6o in mower decks
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85Hokie
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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
On lawns that are fairly "flat" the contact is a better solution in my thinking, the wheels all make contact as it cuts, following the contours of the lawn - tires that are not properly inflated will have zero effect on the cutting, nor will bent or badly adjusted support arms.
When it is suspended - the tractor must stay parallel to the ground at all times in order to have a perfect cut, bent arms, low tires will have effects all the way around. Floating decks do have antiscalp wheels too, and lord knows I have needed those in the past.
It really depends on the lawns you cut and what are expectations are when cutting. Some people wish for the perfect GI cut where as others just want the stuff they call grass to be cut!
I have 3 acres with lots trees and it's beautiful but no golf course. I have mowed it since 1985 with a, at first, L2250 gear unit followed soon be a B8200 HST. Both contact decks, both deck replaced once in the 30+ years owned. The decks take a pounding, so I want that which will take abuse the best long term.
My take:
Suspended shines on a zero turn setup to where you set the height you want the grass cut at and the deck uses the machine to guide it over the terrain. I feel on a flat sod like lawn it will provide a better more even looking cut that some people pay high dollars for.
Contact has the height set at the deck and the deck can follow the terrain better and potentially scalp less. Advantage is they will bet up a rough / uneven terrain less but the downside is they don't cut as uniform as a suspended deck due to bouncing as they go along which will create more high and low spots.
For me: I have 5 acres... i use a 50 inch zero turn (to be replaced with a kubota zero turn once the 2650 is paid off) around the house to get around the obraces and give a nicely manicured lawn around it. For the rest of the yard that use to be livestock paddocks I use a 72" rfm behind my b2650. You can get a nice looking cut with a terrain following mmm or rfm but it's much easier with a suspended deck (I prefer suspended if the ground allows).
Suspended shines on a zero turn setup to where you set the height you want the grass cut at and the deck uses the machine to guide it over the terrain. I feel on a flat sod like lawn it will provide a better more even looking cut that some people pay high dollars for.
Contact has the height set at the deck and the deck can follow the terrain better and potentially scalp less. Advantage is they will bet up a rough / uneven terrain less but the downside is they don't cut as uniform as a suspended deck due to bouncing as they go along which will create more high and low spots.
For me: I have 5 acres... i use a 50 inch zero turn (to be replaced with a kubota zero turn once the 2650 is paid off) around the house to get around the obraces and give a nicely manicured lawn around it. For the rest of the yard that use to be livestock paddocks I use a 72" rfm behind my b2650. You can get a nice looking cut with a terrain following mmm or rfm but it's much easier with a suspended deck (I prefer suspended if the ground allows).
What's being referred to as a "contact deck" is a grooming mower. All four wheels ride on the lawn and not affected by the tractor riding condition, only being pulled and powered by the tractor.
It's called a grooming mower because it grooms the lawn.
The inverse of this is true. "Soooooo, are you saying the contact deck is better for rough/uneven ground and suspended decks are better on golf course type lawns?"
Look up Land Pride air tunnel grooming mowers.
It's called a grooming mower because it grooms the lawn.
The inverse of this is true. "Soooooo, are you saying the contact deck is better for rough/uneven ground and suspended decks are better on golf course type lawns?"
Look up Land Pride air tunnel grooming mowers.
This seems to be quite the burning question as it came up on the TBN site also. This is the posting I put up there. The zero turn mower alluded to below is a Grasshopper 725Dt (Kubota diesel power).
Prior to this past July, I had a BX 2200 with a 60 inch suspended deck, since then, the B2650 with a 72 inch ground contact deck. While neither can maneuver like a zero turn, I do prefer the 72 inch ground contact mmm.
Normally I cut at 3-3 1/2 inches, so the gauge wheels' height adjustment pins seldom need changing unless you're doing loader work and other 3 pt. tasks. Then pin up the deck (2 pins) and the 4 gauge wheels. Those tasks become part of the routine change over to another implement and take 5-10 minutes.
Aside from that, the ground contact gauge wheels provide extra, excellent flotation and swivel with turns, making them less likely to gouge ruts. The fixed gauge wheels of the suspended mmm are to prevent scalping but my experience was that they gouged turf creating ruts on soft or wet turf especially when turning corners.
The 72 inch extends out far enough on each side of the tractor's wheels which allows one to mow closer to trees etc. without scraping off lights, mirrors etc.
