Riding Mower
- Thread starter tvgordon
- Start date
Seth, I had looked at Grasshoppers a few years ago. The dealer was primarily a Ferris dealer. i was interested in the Ferris for its oscillating deck feature. He just happened to have a GH in the showroom. I don't know if it was top of line or bottom. The ferris just seemed to have too many moving parts and I wanted something that looked a lot more durable. There was a Skag dealer who i had been dealing with, but he was moving out. I was mainly looking for a good service department. As it turned out, the Skag dealer who was moving away sold the biz to his head mechanic. From that point i have never really looked seriously at any other brand. "If John don't sell/fix it, I don't buy it," has been my motto ever since.
Your Gh does looks like a serious play toy [blink]. If it takes care of the snow in your yard, it has to be a real serious play toy. Do you have to plow off in stages, like take off the top 3 feet and then work your way down to the serious sno? [wink] What do you tow with the hitch? A yard of sand? In the pic, it looks like a 1-1/4" ball which means hard working. When my guy (John does everything) fabricated a cart for my Skag, he made it with swiveling casters with solid mount (bolt on clips) to frame of the mower with sort of a hinge type pivot for oscilation up and down. It gave me more stability on hillsides. It required close attention to where the back was going, as i am sure you know from running your front deck mower. You can get into a peck of problems if you forget about the back swing. The front mount is great for working around trees and beds. With the Walker I had, the geometry was such that if i trimmed around anything, those back wheels would clear on the swings around beds on the inside of the turns. NOT SO with the outside of a turn. don't bother asking how I know. [scared]
I eventually gave the cart to my son. i don't know what he actually did with it. probably just used the iron for fabricating something else.
Tinker
Your Gh does looks like a serious play toy [blink]. If it takes care of the snow in your yard, it has to be a real serious play toy. Do you have to plow off in stages, like take off the top 3 feet and then work your way down to the serious sno? [wink] What do you tow with the hitch? A yard of sand? In the pic, it looks like a 1-1/4" ball which means hard working. When my guy (John does everything) fabricated a cart for my Skag, he made it with swiveling casters with solid mount (bolt on clips) to frame of the mower with sort of a hinge type pivot for oscilation up and down. It gave me more stability on hillsides. It required close attention to where the back was going, as i am sure you know from running your front deck mower. You can get into a peck of problems if you forget about the back swing. The front mount is great for working around trees and beds. With the Walker I had, the geometry was such that if i trimmed around anything, those back wheels would clear on the swings around beds on the inside of the turns. NOT SO with the outside of a turn. don't bother asking how I know. [scared]
I eventually gave the cart to my son. i don't know what he actually did with it. probably just used the iron for fabricating something else.
Tinker
festooltim
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Zero turn with a joystick control is what I have. Buy my beer in bottles then I can drive with one hand and hold the beer with the other. Then just keep your thumb over the top to prevent splashing or dust and grass clippings from getting in.
jonny round boy
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festooltim said:
Or, just don't let the bottle leave your lips until it's empty! [thumbs up]
jimmylittle
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I live in New York City, so have little use for any mower, let alone a rider! But, growing up in semi-rural Virginia, my dad always had John Deere mowers. We had one he bought in 1985 to mow our 2 acre yard, then in 2001 he bought another, slightly bigger one. Both are still in use today. The '85 (which is 29 years old!!) has the snow plow on it and only comes out to play in the winter, and the "new" one that's only 13 years old has the mower deck and trailer hitch on it.
Dad uses it to not only mow and bag the 2 acres, but drag a trailer into the woods and get firewood, haul clippings to the compost pile, and just about everything else. Those things run forever!
Dad uses it to not only mow and bag the 2 acres, but drag a trailer into the woods and get firewood, haul clippings to the compost pile, and just about everything else. Those things run forever!
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Tinker said:
When I have to plow in stages I switch to hover mode [laughing]
Actually it moves a surprisingly large amount of snow. Blade is five feet wide. Chains combined with the weight of the machine make quite a difference compared to some set ups on lawn equipment.
I haven't had too much trouble with the back sliding down hill. Generally if a hill is steep I don't go across anyway, I go up and down. As far as watching the back end hitting things while swinging .......... yeah gotta' watch that. This is set up so that if the deck will clear what is in front so will the back when it comes around (without the drawbar sticking out), say when doing a 180. One of the things I like is that the operator seat / position is actually in the center of the machine fore and aft. So when you zero turn you are sitting at the center point. I have found this not to be true with the midmounts that I have been on.
