Review: Big Dog R Series Powerbar 754

Old Goat said:

Just got off that Big Dog cutting the 2.3 acres for the second time.

No wonder they named it that! The rest need to stay on the porch!

1.5 hours and used only about 1.5 gallons of fuel. I'm getting better and more impressed with each use!

The neighbor cut his yesterday with their Toro and the cut quality of the two yards is very markedly different. Both cut within 24 hrs of each other, 1 1/2 weeks ago and today. I only passed over mine ONCE. Mine is closest, theirs is full of hay, see below.

What a piece of junk, http://www.toro.com/en-us/homeowner.../pages/model.aspx?pid=timecutter-ss5000-74631

Charles

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RatRacer said:

Admin-
There is a time limit for editing their own thread/OP for updates?


Update-
The Big Dog has been returned to the dealer, and I have been fully refunded on 5/7/13

I liked the mower overall, as far as design and construction go, and spec-wise, it ticked all my desired boxes.
There were couple issues had concerning this purchase:

1. 1- The throttle design on this particular design of mower turned out to be something that needs to be better designed. The throttle (actually a hydro-static speed forward/reverse control, not fuel), would not return to neutral position when released, making you have to manually turn it back to slow down/stop.
2. 2- Full forward/reverse required more rotation of the handle beyond a persons natural wrist rotation range, requiring you to let go and re-grip to get to full forward/reverse, making item 1 above loads of fun if you need to do a sudden slow down/stop.
3. 3- My salesperson turned out to be a vinegar & water feminine hygiene product.
   During haggling, I switched up negotiations from being financed to a straight up cash price. I asked him to write down the final purchase price on a piece of paper, and I would have the wife get me a stack of Benjamin's. Well, we came to an agreement and I dropped it off payment on the way home from work, but he was not there, so a co-worker accepted it. So I called Friday to say I was stopping by to pick up the invoice and and all the manual stuff that they had still. He tells me that he needs an additional $322 to cover sales tax. I flipped and asked why he didn't include that in his written figure, since I was having to withdraw a large sum of cash for this buy? He says it slipped his mind, because of all the stress he was going thru during his business's ONGOING TAX AUDIT. I told him that was all I would pay, and either figure a way to make it work (I offered an out of state purchase option, Dad has same name in NJ) or come and get it. He took option B.

Now, I am awaiting the arrival of my Husqvarna M-ZT 52.

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RatRacer said:

DJ-
It was one of your recommendations that had put it on my radar, and spurred me into looking at it deeper, when this deal started heading south. None of my local dealers had any in stock, but after an expanded search, I found some inventory 60 miles from me. I took a long lunch the other day and went and took a test ride at a dealer. It is a awesome mower, and for how it's equipped, it will give their PZT line a bit of a hit. My repair guy says not to fret on the Endurance motor, and he'll keep it right as rain, or he'll swap it out for me.

And it's ORANGE!

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djdicetn said:

P.S.
I also remain somewhat "skeptical" of the Powerbar, Joystick and Steering Wheel type ZTR's:0)

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RatRacer said:

Admin-
There is a time limit for editing their own thread/OP for updates?


Update-
The Big Dog has been returned to the dealer, and I have been fully refunded on 5/7/13

I liked the mower overall, as far as design and construction go, and spec-wise, it ticked all my desired boxes.
There were couple issues had concerning this purchase:

1. 1- The throttle design on this particular design of mower turned out to be something that needs to be better designed. The throttle (actually a hydro-static speed forward/reverse control, not fuel), would not return to neutral position when released, making you have to manually turn it back to slow down/stop.
2. 2- Full forward/reverse required more rotation of the handle beyond a persons natural wrist rotation range, requiring you to let go and re-grip to get to full forward/reverse, making item 1 above loads of fun if you need to do a sudden slow down/stop.
3. 3- My salesperson turned out to be a vinegar & water feminine hygiene product.
   During haggling, I switched up negotiations from being financed to a straight up cash price. I asked him to write down the final purchase price on a piece of paper, and I would have the wife get me a stack of Benjamin's. Well, we came to an agreement and I dropped it off payment on the way home from work, but he was not there, so a co-worker accepted it. So I called Friday to say I was stopping by to pick up the invoice and and all the manual stuff that they had still. He tells me that he needs an additional $322 to cover sales tax. I flipped and asked why he didn't include that in his written figure, since I was having to withdraw a large sum of cash for this buy? He says it slipped his mind, because of all the stress he was going thru during his business's ONGOING TAX AUDIT. I told him that was all I would pay, and either figure a way to make it work (I offered an out of state purchase option, Dad has same name in NJ) or come and get it. He took option B.

Now, I am awaiting the arrival of my Husqvarna M-ZT 52.

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RatRacer said:

Since there is no BD sub-forum (yet), here it shall reside.

In my new ZTR quest , and it be where the steering component is more of a wife friendly design, I came across 2 designs that have met my criteria, in combination with ZT-3XXX trans and KW engine, the BD Powerbar and CC Z-force S.

Luckily, the closest dealer to me is a Hustler and BD dealer, he has graciously let me trial the Powerbar this weekend to see if he could close the deal.
Since this a unique mower, I figured I'd break out the camera and give you the nickel tour.

The unit in question:

Since it arrived somewhat dirty, so I didn't have to worry about getting it that way......

It steers and throttles like a motor-cycle....... hmmmm, will ape hangers work?

Control panel. Hour meter is mounted below, down the side of the tank.

She's a wide ride, with junk in the trunk.

It has great forward speed. It allowed me to do my yard in 32 minutes, with first time jitters use and not actually being the owner yet. I'm happy with the results. The only snafu right now is using reverse. I feel like a special needs person, because it's like total bass ackwards to normal use. Control is really responsive, like quick steering ratio, and is really one handed use friendly.
To the playground:
East side, wife likes circles

North side, 10ｰ slope

West side, with the dreaded swale from hell, and all its 30ｰ glory.

And finally, the South side. This swale is more user friendly, with up and down mowing without any scalping.

This has been a ztr noob report. Let me know if you would like any further pics of particular areas.

Steve

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