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TKV 20 (MCS 20) for new 2032R & 2038R or possible any

60K views 189 replies 30 participants last post by  Herminator 
#1 ·
I have been waiting for a material collection system since I bought my tractor. Tuesday I was able to order the TKV for mine. I really like the set up, no power flow to add, a big steel fan, everything in one item in one to hook up and the ability to run this independant of the deck. Should be hell on leaves and dried grass.

I say possibly any because it sure looks like the only thing required that would be custom would be the deck adapter.

Since it was just finished for both the 60” & 72” deck they have not updated their website with it on a Deere but I will post photos as soon as mine arrives.:good2:

For more information:

https://www.terraking.com/

https://www.superior-tech.com/material-collection-systems.html
 
#4 ·
I have the MCS 20 on my 1025r. This setup replaced my GT 235/Cyclone Rake setup which I liked very much. A few thoughts after owning one for 4-5 months.

The MCS 20 unit itself is awesome. It is very well thought out on function and very well made. Most of it is stainless steel. The push button dump works very well.

As for the powerflow head... This is without question my biggest frustration. My system is setup on a 1025r with a 54" mower deck and Oregon blades. My experience tells me, the powerflow head will not work with a 72" deck because it can't handle the volume of clippings coming out of it. If I go on vacation or get busy and miss a scheduled mow day, where the grass is a bit longer and thicker, the powerflow head clogs easily. It simply cannot handle the extra volume on a 54" deck, much less a 72" deck. I would imagine a 60" deck is pushing it to it's limit.

Overall, I am very happy with the setup. The fact that it connects to the quickhitch in seconds is very efficient. I set my unit up myself including the wiring harness that connects to factory plugs. I would buy it again if it was on a 54" or smaller deck. I would have to really think about it on a 60" or larger deck.

Just my opinion. TIFWIW
 
#6 ·
I have the MCS 20 on my 1025r. This setup replaced my GT 235/Cyclone Rake setup which I liked very much. A few thoughts after owning one for 4-5 months.

The MCS 20 unit itself is awesome. It is very well thought out on function and very well made. Most of it is stainless steel. The push button dump works very well.

As for the powerflow head... This is without question my biggest frustration. My system is setup on a 1025r with a 54" mower deck and Oregon blades. My experience tells me, the powerflow head will not work with a 72" deck because it can't handle the volume of clippings coming out of it. If I go on vacation or get busy and miss a scheduled mow day, where the grass is a bit longer and thicker, the power flow head clogs easily. It simply cannot handle the extra volume on a 54" deck, much less a 72" deck. I would imagine a 60" deck is pushing it to it's limit.

Overall, I am very happy with the setup. The fact that it connects to the quickhitch in seconds is very efficient. I set my unit up myself including the wiring harness that connects to factory plugs. I would buy it again if it was on a 54" or smaller deck. I would have to really think about it on a 60" or larger deck.

Just my opinion. TIFWIW
Does it plug the chute in front of the fan, from the deck back to the impellers? Does the plastic tube fill and plug and the fan can't draw the lawn material through it?

Looking at the design, I would wonder if the clogging point would be where the deck adapter attaches and the near 90 degree angle occurs to blow the clippings into the tube? Can you see the clogging occurring in that area, or is it somewhere else in the system?

Like most collection systems, I would assume this is also pretty temperamental with wet grass as well for clogging, correct? Not just rain wet but even dew on the grass.

Perhaps the impeller diameter along with the tube diameter were increased to accommodate the larger deck sizes, which would make sense. I do know the MC Cart system with the deck driven blower really is a leaf chopping and collection monster, just as I would imagine this would be.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
TKV 20 (MCS 20) for new 2032R & 2038R or possible any

It appears the TKV20 from TerraKing only fits a Kubota BX series according to their website. I have the 14 bushel three bag MCS and those bags get heavy after about 10 dumps. I like the Superior tech MCS20, but having one powered off the rear PTO would be the cats meow. Having the old hydraulic dump setup from years past (or available in Europe) and the blower powered off the rear PTO would be even better.

EDIT: emailed the company and asked if the TerraKing would fit a 1025r. Here’s the response I got.