The hitch is an aftermarket 2" receiver that is nicely designed so that the hitch mounting plate sandwiches between the rear frame and tail wheel mounting plate. Grasshopper makes a hitch but it is different and primarily for their tow behind collector. Having the 2" receiver means I can put a whole range of 2" hitch items in. Such as hooks, drawbar, 2" ball, receiver mount winch, etc. I don't really tow very much. I plan to get a trailer at some point. But it is handy with the clevis in case I get the Grasshopper stuck or the truck gets stuck. I used it pull the truck off a sheet of ice in the driveway a couple times. Pulled few big tree limbs with it.
Seth
I went walking around the yard yesterday, and I think the only advantage the zero turn would have is the ability to mow around the trees. There's not hardly any space where I would be able to get any speed out of it before I would have to go around a tree, bush, stump, rock or something else.
And I didn't decide that $3000 is all I wanted to spend, it's all I have to spend. With making payments, utilities, insurance and taxes on two houses I'm about tapped out. It will get better when the house sells. Of course it doesn't help that sometime in the last couple days someone broke in and stole all the copper pipe and the stove out of the house. The insurance deductible is $1000 that I hadn't planned on spending. [mad] [mad]
I'm going to look around for a used John Deere but if my budget keeps dropping I get stuck with a MTD something.
Tom
And I didn't decide that $3000 is all I wanted to spend, it's all I have to spend. With making payments, utilities, insurance and taxes on two houses I'm about tapped out. It will get better when the house sells. Of course it doesn't help that sometime in the last couple days someone broke in and stole all the copper pipe and the stove out of the house. The insurance deductible is $1000 that I hadn't planned on spending. [mad] [mad]
I'm going to look around for a used John Deere but if my budget keeps dropping I get stuck with a MTD something.
Tom
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That stinks about the copper theft.
Good luck on the mower. Hope the thread didn't veer too far outside your question.
When the time is right .......... something to note about the zero turns is that it isn't just travel speed / mowing speed. They also save a lot of time going around things because of the nearly instant and "multi directional" maneuverability.
Have fun with your new property [smile]
Seth
Good luck on the mower. Hope the thread didn't veer too far outside your question.
When the time is right .......... something to note about the zero turns is that it isn't just travel speed / mowing speed. They also save a lot of time going around things because of the nearly instant and "multi directional" maneuverability.
Have fun with your new property [smile]
Seth
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Sorry to hear about the pilferage.
As Seth said, zero turns save much time wasted in maneuvering with "traditional" steering systems. I have had one of those big box John Deere Z225's that cut my time in half or more versus using a conventional riding mower. Mine was made by John Deere and had heavier front spindles versus the MTD's.
Peter
As Seth said, zero turns save much time wasted in maneuvering with "traditional" steering systems. I have had one of those big box John Deere Z225's that cut my time in half or more versus using a conventional riding mower. Mine was made by John Deere and had heavier front spindles versus the MTD's.
Peter
I'm still considering a zero turn, but while at Home Depot I noticed they had the D170 mower on clearance for $2277. That's over $500 off list on John Deere's site and what Lowe's sells them for. Might be a decent deal with a 54" deck and 26 hp.
Also, for several hundred more, is the Snapper NXT mower. Fuel injection engine and I would be buying from a dealer that also services them.
But I haven't given up looking for a low hour clean used mower.
Tom
Also, for several hundred more, is the Snapper NXT mower. Fuel injection engine and I would be buying from a dealer that also services them.
But I haven't given up looking for a low hour clean used mower.
Tom
tvgordon said:
It would be a lower end price for that model. I would consider the hours by what you would lose. If you run it 3 hours a week for 25 weeks, you would log 75 hours a year. So 1500 hours would take you 20 years to accumulate. Then again, you can't always trust an hour meter. They can be disconnected. The condition will tell the story. The machine has to show wear from use. Check for a rotted deck, loose pins, oil leaks, worn tires, and see if you notice any signs of repairs that put it out of original condition.
Did you check Tractorhouse.com. Find the riding mower link near the lower right side. It is loaded with all types for comparison.
Kevin
If the GH is as good and strong as Seth reports, 1500 hrs is not much if the machine has had good maintenance. My big mower has had probably average maintenance to good. the abuse in usage has been about as heavy as any mower might receive. I have over 3500 hrs with the machine (29 horses) part of the rig, a new deck along the way, a new universal (on driveshaft) and a couple of sessions with the welder on the mower deck. I would have traded it in except i am sort of winding down my business. The rig will surely last a few more years until I turn 40 :
Some mowers can be shot within 4 or 5 years with far less work but less maintenance to go along with lower use demands. If the mower is underpowered, it could be that 1500 hrs is its limit.
Tinker
Some mowers can be shot within 4 or 5 years with far less work but less maintenance to go along with lower use demands. If the mower is underpowered, it could be that 1500 hrs is its limit.
