Grasshopper mowers

[Oldoak]

It all depends on the particular situation. In ex. our property is hilly and we have several thousand trees scattered on it. There is no way my wife could do it without a zero turn. She cuts 8 acres every week. Takes about 8 hours per cut.

Yep, depends on the situation. That's why there is a market for both. For me, nothing better than my 72" Woods rear discharge finishing mower. Straight line rows in our orchard and open acreage of an old hay field which I keep mowed like a ball field.

 

[Balerguy2]

Hope this thread stays alive (Bump). My main mower is a new Grasshopper 725DT with a Cub Cadet RZT S50 for edging and confined areas. The GH is a superb machine except contouring on 20% or greater slope leaves the down edge cut shorter than the high edge/ side. I've rechecked main tires at 8 psi and and rear wheels at 12 psi. Both tension straps are checked since I've increase and decreased tension but still same results with the 61" front deck.

Reading the owners manual GH says directly only about going up and down slopes and nothing about parallel or contour mowing of slopes. It seems the big heavily built (superb) front deck overpowers the front low side guage wheel and gas strut and sinks to that low side. The 3 anti-scalp non adjustable wheels do not correct this situation. This GH on lesser slope or flat/ tilted lawn does a fine mowing job.

What am I missing?

Carl

 

[Ford850]

Balerguy2,
I have experienced the low cut on slopes sometimes, but not enough to bother me. I have tall fescue and mow at around 3 1/2", so I don't notice it much if it cuts a little lower at times. Plus I usually cut the slopes up/down, and the one I cut sideways is not very visible from the house. I use the deck bushing that allow the deck to flex/float side to side too, but I don't know if that helps or hurts the side slope issue.

 

[MultiMow]

Hope this thread stays alive (Bump). My main mower is a new Grasshopper 725DT with a Cub Cadet RZT S50 for edging and confined areas. The GH is a superb machine except contouring on 20% or greater slope leaves the down edge cut shorter than the high edge/ side. I've rechecked main tires at 8 psi and front and rear wheels at 12 psi. Both tension straps are checked since I've increase and decreased tension but still same results with the 61" front deck.

Reading the owners manual GH says directly only about going up and down slopes and nothing about parallel or contour mowing of slopes. It seems the big heavily built (superb) front deck overpowers the front low side guage wheel and gas strut and sinks to that low side. The 3 anti-scalp non adjustable wheels do not correct this situation. This GH on lesser slope or flat/ tilted lawn does a fine mowing job.

What am I missing?

Carl

Switch to solid deck casters with flat free tires.

 

[Balerguy2]

Ford850
MultiMow,

I finally realized the mowers front gauge wheels are solid not pneumatic. I cut at 2 1/2" which might aggravate the situation also. When I changed over from 'snow thrower' to 'mower' I could see we have the 2 'deck nylon bushing inserts' for non-lateral deck movement which should help minimize the deck slewing down on the hillside downslope. I'll get a set of the "bushings" for lateral deck movement. Could be that will be the fix.

Thanks for responding.

Carl

 

[MultiMow]

Ford850
MultiMow,

I finally realized the mowers front gauge wheels are solid not pneumatic. I cut at 2 1/2" which might aggravate the situation also. When I changed over from 'snow thrower' to 'mower' I could see we have the 2 'deck nylon bushing inserts' for non-lateral deck movement which should help minimize the deck slewing down on the hillside downslope. I'll get a set of the "bushings" for lateral deck movement. Could be that will be the fix.

Thanks for responding.

Carl

I finally bit the bullet and bought a 928D2. Drove from VA to AL to pick it up. It needed some work, but the engine ran like a top when I tested it.

Soon as I got home, I went to drive it off the trailer and it wouldn't start. Before I could tell the system had shorted, it fried the fuse box and all the wires running along the starter circuit.

After a rewire and replacement of the fuse block, I'll be ditching the 61" rotary deck for a Peruzzo 60" flail deck from Iowa Farm Equipment. After purchasing a flail deck for my Toro, I'm sold. The ability to mow 9ft tall growth, 1.5 inch saplings, and finish mow with the same deck? Irreplaceable. The impeccable stripe job and not having to worry about trashing a blade? Priceless

 

[Old Red]

Not sure how I missed this thread. I LOVE my grasshopper 2001 928D. I bought it in November of 2013. Before it I had a 2002 725K I bought in 2006. My 928D had 415 hours on it when I bought it and it looked brand new....still does in fact. I had the sweepster broom on it. Worked great. I've got 575 hours on it now. I have the 61 inch deck and a bagger.

But by far, the coolest and baddest ***** attachment I have for it is the Aeravator. Man the aerator is fantastic for working up your lawn in preparation of overseeing in the fall. I highly recommend the aeravator if you can find one. I bought a used one for $600 then sold it for $1,500 and bough a demo model for around $3,500. Just a fantastic piece of equipment and you will make lots of new friends once they see your yard the first fall. I have a couple attorney friends we always trade out work.

Huge grasshopper fan here. I will go along with everyone else and say they are built like a tank, mine is paired with a Kubota diesel and I couldn't be happier. 17 year old mower and I bet I'll be on it 17 another 17 years from now cutting my lawn!