Front brakes on a Zero turn!!

[aczlan]

Two threads from Lawnsite on the subject:
http://lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=258845
http://lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=285970

Seemed like they were about 50/50 for/against them.

Aaron Z

 

[QRTRHRS]

I must have pretty steep hills.
Bought this mower in 2002
Took off the originals put these on...
View attachment 242463

Then went to these...
View attachment 242464

My Woods front mount came with the tires you show in photo two. My problems going down hill are not sliding as long as I can control the hydraulics. I really should add the ROPES bar and seat belt. My problem is bracing myself so I do not slide forward and pushing on the sticks.

I break traction all the time with those tires going uphill. If my mower deck was wide enough I would add a dual kit.

 

[Gizmo2]

My Woods front mount came with the tires you show in photo two. My problems going down hill are not sliding as long as I can control the hydraulics. I really should add the ROPES bar and seat belt. My problem is bracing myself so I do not slide forward and pushing on the sticks.

I break traction all the time with those tires going uphill. If my mower deck was wide enough I would add a dual kit.

I'm guessing you have some pretty steep hills also.

 

[LarryD]

I've got a couple spots on my property with a pretty good grade change although they're only a few feet in length. No danger but my Carlisle Turf Savers can break traction going in either direction. I found that any significant change to one of the drive wheels is when I see greatest loss of traction. It is better in my case to just pick a slow speed and hold that through the slope.

 

[Alan L.]

I've owned my Skag Wildcat for 2 1/2 years. I'm very impressed with the gripping ability of my rear tires on dry grass. I go up, down, and sideways on it where I wouldn't dare go with the riding mower that I had before, or with any of my tractors except my dozer. Those two wheels, with their own independent hydraulic motors to drive them are AMAZING!!!!

Do you have a zero turn? Since you say that the rear tires are worthless, what do you have? Might be that we're not comparing apples to apples here and what you have might need additional braking power.

Eddie

I have the same ZTR that Eddie has and really have not experienced the problem going downhill apparently some have with other units. Doesn't seem to need any brakes on the front. The mower doesn't do too good in a mudhole, but just fine on hills. Without even using the brakes, going downhill you can pretty much control your speed to a creep using the levers.

 

[QRTRHRS]

My last property had much steeper hills than the one I have now. I complicated my situation by adding a Swisher 66" pull behind. Towing or not, once I spin, the Carlisle's load up and then I need to back up. Not so good when I have slid up against the fence.

I may try loading the tires or adding some wheel weights before I invest in different tires.

I honestly do not know if the brakes on my mower work with the hydraulic control position or not. I thought they were only for the parking brake? There is no foot pedal. As long as I can "feather" the hydraulics, I have good control going down hill.

 

[KYDan]

I have a JD 757 zero turn and I mow some very steep hills across the face of the hill, not up and down. I mow some of the very steep hills with my 4WD tractor by backing up and driving down very slowly. On those hills I would be afraid to mow with the zero turn up and down even with front brakes as they could possibly cause an end over. If it's that steep its time for the string mower! I do use the seat belt and ROPS on the really steep hills with both the zero turn and the tractor. When mowing across the face of the hills some of them are steep enough that I sort of mow at a 45 degree angle. It chews the grass up a little, but it grows back. I really don't understand the how the physics of the small castering front wheel brake system can be very effective.

 

[aczlan]

I may try loading the tires or adding some wheel weights before I invest in different tires.

If you dont have enough traction from the tires, adding more weight will just make you more stuck. Get new tires first.

I honestly do not know if the brakes on my mower work with the hydraulic control position or not. I thought they were only for the parking brake? There is no foot pedal. As long as I can "feather" the hydraulics, I have good control going down hill.

You probbaly have "engine braking" from the hydraulics through the sticks and a mechanical parking brake.

Aaron Z

 

[slowzuki]

None of the ZTR's I've been around have much weight on the front end, I don't see how braking lightly loaded smooth tread tires on grass is going to help? We used to just run chains on the ride ons for the hilly wet areas.

 

[QRTRHRS]

If you dont have enough traction from the tires, adding more weight will just make you more stuck. Get new tires first.Aaron Z

Good point. I have been pondering the lug type tires shown in the first photo posted by Gizmo2 since as I said, the one's in photo two do not work well for me. Perhaps the mower makes the difference? A friend went from the latter to the former and his mower works much better with the lugs. I have also thought about going to duals in a narrower tire to increase the amount of ground contact without going past my mower deck.

You probbaly have "engine braking" from the hydraulics through the sticks and a mechanical parking brake.

Aaron Z

That's what I figure, My joy sticks need to be pulled into the center from each side to go forward or backwards. If the brake is on, moving the sticks in will shut off the engine so the parking brake is only for just that, parking.

FWIW, I would not buy a Woods again, (I believe Grasshopper made the front mount for Woods that I have) but I have so much money in it, I need to put up with it until it is time for a replacement.