Took the Z-TRAK out today ...

[Shawn T. W.]

We have had such little rain, haven't really mowed in a couple of months ... Started out touching up the blades ...

The front field is a tad over 6 acres, and the ragweed was growing, I wanted to get it before it matured anymore ...

And once the Broomsedge matures it will clog up a radiator or cooling fins quickly! Just a very few starting to show there white fluff!

Even though I took a Allegra allergy pill, plus put Pataday allergy eye drops in, and wore a mask ... It wasn't really all that fun, but needed to be done ...

Coming in for a water refill ...

Then a buzzed the 1.5 acre lawn, and got too far under the back deck, trying to get some weeds under there, and forgot about my ROPS! That hit the railing, and broke out two of the uprights, and spun the nose into the wall for the walkout ... Couldn't back up, stuck!

So I had to get My Little Baby Fergie to help ...

I had dug a hole spinning, surprised the turf tires dug that much ...

I had been mowing on the other side of my driveway that goes through the hayfield, where I had put in a drainage ditch, and had been picking up rocks with the grabber ...

 

[rmonio]

We have had such little rain, haven't really mowed in a couple of months ... Started out touching up the blades ...

View attachment 4080510

The front field is a tad over 6 acres, and the ragweed was growing, I wanted to get it before it matured anymore ...

View attachment 4080511


And once the Broomsedge matures it will clog up a radiator or cooling fins quickly! Just a very few starting to show there white fluff!

View attachment 4080512


Even though I took a Allegra allergy pill, plus put Pataday allergy eye drops in, and wore a mask ... It wasn't really all that fun, but needed to be done ...

Coming in for a water refill ...
View attachment 4080516

Then a buzzed the 1.5 acre lawn, and got too far under the back deck, trying to get some weeds under there, and forgot about my ROPS! That hit the railing, and broke out two of the uprights, and spun the nose into the wall for the walkout ... Couldn't back up, stuck!

View attachment 4080520


So I had to get My Little Baby Fergie to help ...

View attachment 4080521


I had dug a hole spinning, surprised the turf tires dug that much ...

View attachment 4080522

I had been mowing on the other side of my driveway that goes through the hayfield, where I had put in a drainage ditch, and had been picking up rocks with the grabber ...

Hey - I like your post! I have a Ztrak as well and am going to put my mulch kit for leaves. Last year I used jacks, but it sucked crawling underneath. Your picture looks pretty much spot-on with what I can do with my JD4600 to lift up the front end.

I noticed you had a steel bar on there…. Was that for additional safety and also, did you have any issues backing onto the ramps at all?

Thanks for your help!

-Bob

 

[beenthere]

Plan to prop the machine up with the possibility that a hydraulic hose could break and the loader quickly drop down. Small chance that it would happen, but better to be safe than sorry.

Some use mechanical restrictions on the loader hyd cylinders for this assurance, not withstanding that a chain could break.

 

[rmonio]

I understand. I monitored closely and put a 4x4 post that further propped it up. Worked like a champ…. Probably not OSHA quality, but it worked great for me!

Question…. What does it hurt to leave the mulching kit on when I cut regular grass? I bought it for mulching leaves (which it does wonders with) primarily, but a future son-in-law who works on this kind of equipment at a dealership said that most guys leave it on.

Anyone know?

Thanks in advance!

-Bob

 

[beenthere]

Depends on your grass, but certainly would be worth leaving it on and see how you like how it mows/mulches your grass.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Yeah, I put the 1/4" X 2" angle iron under it to prevent mower from coming down on top of me, if things should go wrong . . .

 

[D&D]

Yeah, I put the 1/4" X 2" angle iron under it to prevent mower from coming down on top of me, if things should go wrong . . .

Doubt that will help, odds are it would just slide out and add to the heap.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Doubt that will help, odds are it would just slide out and add to the heap.

Nope, because I tested it ... Took the weight off the loader, and it supports it just fine

 

[rmonio]

Ok. I might try it for a while and see how it goes. The Deere dealer said that heavy grass causes issues with the mulching kit (if it is wet).

Thanks for the help!

 

[gstrom99]

Doubt that will help, odds are it would just slide out and add to the heap.

Yeah, at that angle it could easily just slide out. I'd have stuck it straight up, under the loader (and maybe drop the loader on it to secure it). I have allergies too, and the pollen/dust is a hard to solve problem...