Zero Turn traction issues

[JJZ 109]

Not that it helps the OP, but my experience owning 2 zero turns of different brands showed me that on wet grass or the slightest mud traction was horrible. More aggressive tires did little to help. In fact they only tore up grass when making a "zero turn".
I got frustrated enough to sell the Ferris and buy a John Deer X394 four wheel steer tractor. Of course you can't spin it on a dime like a Z turn, but it doesn't get stuck nearly as easy and doesn't tear up the grass when the wheel is cranked. The hydraulic deck raise/lower and power steering were added bonuses. I find that my mowing time didn't increase by enough to concern me.

 

[mikester]

I bought the entry level Ferris S400 this spring for mowing our fairly hilly 1.5 acre or so "lawn" area.

I love the cut, the speed and the maneuverability, but the traction (negative traction?) going downhill is near ridiculous. The only way to go down our steeper slopes is to start at a crawl and slowly speed up, or you end up skidding/slewing down the hill. And forget about stopping in the middle of even a moderate downgrade and turning to do the next cut.

A few options I've thought of:

• Add some weight - load the tires and/or add wheel weights.
• Chains (seems bizarre to me on grass, but I've seen a few posts suggesting it)
• Simplest yet - lower the air pressure in the tires. TBH I haven't even checked it - maybe it's way over what it's "supposed" to be.
• Get a mmm for our B3030. Not inclined to this route because the cab makes it awkward to get close to the many "things" around the property, plus I'm not crazy about driving a 3000# machine all over our lawn on a regular basis.
• Get a traditional "lawn tractor". Not crazy about this, as I have no idea whether the traction issue is any better, and it will certainly be slower than a zero turn (although it will be my wife mowing, and time is not a big issue for her). However, this is the option my wife would be most apt to pick on her own...

We already have the Ferris, and it's a pretty nicely built machine. I'd rather use it if possible. Forum thoughts?

(FYI, the GC2300 will be going down the road next year, so using a mmm on it is not a realistic option, although I could keep it).

Check out this thread. I put WT300 bar tires on my ZT and the difference in control,on hills is amazing
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...385191-running-tractor-tires-zero-turn-3.html

 

[Fuddy1952]

I have two Cub Cadet zero turns, older RZT50 and a Z-Force. The RZT the front wheels are just casters like on a grocery cart. The Z-Force the wheels steer. I use the RZT on really hilly dangerous areas. Picture you see I made a pass days ago along fence line. I go slow, wheels are straight. I lean way over. If it happens to turn going downhill I simply circle around going the other way. On really steep hilly areas I cut straight downhill, just like I do on other pastures when I bush hog. That to me is common sense safety. You won't flip a mower or tractor by going straight down hill. I turn at level bottom, circle around making another pass down.

 

[Bigfoot62]

The new Bad Boy Outlaw XP comes with Reaper turf tires. Mine is a 2016 and didn't have those, but they look impressive. Something like that might help.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Weight is your friend on hills. I had a 650 lb Hustler Raptor SD zero turn, and would slide down the hills in my field, and if I tried going across the hills, the mower would just slide to the side. I recently traded it in for a Hustler X-One that weighs 1250 lbs. I no longer slide on the hills, I can stop going downhill etc.

That said, I would be careful about adding weight to the mower. The transaxles are designed to move X amount of weight (mower plus you). Going above that limit could shorten their lives. I think you need a few hundred extra pounds to notice a performance difference.

Different tires will also make a big difference. Chevron tires that come on many mowers don't do well on hills.

 

[Locoweed]

I'll agree with shortening the life drive units. I added bar tires + 60 lbs of weights to my Hustler Fastrack Super Duty. I guess that overloaded the capabilities of the drive units. After replacing 2 drive units ($$) I removed the weights, but left the bar tires on. I quit doing steep hills with zero turn. IMHO they are best used for reasonably flat land.

 

[MultiMow]

How about buying front brakes for your Z?

Tedbrakes.com

One of my favorite safety advancements... but it only works on units that already have some measure of traction. Pretty sure the OP doesn't have much to go on.

 

[MultiMow]

Thank you, Multimow.

One final question. Back when I used to hire a mowing company to do my one really steep hill, two young guys on z-turns would do it. They would zip up and down and around really fast with nary a problem. Is this simply because of having pro-grade machines, experience, or both?

Indeed, both. The best ZTR in world is only as good as its operator.

 

[MultiMow]

MULTIMOW,
I don't have a lot of experience w/ all the mowing variations you describe, as most of my lawn is mowed w/ a 50 hp utility tractor and either a 90 inch or 110 in finish mower (rear 3 point mount). However I can speak to the deere rider comment, and DISAGREE. I do the close "clean-up" mowing w/ a deere X340, 25 Kawa engine and my cutting height is about 3-1/2" and I have no issues w/ cut quality.
Their line-up is extensive but perhaps the "Broad Brush" is the incorrect tool to describe the entire product spectrum.

In my firsthand experience, I've seen all their lineup in action. I've never seen a John Deere of any type leave a clean cut over 2.5 inches. The decks that will mow tall growth at any decent rate (7 Iron pro-grade) leave a horribly uneven cut, and standard yellow decks are laughable in overgrowth. My old boss still brags about his 920 ZTR. I've never seen his unit, but I've seen the exact same model cut alongside an eXmark and a Scag... no comparison.

 

[MultiMow]

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