So I bought a used 30hp tractor last year in large part because it came with a mid-mount mower deck. This, in addition to a 5' brush hog. Anyway, what I especially wanted (my hot button) was the mid-mount belly mower.
By the way, in this photo, the mower deck is merely held in place with sweet wire, it isn't actually installed. I didn't know this when I had it transported from 200 miles away (not that it would have mattered because this is what I wanted and it was slim pickings when it came to finding a mower with mid-mount mower deck).
So the reason I wanted the belly mount is because I hoped it meant going from a zero-turn with 17hp to 30hp with the added benefit of it being a 6' wide vs 5' for the mower deck on my zero turn. However, it's the added horsepower, which is what I suspect will let me get the job done more quickly (horsepower more so than the extra width).
So in all honesty, my only interest in the brush hog was being able to mow when I've let the grass get out of control, e.g. knock it back. If this happened before I bought the L3010, I had to pay a fellow to come knock it down with his brush hog. But in truth, I try pretty hard not to let the grass get ahead of me.
Unfortunately, the brush hog crapped out the second time I went to use it (the gearbox went south and gear oil everywhere as the case cracked - catastrophic failure). I figure it was just one of those things because it worked fine the first time I mowed with it.
Anyway, I ordered a 5' flail mower to replace it because these stick out behind the tractor considerably less than a brush hog does. That business of sticking out is a pain in the arse in my opinion (especially when working close quarters, e.g. surrounds). Means having to pay more attention whilst working (this for 5 Florida acres I've been maintaining for 20+ years with the zero turn).
Anyway, and as it turned out, while the belly mower was included, this didn't mean he'd been using it. There's a difference and in point of fact, not only did he gloss over the fact he never actually used it, I was insufficiently savvy to ask (classic reason we learn not to assume). And no, not angry despite some required bits and bobs for mounting/functioning being MIA (this, because I suspect the seller himself, a nice guy, didn't know).
Note; Kubota is pretty good but their magic does not include still selling spares 20+ years after manufacture (meaning some parts are unobtanium). Meant resorting to fabrication: RC-72A missing link; a-brief-how-to before trying the installation.
Further delaying the belly mower being put into use (beyond my general unfamiliarity with the tool plus the usual excuses, e.g. work-life balance) is that I still have access to the zero turn. Means the pressure is off to finish the job because I have with what to mow. Anyway, by now several months have gone by - yikes - tempus fugit!
Added to which, mounting and adjusting is complicated by issues to do with me. Basically, I'm an old fat ass rather disinclined to work beneath it.
Since i have a two-post lift for working on cars, I'm still tryign to suss out a method of using it with the tractor because I really hate laying under it.
So with the background established, now to address what is hopefully the last complication . . . I can't seemingly clock the driveshaft correctly (so the two U-joints are in proper phase). Let me explain. Recapping; single shaft drives - in my experience - are clocked flat. This means the two U-joint are in perfect phase with each other if you lay them shaft flat on a workbench.
Problem is, the shaft won't clock properly. I can only get the two splined shafts to mate whilst perhaps one or two splines out of alignment, maybe 10° out of phase. Why? Dunno but I tried every single spline and it would only go together the one way so maybe it's made that way. Regardless, color me befuddled . . . and yes, it's hard to tell but in person it's clearly not phased correctly. Made this way by mistake? Dunno, and don't see why this would be.
Anyway, largely because I've been otherwise entertained with getting the mower deck properly mounted and adjusted, I'm only now circling back to this driveshaft alignment business. In other words, I haven't yet engaged the mid-PTO so I don't know how much it'll vibrate this way. Maybe it's inconsequential, dunno. Not going to try it and thus, I fear the deck is coming back off once again (pain in the hind end, believe me). This, so I may attend to the clocking - UNLESS - some kind RC-72A owner looks at theirs and goes, wait a minute, John, mine isn't clocked 0°-0° either!
Absent this, then the shaft comes off and goes to a driveshaft specialist because this thing is also unobtanium from Kubota dealers and I'm not running it this way absent more information. In fact, push come to shove (it shouldn't) , I'll have them make me a new one. After all, new two-piece shafts are cheap enough - this one on Amazon for <$100, for example - and as long as we cut the U-joints off and re-weld them properly to the new shaft, then mower deck itself will never know the driveshaft is not Kubota OEM as long as it slides in and out to accommodate the difference in length as it's raised and lowered whilst traversing terrain.
