Mowing Which is better for mowing on hills, ZTR or SCUT?

[Diamondpilot]

Most we looked over that were front mount said they could not be transported while folded, so folding the deck for transport was not really a option. We see lots of the front mounts around here on estates and such but no pro uses them, they all use mid mounts and walk behinds.

Chris

 

[mus302]

no seatbelt?

Ken

No seat belt. No ROPS. Just a lot of luck that the machine didn't turn on over. That machine was a Gravely 60" ZTR.

 

[Charlesaf3]

At this point, if I'm riding on it I'd want a seat belt and rops. Especially on hills.

Not planning on trailering 2! Probably not even one. So that wouldn't matter. Seems like front would make it easier to get access to the blades for sharpening etc? That would matter.

 

[FlaDon]

To confuse the issue even more, a front mount ztr, is extremely stable.
I used to have a gravely ztr and could not mow many of the slopes that my front mount grasshopper can. Super smooth cut too.
Dave

Did you try a Gravely Rapid XZ on your yard before buying the Grasshopper?

As wide and long as mine is, I still added a ROPS to it. So now it's set for mowing with a 52" and 60" decks, 60" snowplow, lights, and seat belt. On order is a cab, and the 50" snowblower is sitting at the Gravely dealership.

 

[FlaDon]

At this point, if I'm riding on it I'd want a seat belt and rops. Especially on hills.

Not planning on trailering 2! Probably not even one. So that wouldn't matter. Seems like front would make it easier to get access to the blades for sharpening etc? That would matter.

Insert pin, release 2 latches, tilt up. Gravely Rapid XZ. Very easy to change blades.

 

[Dargo]

Seems like front would make it easier to get access to the blades for sharpening etc? That would matter.

Since I already mentioned that I only use my Grasshoppers to mow my own yard and don't trailer them, access to the blades is certainly one advantage of the power folding deck. With standard front mounts you get a 3' to 4' long bar you stick into a slot in the front of the deck to give you leverage to raise the deck up to a locked position. With the power fold deck and my cordless 36v DeWalt impact gun I can change the blades on my power fold Grasshopper in about 2 to 3 minutes total. Since they made my older model, a 1999 model, and my newer model, a 2007 model, they changed some baffles under the deck and made it a deeper deck. That seems to make a big difference in the deck not collecting wet grass stuck under the deck.

With the older model once or twice a year I raise up the deck, use a putty knife to remove all caked on old grass residue and sharpen the blades. In the couple hundred hours or so on my 'newer' Grasshopper I've never yet had to clean under the deck. I only have to get under the deck to sharpen the blades, a couple times a season, or change the blades, once so far.

Good luck with whatever you buy! When I was mowing for a profession, price was somewhere down the list from the quality of cut, reliability, durability, ease of maintenance and performance on a variety of conditions such as soft muddy conditions, steep hills and deep valleys.

 

[SpringHollow]

These radio controlled slope mowers are kind of neat:

Spider ILD 02 - Slope mowers SPIDER - radio controlled slope mower SPIDER ILD 01 and ILD 02

Safety and easy access being the big reason for them. Nice to not be sitting on the engine. Unfortunately, one person did die using one. He was standing directly below it when it flipped down the hill killing him.

Ken

 

[OKnewguy]

Did you try a Gravely Rapid XZ on your yard before buying the Grasshopper?

As wide and long as mine is, I still added a ROPS to it. So now it's set for mowing with a 52" and 60" decks, 60" snowplow, lights, and seat belt. On order is a cab, and the 50" snowblower is sitting at the Gravely dealership.

No, I do not remember the model of my gravely. I had tried a ferris and a dixie chopper, I bought my grasshopper used with their leaf vac hopper for a great price. I have been very pleased with this mower, it does a great job, and gives a pretty darn smooth ride. I think the longer wheel base really helps. If you do not have to get these mowers on trailers everyday, their added size is a great plus.
Dave

 

[Charlesaf3]

Thanks Dargo and all. Still in the research phase (winter is good for that). But yeah, I'll buy the right one, not the cheap one. Nice thing is, I just need to buy it for one set of conditions, my own, and no need to worry about trailering, so I've a big advantage over commercial guys.

How fuel efficient are the gas ones? I've already got a diesel fueling setup (oh, I'm dying to insert pictures here ) so the main advantage of going diesel would be not messing around with fueling. But if a tank of gas will last 10 acres, then its really not a big deal either way - picking up a tank of gas a month I can handle. Picking up a tank of diesel a day was starting to drive me nuts...

And a plow on a ztr? I can see the blower... but even that seems iffy. I wouldn't think they'd have the traction and mass to push a plow. Not that its important to me, I just need a mower, plowing duties will be handled by the m59

 

[Diamondpilot]

Its not a Grass Hooper but my neighbors Ferris mowers with 37 HP Kawasaki motors run 2.5 gallons per hour. He can do 6 acres a hour average so it pretty cheap per acre. His mowers hold 12 gallons. He looked at diesel but could not make the math work on the 3 year ownership plan he is on for his commercial business.

Chris