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I got my Hustler X1 seriously stuck in some deep mud a few weeks ago. Got a neighbor to bring his come-along over and help me get it out. I'm kind of a newbie and had never even heard of a "come-along" before this. Anyway I got to thinking, what about mounting a winch on the front of the mower, similar to the way they do on ATV's? I contacted Hustler about where and how to mount one and what would they suggest? They replied that they had no suggestions and pretty much blew me off. I would be afraid of bending, breaking, or pulling something loose without knowing exactly where and how to mount the winch. I would also be afraid of voiding the frame warranty. Any ideas or suggestions out there?

Imo better to put a winch on your truck ir jeep or by a stand alone model. Much more versatile.

don't mow close enough to get stuck thats why you have a weedeater ,or not at all if it that muddy

I would think it would be a very good idea. I have one on my ATV and use it all the time around the house like pulling post out or moving a rock or what ever. You might have to get some kind of mounting plate and install a roller fairlead with it. Mine is a 2500 lb. pull but I would think you could get by with a 1000 lb pull seeing you don't want to over pull on your frame and bend it. Once you have and use a winch you will be surprised the uses for it and find it was a good investment. The only problem I do have with mine is if I use it for a long time period it will kill the battery but with common sense you will learn how much you can use it. I say go for it you will not be sorry: wink:

You could also use it to lift the front end for deck work and changing the blades if you have something sturdy enough to "hang" it from.

lol, Are you planning on getting stuck often? I would think a winch would be a major inconvenience to mount no matter where you put it.

I used a rope & my other mower the few times I had gotten a little close to the wet lands.

Since mowing in Mud is not that productive... It seems much more practicle to Avoid the Mud in the first place,,, that way you not only avoid getting stuck, but you also avoid the work needed to repair the area you destroyed while "mowing".... :smile:KennyV

The guy is smart enough to know to try and avoid getting stuck but we all make mistakes! Instead of the smart-arse no brainer comments about avoiding getting stuck, why not try to answer his question? It is his mower and his money, if he wants to install a winch He can.
He asked if he could install one, not how to avoid needing one.

sure you can, but you could also install one on a cessna:confused2:

Ha ha ... Your right John... & I was in a cessna once that needed a pull out of where it ended... :biggrin:
We didn't install one after that... and have never got into that kind of predicament since.

I think the overall message is, you may get stuck once.. and likely will avoid trying to "mow" in an area that your likely to get stuck...
After getting stuck the second time I think I would walk the spot I'm thinking of mowing just to 'see' if it is too Wet to mow...
:smile:KennyV

when I first got my ZTR I got stuck in the mud,did'nt think it was that muddy but it was for a ZTR.Kinda suprised me.So I learned if I go fast enough through the area I won't get stuck.If it's a large area I wait.By the way Kenny,keep your eye on the sky today....russ

Still say if the OP was ts a winch then why not. Just put on something he can take down the road.

I know how it is to get stuck. I have property that can be on the wet side. Sometimes its necessary to cut in the wet areas even when you don't want to. I can see the use of a winch for getting out of the mud. I would question if your battery has enough amperage to do the job. I have one on my MF but have not put a lot of time on its use so I don't have a feel for the draw. I can see where it would be handy especially when your working alone. Most of the time I just use the MF (4wd) and pull out what ever is stuck.

To answer your question, yes you can do whatever you want.

Thanks everyone. Especially the comedians. :laughing:

WHy Not. Easy way to do it......

Mount a pickup truck step bumper mount receiver hitch to your unit. Then get a straight receiver tube (about 12" long) to pin to the hitch. Now buy your winch....some winches come with a mounting plate that you can bolt to the receiver tube (use grade 8 bolts) and presto....a portable unit you can use on your mower or even on your vehicle of course in addition to your 12 volt hookups. (10 ga. wire to the battery if it's 3500lb or less winch, pay attention to the electrical specs of the unit) Did it on my Simplicity Legacy XL and it works like a champ. I'll post pics if you want.

fsagames said:

I got my Hustler X1 seriously stuck in some deep mud a few weeks ago. Got a neighbor to bring his come-along over and help me get it out. I'm kind of a newbie and had never even heard of a "come-along" before this. Anyway I got to thinking, what about mounting a winch on the front of the mower, similar to the way they do on ATV's? I contacted Hustler about where and how to mount one and what would they suggest? They replied that they had no suggestions and pretty much blew me off. I would be afraid of bending, breaking, or pulling something loose without knowing exactly where and how to mount the winch. I would also be afraid of voiding the frame warranty. Any ideas or suggestions out there?

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Points to consider: 1. Front or Rear ? Chances are, you're going to be driving forward when you get stuck. You will likely be trying to winch it rearward. 2. The center of gravity will probably be somewhere slightly in front of the engine; and likely not much above the main frame. 3. The Hustlers I've serviced in my shop have been extremely light in front, my little 1/2 ton 110v winch raises the deck end high enough to put the rear of the frame on the floor with very little strain. All this means that the winch would be BEST MOUNTED at or below the center of gravity on the rear. Very limited space!! I believe if it was mine and I just HAD to have a way to winch it out, I'd mount 1/2" clevises thru each frame rail and use a remote winch . Remember, to winch it out, you have to have an anchor point. By the way, used fan belts are a neat way to attach to something. REMEMBER to move the hydraulic motor controls to neutral/tow position to prevent possible damage to the drive system !!

Re: WHy Not. Easy way to do it......

klimty said:

Mount a pickup truck step bumper mount receiver hitch to your unit. Then get a straight receiver tube (about 12" long) to pin to the hitch. Now buy your winch....some winches come with a mounting plate that you can bolt to the receiver tube (use grade 8 bolts) and presto....a portable unit you can use on your mower or even on your vehicle of course in addition to your 12 volt hookups. (10 ga. wire to the battery if it's 3500lb or less winch, pay attention to the electrical specs of the unit) Did it on my Simplicity Legacy XL and it works like a champ. I'll post pics if you want.

Click to expand...

Would like to see some pics posted if possible. Thanks.

Fourty years ago or so my brother-in law who was in the wood cutting business bought a sizable farm tractor to haul logs out of the woods. Each rear wheel had a wheel bolted to is as in dual rear wheels but there were no tires installed on these wheels. Along with the purchase of this tractor was a pallet with a large coil of steel cable, a choke cable and a sizable snatch block. He was going to sell the cable and wheels for scrap. He got this tractor stuck in mud deep in the woods and called me to help him get the tractor out of the mud. I had him call the seller of this tractor and ask him about the cables and the extra wheels. The seller showed up with a truck with four 8" thick 24" wide and 15' long wood planks on it. Long story short, the planks were placed in line with the tractor front wheels, two on each side, the choke cable and snatch block were connected to a nearby tree, one end of the long cable connected to the tractor front and extended out thru the snatch block, brought back to and wrapped around one of the wheels. He started the tractor, put it in low gear and carefully let the clutch out. The cable pulled tight and yanked the tractor out of the mud and up onto the wood planks. We moved the planks as the tractor advanced until it was clear of the mud. These planks were very heavy and it took six of us to move them after the tractor was off them and onto the next pair. So my brother-in law found out what the extra equipment was used for the day before he was going to scrap it.
Mad Mackie in CT