BX2380 MMM height too low.

Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
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VALE
Hello and tank you in advance for any help you can give me! I am now to this forum, and to tractors generally. We had a kubota mower many moons ago but i just recently upgraded to a BX 2380.

Problem: mower is way off height wise and i cannot for the life of me figure out how to get it adjusted. With the knob set to 4" the blades are at 2.125 inches off the ground. The knob seems to make correctish adjustments from there, meaning that it lowers when you set it lower than 4 inches until it hits the ground. This is with the linkage attachment bolts all the way in (i know thats not how to balance, was just looking for more height so i could get my grass cut). Tire pressure is correct front and back (industrial). Sent it to the dealer, they claim nothing wrong and dropped it back off. Called me while measuring it and said it measured 4 inches when set to 4, dont see how thats possible as i cannot get that to repeat.

Any ideas in where i could start looking? Would like to avoid sending it back and fourth again since i dont have a trailer/they take forever.

Thanks!


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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
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dumb ass dealer.

here is what i think is probably wrong, the knob you show at 4” is has a round cam bolted to the other end of the shaft the knob is on. This cam sets the mower height buy stopping how much the linkage can lower. That cam could be rotated relative to the indicator knob on top. Try raising the mower with the 3 pt all the way up, and try other positions of the knob, see if you can find a spot that holds the MMM all the way up. There is a position that holds the MMM way above 4”, the top position, that should hold it at 6”. but you have to raise the mower all the way up with each attempt at a new knob position, else you will hit the knob won’t turn past the top position.

if the knob won’t turn 360 degrees with the 3 pt all the way up, you need to adjust the linkage rode which is a bolt with a lock nut at the back of tractor on left side, at the end of the rode pull up the mmm linkage when the 3pt moves up.


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BAP

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Lifetime Member

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2012 Kubota 2920, 60MMM, FEL, BH65 48" Bush Hog, 60"Backblade, B2782B Snowblower
Dec 31, 2012
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New Hampshire
The owners manual for your mower deck that gives the installation instructions for the mower out of the crate, plus how to adjust all the linkage for proper mowing.
 

Pat T

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Aug 7, 2017
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Albion
Bought mine last year, exact same problem. Knob smashed on the shaft 180 degrees out. New knob and decal (two different part numbers) and reinstall correctly fixed it.
 

Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
Thanks all for the replies, checked all the specs per everyones guidence in the Manual for setup and everything seems correct. I took off the deck and pulled the knob assembly off, it was pretty floppy. It seems the knob is set correctly in relation to the stepping wheel, but now im thinking it may have been slipping off under the weight if the deck since it was able to be moved laterally due to being loose. I will re install the deck tomorrow and see if that does it!

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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
dumb ass dealer.

here is what i think is probably wrong, the knob you show at 4” is has a round cam bolted to the other end of the shaft the knob is on. This cam sets the mower height buy stopping how much the linkage can lower. That cam could be rotated relative to the indicator knob on top. Try raising the mower with the 3 pt all the way up, and try other positions of the knob, see if you can find a spot that holds the MMM all the way up. There is a position that holds the MMM way above 4”, the top position, that should hold it at 6”. but you have to raise the mower all the way up with each attempt at a new knob position, else you will hit the knob won’t turn past the top position.

if the knob won’t turn 360 degrees with the 3 pt all the way up, you need to adjust the linkage rode which is a bolt with a lock nut at the back of tractor on left side, at the end of the rode pull up the mmm linkage when the 3pt moves up.


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Yeah, i realize now why the dealer thought "hey man, it is at 4 inches". He kept the anti scalp wheels down and they were set at 4 inches. So no duh the deck was at 4 inches, it couldnt go lower!

I have everything adjusted and level per specs for every part of the tractor and mower deck now. Still at 2.5 inches. There has to be somthing wrong with the assembly. I took it all apart and verified the linkage was assembled correctly. Still dropping to 2.5 inches.

Think its time to call back my dumbass dealer [emoji2359][emoji2359][emoji2359]

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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
312
5
18
on my bx
Frustrating, I was wondering how the dealer measured 4”, that is ridiculous.

When you talk to them ask them if they can guess the difference between a suspended deck and a ground contact deck and how each is supposed to work, and can they guess which type the BX has? I say guess, because seems like they don’t know.

And ask them how does turning the knob pull the scalp wheel pins, move the wheels up or down, and put the pins back in to set the mower height? That’s some magic trick.

I agree, I’m thinking the actual problem is rated to assembly of some kind or a manufacturer defect on the cam, or the linkage lever that rides on the cam.

If I remember correctly the shaft that goes side to side of the frame, has a lever on it, (inside the frame) that rides on the cam. This shaft has linkage levers bolted on the ends of the shaft outside the frame, that pull the deck up. Maybe those leavers are not bolted on correctly on the shaft, so the alignment of the lift arms on the shaft relative to the cam stop on the shaft is incorrect.

I don’t think there is any adjustments in the linkage system from the between the cam lever on the shaft and mower deck, other than the leveling bolts on the deck linkage mounts. And your not going to get another 2” out of those. The next upstream adjustment is the rod connected to the 3pt that controls how high the 3pt will pull up the deck, which doesn’t affect the cam and knob.


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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
Frustrating, I was wondering how the dealer measured 4”, that is ridiculous.

When you talk to them ask them if they can guess the difference between a suspended deck and a ground contact deck and how each is supposed to work, and can they guess which type the BX has? I say guess, because seems like they don’t know.

