Kubota 5100 woods 15 ft finish drive line mod

[Grassandstuff]

Totally oddball idea I have here, looking for ideas. I have a mx 5100 pulling a 15 ft flex wing finish mower woods. Worksreally good, unless grass gets a week or 2 ahead of me. I need to keep tractor, hst is a must and I don't want to invest boocoos into a mx 6000 for that extra 6 or 8 hp I need for that extra boost occasionally. My idea is to make a 21 hp lawn engine with a clutch drive line to connect to rear deck as an add on, one way clutch etc for those heavy days. Can't quite get the whole picture in my head that won't either have the tractor doing less work and the mod bogging or the tractor doing the work and the mod doing none. It would basically run full rpm with tractor rpm match and load up same time tractor does. Maybe I'm dreaming but I see it in my head. If I can't get it on paper I may just take rear pto shaft out and put a larger engine on rear and just run it independent full time.And ideas or laughs welcomed!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I like reinventing the wheel, but the wheels will fall right off that bus if you do what your saying you want to do!

The best option since your set on not getting another tractor that will actually handle the mower, get a smaller mower!

 

[mcmxi]

I like reinventing the wheel, but the wheels will fall right off that bus if you do what your saying you want to do!

The best option since your set on not getting another tractor that will actually handle the mower, get a smaller mower!

As you say, the cheaper path would be to sell that Woods and get something lighter.

But what a beast of a finish mower! 3,500lb is a lot to pull around while also turning the PTO, particularly if there are hills involved. I have a 12ft folding cutter on order (LP RC3712) which weighs 3,730lb, but I'll be pulling it with the M6060 which will have no trouble at all, even on hills. Despite similar numbers on paper, the M6060 is a torque monster compared to the MX6000. My point is, if the OP does go the tractor upgrade route, I would suggest looking at tractors more capable than the MX6000.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Well, after spending several days studying your issue, I'd say your proposal is complicated by the fact that all the shafts move, so mechanically coupling them would be challenging. Here are my throwdowns
* Hydrostat system - have your booster run a hydraulic pump and couple a hydraulic motor to the input drive shaft. Maybe an input shaft could be added to the rear of the main gearbox.
* Couple your booster through a clutch to the front of your engine's crankshaft (have to check rotation direction), sort of like some of our tractors have a hydraulic pump mounted. Come to think of it, you could drive a hydraulic pump as a motor through the crankshaft, modified hydrostat option.
* Turn up the boost and fuel on the engine you have. After all, it's the same basic engine as the MX6000, I think.

YWIA Not responsible for the misapplication, yada, yada, yada contained in the above.

 

[Grassandstuff]

As you say, the cheaper path would be to sell that Woods and get something lighter.

But what a beast of a finish mower! 3,500lb is a lot to pull around while also turning the PTO, particularly if there are hills involved. I have a 12ft folding cutter on order (LP RC3712) which weighs 3,730lb, but I'll be pulling it with the M6060 which will have no trouble at all, even on hills. Despite similar numbers on paper, the M6060 is a torque monster compared to the MX6000. My point is, if the OP does go the tractor upgrade route, I would suggest looking at tractors more capable than the MX6000.

The woods is a beast and lays down a beautiful pattern. I thought Kubota only offered the L 6060 and not in the M line? Definitely like the L60600 but I think it's too narrow, I'm on pond banks a lot and love the Mx footprint.

 

[Grassandstuff]

Well, after spending several days studying your issue, I'd say your proposal is complicated by the fact that all the shafts move, so mechanically coupling them would be challenging. Here are my throwdowns
* Hydrostat system - have your booster run a hydraulic pump and couple a hydraulic motor to the input drive shaft. Maybe an input shaft could be added to the rear of the main gearbox.
* Couple your booster through a clutch to the front of your engine's crankshaft (have to check rotation direction), sort of like some of our tractors have a hydraulic pump mounted. Come to think of it, you could drive a hydraulic pump as a motor through the crankshaft, modified hydrostat option.
* Turn up the boost and fuel on the engine you have. After all, it's the same basic engine as the MX6000, I think.

YWIA Not responsible for the misapplication, yada, yada, yada contained in the above.

Your reading my mind on all 3! Was toying with hydraulic motor and clutch combo, briefly thought about using nose shaft of main engine too. I left engine hp boost at end of line due to longevity, I only need maybe 3-5 more hp though honestly. Buddy mentioned it a while back and made me cringe a little, but might actually be the best. 1500 hours now, only had 300 at that time. Trying to find a rear deck gearbox with a straight through to rear shaft to hook a centrifugal or one way clutch to off a horizontal shaft motor, hard to find exactly.

Thanks!

 

[Grassandstuff]

As you say, the cheaper path would be to sell that Woods and get something lighter.

But what a beast of a finish mower! 3,500lb is a lot to pull around while also turning the PTO, particularly if there are hills involved. I have a 12ft folding cutter on order (LP RC3712) which weighs 3,730lb, but I'll be pulling it with the M6060 which will have no trouble at all, even on hills. Despite similar numbers on paper, the M6060 is a torque monster compared to the MX6000. My point is, if the OP does go the tractor upgrade route, I would suggest looking at tractors more capable than the MX6000.

I got the woods at a steal, asking with tractor, hard to part with either when I'm so close on hp. It's pretty flat and I usually go about 4 mph. It's those rainy weeks like this whole year that get me sometimes. I totally forgot the engines are basically the same, I may investigate that route to squeeze just a little out of it. Thanks!

 

[Russell King]

Could you separate one mower from the other two and independently power that individual mower deck when needed?

 

[Grassandstuff]

Could you separate one mower from the other two and independently power that individual mower deck when needed?

That is one option, run the center deck in a 25-29 hp motor independent. I think your right, might come up with a quick change unit to add when I need it, and remove pton shaft. I could probably get 6-8 mph at 15 feet with that setup. Probably use less fuel comparably.

 

[Grassandstuff]

I like reinventing the wheel, but the wheels will fall right off that bus if you do what your saying you want to do!

The best option since your set on not getting another tractor that will actually handle the mower, get a smaller mower!

Sometimes I do wonder if the ground speed with a 12 ft would be more advantageous than the 15 with reduced mph. Maybe in about 2 years I'll downsize to that after some trials