The TKV 20 is definitely compatible with the John Deere 1025R w/ 60" mid mount mower. We also manufacture a similar 20-bu MCS system as a licensed product for John Deere that uses your existing Power Flow blower to fill the hopper
 
#7 ·
It does also struggle a bit with wet grass. Depending on conditions, it can clog in front of the impeller and after it. The thickest part of my lawn, I have to slow down quite a bit or it will clog up.

I have a nice mature lawn that is pretty thick


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
Showed up this morning. Only had time to unload it and get to work. I will have more to report later.:good2:

I do not think there’s going to be a lot of plugging problems with an 8 inch hose and a 15” fan spinning at 3000rpm.:laugh:

Of course all I know right now is the packaging job was good.

:yahoo:
 

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#58 ·
That's a nice piece of equipment but I can't muster up the courage to spend the $4,200 to order one and have it delivered....... Maybe one day.....

Sincerely
 
#9 · (Edited)
Step 1 wiring

Ran the wiring for the actuator to dump it. Sorry for the number of photos but someone might find it handy. Some of them won’t really mean anything unless your doing it. The wiring kit supplied is nice. Step one is changing a fuse behind the left side engine panel. Then there are three wires to hook up on a terminal block under the cowl on the left side. There is a relay that can be held by a screw that is already there in a perfect spot. The wires then go across to the right side and run down diagonally behind the ecu. At the lower left there is a trough that angles down perfectly to the underside of the platform. Once I realized the cruise control wire starts where the new wire comes out of the trough and is routed and anchored along the frame right back to where i needed to go. I routed the new wire around the fuse box and back to where a bundle of wires goes through the fender behind the roll bar into the area under the side console. The direction say to go back around the fender and this would be fine but I had a pin tool for the connector and decided to add a hole and grommet right below the existing one. Then the wire for the actuator exits out the back by the rear svc lines.

Some oberservations.
1. The directions supplied are very good but I wish they were in color.
2. I was glad I had just washed it. I still had to blow out some area because there is not much room to work underneath and having dirt fall in my eyes would have made it worse.
3. I think the wire that runs from the junction block to the rear console could be 6”-12” longer. I don’t like rats nests but it would have been tight had I went around the fender instead of through it. There is plenty of room for any extra under both the cowl an the side console. I did leave some play in it cowl because I didn’t want it stretched tight and that probably played a part as well.
4. I do not like the connector used at the actuator end. It is the two flat blades, one vertical, one horizontal that has been used forever. I much prefer the watertight connectors they used for the switch connections under the side council. Probably because they actually come apart nice and it doesn't feel like your tearing your thumb nail off trying to release it.
I would rather have a short wire on the tractor side and a long one on the actuator but I suppose that is how the actuator is made. I have been wanting to put something like a 7 pin trailer hitch plug-in on the back of the tractor anyway and if I know me this will get tail lights on the back so I will change it anyway.
5. They supplied a switch that goes right into the empty slot on the console. I appreciate the factory look and location.

I will supply more photos of it mounted tomorrow. I did hook it up so I could cut the PTO shaft to length but no official photos until I get my quick hitch adapters and the deck chute attached. I only posted the one so it would show the wire to the actuator.

The deck chute is a kit straight from Deere and looks straight forward.

In hindsight I should have gotten the caster wheel kit. Might need to correct that one.
 

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#10 ·
Looks awesome, great pictures! I'm pretty excited to hear how that fan works, 1/4" steel PTO fan sounds insane. A few questions:

Do you think it will be easy to access the fan to clean it?

Are the bearings for the fan sealed on the inside where they will contact grass clippings?

Are the bearings for the fan greaseable?
 
#11 · (Edited)
I will do the chute tonight I hope. Well maybe not but i did get these photos’s. The pop can will give you an idea of the size of this blower and the top chute clean out is easily big enough to get into as well. I like the flip clamp for the hose, very quick and easily to remove without tools.

Easy to clean. Looks like the bearings are protected behind the open faced fan. The maintenance instructions only mention lubrication for the pto shaft so I will say they are sealed.

I don’t know how long this is going on but I was happy to see the warranty doubled for registering it. It is one year now for residential and I am not opposed to 2 years.:good2:
 

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#12 · (Edited)
Tonight I squeezed in doing the easy part. I put on the quick hitch bushings and the deck chute and hose. The hose is much tougher than I expected.

