BX mowing in high or low.

Smoke244

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BX2200 with cab and snowblower
Aug 15, 2020
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Roscommon Michigan
Mowing 5 acres with a BX2200, belly mower. Very few turns or timing, any issues mow
Ing in high range?
 
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RCW

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Apr 28, 2013
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I do most of my mowing in high range.
 
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imnukensc

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BX2380
Sep 10, 2015
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Midlands of SC
I do all of my mowing in high range, but I have no hills and the grass is centipede and never over 4" high.
 
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Mlarv

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BX23S
Jan 19, 2020
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I have a BX2380 with MMM. I mow on high for the most part. If the grass is high or I hear the mower bogging down I slow down and let it cut. Part of the field is wet most of the year so 4WD and low to cut it. I guess go by the sound.
 
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Henro

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May 24, 2019
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Mowing 5 acres with a BX2200, belly mower. Very few turns or timing, any issues mow
Ing in high range?
I'm not sure the range selector is as important a consideration as is ground speed.

I do have hills and I run the engine WOT (wide open throttle) in low ramge when cutting grass. Also mostly have the directional pedal fully down for maximum speed, again in low range.

For me, high range with a little directional pedal to attain the same speed would not work well, due to up grades.

Never felt the need for more speed than full pedal in low range gives me, as my property is kind of bumpy. Bounce around pretty good as is.

I would guess the quality of cut suffers as speed increases. Other than that, if I were you, I would run as fast as I liked in high range at WOT and see if I was satisfied with the results. If not satisfied, I would slow down a bit and find what speed gave me the results I liked.
 

skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
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Well you flat landers :) up there in Mi High range is no problem. Hell Im in the coal country and I run in high all the time,,unless the grass is realllly high. No problems up or down hill with the old BX,,, Just remember to keep the RPM's up dont lug the little beasty down when you are mowing
 

Henro

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Well you flat landers :) up there in Mi High range is no problem. Hell Im in the coal country and I run in high all the time,,unless the grass is realllly high. No problems up or down hill with the old BX,,, Just remember to keep the RPM's up dont lug the little beasty down when you are mowing
How about ground speed? Do you run less than full pedal when in high range? Do you end up running faster than you could with the pedal fully depressed in low range?

I would think the advantage of running in high range would be getting higher ground speed than can be attained in low range.

I actually wonder if there is an advantage of running in high range over low range if the same ground speed is used.

Anybody know? I sure don't. But I feel like it would be preferable to use the lower range if there is overlap between the ranges.

But I ABSOLUTELY do not know. Thus the question...
 

OrangeKrush

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I don't have a mower on mine but I understand where he's coming from with that question. There are times you just want to make up ground without having to stop and put it in high gear, doesn't mean you need to keep the pedal to the metal continuously. I think about this when plowing snow sometimes but mainly keep it in low even though it pushes and pulls it well. Like said.. listen to the tractor for the most part and use common sense.
 

Henro

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I don't have a mower on mine but I understand where he's coming from with that question.
Myself, I am not sure I understand where the OP is coming from with his question.

Three choices:

Run low range: Get a maximum speed which is lower than high range

Run high range: Get a maximum speed that is higher than low range

Run either range: Get either a speed that is greater or less than either range can duplicate, with some overlap. Depending on relative position of the directional pedal.
 

OrangeKrush

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Myself, I am not sure I understand where the OP is coming from with his question.

Three choices:

Run low range: Get a maximum speed which is lower than high range

Run high range: Get a maximum speed that is higher than low range

Run either range: Get either a speed that is greater or less than either range can duplicate, with some overlap. Depending on relative position of the directional pedal.
If I had it in low and that's all the speed I needed.. wide open.. then yeah low range is where it would stay. There are times when you hit those thinner spots of grass or maybe just turning around where you might want to gain some speed to save some time. 5 acres is quite a bit on a BX in low gear full time.
 

Henro

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If I had it in low and that's all the speed I needed.. wide open.. then yeah low range is where it would stay. There are times when you hit those thinner spots of grass or maybe just turning around where you might want to gain some speed to save some time. 5 acres is quite a bit on a BX in low gear full time.
I cut five acre regularly and do not find using low range all the time to be an issue. Perhaps I just got more patient as I aged? LOL

edit: That is WOT and full speed, of course... :)
 
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armylifer

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Mar 26, 2013
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How about ground speed? Do you run less than full pedal when in high range? Do you end up running faster than you could with the pedal fully depressed in low range?

I would think the advantage of running in high range would be getting higher ground speed than can be attained in low range.

I actually wonder if there is an advantage of running in high range over low range if the same ground speed is used.

Anybody know? I sure don't. But I feel like it would be preferable to use the lower range if there is overlap between the ranges.

But I ABSOLUTELY do not know. Thus the question...
I run slow in high range because I have arthritis in my ankle and pressing the pedal harder in low range is more difficult than pressing lighter in high range, for me. If arthritis were not a factor I would use low range and more pedal.
 

SRRGC1

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If you really enjoy cutting grass AND have alot of time on your hands, use low range.