Tinker
Yes Kevin I've been on tractorhouse several times. I've saw what looked a good deal on a Kubota zero turn and John Deere four wheel steer models. Plus some JD two steer models. Most of the mowers that are only a few years old with low hours aren't a lot cheaper than new, but there are a few good finds. It took me a couple times to find the location filter so I was looking at mowers out west. I still didn't find the JD zero turn that you suggested.
Tom
Tom
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That price on the 721D is in line with what it should be for that number of hours assuming it doesn't have some real problem. That will / should have a 21HP, Kubota diesel engine. Find the year. See if the seller has maintenance records, find out where it was purchased, etc. They are known to be good for around double that in hours. Try to find out if the hydros have been rebuilt. It has a bunch of grease fittings . Try to get the manual for the machine and the deck, they are separate.
The seat flips forward so that you can look at all the transmission workings, fans and belts. Oil dipstick is on the lower left side of the engine near the battery box. Transmission dipstick is under the seat in the top of the reservoir. Should be a little window in the side of the engine cover to peak at the coolant level. Look at everything. See how much slop is in the steering levers, they will probably have a little slack movement before they engage unless the linkage has been replaced (about $120 or so to have that done). You can inspect the deck by having the owner fold it for you. The GH front mount decks flip up to the vertical position for cleaning / storage / maintenance. If it is more 10+ years old the deck might not be the fold up type. Turn the PTO (deck) on and off a few times. It should engage quickly. Listen for a squeal/ screech. That could mean bad PTO belts or that the PTO clutch is going. I think the clutch is a couple hundred for the part. If it hasn't warmed up you will probably need about 1/2 + on the throttle to prevent a stall when you engage it.
Run it up to full throttle see how smooth it sounds. When you test drive it keep it at about 1/3 throttle. It will be much easier to control if you are not use to driving one. It will probably seem a bit herky jerky due to you not having used one before and due to the slop wear in the steering / lever linkage. Don't worry, the learning curve is pretty short for most people. And the slop can be mostly removed by having the linkage replaced.
What size and model and year is the deck?
Depending on the size and features a new deck is about 3k give or take.
New OEM blades are about $25 each. They are good blades and I would stick with the OEM on it.
In my area that model would go for about 6k - 7k with 80 - 1,000 hrs. Depending how old it is it was probably around 12k new. The current equivalent , new , is about 14k.
I would still try to get it for a little less if you go for it. And remember you will probably need to do something to it even if it is good used condition.
Seth
The seat flips forward so that you can look at all the transmission workings, fans and belts. Oil dipstick is on the lower left side of the engine near the battery box. Transmission dipstick is under the seat in the top of the reservoir. Should be a little window in the side of the engine cover to peak at the coolant level. Look at everything. See how much slop is in the steering levers, they will probably have a little slack movement before they engage unless the linkage has been replaced (about $120 or so to have that done). You can inspect the deck by having the owner fold it for you. The GH front mount decks flip up to the vertical position for cleaning / storage / maintenance. If it is more 10+ years old the deck might not be the fold up type. Turn the PTO (deck) on and off a few times. It should engage quickly. Listen for a squeal/ screech. That could mean bad PTO belts or that the PTO clutch is going. I think the clutch is a couple hundred for the part. If it hasn't warmed up you will probably need about 1/2 + on the throttle to prevent a stall when you engage it.
Run it up to full throttle see how smooth it sounds. When you test drive it keep it at about 1/3 throttle. It will be much easier to control if you are not use to driving one. It will probably seem a bit herky jerky due to you not having used one before and due to the slop wear in the steering / lever linkage. Don't worry, the learning curve is pretty short for most people. And the slop can be mostly removed by having the linkage replaced.
What size and model and year is the deck?
Depending on the size and features a new deck is about 3k give or take.
New OEM blades are about $25 each. They are good blades and I would stick with the OEM on it.
In my area that model would go for about 6k - 7k with 80 - 1,000 hrs. Depending how old it is it was probably around 12k new. The current equivalent , new , is about 14k.
I would still try to get it for a little less if you go for it. And remember you will probably need to do something to it even if it is good used condition.
Seth
tvgordon said:
Tractor house will give you a good idea of the price ranges. Machine finder is the John Deere used site. The JD I know of is private. Very few know it is for sale yet. I'll see about getting a photo and price for you if your interested in a zero turn. I hate to force a zero on you if you want a tractor. It should be very a fair price if you want to drive three hours. I know they sell a hitch for it, but take that for what its worth.
Kevin
Thanks Seth!
