48” MMM on BX23 or BX26?

[corym]

Does anyone run a 48” mid mount mower on a BX23 or BX26? I know it’s not an option but I wonder if it’s possible because I have a small vineyard with narrow rows and the 54” is too wide. I have a BX2680 which I currently use for some vineyard work. I currently mow the vineyard most of the time with a cub cadet XT1 46” but I would love to consolidate down to one tractor if possible. I have a 48” flail mower for the BX2680 for chopping canes but to mow with it is so much slower than with a mid mount mower. Would love to get a 48” mmm for the BX2680 with a mulch kit if possible, even if some minor modifications to the deck are required.

 

[xrocketengineer]

I can not give you a definite answer but I have BX1880 with the 48" MMM. It came with R1 tires that destroyed my lawn. The BX1880 comes with the smaller tires and front wheels than the BX2380 or BX2680 and no R4 option. So, I started researching if the bigger tires would fit with no issue with the 48" MMM. What I found out first of all that the BX80 generation tractors all have the same wheelbase. In previous generations, the 18 hp model was shorter and larger wheels fouled some MMM models and the FEL frame. The second thing is my tractor has a computerized sticker on the transmission that reads "BX2380" and additional checking with Messick's parts confirm that the transmission was the same as the BX2380. The third was to verify, again with part numbers, that the front differential was the same and it was. Finally, the 54" MMM for the BX1880 is the same part number as the one for the BX2380 and BX2680. So, I concluded that the tractors were all mechanically the same except for the horsepower and the additional goodies of the more expensive models. So I bought all terrain wheels/tires with the BX2380/BX2680 size and the fit was perfect with no issues whatsoever. I had expected to need a spacer for the left rear anti scalp roller since it would have been the tightest spot but I did not even had an issue with that since the tires had a nice rounded shoulder. R1's or R4's might be closer to the roller.
I hope this helps.

Bx1880 Upgraded Tires

Hi everybody from rainy and swampy Florida. I have a BX1880 that I bought new last year with a 48 in. belly mower and FEL/grapple. It came with R1 tires that worked sort of OK during our "dry season" for mowing and also for other chores like hauling out cut down trees and limbs. But the rains...

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[corym]

That’s helpful, thank you. I figured if there was a problem it would be with the anti-scalp rollers hitting the wheels. I could have sworn somewhere on the internet I saw a post by someone with a BX23 or BX26 with a 48” mmm where they cut off the anti-scalp wheel and welded it farther up on the deck. I do have R1 tires and I do mow my front and back lawns with the cub cadet so I hadn’t considered the tearing up of the lawn. Maybe I’m doomed to having a lawn tractor/mower and the BX2680. My wife will be so happy...

 

[imnukensc]

You can get 48" rear finish mowers. Just a thought.

 

[corym]

Agreed, I had this grand idea in my head of running a Clemens SL Radius under vine mower off the back of the BX while running the 48” mmm at the same time. This would allow me to mow each of my vineyard rows under vine and within the row in one pass saving a lot of time. Also adding any extra length to the BX2680 with an implement on the back definitely adds to turning complexity at the end of rows and mowing takes longer.

 

[xrocketengineer]

Something to keep in mind. The R1 tires on the front with the larger size (18x8.5-10) might not be as bad to the lawn as the original R1's (16x7.5-8) on my BX1880. My front tires were so small and narrow that they would start to sink and the rears would start to dig. They did not seem to roll very well. The tread seemed like gear teeth trying to "mesh" with so much pressure that would cause the lawn damage.
Your experience with your vineyard might give you some insight into how your R1's would perform on your lawn.