Search results

What makes you think I don't have years of experience? I've been mowing my yards since the mid 80's. You should stay done with topic. Permanently. You are absolutely ignorant on the topic. Or you're trolling, because you're giving the exact opposite advice that matches reality.

Why the defensiveness? Was my comment some sort of personal insult to you? I don't see lawn services any more, other than the one that does my neighbor's yard, which is pretty flat, so someone else will have to answer your question. I have both types, and there's no comparison. I have a bank...

Here is an example of what a steering wheel ZTR can do. I'm not sure about this one, but mine is rated for 20 deg slopes.

If you're mowing across a slope, the steerable front wheels offer lateral grip, which helps keep the mower from sliding down the hill. With a lap-bar ZTR, the caster front wheels offer zero lateral grip... all lateral grip comes from the rear wheels. As for going straight up & down hills, the...

I would get a steering wheel ZTR. I have one, and I got it because they were supposedly better on slopes & hills. They absolutely are. I still have a lap-bar ZTR, and it doesn't hold a candle to the steering wheel machine on slopes & hills. Unfortunately, Cub Cadet is the only mfr making them...

The Hydro Gear manual for my ZT-3400 calls for 20W-50, and an oil change interval of 400 hrs. For a K46, I wouldn't go more than 200 hrs between changes.

This. The hydrostat pedal is basically a variable gear ratio. Pushing it harder doesn't produce more power. If on flat ground, it will result in more speed, but less torque. Climbing steep hills with a K46, I wouldn't push that pedal more than half way. That will result in less stress on that...

I asked Grok about long term (a season or more) effects of blade sharpness. Here's the reply, ### What longer-term observations and studies show The immediate difference (clean slice vs. ragged tear) compounds over a season: - **Turf health and appearance**: Repeated mowing with dull blades...

True, but everyone may not know that.

It was in post #7. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHB6B4YM It's made for testing airflow in HVAC ventilation systems. But it's a manometer, and works fine for measuring crankcase vacuum. However, be sure to use the average function, and let it average for about 30 seconds. Without...

With all that stress on the transmissions, I'd be very diligent on keeping up with fluid changes. I'd also make sure to blow them off with compressed air every year to make sure dirt buildup didn't cause overheating.

I went to Home Depot, and bought some rubber stoppers of various sizes. Then I found the stopper that fit in the oil dipstick tube. Then I drilled a hole in the stopper just big enough for one of the small tubes that comes with the gauge I linked to. The DTI-33 gauge is good, too, but it's over...

I'm not a commercial operator, so I don't mow when wet. My biggest problem is dust. To the point that I bought a respirator, which I love. I no longer have to hold my breath while mowing. I'd be willing to try my mower on a wet hillside. Just not with the prospect of sliding into a lake, pond...

Not sure I'd recommend red Loctite. That's the permanent stuff. I'd go with blue Loctite.

According to the manual for my Kohler Confidant engine, "A partial vacuum should be present in crankcase when engine is operating. Pressure in crankcase (normally caused by a clogged or improperly assembled breather) can cause oil to be forced out at oil seals, gaskets, or other available...

I'd sooner opt for a steering wheel ZTR over a 4WD lawn tractor. I don't know what kind of 4WD systems they use, and whether they have open diffs. A steering wheel ZTR will have 2 hydros, which works better than any open diff arrangement. I have a steering wheel ZTR, and it's a game changer on...

I don't disagree that dynamic balancing is the Holy Grail of balancing. However, at 3600 RPMs, I've found that my Oregon magnetic balancer is better than a cheap cone balancer, and makes a difference. I had a blade on a push mower that was causing vibrations, even after balancing with a cone...

This one is not dynamic. It's like the magnetic Oregon balancer, which is the best thing I've found commercially. A dynamic balancer would be MUCH more expensive.

I replaced one of my spindles last year. It was $150. My mower has three. I'll keep greasing mine. They DO have zerks.

Where would you find a shop that does this? Most shops use the cheap cone balancers. You're lucky if you find one that uses an Oregon-type magnetic balancer. I don't know of any dynamic balancers for sale anywhere. This is a great concept, but not practical in practice.

I'm not in the "blades must be super sharp" camp, but I AM in the "blades need to be well balanced" camp. I appreciate a smooth operating mower. A couple of years ago, I found that the RPMs on my push mowers were low, so I set them, and they vibrated like crazy. I balanced the blades with one of...

You're absolutely right... if you want to remove the bearings from the spindle, remove one grease seal from each bearing, use a tiny amount grease to grease the bearings, then reassemble the bearings & spindle. Then repeat for each spindle. Or you could just pump grease into the spindle until it...

I have at least 4. I inherited my dad's workshop which is still a mess, so I may have one or two I don't know about. Does that make my collection a "grease gun arsenal"? :ROFLMAO: I'll see myself out. The "non-serviceable sealed bearings with no grease zerks" thing is, IMO, a problem. With...

Verify that both cylinders are running. Sounds like you may be running on only one cylinder. Remove the spark plug wire from one plug, put a spare plug in it, place it against a piece of metal on the engine, and try to crank it. Repeat for other cylinder.

