The Good Banter Thread

[sissy]

I ask the following question on a tractor forum. I think he is saying that ZT's like to flip over.

which model could he be mentioning there is zero turns in the riding mower that is the traditional look and read about turn overs with them

 

[j.w]

My hubby almost did not have a safe trip home today Lou. He drove up to Mt Vernon/Burlington today to go to some shops up there. After he got home we found out that the I-5 bridge over the Skagit river that he just drove home over collapsed and 3 cars along w/ it!

 

[HTH]

So glad he is OK JW.

Sissy started looking at the stability of ZT's on the interment consumer reports says this

The front wheels are merely casters that can flop around like those on shopping carts. A general rise in deaths for riding mowers appears to track with the growth in market share for zero-turn models, prompting us to take a closer look at steering control on hills. Indeed, loss of control is a factor in many injuries and deaths, based on our analysis of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data.

...

Safety steps

• Choose a front-steering tractor over a zero-turn-radius rider if you're mowing slopes 10 to 15 degrees or greater. (A 10-degree slope rises roughly 20 inches over every 10 feet.) If you already own a zero-turn-radius riding mower, be sure to mow slowly on hills. And mow only on dry grass to maximize traction.
• Give yourself time to learn the controls on any ride-on mower, especially a zero-turn mower's levers for steering and speed.
• Mow straight up and down slopes with a tractor or rider unless the manual says otherwise. And mow side-to-side with walk-behind mowers, especially uphill.

There is a lot of info on the subject. There is even an attorney specializing in law suites regarding ZTs and rolling.

The caster wheels in front are part of the problem. When you start tipping they spin away from the direction of roll/fall. When you need them most the pivot away.

So it seems that although ZTs are the latest greatest fastest thing to mow with for people with slopes a garden tractor is safer.

 

[capewind]

Scarey JW ...

 

[Big Lou]

My hubby almost did not have a safe trip home today Lou. He drove up to Mt Vernon/Burlington today to go to some shops up there. After he got home we found out that the I-5 bridge over the Skagit river that he just drove home over collapsed and 3 cars along w/ it!

Praise be he was not involved! We are so happy Bill is home safe and sound with you. God watch overs all others in tha bridge collapse.

 

[CountryEscape]

Wow, JW, glad your husband is safe and sound. Very scary indeed!
Sissy, I have a ZTR Cub Cadet Tank, industrial model. It's VERY heavy. I don't have any slopes here, but did where I used to live. Never have tipped it, but never got it on a slope if it was at all wet either. Yes, above is correct about the pivot wheels. If you have a long steep slope, I agree, go up and down, not sideways, when it's wet even from dew. Only go sideways when very dry. All mowers should be set up with weight that will keep that from happening. I say ask the dealer, let him know the degree of slope of your yard where you are concerned, and get something in writing that says the mower you are about to buy will NOT tip on that hill. If he will put it in writing, then he has research backing him up. I had a Dixon ZTR before the Cub, and it was much lighter. If I got it stuck in the ditch because of water/wet, I could physically pull it out onto the road. Not this Cub I have. Dixon was more deck size that you are looking at, I think it was a 42". My cub is a 56". I do get done mowing in record time, though. I have the bars, and I know you don't like that either.
As a side note, I also have an IH 574 utility tractor that I pull a Bush Hog mower with. I mow the ditch on the other side of the road between field and ditch, but only when it's August dry, no water in the ditch. I have no idea how it keeps from tipping, it's that steep, but never has. Would not be dangerous, I could simply step off on the other side, use truck to pull it out, but hope I never have to do that. I'm very careful, would not do it if it would tip. But, just saying the heavier the mower is, the more likely it will not tip, as they weight them low for just that reason.... maybe ... :blueflower:

 

[sissy]