And ask them how does turning the knob pull the scalp wheel pins, move the wheels up or down, and put the pins back in to set the mower height? That’s some magic trick.

I agree, I’m thinking the actual problem is rated to assembly of some kind or a manufacturer defect on the cam, or the linkage lever that rides on the cam.

If I remember correctly the shaft that goes side to side of the frame, has a lever on it, (inside the frame) that rides on the cam. This shaft has linkage levers bolted on the ends of the shaft outside the frame, that pull the deck up. Maybe those leavers are not bolted on correctly on the shaft, so the alignment of the lift arms on the shaft relative to the cam stop on the shaft is incorrect.

I don’t think there is any adjustments in the linkage system from the between the cam lever on the shaft and mower deck, other than the leveling bolts on the deck linkage mounts. And your not going to get another 2” out of those. The next upstream adjustment is the rod connected to the 3pt that controls how high the 3pt will pull up the deck, which doesn’t affect the cam and knob.


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Yeah im thjnking i have it narrowed down to this part... everything on it is welded so i can only assume that the hook itself is welded about 1/4 inch out of spec allowing that shaft to over rotate.

As for the dealer....well.... im guessing ill spend a good portion of the day explaining this to them...


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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
312
5
18
on my bx
oh, looks like in this pic only one side has a bolted on lever, other side is welded on.

Do you have the pic for the cam assembly? is there a spacer of any kind on the adjustment shaft between the bottom cam and the frame piece the shaft goes through that is missing on your tractor?


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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
oh, looks like in this pic only one side has a bolted on lever, other side is welded on.

Do you have the pic for the cam assembly? is there a spacer of any kind on the adjustment shaft between the bottom cam and the frame piece the shaft goes through that is missing on your tractor?


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I thought about that too, but according to kubota there is no spacer there. I did dissasemble it and make sure no parts were missing in accordance with the diagrams. If i were to fix it myself i would just tack a little piece on the top of the hook to make up the difference. But that is an absolute last choice.

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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
312
5
18
on my bx
I’m out of ideas, I was hoping there was something you could fix at home. I think you night need a side by side comparison with a BX that’s correct to figure out what’s wrong.

Maybe post a pick of the left linkage arm with knob in the 4” position, I’ll compare to mine to see if I see anything.

To other BX owners following this thread, if your knob is firm or harder to turn than you want, oil or grease part number 060 shown in this diagram. Makes it easy to turn in both directions.


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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
@beex just got off the phone with dealer.

They measure everything off the deck when leveling, never look at actual blade height. He must have had the rollers down on the ground.

I am calling them back monday to pick it up, but this time ill be accompanying the tractor to ensure they understand why having my max cutting height at 2 inches is a PROBLEM.[emoji23]

Ill follow up when i get some sort of resolution!

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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
Well @beex alot has transpired.

Goes back to dealer for 3 weeks, they call kubota, mess with the step gear (useless) and then bring it back to me. "Sorry but as of today we are no longer a kubota dealer".
But kubota gave them a work around to give me! Set it to the height and then use the 3pt hydro adjustment to lock it in place [emoji2359]. Ummmm no.

So anyway, i decided that i need to figure out if i was correct in my initial diagnosis of part number 10 pictured in one of the diagrams from earlier. So i took the $40 gamble before calling another dealer and ordered it from messicks, who i really wish was closer because they dont seem braindead.

Get the part in tonight and low and behold the factory part on the tractor is welded wrong. The hook is way off.

Atleast now i have a part as a visual representation to the next dealer i find to install it... because it seems you have to take half the damn tractor apart to replace it, which i wont do for warranty fears and because i shouldnt have to.

Pictures below, showing the one on the tractor, bolt pattern straight up and down. The hook should be almost perfectly horizontal when the bolts are in this direction.
Second picture is showing the actual angle of the hook. Which should be basically parallel with frame. A clue, it isnt.

Third picture is a correctly welded part with the hook being perpendicular to the bolt pattern as intended.

I am both vindicated and annoyed.

-JT


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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
312
5
18
on my bx
Wow, good detective work. And thanks for the update. I wouldn’t have guessed a manufacturing error like that. And yes it is a warranty issue.

So it’s not easy to pull the rod out one side of the tractor? Are you saying the frame has to come apart or something like that? And your dealer is gone? Man I am sorry to hear that outcome.


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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
Wow, good detective work. And thanks for the update. I wouldn’t have guessed a manufacturing error like that. And yes it is a warranty issue.

So it’s not easy to pull the rod out one side of the tractor? Are you saying the frame has to come apart or something like that? And your dealer is gone? Man I am sorry to hear that outcome.


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Thanks! And sadly it only looks easy to remove. Everything is in the way and it has a set of these interlocking rings that can only come apart to allow you to slide the rod through the frame, after you remove about a dozen parts [emoji2371]

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Jht05016

New member

Equipment
BX2380, landpride box blade/brush hog, 60"MMM
Sep 12, 2019
9
0
0
VALE
So this is the conclusion to this thread. And i hope that this helps someone in the future. After paying another dealer to pick the tractor up and the change out being covered under warranty. that 1 part, its fixed. If your mower deck isnt at the right height, check the hook on the part shown above. If the bolts are positioned vertically, the hook should be parallel to the frame of your BX. CHECK THAT FIRST. With the new part installed at the 4in setting the blades are now at 4 inches (despite kubota repetedly trying to tell me "the numbers dont mean inches").



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beex

Member
May 21, 2019
312
5
18
on my bx
Glad you got it fixed.

That was a unusual problem, never head down anything like that before.


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