Zero turn rollover

[DK35vince]

My current zero turn is wider and more stable than my previous zero turn we ran for years and it didn't even come with a roll bar.
Most home owner models don't

 

[Coyote machine]

My current zero turn is wider and more stable than my previous zero turn we ran for years and it didn't even come with a roll bar.
Most home owner models don't

Are those both Hustlers? I'm surprised to see a ZT without a ROPS, but I do know most manufacturers have lowered the COG to keep them from being so problematic. And the Scag Wildcat I had had a ROPS and front weights to keep the front end from allowing backward flips when climbing hills. I used to lean as far forward as possible too to help try to keep from flipping.
I believe the method for hills was straight up and down, never cross slope- but I could be wrong on this aspect. Maybe confusing it with the tractor- you know- high COG.

 

[DK35vince]

Go look at MOST residential grade zero turn mowers.
They do not have roll bars.
You need to get into the commercial grade machines to have a ROPs.
That's what I don't get.
If I would have bought a residential model that comes with no ROP's everything is OK.
But if I run my commercial grade mower with the ROP's folded I'm going to die.

 

[DK35vince]

Are those both Hustlers?

Yes.
My first one was a Hustler FasTrak 54"
My current is a 72" Hustler Super Z

 

[dragoneggs]

Go look at MOST residential grade zero turn mowers.
They do not have roll bars.
You need to get into the commercial grade machines to have a ROPs.
That's what I don't get.
If I would have bought a residential model that comes with no ROP's everything is OK.
But if I run my commercial grade mower with the ROP's folded I'm going to die.

I consider my Kubota Z122RKW-42 a residential Z turn. It comes with a fixed ROPS standard. Since I have slopes I would not have considered it if it didn't.

 

[Creamer]

Cutting a low hanging branch is called pruning; hardly 'butchering everyone's trees'. No reason to leave one branch and remove a rollbar....

If you have fruit trees and trim them above a ROPS then you have to go up high on ladders to do everything else. I would much rather have my fruit down low and stay off of ladders.

My ZTR is a front deck and low so it is almost impossible to roll it but I have done it on a 40 degree slope by my lake where one front wheel collapsed a muskrat run causing an immediate 12" drop of the low wheel with the edge of the deck over the the edge of the water, i.e. no support from the deck. It was a slow rollover though and very easy to slide off and out of the way as it just went up on its side.

I fixed that situation by purchasing a sickle bar mower to get the lake edge since I have over a quarter mile of it.

 

[groundcover]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

 

[buckeyefarmer]

And all the commercial guys i see keep the rops down.

 

[4570Man]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

Another very practical option for commercial lawn guys.

 

[Creamer]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

In my fruit tree area that would be mulching the entire area which also invites rodents - not really what I want.

 

[Coyote machine]

Go look at MOST residential grade zero turn mowers.
They do not have roll bars.
You need to get into the commercial grade machines to have a ROPs.
That's what I don't get.
If I would have bought a residential model that comes with no ROP's everything is OK.
But if I run my commercial grade mower with the ROP's folded I'm going to die.

Now that's funny! The way you stated it - not that you're going to die...
I don't get that either- maybe just the commercial guys drive like Fed-EX, completely crazed, and are more likely to flip in less than ideal conditions they have to work in day in-day out?

My 2016 brand new last season Cub Cadet four wheel steering, Pro-160 ZT with 60" deck comes with a foldable bar. I know it's considered Pro-line and it is, but I know a lot of consumers are buying it, and probably not so many pros, due to their favorites being other brands, and costing way mo money. CC offers commercial 2 years 500 hours- and unlimited hours and 4 years to consumers. So they know who's more likely to snag a branch or flip one on a high slope hill.:confused3:

 

[RoyJackson]

...I don't have a lot of patience with people who do stupid things, get hurt, and then want sympathy for their foolishness.

I don't think too many of us have a lot of sympathy with the Darwin Award winners...but I don't think too many of us express that publically. Your post was a tad stern (IMHO). No biggie though...just voicing your opinion.

BTW, if you haven't...read my post (on this thread) how I knocked a tooth out....I may not be a Darwin Award winner, but I'm at least a runner up...

 

[RoyJackson]

If you can do away with the grass under the tree with a mulch ring out to the drip line the trees will be much happier ( and so will the mower guy!)

That is the best way, IMHO...my lazy *** just hasn't got around to it yet

 

[dragoneggs]

And all the commercial guys i see keep the rops down.

And I am guessing most 'all' the commercial guys aren't mowing difficult 'residential' landscapes. I could be wrong here. :confused3:

 

[4570Man]

And I am guessing most 'all' the commercial guys aren't mowing difficult 'residential' landscapes. I could be wrong here. :confused3:

I’ve seen commercial guys mowing some pretty nasty banks. I’ll mow stuff that a lot of people would grab the weed wacker on and I’ve seen commercial guys mow stuff that there’s no way I’d mow. Sure they cut some easy yards but you’re wrong to say they never cut anything difficult. They might be more likely to call it quits though since they’ve usually got another weed wacker guy.

 

[dragoneggs]

I’ve seen commercial guys mowing some pretty nasty banks. I’ll mow stuff that a lot of people would grab the weed wacker on and I’ve seen commercial guys mow stuff that there’s no way I’d mow. Sure they cut some easy yards but you’re wrong to say they never cut anything difficult. They might be more likely to call it quits though since they’ve usually got another weed wacker guy.

Agreed. And they likely have equipment that is more capable than the residential guy in the first place... and as you said the weed hacker guy is right behind. We residential guys have to go back to the shed for the finish tool.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The commercial ones that came to mind were clinging to some steep banks with the rops down. I was thinking I'd have that up if i was them....

 

[Thall303]

ROPS up and seatbelts on .....always!

 

[aczlan]

The commercial ones that came to mind were clinging to some steep banks with the rops down. I was thinking I'd have that up if i was them....

I think it must all be in the tires. I spent the summer of 2007 working for a commercial lawn care company. We drove commercial zero turns, namely: a pair of mid 2000s watercooled eXmarks with 60 and 72" decks, a similar age air cooled eXmark with a 60" deck and a 2006ish commercial Husquvarna, also with a 60" deck. We also had a pair of walk behind eXmarks with hydro drive, one with a 48" deck and the other with a 52" deck.
I'm not sure if it was just the tires or what, but we had them scrambling up hills that looking back, we probably had no business mowing.
The worst issue we had was a chunk of pipe embedded in concrete hiding in the lawn next to a ditch. That ate 3 front tires and a blade/spindle (when it hit, it mangled the blade and tightened the blade nut up enough that we had to use a torch to get it off and that ruined the spindle).
The only other repeated issue was the one guy on the Husquvarna who apparently had no sense of smell. They had a single belt from the engine that ran around all three spindles, and if you pushed it too hard it would stink and then smoke the $80+ belt ( which he seemed to manage to do at least every other week).

Aaron Z

 

[buckeyefarmer]

They had exmark.