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Great advice to go slow...which I have followed bush hogging my steep hills for the past 12 years. IF you feel (sudden spike of fear) something happening to increase your side angle (the unseen uphill rock pops the uphill side of the tractor up, the unseen downhill erosion hole that wasn't...

I put on 4" rear spacers when I bought my Kioti DK40 in 2013. I looked into it as thoroughly as you are doing. I have steep hills, and I was new to owning a tractor. My dealership wouldn't sell me a tractor without rear wheel fluid and so I had Rimguard put in (non-toxic). I thought about...

My most recent effort. We'll see in a week or two if it helped.

Yes, very thoroughly. When the dealership owner shook his head and told me rinsing it out was a mistake (years ago) I should have grabbed a pen and paper right then and there and written, "Tractors should never be used in rain", and said, "Be sure to alert future customers!" Maybe I'll still...

Yes, I understand this is a design feature. On some "thought level" of my "not all products are made right" realization of how even small cost margins can drive ultimate designs I have to wonder if the radiator in this Kioti tractor wound up just being too small. If it is too small then Kioti...

I hope so. Yesterday I blew it all out again with compressed air - and after only doing 45 minutes of work a few days ago was surprised how much of that brown dust was still in there. Then I sprayed that Nu-Calgon Evap Foam - used the whole large spray can - let it fulminate (it goes on white...

Hi Alan, It did for about a 45 minute workout, but it wasn't the tall stuff and the hills. Definitely blowing out the radiator and oil cooler helped because doing about the same work in May lead to overheating. But the margin between not overheating and overheating is pretty darn slim if all...

I haven't tried the flashlight, but I will after flushing it. I'm going out today to blow it out again and then flush the radiator with the AC cleaner (spray can) I bought. I'll rinse the living shiitake mushroom out of both the engine radiator and the oil cooler. My hoses should be okay -...

A few days ago, ambient temperature about 80F, I wanted to see if the coolant was circulating since a poster said to check that. So I started the engine and slowly drove out of my garage in hydro low gear and 1300 RPM. Engine had been running only 3-4 minutes when I opened the radiator cap...

"I keep the hoods open on all my vehicles. Mice/chipmunks do not like these open spaces and will stay out of the engine compartment." This is really important and I do it too, especially in my detached shop, and including my Kioti tractor's hood. My wife's 2009 Subaru Tribeca was parked in our...

Thanks for the useful identical configuration comparison. I have hills and when this overheating process begins I can watch the temperature gauge start going up going uphill and go down going down. The chaff building up sounds so similar. I do hop down and blow it off with a leaf blower and...

This is a great suggestion!

Good summation and thanks again! I'll be mulling all this over for the next few weeks. If I decide to go further in buying trailer I'll PM you - thanks for the offer of a phone call to ensure I have a full understanding. I always told my kids they would be smart to learn from their mistakes...

Glad to hear regular 8 degree Race Ramps would likely work with that full power tilt trailer. And good info about loading and unloading on level hard ground. I'm understanding that the lip of your dovetail ramps, or the lip of a hypothetical full tilt deck, when it is set down and rests on the...

Thanks for all the ideas - stirred my curiosity and prompted me to look around some more. This MAXX-D deck over tilt trailer is made by a small company in Texas. The one that would fit inside my garage with tongue length would be the 22' model - its entire deck tilts for a 15 loading angle...

I appreciate the suggestion to take off the hood. I keep the tractor parked inside. I bush hog most of my hillsides once a year in the fall. I do it then because the ground isn't wet and soft as it is in spring. The vegetation can get real thick and high and without a hood a lot of "stuff"...

When mine started its creep towards overheating I'd leave the hood up while bush hogging. This is admitting to stupidity, but...I'd engage the hydrostatic "go" pedal with the cruise control magnet and stand up and to the side, steering with one hand, so I could see the next row to cut.

Yes, with the four inch spacers on each side of the rear wheels it is 83 inches. To drive them between the fenders I'd need at least a few inches extra just to not risk rubbing the tire sidewalls. I'm having difficulty picturing how even drive over fenders would work - as you say to have a...

More good info. I have both steel and optional aluminum detachable ramps that go with my four post Titan lift so I probably could use those with a dovetail and its ramps to lessen the approach angle. I saw some other posts by people not fond of tilt decks. What was it about them that you...

Hi, I recognize your photo from a car forum and threat on trailers. Thanks for replying. My 2019 Challenger Hellcat Red Eye has, I think, 4.1 inches of ground clearance. I think it is a bit lower than a regular Hellcat - and I have a slightly smaller front tire than the stock Pirelli's so it...

