Zero turn rollover

[DK35vince]

My current zero turn is wider and more stable than my previous zero turn we ran for years and it didn't even come with a roll bar.
Most home owner models don't

 

[Coyote machine]

My current zero turn is wider and more stable than my previous zero turn we ran for years and it didn't even come with a roll bar.
Most home owner models don't

Are those both Hustlers? I'm surprised to see a ZT without a ROPS, but I do know most manufacturers have lowered the COG to keep them from being so problematic. And the Scag Wildcat I had had a ROPS and front weights to keep the front end from allowing backward flips when climbing hills. I used to lean as far forward as possible too to help try to keep from flipping.
I believe the method for hills was straight up and down, never cross slope- but I could be wrong on this aspect. Maybe confusing it with the tractor- you know- high COG.

 

[DK35vince]

Go look at MOST residential grade zero turn mowers.
They do not have roll bars.
You need to get into the commercial grade machines to have a ROPs.
That's what I don't get.
If I would have bought a residential model that comes with no ROP's everything is OK.
But if I run my commercial grade mower with the ROP's folded I'm going to die.

 

[DK35vince]

Are those both Hustlers?

Yes.
My first one was a Hustler FasTrak 54"
My current is a 72" Hustler Super Z

 

[dragoneggs]

Go look at MOST residential grade zero turn mowers.
They do not have roll bars.
You need to get into the commercial grade machines to have a ROPs.
That's what I don't get.
If I would have bought a residential model that comes with no ROP's everything is OK.
But if I run my commercial grade mower with the ROP's folded I'm going to die.

I consider my Kubota Z122RKW-42 a residential Z turn. It comes with a fixed ROPS standard. Since I have slopes I would not have considered it if it didn't.

 

[Creamer]

Cutting a low hanging branch is called pruning; hardly 'butchering everyone's trees'. No reason to leave one branch and remove a rollbar....

If you have fruit trees and trim them above a ROPS then you have to go up high on ladders to do everything else. I would much rather have my fruit down low and stay off of ladders.

My ZTR is a front deck and low so it is almost impossible to roll it but I have done it on a 40 degree slope by my lake where one front wheel collapsed a muskrat run causing an immediate 12" drop of the low wheel with the edge of the deck over the the edge of the water, i.e. no support from the deck. It was a slow rollover though and very easy to slide off and out of the way as it just went up on its side.

I fixed that situation by purchasing a sickle bar mower to get the lake edge since I have over a quarter mile of it.

 

[groundcover]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

 

[buckeyefarmer]

And all the commercial guys i see keep the rops down.

 

[4570Man]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

Another very practical option for commercial lawn guys.

 

[Creamer]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

In my fruit tree area that would be mulching the entire area which also invites rodents - not really what I want.