scut ride comfort while mowing, R4 vs turf vs R14

[GeneV]

Anybody with input on that? I got R4 tires on mine, worked great for all the brush/tree/dirty work I had to do on my property. But now that I got that mostly done, the GC is now used more for mowing, yet I find the ride sux on my uneven ground. Compared to it, my garden tractor is way more comfortable for mowing, so I find myself using it more, even though the Massey's mower deck is way more capable. I was looking to improve that, wondering about swapping tires.

 

[Dmacleo]

you try varying tire pressure a bit for softer ride?
my lawn is all old cow pasture so rough no matter what, the r4 do ride better than r1 I just put on but the sidehill and traction gains r1 give me offset that.

 

[cglaser104]

Your in the same spot as I am with you GC and it's primary purpose shifting. My cub cadet is 20 years old and needs some love and has put the GC at center stage to pick up some mowing duty. I too would be curious about going to r14t's.

Beyond that, I'm also looking to swap to a more comfortable, shock absorbing seat. My cub cadet seat has a pair of shock absorbing springs that take the sharpness out of the bounce far better than the GC does. Maybe a combination of a different set of springs and more supportive seat will help there as that's what they m considering.

 

[GeneV]

A poster on another thread mentioned the geometry of the Massey compared to my Craftsman gt also has something to do with the ride difference. With the GC being bigger and heavier, obviously would affect how it handles over uneven terrain. Especially by where I used to keep my pigs. Sure wish I this Massey back then, I would have had an easier time repairing/grading dirt after I would move them to another spot. Anyways, I'm hoping to at least soften the ride somewhat.

 

[Dmacleo]

the seat, compared to zero turns, is a huge difference. where I am not backhoe so don't have to worry about rotating seat I've wondered about using a zero turn type with absorbers.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Anybody with input on that? I got R4 tires on mine, worked great for all the brush/tree/dirty work I had to do on my property. But now that I got that mostly done, the GC is now used more for mowing, yet I find the ride sux on my uneven ground. Compared to it, my garden tractor is way more comfortable for mowing, so I find myself using it more, even though the Massey's mower deck is way more capable. I was looking to improve that, wondering about swapping tires.

Do you have a FEL on the tractor? If so, have you tried taking it off or at least dropping the bucket when mowing?

Mine bounce a lot less and generally ride better without the loader on.

 

[hube2]

How fast are you trying to mow the lawn that you notice a bumpy ride? My lawn is extremely bumpy and I don't have a problem going as fast as turtle gear will let me go. On the other hand if I tried to go across my lawn in rabbit I'd likely bounce my kidney out. I have R1's and that might be part of the difference in low gear.

 

[Dmacleo]

How fast are you trying to mow the lawn that you notice a bumpy ride? My lawn is extremely bumpy and I don't have a problem going as fast as turtle gear will let me go. On the other hand if I tried to go across my lawn in rabbit I'd likely bounce my kidney out. I have R1's and that might be part of the difference in low gear.

well....rabbitt 3/4 w/ cruise control 1.8 acres (and many trees to go around) in 70 minutes +/- and 1 gallon fuel mowing hay and clover.
may have something to do with it.
just in slow mode I am....too slow LOL
but yeah there is also difference in ride due to speed.

 

[Username Taken]

I went through this for a while, got sick of it and bought a zero turn. I will never go back.

Not that a ZT is comfortable. It isn't. It's just so much faster that the misery is over sooner. A lot sooner

I would never, ever, not ever, not forever, ever again own a MMM. They are Satan's spawn.

Other than that, I don't really have an opinion

 

[hube2]

heh, I don't call it misery. I enjoy the 90 minutes to myself not thinking about anything but driving and mowing. And I don't mow all that often. I ***** about my neighbors that scalp their lawn every 3 days, do they have nothing better to do with their time? Meanwhile I know that they are all likely bitching about how crappy my lawn looks because I only mow every 2 weeks.

 

[Dmacleo]

2 bone anchors holding one shoulder in place mean I can't run z for more than 20 minutes.
x mark, skag stand on, toro (friend has landscaping business driven all) z's all failed (traction, multiple tire types) on ditch/road sidehills I have while massey/mid mount drives up down(4wd) to mow them.
all depends on needs.
seats on the x mark were best for me, liked it better than toro and skag...well stand on so no seat LOL.

