old_nodaker
05-27-2006, 11:31 AM
but were afraid to ask.
I just bought one from a couple I work with. They'd had it sitting in their garage for 4 years, from the wife's deceased father. Not sure of the year, serial number seems to be missing, but around 12 years old. Doesn't have some of the features of the newer ones, like the flip up deck. Hour meter isn't working, shows 299 hours. It had mice problems when they got it so don't know if that caused it or if it's an older problem, but I'd guess it has a lot more.
This one has a 16 Kohler magnum engine. Runs well and has enough power, but the new ones now get into the 27 horse range.
Few things I don't like about it, (after four hours of use.) For the price they get new, I would expect it to have lights, a actual brake, not dependent on the transmission to stop and hold it (it creeps.) A method of raising the deck other than getting off and lifting it up manually, a better seat. Most of this stuff they have available as "options." They sell a plastic ramp that stores on the deck. Need to climb a curb....place ramp by curb, drive up, replace ramp.
It's noisy!!! Have to wear ear muffs. The blades are driven by gear boxes as shown in the picture. More on that later.
They have a different steering system than other zero turns. The handle on the right of the seat controls forward and works as a cruise control. The two steering handles are used only for turning or reverse, and you have to pull back on them, i.e. left turn, pull back on left lever, never forward on right lever. Takes some getting use to if you've used the other type. Advantages supposedly, you don't have to have hands on all the time. In other words, if you're mowing in a straight line, push the cruise control lever ahead, relax and drink your Pepsi, assuming it's all adjusted so it goes straight of course, this one veers slowly to the right some, maybe needs more air in the tire.
Best parts - They are well balanced, most of the weight is on the driving wheels. In fact, with the deck hooked upin the raised position, I can raise the back off the ground by leaning forward in the seat. Great traction, and also I had no trouble side hilling. Also they have an option for a tail wheel lock.
It does a great job of mowing. As mentioned, the blades are gear driven which allows for timed blades. They therefore overlap 2 inches. The blades themselves have a weird setup. Visualize a cereal bowl on the top of the blade, with a center hole for the spindle, but then hole on each side of that for a small bolt. The cereal bowl is splined to the spindle for the timing bit, and the small bolts are shear pins in case you hit a solid object. In which case, you'd better get it shut down quick or now the blades are going to smash into each other. Ask me how I know this :fing20: You also then run the risk of busting a gear box. They're only $170 for the cast aluminum ones, $250 for a cast iron one. I'd replaced one that was getting noisy, hoping it would quiet the deck down. It didn't. Niffty that the body lifts up for easy access to the inner workings. I don't like the fact that it takes 5 v belts though, 3 sets with 2 of them being doubles, but they appear to be standard gates belts.
These mowers are touted mainly for commercial mowers. They are very low/compact and of course maneuverable. They have a great grass collection system with the rear discharge deck and also they counter rotate the blades, which of course requires opposite hand blades. Mine is just the side discharge, 3 blade 54", no grass collection. Instead it came with the niffty box on the back. I paid a $1,000 for it, planning on using it mainly around buildings and trees. Not sure yet if I'll keep it. Really need to be able to raise the deck on the go and it's really designed to be a finish mower, which most of my area's aren't.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270002.jpg
I just bought one from a couple I work with. They'd had it sitting in their garage for 4 years, from the wife's deceased father. Not sure of the year, serial number seems to be missing, but around 12 years old. Doesn't have some of the features of the newer ones, like the flip up deck. Hour meter isn't working, shows 299 hours. It had mice problems when they got it so don't know if that caused it or if it's an older problem, but I'd guess it has a lot more.
This one has a 16 Kohler magnum engine. Runs well and has enough power, but the new ones now get into the 27 horse range.
Few things I don't like about it, (after four hours of use.) For the price they get new, I would expect it to have lights, a actual brake, not dependent on the transmission to stop and hold it (it creeps.) A method of raising the deck other than getting off and lifting it up manually, a better seat. Most of this stuff they have available as "options." They sell a plastic ramp that stores on the deck. Need to climb a curb....place ramp by curb, drive up, replace ramp.
It's noisy!!! Have to wear ear muffs. The blades are driven by gear boxes as shown in the picture. More on that later.
They have a different steering system than other zero turns. The handle on the right of the seat controls forward and works as a cruise control. The two steering handles are used only for turning or reverse, and you have to pull back on them, i.e. left turn, pull back on left lever, never forward on right lever. Takes some getting use to if you've used the other type. Advantages supposedly, you don't have to have hands on all the time. In other words, if you're mowing in a straight line, push the cruise control lever ahead, relax and drink your Pepsi, assuming it's all adjusted so it goes straight of course, this one veers slowly to the right some, maybe needs more air in the tire.
Best parts - They are well balanced, most of the weight is on the driving wheels. In fact, with the deck hooked upin the raised position, I can raise the back off the ground by leaning forward in the seat. Great traction, and also I had no trouble side hilling. Also they have an option for a tail wheel lock.
It does a great job of mowing. As mentioned, the blades are gear driven which allows for timed blades. They therefore overlap 2 inches. The blades themselves have a weird setup. Visualize a cereal bowl on the top of the blade, with a center hole for the spindle, but then hole on each side of that for a small bolt. The cereal bowl is splined to the spindle for the timing bit, and the small bolts are shear pins in case you hit a solid object. In which case, you'd better get it shut down quick or now the blades are going to smash into each other. Ask me how I know this :fing20: You also then run the risk of busting a gear box. They're only $170 for the cast aluminum ones, $250 for a cast iron one. I'd replaced one that was getting noisy, hoping it would quiet the deck down. It didn't. Niffty that the body lifts up for easy access to the inner workings. I don't like the fact that it takes 5 v belts though, 3 sets with 2 of them being doubles, but they appear to be standard gates belts.
These mowers are touted mainly for commercial mowers. They are very low/compact and of course maneuverable. They have a great grass collection system with the rear discharge deck and also they counter rotate the blades, which of course requires opposite hand blades. Mine is just the side discharge, 3 blade 54", no grass collection. Instead it came with the niffty box on the back. I paid a $1,000 for it, planning on using it mainly around buildings and trees. Not sure yet if I'll keep it. Really need to be able to raise the deck on the go and it's really designed to be a finish mower, which most of my area's aren't.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/old_nodaker/P5270002.jpg