90" mower

[goatman 1]

Has anyone else had a problem bending the casters on the bobcat 90" mower?
Mine is about 4 years old, and every year I have to replace at least two casters, and it is getting expensive. It seems that they are way too small and flimsy for the weight of the mower. I mow about 22 acres with the toolcat, and it is a great combination. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I've tried to let the mower float as much as possible,but I still destroy the casters.

 

[radman1]

I agree with you, the wheels on the 90" bobcat mower deck are too small for a deck of that size and weight. I have not had any issues. The support arms are built well but the wheels are too small in diameter and width. I mow a much small area than 22 acres. You are covering some major territory and if the ground is even slightly rough, those little wheels are taking a beating. My 84" rear rhino finish mower are about 2 bigger diameter and about twice as wide. The rhino mower has 13.6x6.5-6 4 ply tires. Those are the wheels the TC mower should have. I would not be surprised if they would fit on the 90" BC mower in place of the existing BC wheels. I am sure the BC wheels are way overpriced and it maybe cheaper to change out all 4 wheels.

What specific part is breaking?

 

[goatman 1]

Radman,

I'm bending the forks that the wheels attach to. I tried to reinforce a set by welding some extra steel to create heavier yokes, but even though they didn't bend, the pivot pins bent--something had to give. I'll see if the Rhino or some other could be adapted. I have a few swales that might be putting some of the bobcat arm weight on the back casters. They seem to be the first to go.At $55 a pop(X4 and sometimes 5) plus shipping, it adds up fast.
Thanks for the input.

 

[radman1]

I tend to mow with the TC boom raised off of its lowest point by a few inches. If lowered completely, I could envision the boom/TC pushing down on the mounting plate and rear of the mower forcing the rear mower deck wheels to take too much weight. However, that would not explain the fronts breaking. I still think larger diameter and wider wheels like a Rhino mower would still help a lot. The Bobcat mower wheels don't have much cushion over rough terrain. The Rhino wheels are a little fatter and softer. I would not buy the Rhino hard wheel but instead the pneumatic wheel with sealant. Hopefully, the diameter of the vertical shaft going to the fork is the same.

The price for the Bobcat parts are actually less than I had guessed.

 

[Rolando]

If I remember my dates correctly, you guys don't have the same 90" mower. Radman, you have the current model, with rear wheels that pivot down to provide the automatic cut-off if the mower deck is lifted. At 4 years old, I believe Goatman has the previous model, where the cables above the mower handle the disconnect. I have the 72" version of the old model and the 90" version of the new one. While I did bend on caster on the 72" once, I can't blame Bobcat, since I rammed it against a tree. Otherwise, no other issue with the casters. It could be that they had the right design for the 72", but didn't cut it for the heavier 90".

 

[snowboss94]

i know this post is very old, but im a new member and researching toolcats, having been around skid steers for some time now i was wondering if you could remove the rear casters completely and run a caster set off a harly rake on the front? i had a CAT 248 high flow with a 8 foot HR and i put all the weight of the front of the skid steer on those casters and never bent them - -i did flatten a tire once by turning close to a curb and roll the tire bead off the rim - - -probably not an issue in a 22 acre field...lol

i replied to this post specifically because i mow a 20 acre property myself every week with 2 60inch zeroturns and the toolcat looks like a much better machine to handle this - -i destroy a zero in about 2-3 seasons on this property alone - - -the last one being a Gravely 30 hp Rapid XZ with 220 hours on it - - -gone to scrap.....cant keep doing that


Boss

 

[Rolando]

The current Bobcat 90" mower uses spacers to adjust the height of the wheels, so you have a loop on the deck that the caster mounting rod fits through, then you slip in the number and size of spacers you want to get the height you need, then a locking lynch pin to hold it together. So to remove a caster, you just take off the lynch pin and pull everything off.