Alan, Ummmm, okay, I'll confess. Taking off the bushhog, or the FEL, that is easy I know for most people, but it is a real adventure for me. I won't if I can possibly avoid it. I do have neighbors who would help me so I'll keep your suggestion in mind. Thanks!

Great posts and thanks! Tomorrow it is going to be 80 degrees, low humidity, and I'm going to troubleshoot the tractor radiator. With the cleaning stuff I got, rinsing it, drying it, and checking the temperatures. I'll bush hog and see what the temps read with the IR gun showing "normal", and...

Hello All, Resurrecting this thread and asking for trailer advice, specifically from people with experience with drive over fenders. I have no practical experience with trailers - but I do know the load has to be balanced right for a bumper pull. What I don't know is how this exactly is...

I haven't gotten to that point yet, but it's a good idea. I did get an infrared thermometer gun last week and will trouble shoot in the next couple of weeks. I talked to the dealership and they reiterated taking the thermostat out completely and operating without one might actually lead to...

Whoops! Radiator Genie brand! Thx!

Do you like a particular brand? The ones in the photo?

I know first things first, but any thoughts on if the engine is heating up after cleaning removing the thermostat? Given the never lower than 40 degree engine starts and not running the tractor in winter? I know the book answer - interested in any real world experiences doing it. I changed...

Those look like pressure washer attachments. How do you use them?

Lou, I ordered a can of that stuff, and I ordered an infrared temp. gun too. I can use the gun to look at a few other things too. First step will be a thorough cleaning, then I'll work the tractor and see where the temperatures are (if they go up, hopefully they won't!).

I'll look at the flow from the rad cap too. Thx.

Rusty, Great reply. Especially advice to look at different spots on the engine when the gauge starts climbing. Thank you.

Thanks again for getting through my post! I do have the orange reflective triangle for public road use. However, the thought of driving on a two lane 55 mph road is daunting *grin*. I saw another post where an external temp gun isn't expensive - like $25. I'll order one now, but won't be...

Good idea - after I use the brake fluid and rinse I'll check with a light. Thx.

Seeking Expert Advice, I could really use some insight from forumites. I apologize for the long post, but a detailed initial post will short cut questions and allow you to visualize my situation. I am a tractor owner with 12 hilly acres in Northern Kentucky. I use my tractor to smooth my...

No doubt the Pro Z 960 is pricey. This is the commercial mower with the 38HP EFI Kawasaki engine. It was on sale so about 20% off listed retail. I did struggle with the decision. If I live and mow 15 years the right decision. If I don't somebody will inherit a nice mower! The seat on the...

So...I bought the ZTXS6 instead of the ZTXS5 because I decided not to buy the aftermarket seat to soften the ride. And it was delivered, and I mowed my lawn with it. I have "paths" that are two 60 inch deck widths wide - on a hillside - and a regular big lawn. It's a country lawn - never...

Thanks for the info!

Sooooo, my neighbor upon hearing this story said, "You should have called me." Why? Because I have a rachet wrench with Allen wrench fittings. Who knew there was such a thing? Not me!

That might be because impaired or tired drivers choose to drive in "their" slow lane, which is the oncoming traffic's fast lane. Just last week here in Cincinnati a 17 year old high school student went wrong way and crashed head on into a truck. What she was doing at 0530 in the morning was...

Does look like the same product. $70 more, and I think it said out of stock.

I just performed a Cub Cadet Zero Force SZ Hydro-Gear transmission fluid change. This was no fun! I found a great 26 minute detailed "how to" video on YouTube - - and tackled the job on my 540 hour mower. Never been done before, although I've done regular engine oil and filter changes. In a...

Just did a Zero Force SZ model Cub Cadet's both side transmission HydroGear fluid and filter change. The dealership had some expensive stuff, but the owner said using their Kioti brand 20-50W would work just as well and a lot cheaper. I had a heck of time with this job and will post in another...

Drumminj and Runner and All, I've really enjoyed this thread. My dealership did not have a ZTXS6 in stock, and a look around other dealerships didn't look promising. Went to the dealership yesterday and revisited options. My wife went with me. They had a new ZTXS5 in a crate, and one we...

My salesperson wrote me this inside quotation marks, with my comments in parenthesis; "Buying that suspension seat assembly through parts costs at least half of the price jump to the next size mower (this being from the ZTXS5 to the ZTXS6), so most people who want the suspension seat just buy...

Yours is the right question. I could go with either model and I'm sure I'd be pretty happy. These Ultima machines weigh 1,000 pounds. With my older Z Force SZ after a couple of years I had the dealership put on knobbier rear tires (the OEM tires weren't appreciably worn though). The SZ model...

