Leaving ruts in the lawn

[Oldtractorfixer]

We have a Hustler Super Z with a 60" deck. We have a big problem with it leaving ruts in the lawn as the ground is soft, especially in the spring. We mow about 3-4 acres for lawn. We also have a JD LT155 that we don't use much as it is too light duty and doesn't cut as nice. The back tires cannot be made into duals as the deck is too narrow. The basic problem is too much weight on too little area of tires. The machine weighs 1600 lbs plus the driver and most of that weight is on the two drive wheel. Any good ideas? If we replace it what would we replace it with?

 

[flyingpostman]

I have this same problem, if you want a better quality machine with a wide cut they are going to be heavier machines. You can try cutting in different patterns so you aren't always rolling over the same patch of ground, but with my property this is easier said than done...

I think zero turns are a bit more problematic as most of their weight appears to be on the rear tires.

 

[coobie]

We have a Hustler Super Z with a 60" deck. We have a big problem with it leaving ruts in the lawn as the ground is soft, especially in the spring. We mow about 3-4 acres for lawn. We also have a JD LT155 that we don't use much as it is too light duty and doesn't cut as nice. The back tires cannot be made into duals as the deck is too narrow. The basic problem is too much weight on too little area of tires. The machine weighs 1600 lbs plus the driver and most of that weight is on the two drive wheel. Any good ideas? If we replace it what would we replace it with?

Had the same problem with my kubota pro 326 ZTR 60 inch deck with 25HP diesel.Ended buying a 2011 john deere(diesel) X740 lawn tractor 60 inch 7 iron deck (filled back tires with rim guard).Its turns very sharp and does not cut in like the ZTR did.IMHO best darn lawn tractor on the market today.coobie.

 

[ray66v]

Last year, I had to cut my 4 acres, 99% of the time with a 42" Craftsman.

I have a big fairway mower that I could not use, because the ground was so soft.

You need a flying lawnmower, and they don't exist. A lightweight, disposable MTD product, is as close a you can currently get. They all produce a very nice cut, if they are set up and maintained properly.

If you don't like the cut from the JD, it may need to be tweaked. The spindles on stamped decks can get out of plane, and sometimes need to be shimmed. As well as, the deck sometimes needs to be re-leveled.

There is no other solution, unless you want to put in 4 acres of drain tile.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

We are thinking we may get a MMM for out Kubota B7510. It has r4 tires and rim guard for the loader. We will take the loader off. The weight is about the same as the zero turn but much larger tires. Any thoughts on MMM vs 3pt finish mower. Will the 3 pt cut as nice? I expect the MMM to cost 3x as much.

 

[Sammy the red]

Change your mowing pattern. Might help.

 

[savageactor7]

Perhaps it's possible to let some air out of the tires...that would increase the vehicles overall footprint. And that marginal decrease in pounds per sq in might mitigate those ruts some.

 

[JDgreen227]

We are thinking we may get a MMM for out Kubota B7510. It has r4 tires and rim guard for the loader. We will take the loader off. The weight is about the same as the zero turn but much larger tires. Any thoughts on MMM vs 3pt finish mower. Will the 3 pt cut as nice? I expect the MMM to cost 3x as much.

I have a Deere 4210 with 60 inch MMM, tires are turfs with no loading. Weight with the deck installed is about 3100 pounds and I have almost zero issues with ruts but my lawn isn't very good (lousy grass). A 3 pt finish mower will cut almost as well as a MMM if you keep the blades sharp however the 3 pt. doesn't work very well around trees and other obstacles. If your Kubota already has a mid-pto and hydraulics to run a MMM that would be a better choice.

Since I have so much to mow, people ask me why I don't have a zero turn, my reply is that a ZT is a single purpose machine and can do ONLY mowing. A tractor fitted with attachments can do so many more tasks.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Just bought a used Landpride RFM for the B7510. Will try it this weekend and see. I can return it if I don't like it.