How much mowing are you doing?
You could look at Toro or Jacobson mowers. My old Toro Groundsmaster is listed at 127" mowing width, but there may be bigger models. I wish it had full hydraulic motors on the wings instead of PTO driven belts. Perhaps a future modification.
Perhaps a little late now, but I'd work with the manufacturer on design/quality issues. I have few products that are still under warranty, but I'd consider that to be a warranty issue.
Is there any place that you could have installed a grease zerk? Hollow out the pin and put the zerk in the pin? Drill the hinge barrels or knuckles to install a zerk in a place it would be protected?
Talk to the manufacturer about your current mower issues too.
I do several hundred hours cutting a year with a 12 cutter. It is in pastures with weeds and tall grass, and while most is flat, it can get rough with feral hog damage, gopher mounds that are 8' across and 2 foot high, and just general pasture conditions. Doubt any sort of ride on mower would last long.
Yeah, the Woods BW12 models were problematic with the wings. My dealer fixed several issues, but it was still problematic to the point I sold it while still under warranty for half of what I paid for it... just to be rid of it. It did give a fantastic cut though, as most Woods cutters do.
I've already been dealing with manufacturer directly on the Modern Ag cutter. I have his cell number.
This cutter has about 750 hours on it. No bad areas with over spec growth cut at all. In fact, it just sees weeds and grass with an occasional small brushy type here and there.
Just got that cutter back from the shop with a $2000 repair bill. It was lots more, but some was covered under warranty thanks to still being under warranty and my service manager. It's a good cutter, but with a bit of higher quality parts in the gearbox and hydraulic cylinder department, it would be much better.
Had that cutter for 3 years, and have replaced 3 hydraulic wing cylinders because they rust and blow the seals from abrasion of the rust, had the splitter gearbox replaced under warranty because when I went to lower the wings, the shaft pulled out on one side of the splitter and oil ran out on the deck, one wing gear box just replaced because seals on bottom don't last great, replaced several wheel bearings, and as soon as I got it, did away with the laminated tires for foam filled aircraft tires, and the vent caps blow gear oil out because the direction the gears are spinning on the Viper model I have forces the oil out that vent hole onto the deck, Just replaced a stump jumper because the bolts that hold the gear box on the wing stretched and allowed excessive vibration and the jumper couldn't be trusted with weak splines.
I have been in contact with the designer at the manufacturer over everything, and he understands the issues. I fixed the oil shooting out the vent caps by doing away with the traditional gear oil and replacing it with corn head grease. That stuff won't jump out a small hole... and should help with the bottom seal issues too, somewhat.