Good post 1manyrocks. I did that, and wrote down the differences when I went to the dealership. The thing that wasn't listed in the "compare" feature of the CC website was that the 6 has a "suspension" seat. Both have high back seats, with some kind of dampening/comfort feature

Congrats on the purchase! Do start a thread on your experience with it. My 7 year old CC Z Force SZ (60 inch deck) is a good machine, but no doubt all these Ultima series CC's are a step up. In a post above someone said a "suspension seat" can be put on a ZTXS5 for about $180. I did get an...

I went to a dealer and have the low down on two Ultima Cub Cadet models, the one Runner and we've been discussing, and its next in line up the model number sibling. Differences between ZTXS5 and ZTXS6 (which is Model Number 47RICHB8A10) - the 6 has one inch wider rear tires, 1.5 more HP in a...

The are probably called spindles. They are vertical round steel posts that attach each steerable front wheel to the chassis. After they broke the wheel and half the axle (spindle) could detach downwards. I was good about pumping grease in the four zerks in that area. Maybe a bad spindle part...

I know! It was 20 years old and not worth, on paper, her deductible anyway.

I have a Z Force CC and in general it is a fine mowing machine. I replaced the original rear wheels with some with more traction tread, and both vertical axles broke (one at 200 hours, the other side at 400 hours). I have a country lawn with some bumps, no doubt, but these axles weren't up to...

I'm looking at new Cub Cadet zero turn mowers and these new ones, especially their Pro Z series, look like a high sitting height compared to my past smaller zero turn mowers. They have ROPS that can go straight up, or lay back flat, at at least one middle position. In one middle position I...

When my mother in law's lawn mower tractor caught on fire last week and burned up she found out her home owner's insurance would not cover it unless it happened inside her barn.

Runner, I agree a suspension seat on the 4 and 5 models should be included. I found this YouTube review of the CC ZTXS5 -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXagZM5bTc - 30 minutes long but the reviewer takes time to show how everything on the mower works. I may want to get the ZTXS6 because I...

I have a CC zero turn mower with a 60 inch deck and steering wheel I bought about 7 years ago. It isn't a "commercial grade" model. I have 540 hours on this machine, and have maintained it well. I have hillsides steep enough - more than the manual's 15 degree "max" incline - to merit me at...

I haven't mowed without the FEL on the tractor. I was tempted to remove it, especially when the tractor started overheating. My "Wiley" Kioti has 41 HP and I should have bought the 45 HP same model. 41 HP works going up the hills, but truly the right speed (slow) to bush hog five feet high...

Thanks for posting the video of the tractor fails. I have some steep hills I bushhog. When I bought my Kioti ten years ago I knew the FEL would be a huge counterbalancing help going UP the hills. On the steep one I go up backwards as the video pointed out is safest. Someone in this threat...

Also...routing the choke cable so it had less of a bend in it, and lubricating it, fixed that problem.

Update and fix...I found a YouTube video of how to remove, clean, and replace the carb. It was step by step - really great. I set up my iPad in the garage and, with trepidation but also determination, got it off. I sprayed it thoroughly with carb cleaner (that stuff is cold through a latex...

Roustabout, A timely post on your part. So her engine is running like a top except it doesn't want to idle smoothly. Bring it back towards idle and, well, I probably should have attempted to adjust the idle screw. In my feeble defense it took me 5 hours to remove, clean and replace her...

Thanks, and yes the oil filter was leaking from the mower shop not tightening it correctly, but the leak persisted after new filter on so leak not entirely there. I checked the oil drain port and tightened it very tight. Not there, or where that part enters the engine. BTW, don't like that...

Mag410, I mentioned my mechanical skills have been suspect all my life and are, hopefully, emerging in retirement. Once upon a time about 40 years ago I was in the US Navy and they had a base auto shop. I took my 1965 Mustang there for a DIY oil and filter change - and I thought why not...

The mower repair shop that had her mower (for months) must not have tightened the oil filter enough because it definitely was seeping oil, but after replacing and tightening that correctly the leaking continued. I thought, like you, could be the oil drain spout - so I cranked down pretty hard...

TomPlum and All, I sure appreciate those who responded. I found a YouTube video that said "99% of the time it is the Pilot Jet" and showed how to locate it on a small engine and spray it with Carb Cleaner. His example pressure washer's oscillations were what the GT5000 Kohler engine was...

Too late! I chew tobacco and spit all kinds of nasty stuff in there from across the shop. Ha, ha... not really. If anyone wants to hear a spittoon joke from the Old West say so and I'll post it in this thread. Too much wrench turning makes Rhino a dull boy! All you said was validated today...

