Buying Advice Done with hydrostatics

[crazyal]

Here's the way i see it. Back when I was a kid some 50 years ago my father would take me to Sears where I would sit on the new riding mowers. I paid attention because it had just become my job to mow the lawn with an old push mower (does anyone remember the old ones where you had to wind up a crank on the top of the engine to wind up a spring to spin the engine fast enough to start?) so seeing the nice shiny new riding mowers made me dream. For $1000 you could get an 8hp geared tractor and $1600 moved you up to 12hp. Not much in the way of options, just bigger tires.

Now a low end tractor prices start at about twice that. If you think about it over the last 40 to 50 years most everything has more than doubled in price. While $2500 seams like a lot of money to me for a riding mower the fact is that it's actually about the same price once you figure in how much the average wage has gone up. But now people are too lazy to shift gears. So the engines (not rated the same) have gotten more powerful and most are real hydro (my last MTD was a variable speed like a hydro but with a reeves belt drive system). It only stands to reason that something needs to cheaper.

 

[buickanddeere]

this is the WHY....can you explain this. What could stress the transaxle more than torque or shock loads, and if the rpm is down, power is down, so ???
Cooling is easy to understand unless part throttle and heavy load is causing excessive heat to trans.

Have to increase torque and pressure to compensate for the lower rpms .

 

[HEC]

I still have a 2003 cub- cadet 1529 running well with a 19 HP Kawasaki, and hydro. The one thing I learn the hard way is lawn tractors with sealed hydro's don't pull anything. I burned up two prior to buying this one which now has 1600 hours on it and has never pushed or pulled anything but itself. It doesn't push snow, pull a lawn cart, roller, spreader, nothing, even though the owners manual said it can and implements are sold to fit it.

That is the only reason I believe it has lasted this long.

I believe you are 100% correct as a friend next door has a cub cadet also and never uses it for anything but mowing , with zero problems and loves it . Does yours have grease fittings on the spindles as I believe he said his does not , that would be a concern for me I guess , maybe sealed bearings are fine .

 

[flewism]

I believe you are 100% correct as a friend next door has a cub cadet also and never uses it for anything but mowing , with zero problems and loves it . Does yours have grease fittings on the spindles as I believe he said his does not , that would be a concern for me I guess , maybe sealed bearings are fine .

Yes mine has grease fittings on the spindles, front axles pivots and front wheels, but not on the tie rods ends. the only thing I've replaced on that thing other than basic maintenance is the starter.

 

[fitterski]

Have to increase torque and pressure to compensate for the lower rpms .

The engine is revving at a given speed, THIS is the only given and not a variable. The cited rationale would make sense if the 'cruise' was a true 'maintain rolling speed' control ...which it is not. On my machine at least 'cruise' just means to lock the forward pedal in the existing 'position' whatever speed that results in. I can't try this on my mower in its current deplorable state but what happens if you lock cruise at some lower rpm and then throttle up to full tilt? I would expect vehicle speed to increase because engine rpm is the only real control. Correct me if I'm wrong but at any vehicle speed all transmission torque (defined by resistance load at THAT speed only) is therefore proportionally reduced at any lower speed and nothing that I can see would seek to increase it.

 

[rScotty]

Here's the way i see it. Back when I was a kid some 50 years ago my father would take me to Sears where I would sit on the new riding mowers. I paid attention because it had just become my job to mow the lawn with an old push mower (does anyone remember the old ones where you had to wind up a crank on the top of the engine to wind up a spring to spin the engine fast enough to start?) so seeing the nice shiny new riding mowers made me dream. For $1000 you could get an 8hp geared tractor and $1600 moved you up to 12hp. Not much in the way of options, just bigger tires.

Wow, I just realized how old I am. It was also my job as a kid to mow the lawn. But to me, an "old push mower" didn't have a motor at all. It was literally operated by pushing it forward. The blades were configured as a horizonal reel. No motor, so the blades were driven by pushing it so that as the wheels traveled forward they also spun the blade.
rScotty

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Wow, I just realized how old I am. It was also my job as a kid to mow the lawn. But to me, an "old push mower" didn't have a motor at all. It was literally operated by pushing it forward. The blades were configured as a horizonal reel. No motor, so the blades were driven by pushing it so that as the wheels traveled forward they also spun the blade.
rScotty

Been there, done that...
Told my boys the other day i should get them a reel mower. They thought i said "real" mower, they were confused until i explained.

 

[rScotty]

Been there, done that...
Told my boys the other day i should get them a reel mower. They thought i said "real" mower, they were confused until i explained.

Come to think of it, I think there was a transitional mower. I vaguely recall "reel mowers" that had a rope pull start Briggs engine mounted on top of them. Not common, but there were a few here and there. I think they had a fanbelt that ran down to a pulley to turn the wheels. Or am I dreaming (again )?
rScotty

 

[k0ua]

Come to think of it, I think there was a transitional mower. I vaguely recall "reel mowers" that had a rope pull start Briggs engine mounted on top of them. Not common, but there were a few here and there. I think they had a fanbelt that ran down to a pulley to turn the wheels. Or am I dreaming (again )?
rScotty

No, I remember them too. Never saw many, but I have seen them. I am pretty sure.

 

[k0ua]

Aha!... yes they do exist!.