Advice on the 2024 LX4020 w/MMM needed

[SDT]

Hello everyone,
I know this message is going to be somewhat long but I wanted to explain as much as possible in order to get the information out and attempt to explain the reasoning behind my decisions as well as my questions.
My wife and I would appreciate any and all advice, information, suggestions, questions and criticisms from any of you that may be willing to assist.
I’m new to the Kubota tractor lineup, not tractors as a whole but the 2024 Kubota LX series lineup has very little accessible literature as far as the LX4020 and its acceptable attachments.
I recently traded in my 2021 John Deere 1025R with 136 hours on it. Excellent condition.
As most everyone who’s used the 1025R knows, it has very limited ground clearance, especially with the MMM in place, we wanted something a bit more versatile and with more clearance.
I have basically ordered the 2024 LX4020HSDC with the 545 loader w/quick attach, MSL and medium duty front bucket, BH77 w/mech thumb, 60” MMM, 42” pallet forks, land pride 3pt quick hitch, R14 radial tires w/loaded rears and other options and “creature comforts” our budget would allow. Once we complete this process we want it to be our last. LOL, at least for the foreseeable future anyway.
I am to receive it sometime this week but I am still unsure about the MMM.
I would like to know if the 60” deck comes in different models and/or configurations and if so what model numbers I should be looking for. Based on everyone’s experiences, which MMM models (if more than one) should we avoid, which are the good ones and why. What should we be looking for and, should I consider the 72” drive over deck?
Despite ordering, I still have time to switch out the deck.
We currently mow approximately 4.5 to 5 acres out of our 9 acre field, our house sits basically in the center.
We’re very rural, cannot see the house from the main road, the driveway is gravel and approximately 750 to 800 feet. First 250’ to 300’ is uphill.
The property used to be a corn field and is by no means level, we’ve done quite a bit of work but still have a ways to go yet. A 60” deck mows surprisingly well without gouging, even at the outer edges.
If we don’t keep it mowed as far out away from the house as we do we end up with a surprising amount of critters trying to take up residence. Mostly mice.
We live on 50 acres and burn firewood for heat and cut and split it ourselves. No purchasing it here.

Limiting my response to questions that you have asked rather than questions that you have not asked, only two MMMs are offered for the LX series, a 60" and a 72". Both are excellent, terrain following decks with very good grass clearance.

Of course, the 72" deck is more likely to scalp in uneven ground than is the 60" deck, and it will be more likely to high center when raised, apparently an issue with your 1025R.

I've owned and used a similar Kubota 60" deck with my B1750 and a nearly identical 72" deck with my B3350, since sold. Having owned many tractor/mower combinations, I consider either deck absolutely top shelf.

Be advised that, though sold as a drive-over deck, you will find doing so with the the 72" (either) deck less than satisfactory. I found that, once experienced, I could R & R either deck more quickly and with less frustration from the left side on a concrete floor than attempting to drive over. Takes me between 15 and 20 minutes, depending upon how much of a hurry I'm in.

 

[SDT]

Thanks for the reply and all of the great information and advice.
I apologize for the late response, I shouldn’t share too much about what’s going on here on a personal level, besides my wife would probably put me out in the north 40 if I did.
The issue is I don’t want anyone here to think they’re putting in their hard earned advice and it’s going unnoticed and/or unappreciated.
It may take me a couple of days or so but I definitely am checking in and I want everyone to know that everything everyone shares here is definitely appreciated.
We just found out last week that my wife has cancer in her “upper chest” area and abdominal.
The “upper chest, both sides” was first, two days later is when we got the news for her abdomen.
I say “upper chest” and abdomen because like I said, I don’t want to get too specific or share too much to people we don’t know. But, I wanted to share just enough so that everyone understands the delays in my responses. She is already scheduled for surgery for the third week of this month.
That being said, we have received the tractor, the 545 loader, 60” MMM, and the backhoe.
Based on what everyone here has said, I tried to convince the dealer that the 72” deck might work out with little to no issues. His response was that he knows for a fact that I would just end up being unhappy with it and would want to swap it out for the 60” at a later date but he wouldn’t be able to offer me much for it in used condition.
He said for us to get the 60” and try it out, he positive we’re going to be much happier with it.
Not really sure what the incentive is here for him to push the 60 over the 72.
I did have the rears loaded with rim guard, as for the tires I opted for the R14s.
We have about 9 acres, of which we mow around 4 1/2 to 5.
We have 50 acres here and we burn firewood in a Hearthstone wood stove for our primary heat with a propane monitor for backup or if we go out of town for any length of time.
We harvest the wood ourselves, fell the trees, haul them out, cut and split. We take around 5 to 6 cords a year. We have a 3 pt hitch Tajfun logging winch for the tractor.
We have an approximately 750 to 800 foot driveway that we maintain.
In all we have a significant amount of uses that the 1025R was not up for the task, it’s a great little tractor but just too small, light and has very low ground clearance.
It has the loader, backhoe, MMM, and plow blade as well as far too many extras to write out.
The need for a larger tractor is definitely here, but in the end I’m pretty sure I purchased the wrong mower deck. In fact, I feel pretty uneasy about it. All in all though everything else seems okay. Not sure I got the best deal but the dealership has a good reputation and is within 30 minutes of home.

Very sorry to hear of your wife's illness and wish both of you my very best.

That said, there is no possible way that your dealer could know "for a fact" that you would be unhappy with the 72" mower. Such assertion is absolutely absurd. More than likely he has the 60" mower on hand or knows that he can get it more quickly, and perhaps at a discounted price, from another dealer.

I've used nearly identical 60" and 72" Kubota MMMs and with nearly identical tractor, sans cab and HP, with the 72" version and would recommend a 60" mower for any LX ONLY if clearance or terrain dictated doing so.

 

[SDT]

Thank you for the support for my wife’s current situation, we appreciate it!
We hadn’t done much research on her situation in the past, just on the type of cancer her sister has with her thyroid. That has changed drastically since her diagnosis,
I agree, I had historically done everything with the loader still attached, to include mowing.
It wasn’t until the last mowing I had done with the 1025R a couple of months ago that I had to remove the front loader so I could have full access to the engine compartment. (it was the first and only time I had taken it off since purchasing)
Once again, it was time to mow, I came out, looked at the loader and decided to leave it off and just mow.
I to have it on because we have a wood line that surrounds the field on 3 sides, when the winds kick up it’s pretty frequent that we get branches and debris sometimes 30 or more feet into the grass. And, for some strange reason, rocks tend to migrate, or grow around here. I’m sure they do where you are as well.
When I come this stuff it I just stop and throw it in the bucket, it’s pretty handy in that sense.
Anyway, I ended up mowing without the loader and for a second there, I thought the steering system had malfunctioned, the steering felt like the front end was in the air, almost no resistance.
Many different scenarios went through my mind in a hurry, the extra weight, the steering linkages, the hydraulics for the steering, etc. all had to work harder just because I had gotten complacent, not to mention, maybe a bit “lazier”. I knew then that I was going to remove it whenever I had to mow.

I never mow with FELs attached and for multiple reasons.

Simply cannot imagine trying to mow with enormously long consist, comprising tractor, FEL, and three-point mounted mower, unless mowing solid, dry, wide-open area.