Not a fan of a zero turn

[Supa Dexta]

I was mowing near the ocean with my regular JD lawn tractor earlier this yr, and nosing up to the edge of about a 10' cliff. I stopped and went to reverse, but it began to creep fwd and I panicked and tried to hit the reverse pedal and hit the gas. Launched that running mower right off the cliff to the water below. I bailed off, but it could have been a bad one. Had to walk home and get a loader tractor to go retrieve it. :lol:

 

[jltrent]

A lot of people are getting 0-turns and that is making some good deals on buying a good tractor style. I bought a Deere 325 garden tractor style, Kawasaki engine with a 54' deck and it cuts pretty darn steep, for a good deal I thought, with 325 hrs.

Those are good mowers. I have a GT 235 with the 54" deck. I just bought a 325 just like yours that did run for 500$. Turns out there might be more wrong than I thought I think the gear on the camshaft is striped.

I know the early 345 water cooled Deeres had a plastic camshaft gear that was bad to strip. I don't believe the 325s air cooled deeres had that gear. I do know the later 325 twin cylinder Deere model like mine had several upgrades the earlier one didn't have that I believe is a pretty good improvement.

 

[greybeard]

I was mowing near the ocean with my regular JD lawn tractor earlier this yr, and nosing up to the edge of about a 10' cliff. I stopped and went to reverse, but it began to creep fwd and I panicked and tried to hit the reverse pedal and hit the gas. Launched that running mower right off the cliff to the water below. I bailed off, but it could have been a bad one. Had to walk home and get a loader tractor to go retrieve it. :lol:

Video?

Dang, that sounds a bit exciting for sure--was beer involved?

 

[pricefarm]

A lot of people are getting 0-turns and that is making some good deals on buying a good tractor style. I bought a Deere 325 garden tractor style, Kawasaki engine with a 54' deck and it cuts pretty darn steep, for a good deal I thought, with 325 hrs.

Those are good mowers. I have a GT 235 with the 54" deck. I just bought a 325 just like yours that did run for 500$. Turns out there might be more wrong than I thought I think the gear on the camshaft is striped.

I know the early 345 water cooled Deeres had a plastic camshaft gear that was bad to strip. I don't believe the 325s air cooled deeres had that gear. I do know the later 325 twin cylinder Deere model like mine had several upgrades the earlier one didn't have that I believe is a pretty good improvement.

Yes mine in the water cooled engine. One of the earlier ones. Wonder why in the world they used a plastic gear?

 

[jltrent]

Those are good mowers. I have a GT 235 with the 54" deck. I just bought a 325 just like yours that did run for 500$. Turns out there might be more wrong than I thought I think the gear on the camshaft is striped.

I know the early 345 water cooled Deeres had a plastic camshaft gear that was bad to strip. I don't believe the 325s air cooled deeres had that gear. I do know the later 325 twin cylinder Deere model like mine had several upgrades the earlier one didn't have that I believe is a pretty good improvement.

Yes mine in the water cooled engine. One of the earlier ones. Wonder why in the world they used a plastic gear?

They sold just as good with a plastic gear as they would with a steel gear...company greed and to heck with the consumer. I know this is getting off topic and messing up BIG FOOTS thread.........

http://www.mytractorforum.com/215-john- ... ement.html

 

[hurleyjd]

I know the early 345 water cooled Deeres had a plastic camshaft gear that was bad to strip. I don't believe the 325s air cooled deeres had that gear. I do know the later 325 twin cylinder Deere model like mine had several upgrades the earlier one didn't have that I believe is a pretty good improvement.

Yes mine in the water cooled engine. One of the earlier ones. Wonder why in the world they used a plastic gear?

They sold just as good with a plastic gear as they would with a steel gear...company greed and to heck with the consumer. I know this is getting off topic and messing up BIG FOOTS thread.........

http://www.mytractorforum.com/215-john- ... ement.html

Are you guys thinking about the plastic governor gear and not the camshaft gear,

 

[TexasBred]

I bought one a few days ago. Never really thought I'd like one(tried not to let that influence me). Feel like I'm laying down to drive it. It's terrible on banks. I've got one, I guess it's just not going to be able to mow it. First failed attempt, I slid off. The second, I thought if I had some more momentum, I'd make it. You couldn't have drove a knitting needle up my butt with a framing hammer when I slid off that time. It's mine now, so I guess I'll have to use it.

Hope you get use to it. Very fast and easy once you get use to it. Not all that good on slopes and keep this in mind. If you decide to get off and take a leak...do not allow either of the wheels to get in that wet spot are you are STUCK. :lol2:

 

[jltrent]

I bought one a few days ago. Never really thought I'd like one(tried not to let that influence me). Feel like I'm laying down to drive it. It's terrible on banks. I've got one, I guess it's just not going to be able to mow it. First failed attempt, I slid off. The second, I thought if I had some more momentum, I'd make it. You couldn't have drove a knitting needle up my butt with a framing hammer when I slid off that time. It's mine now, so I guess I'll have to use it.