We have the cub cadet zero turn and never had a problem either with tipping .But I never ever mow wet grass either .Scarey thought but even lawn tractors will tip because it says they are top heavy and not enough of a stance between wheels .No matter what safety says the lower the mower is the better and the wider apart the wheels are the better and the heavier it is the better the mower is .I guess no matter what lawn tractors are not safe .I almost always mow up and down any ways the only time I go side ways is to turn or in front of my gardens .I have been doing it with my little troy built the last 3 years and I am comfortable with it and know how to control it .When I first started to mow the hill with it I was scared ,but all this time has made it easier .But it does concern me that it does not have the best balance because the tires are not set far enough apart and most of the weight is in the front end .When I make the turns that's when I notice one tire will spin and I have to lean to one side so the wheel gets traction and I make my turns wide to try and compensate for that .Most rollovers I read happen because of ditches and getting to close to them and front wheels catching and mower just goes with it .I go slow around those areas .That's why I put the fence up near the ditch.This shows how the slope is /

 

[sissy]

I noticed also they are talking only about the ones with the control arms in all the reports I have read and the new ones come with a steering wheel .I don't like the arm controls myself.Also the new ones have both front and rear wheel steering controls a foot brake pedal also like a regular mower

 

[sissy]

They also come with a gas pedal to control speed so maybe they are trying to stop the mistakes that zero turns have had

 

[HTH]

Do what you want. I only reported what I found so don't shoot the messenger.

 

[HTH]

Also the main trouble is the front casters but I imagine that when things go wrong the levers can be a problem.

FWIW Almost a half century ago the wheel vrs levers debate was played out in farm equipment. Specifically a machine called a swather or a windrower. You could say they were the first ZT mowers but on a larger scale. Swathers had drive wheels in the front and one or two casters in the back. Rather then a rotary blade they had a sickle mower on a platform with reels (a wheel with bats) to push the grain into the sickle blade.

The IH 201 pictured below is model I spend many many hours on and fixing. It had levers.

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:3026]

This model which was popular used a wheel. I think they also had 2 peddles for sharp left and right turns.

 

[addy1]

I ask the following question on a tractor forum. I think he is saying that ZT's like to flip over.

so far so good, never have flipped it, my slopes (that are not plants yet) are 20-25 degrees, I zoom around the yard, can get it done in about 2 hours. I mow our acres in 1/2 the time it takes my neighbor to mow his yard, which is about 1/4 the size of ours.

It does best on dry grass, wet grass it will slide some, but has never felt it was going to tip over.

 

[sissy]

well went to actually use one at the dealer and a bigger slope than mine and you not only steer with the front wheels but the back wheels also .Did not take much of a learning curve except for the 3 pedals on the front of it .Much easier to turn since you can control speed with the foot pedal just like a car .Steering it is much easier and balance and seat are better the slope he had there (which he had 4 of them )was much easier with the zero turn 4 wheel drive than the lawn tractor I was considering buying .He left me try 4 models 2 tractors and 2 zero turn .Thank you HTH but guessing they have not done a study on the newer models yet .But this guy there can really show you handling differences .They have a simulator that you try first because they want to see if you understand how it works before you get on the try out models .Amazing how just having the control over the front wheels makes .Steering wheel helps too and speed and brakes at your feet are really good .When you see a problem all you have to do is step on the break and emergency pedal can make it go into reverse .Don't worry not gonna shoot you .I know how my bar mower has the toggle wheels and that's what scares me .I did feel uncomfortable on the 46 inch verses the 42 inch cut and he told me he thought I might .But between the tractor which I am used to and the zero turn I felt more comfortable on the zero turn because I had more control and it sits lots lower which means I can get under all the trees .I will show pics .i looked at them at home depot , the guy at the dealers may not be able to get more in .Hubby dropped my camera also and I think he broke it .DARN
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:46756]

 

[sissy]

HTH i remember those things from my uncles farm but hate to say i liked the noise they made .It always reminded me of a push mower noise ,just loader .Addy hate to say but I take my time mowing my yard I find it is relaxing .

 

[HTH]

Glad to hear that not all ZT's are bad news.

I enjoy mowing green grass. The stuff around the shop is a sparse mix of weeds and grass. The trouble is when you mow it you are enveloped in a cloud of itchy dust with go-putz. I try to mow that stuff with the BX because one sits higher and with luck misses more of the dust. Another reason I am not a farmer.

Eventually I want to get everything into some sort of grass that can get by with little water. A fescue of some sort I imagine. But first we need to finish with the ponds and greenhouses.