Any RC-72A owners willing to take a careful look at shaft clocking for me?
By the way, in this photo, the mower deck is merely held in place with sweet wire, it isn't actually installed. I didn't know this when I had it transported from 200 miles away (not that it would have mattered because this is what I wanted and it was slim pickings when it came to finding a mower with mid-mount mower deck).
So the reason I wanted the belly mount is because I hoped it meant going from a zero-turn with 17hp to 30hp with the added benefit of it being a 6' wide vs 5' for the mower deck on my zero turn. However, it's the added horsepower, which is what I suspect will let me get the job done more quickly (horsepower more so than the extra width).
So in all honesty, my only interest in the brush hog was being able to mow when I've let the grass get out of control, e.g. knock it back. If this happened before I bought the L3010, I had to pay a fellow to come knock it down with his brush hog. But in truth, I try pretty hard not to let the grass get ahead of me.
Unfortunately, the brush hog crapped out the second time I went to use it (the gearbox went south and gear oil everywhere as the case cracked - catastrophic failure). I figure it was just one of those things because it worked fine the first time I mowed with it.
Anyway, I ordered a 5' flail mower to replace it because these stick out behind the tractor considerably less than a brush hog does. That business of sticking out is a pain in the arse in my opinion (especially when working close quarters, e.g. surrounds). Means having to pay more attention whilst working (this for 5 Florida acres I've been maintaining for 20+ years with the zero turn).
Anyway, and as it turned out, while the belly mower was included, this didn't mean he'd been using it. There's a difference and in point of fact, not only did he gloss over the fact he never actually used it, I was insufficiently savvy to ask (classic reason we learn not to assume). And no, not angry despite some required bits and bobs for mounting/functioning being MIA (this, because I suspect the seller himself, a nice guy, didn't know).
Note; Kubota is pretty good but their magic does not include still selling spares 20+ years after manufacture (meaning some parts are unobtanium). Meant resorting to fabrication: RC-72A missing link; a-brief-how-to before trying the installation.
Further delaying the belly mower being put into use (beyond my general unfamiliarity with the tool plus the usual excuses, e.g. work-life balance) is that I still have access to the zero turn. Means the pressure is off to finish the job because I have with what to mow. Anyway, by now several months have gone by - yikes - tempus fugit!
Added to which, mounting and adjusting is complicated by issues to do with me. Basically, I'm an old fat ass rather disinclined to work beneath it.
Since i have a two-post lift for working on cars, I'm still tryign to suss out a method of using it with the tractor because I really hate laying under it.
So with the background established, now to address what is hopefully the last complication . . . I can't seemingly clock the driveshaft correctly (so the two U-joints are in proper phase). Let me explain. Recapping; single shaft drives - in my experience - are clocked flat. This means the two U-joint are in perfect phase with each other if you lay them shaft flat on a workbench.
Problem is, the shaft won't clock properly. I can only get the two splined shafts to mate whilst perhaps one or two splines out of alignment, maybe 10° out of phase. Why? Dunno but I tried every single spline and it would only go together the one way so maybe it's made that way. Regardless, color me befuddled . . . and yes, it's hard to tell but in person it's clearly not phased correctly. Made this way by mistake? Dunno, and don't see why this would be.
Anyway, largely because I've been otherwise entertained with getting the mower deck properly mounted and adjusted, I'm only now circling back to this driveshaft alignment business. In other words, I haven't yet engaged the mid-PTO so I don't know how much it'll vibrate this way. Maybe it's inconsequential, dunno. Not going to try it and thus, I fear the deck is coming back off once again (pain in the hind end, believe me). This, so I may attend to the clocking - UNLESS - some kind RC-72A owner looks at theirs and goes, wait a minute, John, mine isn't clocked 0°-0° either!
Absent this, then the shaft comes off and goes to a driveshaft specialist because this thing is also unobtanium from Kubota dealers and I'm not running it this way absent more information. In fact, push come to shove (it shouldn't) , I'll have them make me a new one. After all, new two-piece shafts are cheap enough - this one on Amazon for <$100, for example - and as long as we cut the U-joints off and re-weld them properly to the new shaft, then mower deck itself will never know the driveshaft is not Kubota OEM as long as it slides in and out to accommodate the difference in length as it's raised and lowered whilst traversing terrain.
Any RC-72A owners willing to take a careful look at shaft clocking for me?
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