Hope you get use to it. Very fast and easy once you get use to it. Not all that good on slopes and keep this in mind. If you decide to get off and take a leak...do not allow either of the wheels to get in that wet spot are you are STUCK. :lol2:

:lol:

 

[Ky hills]

I bought one a few days ago. Never really thought I'd like one(tried not to let that influence me). Feel like I'm laying down to drive it. It's terrible on banks. I've got one, I guess it's just not going to be able to mow it. First failed attempt, I slid off. The second, I thought if I had some more momentum, I'd make it. You couldn't have drove a knitting needle up my butt with a framing hammer when I slid off that time. It's mine now, so I guess I'll have to use it.

I didn't think that I would like them either, but finally decided to get one, as it took me 5-6 hours to mow and that length of time bouncing around on a mower was getting harder on my head due to inner ear condition. Have had a zero turn for goin on 4 years. It isn't real good on steep places but I take it slow and if it slips just ride it out. I used my old lawn tractor on our ditch line by the road which is really sloped, until this year. It wouldn't start, so rather than get a new battery I tried the zero turn on it. It is a little hairy in a couple places but I just crawl along and hope for the best. The worst times I have had are when the roll bar even when down hooks on to something, and it rears up.

 

[herofan]

My tractor style mower bit the dust, so my brother gave me his old zero turn. I couldn't turn that down.

I discovered, however, that they are not the best for lawns with right places, hills, and a lot of nooks and crannies. I can see where they would be awesome for a mostly level lawn, but not mine.

 

[tdc_cattle]

I hate getting my yard mowed in half the time.

 

[Bigfoot]

This is our day to mow, but the kids have some kids Jd of trash for cash project to do with school, so I'll have to mow. Maybe it'll grow on me.

 

[greybeard]

I hate getting my yard mowed in half the time.

I hate getting just half my yard mowed in that same amount of time...

 

[Ky cowboy]

Ive got a Dixie chopper and it won't hold a bank very well. But my dad has a cheap cub zero turn with the steering wheel and it will go anywhere. I know of several people who have the steering wheel zero turns and all love them, I think they only have 1 pump and it runs smoother and will not slide. I know he miss some very steep ditches and banks and it does great.

 

[hurleyjd]

How about this zero turn.

https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/super-104

 

[Texasmark]

I bought one a few days ago. Never really thought I'd like one(tried not to let that influence me). Feel like I'm laying down to drive it. It's terrible on banks. I've got one, I guess it's just not going to be able to mow it. First failed attempt, I slid off. The second, I thought if I had some more momentum, I'd make it. You couldn't have drove a knitting needle up my butt with a framing hammer when I slid off that time. It's mine now, so I guess I'll have to use it.

ZTs around my farm are too heavy for mowing what you describe in a lot of instances, weighing in at the 1000# area. Studded ATV snow tires are out there with individual studs. I put a set on one of my ZTs for mowing around my pond banks which run up to 30 degrees in some spots where I have room to run. I started out with OEM turfs and upgraded to bar-lug. They worked better but still slid when I needed it the least. Chunked them and went to studded snow tires. The individual stud works best for 2 reasons: More pounds per square inch of ground pressure which helps penetration into the turf and isolated support points which are like spikes on the bottom of golf shoes, baseball shoes, and football cleats. Yeah bar-lugs (R1s) work fine for a plowing tractor, but you aren't going to be plowing a 30 degree slope, I wouldn't think. I wouldn't be doing it.

The preferred method for me with the ZT is up the bank where it's the steepest and down where it's not. Going up, the tire is pushing into the weight of the machine improving traction. Coming down you are attempting to lift the weight of the machine and hold it up the slope. As a result you have to come slow so that you don't initiate a skid in the first place. For the area where I don't have room, aka a tree line is right at the bottom of the dam so I can't go up and down, I have a 46" standard riding mower which weighs about 500# with them on the front and rear; front for steering on the slope. It's much lighter and I sit erect on the side of the seat on the uphill side. Works fine for me.

On the tilting back, if you install some springs under the rear of the seat you not only will sit more erect, your ride will be greatly enhanced....I have 3 ZTs currently (Hustler Fastrak, DR, and Ferris) and none came with springs under the seat.....big mistake. Smoothest riding spring I have found is used on Cub Cadet and Toro or Troy, (forget which) riders. Just go to a www search engine and type in 732-05182A. Price about $6 ea. Add a couple of those to reduced tire pressures below 10 psig (I run around 5-7) for a super ride.

I've spent several years and a fair amount of money perfecting the mowing of my steep slopes and rough pastures. I'm over 75 and just don't feel that I have to put up with the bouncing around like I did when I was younger. I can take and post pictures for a seriously interested response.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

This is our day to mow, but the kids have some slow kids Jd of trash for cash project to do with school, so I'll have to mow. Maybe it'll grow on me.

First time I mowed with ours I hated it,,came in ate lunch and went back to mowing like a pro...I slowed my jimmy arms down. And got better...

 

[ga.prime]

How about this zero turn.

https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/super-104

Send me $25,000, Ill throw in the rest and get one and test it out. Let you know if it's any good or not.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

How about this zero turn.

https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/super-104

THAT is a very cool mower.

 

[Askme42]

How about this zero turn.

https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/super-104

Not enough hp for that big of a deck.