Grasshopper mower hydraulic motor rebuild?

[SGBotsford]

I have a 1995 Grasshopper 721 mower with about 4000 hours on the clock. Motor still ticks like a charm, but the right hand power unit is starting to get weak. Replacing this is $1500. Seems steep for a mower I paid $4200 for 5 years ago. Is this likely to be a case of a bunch of seals that can be replaced?

 

[Ed of all trades]

In 4000 hr there is most likely some parts that need replaced. Don't know that pump but worked on bobcat skids, If you try it yourself the thing to remember is clean, clean clean. Hope it helps.

 

[Cpjlube]

From what I have heard, and experienced. The hydros in grasshoppers are good for 3000 hrs with good maintenance. If you have 4000 it might be due for a new one. Probly both. There are people who have disassembled the hydros and found orings that they replaced and got it running again. But at 4000 that's a long shot.

I recently purchased a Grasshopper on CL. During my search, which lasted months, I saw plenty of older grasshoppers with one bad hydro or broken engines. Some were under 800 bucks. Do some homework on what exact hydro you have. Then start digging you may be able to buy a broken one and fix yours. Then sell the leftover parts to someone else.

Chuck

 

[Zeek86]

I have a 1995 Grasshopper 721 mower with about 4000 hours on the clock. Motor still ticks like a charm, but the right hand power unit is starting to get weak. Replacing this is $1500. Seems steep for a mower I paid $4200 for 5 years ago. Is this likely to be a case of a bunch of seals that can be replaced?

Doesn't really matter what you payed for it or when, brand new the mower was $15,000+ and so new parts will reflect it. With that said you can buy all the bearings/seals for under $100 and do it yourself or take it in for $300-400 and get it rebuilt. I done it once without major problems, Grasshopper manual provides a breakdown and any decent mower shop will provide it. The only pain I had was getting the only pressed bearing out and in, do yourself a favor too, before you take it apart draw V down the middle, parts MUST go back exactly as you take them off and the V will prevent that problem.


4000 hours isn't actually THAT bad or a gamble, my work has 3 722s/725s with 4000+ hours and none of them were well taken care of before we took over maintenance, we use them for new guys so they wont destroy the fleet of 928s and 930s we have. Out of those 3 we only had to rebuild two wheel motors, and it wasn't that difficult (just pay attention and triple check everything)

*edit*
Shameless plug for our local dealer, Doug @ Hampton Lawn and Garden in Marshfield, MO use to work for grasshopper and is a WEALTH of information, I would highly suggest you give him a call and he will set you in the right direction. He can also ship parts to your home if you want to return the love and his prices have always been pretty good for a dealer.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Doesn't really matter what you payed for it or when, brand new the mower was $15,000+ and so new parts will reflect it. With that said you can buy all the bearings/seals for under $100 and do it yourself or take it in for $300-400 and get it rebuilt. I done it once without major problems, Grasshopper manual provides a breakdown and any decent mower shop will provide it. The only pain I had was getting the only pressed bearing out and in, do yourself a favor too, before you take it apart draw V down the middle, parts MUST go back exactly as you take them off and the V will prevent that problem.


4000 hours isn't actually THAT bad or a gamble, my work has 3 722s/725s with 4000+ hours and none of them were well taken care of before we took over maintenance, we use them for new guys so they wont destroy the fleet of 928s and 930s we have. Out of those 3 we only had to rebuild two wheel motors, and it wasn't that difficult (just pay attention and triple check everything)

*edit*
Shameless plug for our local dealer, Doug @ Hampton Lawn and Garden in Marshfield, MO use to work for grasshopper and is a WEALTH of information, I would highly suggest you give him a call and he will set you in the right direction. He can also ship parts to your home if you want to return the love and his prices have always been pretty good for a dealer.

IMO, a shameless plug would have included his phone number:laughing: But seriously, sharing contacts like that is a good thing because not all of us drop things off and say fix it, call me when its done.