground contact) decks for the B Series in my opinion one could turn their ground contact deck into suspended rather easily. The self “balancer” appears to have a bracket on each side that contains the spring that would have to be fabricated, but looks quite simple to anyone with welding skills. I don’t know how necessary this feature is, but suppose one could actually do without that if they were open to a little more uneven cut. Obviously the guide wheels are different but that should be no problem. The main thing that makes it a suspended deck is the “lift arm” setup that holds the three point up with pins for height adjustment rather than using the ground contact wheels.


Lift Arm
010 K5721-61200 PLATE GUIDE 1
020 K5721-61250 PLATE LEVER 1
030 01073-51220 BOLT 1
040 04512-60120 WASHER SPRING 1
050 04013-60120 WASHER PLAIN 1
060 75599-51530 PIN CLEVIS 1
070 75599-56006 HAIRPIN COTTER 1
080 75599-56006 HAIRPIN COTTER 1
090 K5721-65270 COVER LIFT ROD LH 1



Balancing
130 K5721-51110 BALANCER 1
140 K1122-15150 NIPPLE GREASE 1
150 K5371-51140 BUSHING FB 2
160 K5371-51120 PIN CENTER MOWER 1
170 75599-04325 HEX.BOLT 1 (3/8-24UNF*1)
180 75599-31023 NUT 1 (3/8-24UNF)
190 75599-33013 WASHER SPRING 1 (3/8)
200 K5371-51150 BOLT 2
210 K5371-51160 SPRING 2
220 75599-32113 WASHER PLAIN 6 (3/8W)
230 75599-52220 PIN SPRING


This is all in my opinion, no doubt your dealer will say this is not possible.