Aaaahhhh, finally some seat time.

Bowhunter · Apr 2, 2003

After impatiently waiting for the yard to be dry enough and the grass to be tall enough, I was able to mow with the B9200 for the first time this week. I've been mowing 3.5 to 4 acres with a Toro 16 hp, 38" deck for the last 3 years. Moving to the 22 hp diesel, 60" deck was quite a change. I have a lot of trees in the yard and I also mow my pond dam. With the Toro I could sit with one "cheek" on the fender and mow the dam sideways. I'll be mowing it up and down with the Kubota. I don't think my 215 pounds are going to keep it from rolling if it decides that's what it wants to do. I have a bank on the north side of the pond that I'll have to push mow now. I'm not going to attempt the 35 to 40 degree bank with the Kubota, I was nervous enough with the Toro. I'd rather not take the tractor swimming. The lack of power steering was very apparent around the trees. It steers very easy, but it takes a lot of turns of the wheel. I can live with this for a while as I hope to upgrade in a few years. Overall I'm tickled pink....not including trimming, my mowing time went from 6 hours down to 3.5.

RobS · Apr 2, 2003

With the Toro I could sit with one "cheek" on the fender and mow 

LOL, that's exactly how I used to mow the edge of our subdivision lot before we moved. Craftsman tractor, but similar CG shift.

Where the heck is St. Anthony IN? I grew up in Indy and was a Hoosier until last year. Never heard of St. Anthony. Must be real small, real South, or both /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bowhunter · Apr 2, 2003

( Where the heck is St. Anthony IN? Must be real small, real South, or both. )

It's both. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It's just north of I64 about 45 miles east of Evansville, about 25 miles north of the Ohio River. Ever heard of Jasper, IN? That's our county seat and is 8 to 10 miles away.

RobS · Apr 2, 2003

It's just north of I64 about 45 miles east of Evansville, about 25 miles north of the Ohio River 

Well that explains it all. For some reason growing up in Indy, Indiana ended in Bloomington and Brown County for us. We never seemed to travel any further South than there. Been to Madison a few years ago, it is pretty down there along the river /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

chrisjbell · Apr 2, 2003

I don't think my 215 pounds are going to keep it from rolling if it decides that's what it wants to do. 

No, I don't think it'll even notice you as it goes over /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

 I have a bank on the north side of the pond that I'll have to push mow now. I'm not going to attempt the 35 to 40 degree bank with the Kubota, I was nervous enough with the Toro. I'd rather not take the tractor swimming. 

Yeah, I've got a spot like that. It tends not to get mown as often as it should /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.

 The lack of power steering was very apparent around the trees. 

I hear you. That is probably the number one thing I'd change if I had it to do all over again - power steering (I'd do a bigger tractor in general, but hey, that's another story).

And I was a Hoosier for a number of years myself. That's where my family roots are, both sides.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2003

I did all the maintenance a couple of weeks ago and finally last Friday I “mowed” the tallest grass I could find. It was hard to tell what I’d mowed and what I hadn’t but I had’d get out there.
By the way, last year when I was at my dealer getting my first maintenance stuff (B9200 new to me last year)the parts guy said he usually replaced the idler arm bearings on the mowing deck each year as a preventative measure. He said they didn’t cost much so I don’t think he was trying to just sell me more parts. At the time I decided to wait till this year when I knew I would be changing all the fluids and stuff. So when I was in this year I picked up the bearings (there are two stacked on top of one another). The old ones did seem to be sticky and the deck does seem quieter to me now. I think they were about 4 bucks each so that’s 8 dollars and some time, but I’d rather do this on my schedule rather than in the middle of the season. Also not sure what else would go if the bearing went, I assume the belt at the very least.

The B9200 had power steering as an option , I got luck to find one that had it – I do like it.

Dog