Also, that extra foot per swath over the 60 inch suspended deck adds up on a large lawn, significantly decreasing mowing time.
Add Gator blades and if you can fashion an outlet cover, mulching capabilities are possible.
Add the Cab version of the B2650 and you'll mow in a dust free, quieter, air-conditioned and UVB sun protected environment (some UVA still gets through so you still need to apply broad spectrum spf 50 or higher sunscreen sunscreen).
The drive over feature of the 72 inch deck makes install easier but the swiveling gauge wheels also allow an easier push in from the side and for fore/aft adjustment. The fixed gauge wheels of the suspended mmm require far more effort to push them even if you rotate them the 90 degrees allowed for mounting.
Prior to this past July, I had a BX 2200 with a 60 inch suspended deck, since then, the B2650 with a 72 inch ground contact deck. While neither can maneuver like a zero turn, I do prefer the 72 inch ground contact mmm.
Normally I cut at 3-3 1/2 inches, so the gauge wheels' height adjustment pins seldom need changing unless you're doing loader work and other 3 pt. tasks. Then pin up the deck (2 pins) and the 4 gauge wheels. Those tasks become part of the routine change over to another implement and take 5-10 minutes.
Aside from that, the ground contact gauge wheels provide extra, excellent flotation and swivel with turns, making them less likely to gouge ruts. The fixed gauge wheels of the suspended mmm are to prevent scalping but my experience was that they gouged turf creating ruts on soft or wet turf especially when turning corners.
The 72 inch extends out far enough on each side of the tractor's wheels which allows one to mow closer to trees etc. without scraping off lights, mirrors etc.
Also, that extra foot per swath over the 60 inch suspended deck adds up on a large lawn, significantly decreasing mowing time.
Add Gator blades and if you can fashion an outlet cover, mulching capabilities are possible.
Add the Cab version of the B2650 and you'll mow in a dust free, quieter, air-conditioned and UVB sun protected environment (some UVA still gets through so you still need to apply broad spectrum spf 50 or higher sunscreen sunscreen).
The drive over feature of the 72 inch deck makes install easier but the swiveling gauge wheels also allow an easier push in from the side and for fore/aft adjustment. The fixed gauge wheels of the suspended mmm require far more effort to push them even if you rotate them the 90 degrees allowed for mounting.
Re: 6o in mower deck
My turf is not a football field. It's uneven, rolling and hilly in areas. 1/4 mile long driveway with culverts along it that have steep angles with many trees.
I have used floating/ground contact decks for 45 years with great results and have no experience with suspended decks. It appears most Kubotas use suspended decks now. If spending upwards of 30 grand for a setup I want to make sure I understand the results I can expect.
My turf is not a football field. It's uneven, rolling and hilly in areas. 1/4 mile long driveway with culverts along it that have steep angles with many trees.
I have used floating/ground contact decks for 45 years with great results and have no experience with suspended decks. It appears most Kubotas use suspended decks now. If spending upwards of 30 grand for a setup I want to make sure I understand the results I can expect.
Please let me expand on my above post.
The front mount Grasshopper mowers are essentially set up as ground contact or grooming mowers, pushed rather than towed and thus have mowing characteristics similar to the 72 inch ground contact mmm on a B2650. Both constantly stay on and roll over the ground. The maneuverability of the front mount makes them faster and easier to use around trees and walls. Both are heavy enough, in my experience, to not "bounce" but ride over irregularities on the terrain. On the contrary, my experience using the suspended 60 inch mmm on the BX 2200 (since traded) did rock and shift from side to side over terrain irregularities and corners as a function of the suspension. This led to scalped turf and gauge wheel induced ruts especially on soft or damp turf. It was enough of a problem that I stuck with the Grasshopper front mount and stopped mowing altogether with the BX mmm suspended setup. That plus I found it hard to mount as it doesn't roll around easily on the fixed gauge wheels vs. the 72 inch ground contact mmm which rolls easily on swiveling gauge wheels.
Bottom line for me, a front mount mower and/or a ground contact mmm are more user friendly for mowing and mounting. I do however understand that many if not most want one machine that can do all landscaping and mowing chores and therefore may not have a choice in mowing decks if the suspended setup mmm is all that is offered. In that situation, it may be preferable to forgo the suspended deck altogether and get a 3 point mounted grooming mower as outlined on D2Cat's post.