I dropped the deck to a cut height of 3” and fired it up on it is own with out the deck running. There is a very strong draft, actually shockingly strong around the bottom of the deck on the chute side and when I held a Scott’s shop towel down by the edge at the far side of the deck it did suck it towards the chute not hard but impressive since it is 6’ away with a 3” gap around the bottom on a smooth floor.

In case anyone thinks I am affiliated with them in anyway, I am not.

I will take some photos tomorrow outside with it raised up and showing how it dumps. Plus can’t have to many shop pictures.:laugh:

They do recommend front end weights for the smaller tractors, I have them but empty it is not light up front at all but of course it has the deck on it. :greentractorride:

Not surprising; They look so much better on a Green tractor.
 

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#14 ·
TKV 20 (MCS 20) for new 2032R & 2038R or possible any



I like the power flow I have with the MCS14. The bags get heavy after dumping them anywhere from 15-30 times and my wife can’t lift them. I’ve looked at the MCS20 with electric dump and the more times I lift the bags the cheaper that MCS20 looks.

Curious what you paid for the setup herminator. If you don’t mind sharing. I know my current setup was around $2300.


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#17 · (Edited)
The final product. Sorry for the delay, I was taking the photos yesterday and my wife mentioned maybe I should mow the lawn.:laugh:

Casters on the way:good2: It is easy to hook up as is but I realized when I was shortening the pto shaft it would be easier just to roll it back and forth. Especially after I saw the nice box blade “skates” posted.

Overall very happy with the design.:good2:
 

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#18 ·
That's pretty sweet:bigthumb:
 
#21 · (Edited)
Already on it but I get to do it my way.:laugh: I don’t think I want to clean that mess up.:laugh: For some reason this reminds me of when I shut off the silo blower before the pipe had emptied. My father was quite unhappy. It is a weird sound when the silage comes back down the pipe and stopped apparently quite tightly packed.

Last week I cut the pasture back to 6” and let it dry. Today I had my bride cut it at 5” to move the the dead grasses around and tomorrow I am going to clean it up. My wife doesn’t mow but she will do the pasture, some times she revs it up before she engages the deck some times she idles it down before shutting it off. Today on the second round I reminded her not to line up the center of the hood with the edge of the cut grass as then half of the deck is doing nothing. Obviously there was a lot of cut grass from last week and there is about a 50’ strip where it didn’t go under the deck but started rolling and sliding in front of it. She come back to the other end and said you might want to do something, when I looked up there it looked like a couple of hay bales. She had backed off the pile, had it went under the deck in a clump she would have crapped when that met the blades.:lol: Anyway she finished it up and I told her she was pretty and thank you. She always lets it cool off for a couple minutes before shutting it off and that’s all I ask.:good2:

Here is the photo of it before I cut it last week. There is a walking path that we keep at 3” each week.
 

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#22 · (Edited)
Tested it out today. Not sure how many dumps but probably 15-20. This was cut to 6” a week ago back to 5” yesterday and cut and vacuumed at 3” today. Started at 10”-18” depending on the area. Most of it was dry. The side with before/after photo was very heavy and filled it in 100’. The first two photos show a before and after strip, it cleans very effectively. In reality in this area I needed a silage wagon to fill.:flag_of_truce: Clogged it the first trip. Popped open the access door after the blower, easy to push through it didn’t clog the hose or the blower but did the chute at the deck. I was waiting for a pitch change, the pitch change is it goes quiet and I didn’t realize it. One other time I did partial clog it between the blower and the tank but I dumped and started the blower and it cleared immediately. A couple times I went back to work and said hey, I went pretty far, in the short areas I could make a round, when I turned I realized I forgot to shut the door.:laugh: When going through the grass it will actual be actively sucking the dead grass under the front of the deck about an 1” or 2 in front of it. Never had the problem of it piling up in front like my sweety did yesterday and it was set 2” lower. I did like that when dumping the whole bottom opens and it completely empties.

The two piles will give you an idea of a couple of dumps. We picked the broom corn today so it made a good space to dump.

