Death of a GR2120 at 393 hours

[MHarryE]

My GR2120 was purchased in 2015. Ten years old 393 hours. The engine has been the only reliable part - a lot of downtime for broken steer cylinder support, hydro line failures, warning lights have never worked, lights fell out, second hood vibrated apart, and so on. Last week my wife went into the machine shed and called me to say we have a problem. What she saw was the large black oil pool under the front. I saw the black puddle and thought engine oil but the dipstick showed oil in range. Rear transmission beganng earlier this year - I have been unable to find the leak so kept adding oil every use thinking winter job. The oil absorption pad under the transmission has been it's normal parking spot. So 10 years and less than 400 hours with over 50% of it's purchase price (just a bit under $10k) in parts and I declared it dead, drove it to the scrap area for the next load to the junkyard. However, it does have an engine that has been the only reliable part over the years I hate to scrap. It did do better than the JD's bought from Lowes that lasted 2 years each (I have a lot of hilly lawn and their transaxle fails. Yesterday, after declaring the GR2120 officially dead, it was replaced with a Gravely ZT HD 60 that amazed me with how much faster it would mow with a much cleaner cut so I'm not disappointed in the GR2120s death - at least for now.

 

[BigBlue1]

Sorry about the tractor. Yes, mowing with a zero-turn is a world of difference, especially compared to a small residential grade lawn tractor. Does your Gravely have suspension? That moves the experience to yet another level.

 

[MHarryE]

Sorry about the tractor. Yes, mowing with a zero-turn is a world of difference, especially compared to a small residential grade lawn tractor. Does your Gravely have suspension? That moves the experience to yet another level.

No, mine is considered top of the consumer line and not into the commercial line although the drive axles are used in the pro line. The difference is $10 to the commercial but it was still $3k less than I paid for the GR2120 in 2015.

 

[dodge man]

I assume it could be fixed? I’m not sure I saw what’s wrong with it other than a leak? Have you thought about something like a BX to mow with?

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I don't think he's going to go back to a tractor or anything else now that he has invested in a new zero-turn.

I didn't know Kubota made any junk machines, but I guess every manufacturer has a few lemons in its stable.

Now that I've tried an actual mower, there is no way I'd go back to riding a little tractor with a deck strapped to its belly. A tractor can mow, but it's not a mower.

With a zero-turn, you get the breeze from the front, great visibility, way better access to all parts of your lawn, and an end to looping around and cutting the same grass over and over. It's an amazing platform.

 

[jwmorris]

I declared it dead, drove it to the scrap area for the next load to the junkyard. However, it does have an engine that has been the only reliable part over the years I hate to scrap.

One mans junk is another mans treasure. Why not just sell it? Recoup some of your loss and give someone else something to do. You could make more off of it than scrap prices, even if someone just needed a single part off the machine.

 

[dodge man]

I missed he bought a zero turn.

 

[jonsstihl]

b3350 and gr20/gr21 series. thats two strikes for Kubota. My condolences. my though was that zero turns were not very good at hilly terrain. I love my x758 with a bagger but I definitely mow over grass twice when doing all the turns around my place.