The front mount Grasshopper mowers are essentially set up as ground contact or grooming mowers, pushed rather than towed and thus have mowing characteristics similar to the 72 inch ground contact mmm on a B2650. Both constantly stay on and roll over the ground. The maneuverability of the front mount makes them faster and easier to use around trees and walls. Both are heavy enough, in my experience, to not "bounce" but ride over irregularities on the terrain. On the contrary, my experience using the suspended 60 inch mmm on the BX 2200 (since traded) did rock and shift from side to side over terrain irregularities and corners as a function of the suspension. This led to scalped turf and gauge wheel induced ruts especially on soft or damp turf. It was enough of a problem that I stuck with the Grasshopper front mount and stopped mowing altogether with the BX mmm suspended setup. That plus I found it hard to mount as it doesn't roll around easily on the fixed gauge wheels vs. the 72 inch ground contact mmm which rolls easily on swiveling gauge wheels.
Bottom line for me, a front mount mower and/or a ground contact mmm are more user friendly for mowing and mounting. I do however understand that many if not most want one machine that can do all landscaping and mowing chores and therefore may not have a choice in mowing decks if the suspended setup mmm is all that is offered. In that situation, it may be preferable to forgo the suspended deck altogether and get a 3 point mounted grooming mower as outlined on D2Cat's post.
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Some of the decks look like a hybrid. They use only two wheel w/post and the small scalp rollers on the other side. Even more confusing is the location of the wheels can be front or rear. They have no height adjuster lever/knob so they look like they were meant to be contact decks. In reality the load on the small scalp rollers want to dig in especially on sand or wet soil.
Am I missing something on set up of these decks?
Am I missing something on set up of these decks?
The wheels on contact decks will leave "tire marks" in the turf. On softer ground, those wheels will dig like you wouldn't believe. They're supposed to caster/turn as the tractor turns, often times they get stuck, worn out, broken, etc and then your cut quality suffers drastically. Also, to adjust the cut height of a contact deck, you have to move the wheels/casters up or down, sometimes also needing adjustments on the lift linkages.
This is why suspended decks got popular. Less maintenance and cheaper to own over the life of the deck/mower. Typically, in this area, suspended deck will give an excellent cut quality with low maintenance. I haven't seen a single piece of flat turf here. There's bumps, ruts, rocks, etc and they all affect the cut quality negatively with contact decks.
Both have their pro's and con's, sometimes when you're looking at a belly deck, one or the other is all that's available.
This is why suspended decks got popular. Less maintenance and cheaper to own over the life of the deck/mower. Typically, in this area, suspended deck will give an excellent cut quality with low maintenance. I haven't seen a single piece of flat turf here. There's bumps, ruts, rocks, etc and they all affect the cut quality negatively with contact decks.
Both have their pro's and con's, sometimes when you're looking at a belly deck, one or the other is all that's available.
I bought my B2320 and bought a 3pt finish mower rather than the MMM.
Here's what I have found out:
It's much easier to remove than the MMM.
Unlike MMM decks, there are no wind rows when you mow. (rear discharge)
There is much less dust blown in your face and any debris you my pickup will not be thrown anywhere near you. It's much less likely to fling anything at your neighbor's window or any bystander.
The noise of the mower is behind you rather than under you.
Now I still use my little Cub for trimming around buildings and trees. That's something you just can't do as easily with a large mower. But the 3 point deck has a tendency to float over some holes in the ground while the MMM mower is at the mercy of the tractor. Both give a good cut but the swivel wheels on the finish tend to do less damage to the ground unless you are cutting in very soft or wet turf. Just my opinion......
Here's what I have found out:
It's much easier to remove than the MMM.
Unlike MMM decks, there are no wind rows when you mow. (rear discharge)
There is much less dust blown in your face and any debris you my pickup will not be thrown anywhere near you. It's much less likely to fling anything at your neighbor's window or any bystander.
The noise of the mower is behind you rather than under you.
Now I still use my little Cub for trimming around buildings and trees. That's something you just can't do as easily with a large mower. But the 3 point deck has a tendency to float over some holes in the ground while the MMM mower is at the mercy of the tractor. Both give a good cut but the swivel wheels on the finish tend to do less damage to the ground unless you are cutting in very soft or wet turf. Just my opinion......
I am looking at a b7500 with loader and tiller. will the new b series mower decks fit , or do I need to find a used one to fit?