I have a 2004 BX23D with a MMM. Many times, I have had difficulty either raising the deck high enough to lock it, or...if I have gotten it locked, it wouldn't lower. Somehow I think I have read that other people have had this same issue.
Today, I MAY have found the solution. The operative word is "MAY." It was time to knock off a few weed tops before they seeded this Spring. With a beautiful day, I happily took my trusty little tractor out for that mowing task. I apparently had locked the mower deck into the Top position at last use and I couldn't get the deck height knob to turn from the Top position to a 3" position. I've had this problem before and it is very annoying. Either I couldn't get it locked into the Top position or I couldn't get it out of the Top position. Today, once again, I tried everything...lifting deck, rattling deck, asking it nicely to lower, etc...nothing worked. I was getting ready to give up but then, I found it.
I held the hydraulic lift lever until the 3 pt arms were all the way up. I had held it earlier but the deck was already at the top so I didn't keep it engaged. Lo and behold, when the arms were all the way up, the height knob turned with ease. I did several height adjustments and it worked wonderfully well every time. There could be several things that allowed the ease of use, including just good luck, I don't know. But, I thought I'd post this idea here so that someone else who struggles with adjusting deck height may find that it works for them, too. If it works for someone else, give confirmation. I'll be using the tiller soon so I'll find out in short order if that deck will lock in the top position while the tiller is on. If I'm stuck back where it won't move again, I'm going to be really disappointed!
Tractor Gal
Today, I MAY have found the solution. The operative word is "MAY." It was time to knock off a few weed tops before they seeded this Spring. With a beautiful day, I happily took my trusty little tractor out for that mowing task. I apparently had locked the mower deck into the Top position at last use and I couldn't get the deck height knob to turn from the Top position to a 3" position. I've had this problem before and it is very annoying. Either I couldn't get it locked into the Top position or I couldn't get it out of the Top position. Today, once again, I tried everything...lifting deck, rattling deck, asking it nicely to lower, etc...nothing worked. I was getting ready to give up but then, I found it.
I held the hydraulic lift lever until the 3 pt arms were all the way up. I had held it earlier but the deck was already at the top so I didn't keep it engaged. Lo and behold, when the arms were all the way up, the height knob turned with ease. I did several height adjustments and it worked wonderfully well every time. There could be several things that allowed the ease of use, including just good luck, I don't know. But, I thought I'd post this idea here so that someone else who struggles with adjusting deck height may find that it works for them, too. If it works for someone else, give confirmation. I'll be using the tiller soon so I'll find out in short order if that deck will lock in the top position while the tiller is on. If I'm stuck back where it won't move again, I'm going to be really disappointed!
Tractor Gal

