zero turn question

[JDH]

i just bought a new zero turn mower (gravely)and tried to mow my ditch in front of my house. One wheel spins and wont go. Can i add weight or put water in the rear tires to help?

 

[G. L. Grumpy]

I've heard, don't really know, that those rigs can loose traction on one side and other side will still drive you, but make you turn when you don't want to. Example, run along in wet soft area of yard and one wheel hits muddy area, the other doesn't and drives you right over farther into mudd! Then your stuck! I also believe that some lighter rigs have one drive motor, not one on each wheel and is not locked to both wheels that way. I'll keep my tractors, heh!

 

[IH2444]

Why do you think they call them zero turn?

 

[Anonymous-0]

What does your owner's manual say about ballast?

That is one downfall of a zero-turn is that you are trying to steer with the same wheels you are pushing the mower with. If one slips, you don't have any control.

We have one landscape contractor as customer who bought the top line Husqvarna tractor style mower to use on banks and soft areas and he uses his old zero turn for the wide open areas.

My advice is to use your old tractor mower for that ditch and use the zero-turn for what it was designed to do and can do well.

 

[Anonymous-0]

both of my neighbors have zero turn mowers and i have pulled them both out of the ditch several times. one neighbor even put his into the pond one day i have a kubota bx-24 4wd with a 60inch mower way more useful than a zero turn.

 

[Anonymous-0]

In addition to what others have said, below, there is a setting you can change, on the front end, to go from a floating front frame, to a rigid frame, generally accomplished, by pulling 1 or 2 pins, on the front axle(s). A rigid front frame works better on hills, up to the point of no return. Once you reach that point, you are going to slide till you hit bottom, or stick a wheel in mud, and bottom it that way. Also, if you know you are close to the PONR, you want to aproach with very little speed, and do not pull the levers backward, to brake, if you do, you will slide down that hill!

 

[Anonymous-0]

What everyone is telling you is correct. I run a lawn maintenance company in Wisconsin and own 252 and 260 gravelys. We run ours rigid all the time. There is also a learing curve on the handling. I can cut about any thing now but took me one summer to learn how to approach and cut some obsticles. That's with spendings hundreds of hours on one in a summer. I still run some john deere lawn tractors though. They are easier for new hires and certain small yards.

 

[JDH]

I have read the owner's manual and it doesn't mention ballast. Like I said this is my first ztr mower. I am going from a JD318 to this. I am not a contractor, just a homeowner that thought I made the right decision. Maybe a bagger would help on the back to add a little weight also. The gravely has a rigid front axle and a rigid deck with the pedal to raise/lower it.

 

[Jiles]

(quoted from post at 03:54:45 03/20/11) both of my neighbors have zero turn mowers and i have pulled them both out of the ditch several times. one neighbor even put his into the pond one day i have a kubota bx-24 4wd with a 60inch mower way more useful than a zero turn.

I bought a new Kubota zero turn mower last year---No one told me about problems with mowing on inclines. It had the worst traction of any lawnmower I have ever owned. Forget backing up an incline. I had to mow a large part of my property with my old WheelHorse lawnmower.
I sold it, and took the loss---expensive lesson learned

 

[dixon boy]

yes they can be used on slopes to some degree, all models have a different feel and balance so are operator different in feel. the spinnin tire you talk about is on the top side correct, you simply are pushing the lever on that side more than needs to be,let the bottom side wheel hold you up,its just a learnig curve. also rear tire selection makes a hugh difference and air pressure .

 

[dixon boy]

you comment on don't really know is correct,you don't know. I work on them daily in my business and sell new units. the kind of tranny you talk about one wheel pull and one doesn't thats in your tractor that your keeping you said. some of the tractors have differential lock and some do not thats the only tme they are both pulling all the time,other wise your tractor would not turn very well when you turn the steering wheel. all zero turn units have drives to each tire at all times, it is just up to you as to how much drive you put to each tire through the steering lever. tire selection, even tire air pressure and balance all make them handle correctly.

 

[JT]

You did not mention shat model Gravely you bought. they have the heavy commercial ones that will mow ANY hill side that a garen tractor will and then there is the light consumer versions that at best left on flat ground. I have mowed some pretty steep hills with it and never have issues with slippage. As for weight, put wheel weights on it, that will help. Gravelys do sit kinda high, so they are a little top heavy compared to a Toro, Exmark, Ferris, Snapper, Hustler, etc.