BX Mid Mount Weight ??

miketrock

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Nov 25, 2019
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I know you can put ballast liquid in rear tires and wheel weights and a ballast box off the back …. has anybody thought of also having something like a big steel plate similar to a mowing deck, hook up and hang in place of the mowing deck, but just a thick steel plate for a low center of gravity. A number of guys say that the small tractors run out of traction before power. I know it would need to allow room for the PTO shaft to go to the front for front mount implements. Extra weight could really help with plowing heavy , deep snow.
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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Interesting..MMWeight concept. Good in theory but...1st some rough math...
I don't have a MMM but think maybe 2' by 3' in size, more or less ?
If so, 2by3 = 6 square feet, one sqft of steel 1" thick weighs 44#, so the weight plate would be 6* 44 = 264 pounds + mtg/support = +-300#
Big question is can the MMM lift system actually LIFT 300#s ?
I don't know, don't have a MMM for my BX23S, no use to me.
Loss of traction consists of 2 things, mass( weight) and grrrrip. You need tall , skinny tires and chains to plow snow,so 'AG' tires are better than 'turfs' or 'industrials'. I plowed snow in small, high profit lots with CJ-5s for almost 2 decades and 'tall skinnies' never failed me whereas 'fat and wides' did.
If you made a MMW box from say 2x3 angle iron, you could add 1/4 or 1/2 plates of steel in layers to 'dial in' the correct weight. It makes the install a LOT easier ! I did that for the rear weight box for my 'snowrider'. It's easy to lift 30 smaller plate instead of one 200# chunk of steel ,unless you've got a red 'S' under your shirt !
 

miketrock

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Nov 25, 2019
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I cant remember now where I saw it, but recently I saw the weights of the mower decks and I think the heaviest, '60" drive over' was like 269lbs. …?... I think.
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
One site says 295# for BX2380 though 284# for BX23S, hmm wonder why..
OH well, 300# seems like a good number, though I'd build/test with say 200 first, then add more if required.
Easy project if you have a the MMM to get the mtg holes and sizes right the first time !
If, IF , there was a market for them, I'd make them...
 

mikester

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M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
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www.divergentstuff.ca
I know you can put ballast liquid in rear tires and wheel weights and a ballast box off the back …. has anybody thought of also having something like a big steel plate similar to a mowing deck, hook up and hang in place of the mowing deck, but just a thick steel plate for a low center of gravity. A number of guys say that the small tractors run out of traction before power. I know it would need to allow room for the PTO shaft to go to the front for front mount implements. Extra weight could really help with plowing heavy , deep snow.
If you plan on plowing heavy deep snow regularly then consider the following:
1. Take smaller cuts with the plow
2. Get a bigger machine
For the short term
3. Load the tires and get chains. See #1 and 2.

Hanging stuff on the belly in deep snow is a great way to get hung up and stuck. Digging it out by hand a few times will cure that idea.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,668
3,915
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
hmmmm.
Hanging stuff on the belly in deep snow is a great way to get hung up and stuck. Digging it out by hand a few times will cure that idea.

wasn't the plow supposed to get rid of the snow ???;)
 

miketrock

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Nov 25, 2019
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I, very likely wouldn't get stuck cuz my property is nearly flat …. nothing to get hung up on … but its good to consider, tho. They claim on Kubota's site that the BX's mower deck is 6" off the ground when raised up … so if there was a plate of steel, it wud probably be considerably thinner than a mower deck and therefore a good bit higher than 6".
 

dirtydeed

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B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
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Wind Gap, PA
I know you can put ballast liquid in rear tires and wheel weights and a ballast box off the back ***8230;. has anybody thought of also having something like a big steel plate similar to a mowing deck, hook up and hang in place of the mowing deck, but just a thick steel plate for a low center of gravity. A number of guys say that the small tractors run out of traction before power. I know it would need to allow room for the PTO shaft to go to the front for front mount implements. Extra weight could really help with plowing heavy , deep snow.
Mike, for the plow-able snow we get here I seriously doubt that you'd ever have trouble with a BX. If you get a loader, that machine will push a considerable amount of snow. Loader for really deep snow, rear blade for everything else...

Had a BX23 for many years and cleared lots of snow here and in the Poconos. Never got it stuck in the snow. It did ride on bar tires.

You can also use the loader to get yourself unstuck by using the curl function to push you back out of a drift. With 4wd and diff lock engaged, it's pretty hard to get stuck in snow around here. On ice, that's a different

Are you concerned about the upcoming forecast? Ha, now it says 2-4". Our first plow-able snow this winter. Any BX will handle that in high gear. :D
 

skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
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Mike I m over in what they call Laurel Highlands, or the beginning of it anyways. And other than filling the rear tires and wheel weights I have never had a problem pushing any kind of snow with the BX, really think about what you are doing and your good to go.
And yes you will run out of traction long before you run out of power. You will find these little beasties are very capable of doing a lot of work, sometimes work that maybe that shouldn't be doing, but they just keep on coming back for more.
While the added weight on the MMM sounds good on paper in reality it would serve no purpose. If you are really worried about adding weight. Take a 55 gallon drum, drill a hole in each side and run a pipe through so it fits the 3pt and fill it with 3 bags of cement and you will have all the weight you will need.
Just some thoughts from an old BX guy
 

miketrock

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Nov 25, 2019
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Im not concerned about traction for plowing snow for me. Alot of guys say u run out of traction before u run out of power ..... one way to get better traction is adding weight. Everybody knows about wheel weights, fluid in tires and a ballast box or other implements .... but guys still say not enough traction ..... im sure, not all, but many tire spinning times there isnt anything under the middle, and the tractors are made to hold a mower deck. If the mower deck isnt mounted, then theres a place for more weight (without the bulk of a mower deck)(thick steel shud be much thinner than a deck) . The heavier decks are almost 300lbs. By adding weight there it wud help traction and to hav a lower center of gravity. I was actually hoping somebody already did it and wud share their idea and pics. Not just for me, but anybody checkin out this forum. I dont even hav a tractor yet .... im a "Kubota owner wanna be", a day dreamer .... for now.