Agreed. Until about 3 yrs ago, I was doing what most people were... hitting the spindles with about 5 pumps, and wondering why I didn't see any grease coming out, and surely 5 pumps is enough, right? Then I saw the video I linked to.

A few years ago, I bought a (well) used commercial ZTR. The hour meter showed 380 hrs, but it looked WELL used for only 380 hrs. All of the spindles were dry. One had play, and I replaced it. I guess I should be happy that the other two, despite being dry, had no play. They are all greased now...

Go back to the OEM carb. You've established that the carb wasn't the issue. This new issue might be due to the aftermarket carb.

Same here. I grease my spindles, too. Here is the video that TSE is likely referring to. After watching this video, if you still think greasing spindles does no good, then I don't know what to say. Having said that, you DO have to fill the spindle until grease squirts out. The first time you do...

On the other hand... I found a Snapper RER on FBM that I was interested in. The price was low, so I figured it would need work. I messaged the seller a couple of times. During this, he lowered the price. I decided to buy it at that price. I asked him for an address, and that I'd be on my way to...

I have a steering wheel ZTR and a lap-bar ZTR. The steering wheel ZTR does MUCH better on slopes & hills. I would trust it to mow a bank around a pond, but not down to the water. One thing that might help is better tires. My steering wheel ZTR is commercial (Cub Cadet Pro Z 154S), and has...

Compression? You never mentioned compression. Do a compression test.

Last year, I bought a manual reel mower to mow a small area in my back yard. I wanted it short and thick. After a month of mowing at 2", I wasn't getting the results I wanted. So I researched my grass. Turns out, that grass is St Augustine, which likes to be mowed at 4". I discontinued my reel...

True, but not enough other people were agreeing with this. I thought it warranted repeating.

There is no single mowing height that works for all types of grass. You will 100% need to determine your grass type before this question can be answered.

I'm on team Echo, too. Almost all my 2-cycle equipment is Echo. I have a Stihl chainsaw that's a loaner from my sister. It's a small top-handle saw that's way harder to start than my big Echo CS-590. My string trimmer, edger, etc, is part of an Echo PAS system. I.e. a power head with...

Absolutely. There is no single mowing height that works for all types of grass. You'll need to determine your grass type before this question can be answered.

I agree with sgkent on looking for air leaks. Also verify that the gaskets between the carb and engine are installed correctly.

How do you check hydro fluid level?

Agreed. I used to live in the Atlanta area. While living there, I learned that the pollutant measurements that govern what blend of fuel an area needs... was taken at the airport. The busiest airport in the world. So I had to buy more expensive fuel that I should have because of the airport...

Because... reasons, you know. Kohler doesn't use canbus. They use K-Line (ISO 9141-2 / KWP2000 style) communications. Your question is the same though. Why does an OPE engine need K-Line?

I completely agree. Mine's working great now, but if it ever breaks, it will be expensive. The only saving grace, IMO, is that I know how to care for small engines. I've bought a couple of new mowers in the past. On the machines I've bought new, I've never had to go into a carb, even on machines...

A few years ago, I bought a well used ZTR with a Confidant EZT750, a twin cylinder 27HP engine with EFI. IMO, that was the worst part of the mower. The mower had all of the features I was looking for (fabricated deck, serviceable hydros, etc), but it had that #%#@%% EFI. I know how to fix carbs...

I apparently screwed up the link. This is the link to the video. The person in the video pulls a sealed bearing from a spindle, pulls a seal, showing green grease. Then re-installs the seal, re-installs the bearing, pumps the spindle with red grease until it squirts out, then shows that red...

Have you seen this video? He pretty much debunks this.

This video shows a spindle with sealed bearings getting greased, and then the bearing seals removed, showing new grease in the bearings. Those plastic seals aren't capable of keeping out grease pressurized from a grease gun. Just make sure you keep putting in grease until it squirts out.

You would think that someone with a tractor would know what diesel smells like, and would realize what he'd done when he did it. When I'm fueling up my tractor, there's no doubt of what fuel I'm using just from the smell. I don't solely rely on smell. My diesel fuel caddie is yellow.

I used to race go-karts with 5HP Briggs horizontal shaft flatheads. I refreshed the valves every week. I'd remove the head, re-lap and re-lash the valves, decarbon the head & piston, clean up the head gasket surfaces, and put it back together. I never replaced head bolts.

I notice that you didn't mention head gaskets. Since heads are "totally redone", I'd assume that includes head gaskets. If not, I'd replace them. Make sure the breather and reed is installed correctly, and none of the breather passages are clogged.

You don't HAVE to buy 2. They will sell you one. I wouldn't want 28 gallons of gas in my basement either. I wouldn't want 5 gallons of gas in my basement. I have a workshop, and that's where my gas storage is. I don't mow enough to use 28 gallons before it goes bad. When one caddy of gas gets...

For ethanol-free gas storage, I recommend one of these fuel caddys. 14 gallons, so you don't need to fill it every week, and tall and narrow, which minimizes exposure to air, which extends the life of the fuel. I have two of them. We get lots of power outages, and I want to be able to have power...