So far so good.:good2:
 

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#24 · (Edited)
CP. looks better now because someone at Terra King saw my post. As a thank you they were kind enough to send me a set of casters that I had mentioned I wish I would have bought. They really do make it nice to move around and hook up.:good2:

I am beginning to rethink my impression of you easterners. :good2:
 

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#26 ·
Good customer service is correct. They made the fill sensor standard so a couple weeks ago it showed up free of charge.:good2:

I put a 7 pin connector on the tractor, well my package of Delphi weather tight connectors showed up today so I can finish it tonight. I wired everything into that and added lights on the rear. I run it on the road sometimes and I like to be seen plus I like lights.

I left on the delphi connector for the fill sensor and the 2 blade connector for the actuator though in case I would need to replace one of them up the street and so the standard wiring they provide would still work.
 

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#27 ·
Looks very well made and the lights look perfect.
I miss having a material collection system, I had a MC519 when I used to own a 345 Garden tractor.
What is the ballpark cost for those lucky enough to own the suitable sized tractor?
 
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#28 ·
This is very close to the price of a MCS-20 for a 1025R when you add up the unit, the chute kit, electrical kit and power flow on that. Both are in the $3,500 range, but there is shipping, but there is no taxes so it is basically a wash in state or out with that figured in.
 
#29 · (Edited)
We have hardly had any leaves drop both enough to use it this weekend. I mowed both places and another 2 acres for about an hour and 45 minutes. I thought it would slow me up more than it did but I was surprised at the hour 45 because usually it takes me an hour and a half anyway. I ended up dumping it 8 times. 4 a mix of grass and leaves, 4 just grass.

It works great and even with fresh wet grass it dumped thoroughly and did not have it clinging everywhere in it. Sorry no photos but yes it did happen. Well ok, one photo but it is not a great one, it was cold.

It did a good job picking up which made me happy. It is loud, very loud if you run it wide open but the fan spins 3000 so you can cut back on the throttle and it still does well. I did run it wide open and when I went through the pasture which was 6-8” tall and cut it back to 3” and you could tell it was working but I will say it left nothing behind and never plugged. I was running wide open full pedal in low which is 6mph. I never had to back off it. The fill alarm works well with only a few false alarms but you get an idea quickly of which are false because it gets quieter as it fills. Of course when you cutting 5” of grass at 6mph with a 72”deck it is like a silage chopper so I think just the volume of clippings going by the sensor fooled it.

I did not need to add any weight but when I came up out of the ditch you could tell the front wheels were a bit light but they never picked up even loaded with mostly grass. If i had a loader and removed it just the rear cast iron supports would have made a difference. I thought perhaps this would make the engine work a little, nope, it couldn’t care less.
 

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#31 ·
I recently purchased a John Deere 1025R with the MCS 20 that uses the John Deere powerflo. I really like the idea of the PTO driven blower in place of the Powerflo does anyone have experience with both and can they tell me if one is better than the other? Does anyone know if TKV has an option to buy the blower and add it to the MCS 20 I already have?
 
#32 ·
I don’t but I know they see the forum so they might answer or call them. We have a ton of leaves come down today in the wind and rain so I will put it to use this week. I used it last weekend and found I could run it half throttle and it worked excellent on the leaves and the fill alarm was spot on.:good2:
 
#33 · (Edited)
First official leaf collection of the season. Took half a day today to paint and started leaves at 5:30. Factory Led light kit is fantastic and so was the TKV. Ran it at 1600 rpm and it did a good job. It does do better wide open but I have about 5-6 more times to do it so I wasn’t to worried about every spec. It cut my time in half because it just rides along picking them up which the gator doesn’t like but my wife does. It also works well for leaves in the mulch, if I raise it to 3.5” - 4” it removes the leaves and doesn’t remove the wood chips. Perhaps a few but not like the leaf blower. We just have to blow them over a little and then it is tractor time.

I have no idea why one photo flipped but before anyone asks, No I didn’t just dump them off the lawn.:laugh:

I did appreciate that they emailed me this afternoon to see how it was working and if there was anything I needed. That is rare now a days and it feels good to buy American where someone can check on their customers.
 

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#34 ·
Thanks for sharing all this wonderful information Herminator! As you know, I was in contact with them and received a quote for the same unit for my same 2038R tractor. OUCH on the price, but WOW on the results! It is definitely on my list of future purchases as I do like to have a well-manicured lawn!

Sincerely
 
#35 ·
The only damn bright spot of my day or thing that didn’t give me problems was doing leaves.

Well that and my bride.
 

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