Zero turn rollover

[Industrial Toys]

I like trees trimmed high and out of the way. It's like getting a haircut. At first it looks strange. I positively hate when I do things for friends and tree branches are whipping me in the face or giving my truck and mirrors that soft-cloth car wash treatment, just driving in.

I have no use for a ZTR. A friend brought a big commercial diesel ZT demo unit out. Went to cut the steep hill behind my house and just left two skid marks all the way down. Drove it right back on the trailer and we never spoke of it again.

 

[Coyote machine]

Prune the tree branches or don't. Drop or remove the ROPS rollbar or don't. When you flip it, and break your neck, don't call me to come rescue your azz.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Homeowner grade ZTR mowers and lawn tractors generally have no ROPS. Why is that?

 

[Diane59]

We just bought our first zero turn and I'm being really careful with it. I just read an article on FB (for what it's worth) stating guidelines have changed for when to use riding mowers, push behind mowers and weed trimmers on slopes. I guess it's getting more stringent.

 

[DK35vince]

Prune the tree branches or don't. Drop or remove the ROPS rollbar or don't. When you flip it, and break your neck, don't call me to come rescue your azz.

Don't worry.
That's the last place we would call.

A lot of the residential model zero turns don't even come with a roll bar.

 

[Coyote machine]

Don't worry.
That's the last place we would call.

A lot of the residential model zero turns don't even come with a roll bar.

Ah HA! Predicted that response, but not from you.
Plus if one's neck is broken, making a call is going to be difficult...

If they don't have a rollbar, do they come with seatbelts? I suspect not so the resident can fly like a bird when it rolls over into the ditch.

 

[DK35vince]

Ah HA! Predicted that response, but not from you.
Plus if one's neck is broken, making a call is going to be difficult...

Sorry,
But some times these safety police posts just rub me wrong.

 

[rbtjr]

We have owned four ZTRs and now own two ZTRs. We have a 52" one at home for mowing a lawn with no slopes (this one has no ROPS) and the second at our property in the country (also with no ROPS). But, the second ZTR is a 61" Wright Sport X. On it you can either stand on the platform in the rear or sit on a seat from which you can easily step off if you have trouble. The predecessor to this Wright was a 66" eXmark with ROPS. Great mower but we sold the eXmark and bought the Wright specifically to mow safely on slopes, especially on a 300' pond dam with a five to one slope. I am very careful mowing on slopes and am confident in the Wright insofar as safety is concerned. And this is after a guy we knew drowned in a pond when he was mowing an edge of the pond with very little slope. Muskrats had undermined the edge of the pond with their underground tunnels. There was no visible evidence of a problem. The ground at the edge of the pond gave away, this guy and his ZTR mower went into the pond, one of the skid-steer-style control levers got caught in his belt, and he couldn't escape. That was a major factor in my decision to buy a mower that wouldn't take me into the water with it.

 

[Coyote machine]

Sorry,
But some times these safety police posts just rub me wrong.

Thanks. I don't see how it's a safety police thing, IMO. It's just that so many people today are stupid when they do dangerous things with power equipment, and I don't have a lot of patience with people who do stupid things, get hurt, and then want sympathy for their foolishness.

I've worked as a tree surgeon and foreign auto shop owner/technician at various junctures in my life- and have seen really bad things happen to those who aren't paying attention. To me its sad, and most often preventable. This is why I don't feel a lot of sympathy for dumb behavior. I'm no exception- I've been hurt at times doing stuff pushing the limits- but I don't do it unaware of the dangers.

 

[dragoneggs]

Just finished mowing my yard and much of my neighbor's sloped yard. ROPS don't fold and I wear my seat belt. It was slick out and I am always careful about where I could end up. One thing I might do is add some weight to the front end. Going up the hillside in a few places I lean forward to keep the front wheels grounded. At the top I do a quick pivot and come straight down... sometimes I slide a bit but try not to lock up the wheels. It does take some practice to mow on slopes for sure. Some areas are reserved for the push mower or weed wacker.