Thanks Tomplum - that certainly sounds like what is causing this interruption in smooth running with motion. There is a half bowl right behind where the air filter canister screws onto the engine. You can't see it in this photo, but there was liquid in this half bowl when we took it off in my...

Roadworthy, I will do this tomorrow morning when my neighbor can help. Good suggestion as I think you're trying to isolate if the problem is with to much friction at the lever arm. What's really perplexing is when it is free it moves pretty easily. When stuck either out or in it won't move...

Hi Ralph - thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I'm making the transition to battery powered tools too. Hadn't heard of Seafoam. This link says it is great stuff. Telling is the number of 5 star reviews. Usually the ratio of great to poor is more even for just about every product I've seen...

Thanks for reply. I didn't know there was such a thing as a fuel solenoid in the carburetor that could do that. Is it there intended to prevent overheating of air cooled engines? The two times I've mowed with the mower after our "tune up" effort - fresh oil and clean filters - the engine ran...

Hi All, My second problem (besides the choke cable sticking in another post) is the 25 HP Kohler engine in my (mother-in-law's) 2004 Craftsman GT5000 intermittently, but frequently during mowing, cuts out, then resurges back to operating RPM. It does this intermittently in all modes of...

Hoping someone might be familiar with my problem with the choke on my GT5000 Riding Mower. This has the 25 HP Kohler engine. It is a pull out to choke, push in for normal operation knob to the left of the steering wheel. There is flexible metal cable inside a plastic sleeve - and there is...

Does anyone know if there is a separate vent/breather on a Kioti DK40 SE? The fill cap is rubber and solid.

I think you're correct, James.

Okay! I tried this suction trick with the assistance of my father-in-law yesterday! The good news is my 350 hour old hydraulic fluid looked great. I paid about $900 to my dealer for the 50 hour service, which is everything gets changed. It was a very light brown - looked like new engine oil...

Thanks for all the advice and real world experiences. This forum is a great resource for handy tips and general all around reassurance this isn't a zany idea. I like the "I use a short plastic funnel stuck into the fill hole (it does not reach down into the fluid) and stick the vacuum hose end...

Are you thinking to leave an air gap at the fill port, where the shop vac hose would be? Or to leave the breather vents open? Where are those on a Kioti DK40 SE if you happen to know?

All good replies - thank you. The goal isn't to actually pull fluid out, but put enough suction on top of the fluid to offset gravity. It sounds worth trying, and my shop vac isn't new so worth the risk of it ingesting oil.

Hey Folks, Stopped by my local tractor dealer to pick up some items and mentioned to a sales guy, who I've been impressed with as pretty sharp in the past, that I was considering changing my Kioti DK40SE's two hydraulic filters. I mentioned reading here about the loss of fluid and he said I...

Eric, Good to hear, thanks for the feedback (and to others). A thing I omitted stressing is that the tractor has been run hotter than the place on the temperature gauge where it usually sits than I'd have liked. So your point about fluid breakdown due to heat...yeah, that is a consideration...

Hey All, I have a 2013 Kioti DK40 four wheel drive, hydrostatic tranny, I bought new. I had the full recommended 50 hour service done by my dealership, which changes out all fluids and associated filters. Since then I've averaged 50 hours of use every year - some moving of dirt and gravel...

Pat, A week after I had the spacers installed my father-in-law came over. It was before my physics buddy did the math in my OP. He's been driving tractors since he was a kid. I told him how cautious and fearful I was on the hills (see below) and that even with the spacers my spidey sense was...

DarkBlack, Thanks for pointing out that long bolts would not be as strong. I hadn't given it any real thought. From the beginning of my negotiations with Motorsport-Tech I was informed they would send me all the bolt hardware. When it got here I didn't have an intuitive understanding of how...

The promised photos with the 4 inch rear spacers.

Hello All, Here is the bottom line...the sideways rollover angle for my Kioti DK40 Hydro FWD, with FEL positioned with an empty bucket parallel to the ground, and Tartar 6 bush hog - and in all likelihood most similarly equipped stock utility class tractors - is above 40 degrees. Add 4 spacers...

Fellow Safety-Minded Forumites, I'm about to start my second ever bush hogging adventure and do my hills again (those cursed hedge apple saplings are shooting up again), and in the interim I've been scouting this forum and researching wheel spacers (will order some today) for cautions. One...

All, I'm new to the forum - been enjoying reading for several months, then bought a new tractor with FEL and a 6' bush hog a few weeks ago and joined the forum. My first tractor! I am lucky to have experienced tractor owning neighbors, but there is nothing like this forum to search for advice...

Trying to upload some photos of the hillside.