Buying Advice Need help with a decision, Long

   / Need help with a decision, Long
  • Thread Starter
#21  
Nice place! Here that water would be a pond, but I can't see it all so maybe a lake after all.
Where did you get the fountain and about how much do they run?
Can you modify your cutting pattern to do somewhat more crosswise and eliminate uphill turns and spinning tires completely?
Get the 10 hr cut if the price is right. Use it to level a spot and build a storage shed. You won't regret getting it- but you might regret missing a sweet deal.

Around here if you can cast a fishing line across it, it's a pond. If you can't it's a lake.:D

I didn't get the fountain, my neighbor did in an effort to increase aeration to keep down the lake plants. He wishes now that he had gotten a bubble aerator because it would have been cheaper and more effective.

There are quite a few undulation that make it rather difficult to mow other that straight up and down the slope.

I did have a system when I was using the Husqvarna where I would make very wide turns U shaped turns at the bottom of the hill to keep the traction up. It worked okay, but if it was even the slightest bit damp, like when it was starting to get dark and the moisture in the air started condensing on the grass, it would start slipping. Rocking, bobbing, leaning, bouncing and backing up and restarting at a different angle would usually get me started back up again. But man was it aggravating.:mad: It was even worse for my wife the few times she would cut it because she only weighs 105 lbs soaking wet.:laughing:

I haven't 100% given up on the Kubota yet. I still have 28 days of John Deere promise left to make up my mind for sure.
 
   / Need help with a decision, Long #22  
See if you can get your Kubota dealer to demo a BX for you. No RIO, 4x4, single pedal for fwd/reverse, etc for $13k list and will sell for almost $10k in 8 years with 400 hours on it.

Aaron Z
 
   / Need help with a decision, Long #23  
Around here if you can cast a fishing line across it, it's a pond. If you can't it's a lake.:D

I didn't get the fountain, my neighbor did in an effort to increase aeration to keep down the lake plants. He wishes now that he had gotten a bubble aerator because it would have been cheaper and more effective.

There are quite a few undulation that make it rather difficult to mow other that straight up and down the slope.

I did have a system when I was using the Husqvarna where I would make very wide turns U shaped turns at the bottom of the hill to keep the traction up. It worked okay, but if it was even the slightest bit damp, like when it was starting to get dark and the moisture in the air started condensing on the grass, it would start slipping. Rocking, bobbing, leaning, bouncing and backing up and restarting at a different angle would usually get me started back up again. But man was it aggravating.:mad: It was even worse for my wife the few times she would cut it because she only weighs 105 lbs soaking wet.:laughing:

I haven't 100% given up on the Kubota yet. I still have 28 days of John Deere promise left to make up my mind for sure.

One other idea is a triple gang mower you can tow behind your existing ATV. I have one, (Pro-Mow brand)( link: Just one of various places that sells them~
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_744050_744050

I bought online and had it shipped to my house; {in addition to a like new, bought used, Scag Wildcat 61" deck, and a Dr. 42" lawn deck for my Dr. field and brush mower, and a Dr. trimmer/mower, too}. I have acres of fields, brush and whatever so I've accumulated a lot of 'thrashers' over the years.:confused3:
With the gang mower you can get an excellent cut, do away with the expensive Deere new mower, and go get the tractor while it's available. You could tow a single, double or triple gang. Mine ran me about $1,500. a while back.
It would cut fast and clean, it would follow your ATV where ever you pointed it and wheel slip would be non-existent.
Got any fish out in the lake? What was your exact address again?:D
 
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   / Need help with a decision, Long
  • Thread Starter
#24  
I am necroposting my own thread for some help.

The X500 that I purchased has worked well. No problems getting stuck, I can mow 3" away from the pond, no problem bogging down.

The only problem I have is the quality of the cut. It steps. I can't seem to get it leveled. I have tried the deck gauge, the JD lever style yellow plastic gauge and even ground myself some 3.25" & 3.125 gauge blocks at work. I still wind up with a stepped cut.

One thing that I have noticed is that even with the deck completely leveled I can take a measurement on the blade tip at the discharge chute then I can take the mower out drive around on the property without mowing, then come back into the garage and measure the same blade tip again and it will be lower between .125 and .25". (And higher on the opposite side) Then I can raise/lower the deck a couple of times using the foot pedal or shake the deck and the reading will be back to the previous setting.

The dealer came and got it Thursday (They had leveled it earlier this year) and completely went over the unit. They said they took the deck off, checked concentricity of the tires, checked spindles everything they could think of, and completely started from scratch on the leveling. They had their "mower expert" technician do all the work and had him come out to my house to see how it mowed here.

I haven't mowed the whole yard with it yet (it isn't tall enough) but we did do some test strips and it seems quite a bit better. There was still a slight step on one pass when the technician was mowing. After they left, I painted the adjustment nuts and did the test I mentioned above and the blade tip dropped on the right side by ~.125" and then went back up after I lifted the deck twice. The adjustment nuts did not move at all.

Is this normal? I have owned 2 other mowers while on this property (Craftsman 42" and a Husqvarna 52") and prior to owning this X500 I have never leveled a deck before. Since owning the X500, I have lost count of the number of times I have fooled with this. :mad:

I think this is the reason I can't seem to keep the deck level. I level it, mow with it, see the stepped cut, adjust that out then it drops or hangs again and I am constantly over-correcting.

Does anyone have any insight?

Thanks!
 
   / Need help with a decision, Long #25  
looking at...
https://www.deere.com/en_US/product...rs/Select_Series_X500/select_series_x500.page

it looks like the deck has "4 small little gauge wheels" one on each corner.

looking at parts diagrams...

a single roller in front of deck. but looks like that is to keep deck from gouging into the ground.

i see a U shape bracket that fits to rear side middle area of the deck. it looks like deck is free to pivot on this bracket?? yes/no? i would to say yes. due to seeing the 4 gauge wheels. and would assume entire deck relies on the gauge wheels to keep deck at correct height.

if only the front 2 gauge wheels are touching the ground and or 2 rear gauge wheels are touching or only one side gauge wheels are touching. that would most likely be were your stepping is coming in at.

but it is very difficult. to understand from parts diagram. if there is another linkage some place. that connects to the front of the deck some were. to help raise/lower the deck.

it almost seems like you are trying to run the deck. "not all the way down on the ground" but also "not all the way up" and the deck is just kinda swinging around how ever it likes and is causing the stepping / odd cut. here and there and where ever it wants to.
 
   / Need help with a decision, Long #26  
An eighth of an inch is the margin of error on my mower, although it is a cheap craftsman. Also the lawn isn't exactly perfect, and the 3500lb mower I use (the H) doesn't help either. I wouldn't sweat about .125in differences in level, as if you can see that in the lawn, you have way better vision than me.

On the craftsman, I have to tinker with the level every couple of months, and it is a PITA to do.
 
 
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