Based on my budget I think I should have found another forum for the question so I would get more help with buying a cheap mower ;D
Just joking of course. I wasn't really considering a zero turn until all the advice from you guys. Hopefully I will sell my house this year (if the thieves leave enough to sell), then I might start looking for a more commercial duty mower. If I buy that JD D170 mower for $500 off or a used zero turn, then after a season or two I should know if I need a tractor, commercial zero turn or just a riding mower and an ATV. The plan is to buy something this week or next. The Depot only has two of the D170's and their website still has them selling at full list price, so if I wait too long to decide they will be gone. And there is a used JD four wheel steer nearby that I might go look at.
Thanks again for all the help,
Tom
Based on my budget I think I should have found another forum for the question so I would get more help with buying a cheap mower ;D
Just joking of course. I wasn't really considering a zero turn until all the advice from you guys. Hopefully I will sell my house this year (if the thieves leave enough to sell), then I might start looking for a more commercial duty mower. If I buy that JD D170 mower for $500 off or a used zero turn, then after a season or two I should know if I need a tractor, commercial zero turn or just a riding mower and an ATV. The plan is to buy something this week or next. The Depot only has two of the D170's and their website still has them selling at full list price, so if I wait too long to decide they will be gone. And there is a used JD four wheel steer nearby that I might go look at.
Thanks again for all the help,
Tom
Tom,
I think you made a good choice in getting a Z. You will find a lot of versatility that you might not have expected. I had not thought of Toro with any of my previous replies, but they generally make good equipment. The only dealers I know of in my area are more for commercial equipment. I have had occasion to only deal on a municipal basis for BIG mowers of 12 foot to over 20 foot widths with many gangs of either rotary or reel type mower decks.
I did look up Toro mowers on internet when i read of your recent purchase. In my search, i noticed that Toro shows a rear carrying deck for transporting tools and/or materials. They also recommend a weight kit (not shown that I could find). You have not mentioned needing such equipment, but there are a couple of important points to remember/think about should you decide to get such accessories.
1 You will probably not be able to use the rear carrier without installing the weight kit. There is not much danger in trying to use without the weight kit; you can steer and brake as braking and steering are controlled with control of rear drive wheels. You just won't be able to get your front wheels down to the ground; which means the mower deck won't even come close t the grass. You might be able to do some of your lower hedge trimming :, but that's it. matbe you could use the mower for mounting a camera on the front so you can take pictures of birds. 
2 You do need to remember, if you have any hillside mowing to do, that when the rear carrier has no load, you need to remove the weights from the front of the mower. You will have no problem going up hill frontwards with the weight on the front. BEWARE of going downhill with added weight on front and no extra weight on the back. The control of mower to prevent sliding down hill frontwards will be non existent. I think I may have mentioned about parking my Skag Z on top of a Honda car in an earlier post.
Cause: Not taking weight off of the front when weight removed from rear of machine. Making too fast a turn in downhill direction.
If you do have hillside mowing, learn how your machine reacts by deliberately going down hill and turning downhill in a safe area. You should also learn what happens when moving uphill. Your mower might tip up onto its tail. Learn what happens before you start mowing. You will save yourself a bit of grief. [eek]
Tinker
I think you made a good choice in getting a Z. You will find a lot of versatility that you might not have expected. I had not thought of Toro with any of my previous replies, but they generally make good equipment. The only dealers I know of in my area are more for commercial equipment. I have had occasion to only deal on a municipal basis for BIG mowers of 12 foot to over 20 foot widths with many gangs of either rotary or reel type mower decks.
I did look up Toro mowers on internet when i read of your recent purchase. In my search, i noticed that Toro shows a rear carrying deck for transporting tools and/or materials. They also recommend a weight kit (not shown that I could find). You have not mentioned needing such equipment, but there are a couple of important points to remember/think about should you decide to get such accessories.
1 You will probably not be able to use the rear carrier without installing the weight kit. There is not much danger in trying to use without the weight kit; you can steer and brake as braking and steering are controlled with control of rear drive wheels. You just won't be able to get your front wheels down to the ground; which means the mower deck won't even come close t the grass. You might be able to do some of your lower hedge trimming :
, but that's it. matbe you could use the mower for mounting a camera on the front so you can take pictures of birds. 2 You do need to remember, if you have any hillside mowing to do, that when the rear carrier has no load, you need to remove the weights from the front of the mower. You will have no problem going up hill frontwards with the weight on the front. BEWARE of going downhill with added weight on front and no extra weight on the back. The control of mower to prevent sliding down hill frontwards will be non existent. I think I may have mentioned about parking my Skag Z on top of a Honda car in an earlier post.
Cause: Not taking weight off of the front when weight removed from rear of machine. Making too fast a turn in downhill direction.
If you do have hillside mowing, learn how your machine reacts by deliberately going down hill and turning downhill in a safe area. You should also learn what happens when moving uphill. Your mower might tip up onto its tail. Learn what happens before you start mowing. You will save yourself a bit of grief. [eek]
Tinker
