Is air ride my solution?

cold1313 · Dec 31, 2018

I have an F3990 to cut the grass which takes me around 3 hours of run time. My yard is quite bumpy, some slopes, etc so I'm always in low gear and can never "floor" it in low gear. I get bucked around too hard.

My issue is my giant sized head and the sore neck I get after mowing. I'm guessing I look like a bobble head doll when I mow.

Would an air ride seat fix this issue? I have the factory Kubota suspension seat adjusted to my weight and I've played with it heavier and lighted. I can bottom out the seat every once and awhile. I'm not the lightest person at ~250'ish pounds.

What also started this is that mice have gotten into the back of the seat already this winter and have started remove the foam. I'm furious.

Would an air ride stop my head from bouncing all over the place, or make it worse? I was trying to find just a basic air ride seat but the Grammar ones start adding in heat seat options, etc...I don't need any of that.

Suggestions?

ironpen · Jan 1, 2019

I would like to know what some informed users say about this. Been wondering the same thing. My mower is a F2690...I don't know if there is a difference in the seats already.

AaronM · Jan 2, 2019

I was looking into converting to an air ride seat on my F2690 also. My 'lawn' (basically pasture) is also really rough, some slopes, and takes about 2-3 hours. I ended up just letting almost all of the air out of the tires (I think I'm at about 6-8psi right now) and the ride improved dramatically. It ended up being OK-ish enough that I decided I didn't need the air seat afterall. The tires look like they are flat but as long as they have enough air to keep the rim from bottoming out it seems to work pretty good. Ran like that all last year without any problems.

The Fred · Jan 2, 2019

Save the money on the seat and have your wife mow the lawn in her bikini while you sit back and enjoy a nice cold adult beverage:laughing:

cold1313 · Jan 2, 2019

The Fred said:
Save the money on the seat and have your wife mow the lawn in her bikini while you sit back and enjoy a nice cold adult beverage:laughing:

Not a chance! That's my way to relax....and get out of the house. She hasn't noticed that I mow the same area over and over hah!

cold1313 · Jan 2, 2019

AaronM said:
I was looking into converting to an air ride seat on my F2690 also. My 'lawn' (basically pasture) is also really rough, some slopes, and takes about 2-3 hours. I ended up just letting almost all of the air out of the tires (I think I'm at about 6-8psi right now) and the ride improved dramatically. It ended up being OK-ish enough that I decided I didn't need the air seat afterall. The tires look like they are flat but as long as they have enough air to keep the rim from bottoming out it seems to work pretty good. Ran like that all last year without any problems.

Sounds like we are in a similar situation. I aired them back up for this past year but I probably mowed less than half of normal - we had so much rain that I wasn't going to rut the yard to cut the grass.

My concern with the air ride is will I "bounce" or sway too much and actually have more neck issues? (Due to my oversized head) I'm a younger buck at 34 years old but I don't see myself getting better with age! Plus I could pull this seat and put it on the next machine...hopefully very far down the road.

AllDodge · Jan 13, 2019

Think its just the nature of the best. If you soften the seat, the deck still bounces and then the grass doesn't get cut very well. I cut about 5 hours each time and just know where the rough spots are. Don't know what your lawn looks like, but I'm figuring the best way would be to use a lawn roller after its been raining a couple days

mikester · Jan 13, 2019

Yes air ride will help. The mice wont do the air ride seat any favours.

cold1313 · Jan 13, 2019

I'd have to spend probably a day on a lawn roller and with the slopes, it might end up dragging me down a hill with my luck! I don't think it would help. With the freeze and thaw, things are always moving a bit.

pmsmechanic · Jan 13, 2019

I have the same problem with my lawn. The roughness wears on a guy as you get older. I've often wondered if a Harley rake set to chew away at the high spots would make enough of a difference to make the lawn smoother.

I know the approach is different than an air seat but I want to get to the same point. A smoother ride.