 

[Diggin It]

But now that I got that mostly done, the GC is now used more for mowing, yet I find the ride sux on my uneven ground. Compared to it, my garden tractor is way more comfortable for mowing, so I find myself using it more, even though the Massey's mower deck is way more capable. I was looking to improve that, wondering about swapping tires.

Like I've said before on several of these types of threads ... a SCUT with an MMM will mow, and mow well, but it is not a mower. It will not mow fast, or be comfortable.

I got mine in part due to a steep hill that was tearing up my riders with old transmissions. I mow that hill most of the time with the SCUT and I do another part of the yard that doesn't need to look like a lawn. The areas around the house and the fruit trees I do with the riders, using a push mower sometimes for detail work.

If you have the finances, tools and ability to do so, perhaps consider getting another set of rims with turfs mounted. You could switch all four when you need tractor work.

 

[ray66v]

As stated, by several previous members brilliantly, (1) The only thing you can do that will really affect your ride on a GC, is lower the tire pressure, or (2) Make seat changes.

Lowering the tire pressure in the rears is no problem. Plenty of sidewall to soften the ride. The fronts however, don't allow for a lot of adjustment.

And, (3) The zero turn is the only way to go. I will also add, besides allowing you to get back to lounging faster, it's also more comfortable on hot days. This is because you have no engine producing heat and nothing obstructing the air flow in front of you. When you are at speed in a zero turn there is a noticeable cooling effect.

 

[GeneV]

Personally, I enjoy mowing, and like I said I already got a garden tractor that mows well. Don't need a zero turn. I'm just looking for a way to make the GC as comfortable to mow with as the garden tractor.

Answering some of these other posts, no I don't mow with the loader on. And I don't have the stock turntable seat, first mod I did on this tractor is ditch that horrible seat. Also, I don't mow in turtle gear...I like to mow, but not in slow motion.

I try lowering the pressure in the rear tires, but the question still stands: Anybody notice marked ride comfort difference on lawn with turfs?

 

[Dmacleo]

neighbor has turfs on his, played with it a bit and was small difference between them and r4 I had at the time on mine on open field.
but as stated my lawn is old pasture, tires cant really offset ruts that well. and turfs spun a lot and put me in dangerous positions.

 

[Username Taken]

Not saying that people with MMM's should throw them in the trash and run out to buy a $3,500 Z-Turn. Not harshing on the people at all.

Just telling you my experience and when I sat down with a Salesman and he told me the MMM option was a $3,300 option, I almost split a gut laughing.

I've got 5 acres with a lot of trees and 5 buildings and a garden and lots of other stuff to mow around. If I can't mow around it with my ZT, I kill it. There's still some weed-eating needs done here and there but if I can, I kill it if my ZT won't get. Which it does. Most of it.

I'm just trying to tell people that don't already have one or are looking at one..... I seldom recommend more engine pistons to feed, maintain, etc but my ZT is where it's at for mowing anything over 2 acres.

Ax yourself this........ How many professionals do you see using a MMM??? A few, Very few. And they usually go to a ZT after a couple seasons, realizing they made a mistake. Purpose-built Lawn Mowing Machines are another matter. They don't really qualify as MMM. Even then, the ZT is a better option from what I've seen.

But all I know is what I know. There are many out there who know more than I do.

Comfort??? My first thought would be -- Slow down

 

[GeneV]

You know what, eff it...I'ma selling both the garden tractor AND the massey tractor, and getting this instead:

 

[Dmacleo]

wow my brand new 60" mmm was 2500 last year, that 3300 is high.
course the z we use commercially run 5500 o 7000 so..
but yeah each has their place.
with 5 acres and lot of high degree turning I (if I could actually run one due to shoulder injuries) I'd look at a cheaper z also.

 

[GeneV]

Zero turns are wonderful on level lawns. I got a yard, ok. Heavily sloped, with the path around the pond all dimpled with muskrat damage (which you could occasionally pop a foot through)...this ain't the scene for a zero turn.

 

[check]

Wow, it’s surprising how many people don’t like the MMM on an SCUT. Good thing I never bought one for my BX 25, as they are really quite expensive.

Instead, I bought a used 42”MTD from a friend for $350. It has an automatic transmission, so it is very easy to mow with. Turf tires.