Hi All:
I recently bought a used 2000 model year 725k with the 61" deck. It had some issues, but I think I got a pretty good deal on it...paid about $1500 less than I have seen other units with a lot more hours go for.
It needed some TLC...the original owner was a farmer's wife who supposedly used it only for trimming. The PO I purchased from indicated it had seen maybe 20 hours of use by him in the past two years...it was bought for his wife, but it was too big for her. The unit only has 650 hours on it.
I figured out there were some things that were worn...deck mount bushings were shot, the from caster wheel bearings were worn, and the blades looked original. So I ordered all of that along with new hardware figuring some was bent or worn. Where has everyone been ordering parts from for these things...I found one place online that seems pretty detailed, but not sure they're cheap by any means. I have a local Grasshopper dealer, but they have to order everything in!
I found the idler pulleys for the deck needed grease, found the idler arms were seized. That took a little bit to figure out. I also learned that, even though there are grease fittings on the front wheels; the bearings from Grasshopper are sealed and won't accept grease. I removed the blades and decided to paint the underside of the deck for the summer since it was fairly clean and dry. I'm waiting on the fiber washers that sandwich the blades so that I can install the new blades. I also found the PO has welded the front air dam onto the main deck shell...I'll need to cut that off this fall (or maybe sooner depending on how well it works). I may need to replace the drive shaft to the deck...the square slip coupling has some play in it and I think that's causing me a vibration.
The PO had recently completely a drain and refill of the hydros using the alternative Mobile DTE-18M oil and new Grasshopper filters. I found the idler pulleys again dry of grease, so I greased those.
Moving to the engine, I changed oil and filter. I found the air filter plugged, and that it had been leaking around the seal...hopefully that doesn't present problems down the road. I also pulled the oil cooler from the engine. Now here's where things get interesting. The cooler had a plate covering the hole in the engine shroud. There was no air blowing across the cooler, so it was pretty much a decoration. So if you haven't checked, make sure you look under the oil cooler.
Overall the unit seems in good condition. I was thinking about trying it out tomorrow, but we are forecast for 4 to 8 inches of snow!
Are there any known problem points on these that need addressing or preventative maintenance more than others???
I recently bought a used 2000 model year 725k with the 61" deck. It had some issues, but I think I got a pretty good deal on it...paid about $1500 less than I have seen other units with a lot more hours go for.
It needed some TLC...the original owner was a farmer's wife who supposedly used it only for trimming. The PO I purchased from indicated it had seen maybe 20 hours of use by him in the past two years...it was bought for his wife, but it was too big for her. The unit only has 650 hours on it.
I figured out there were some things that were worn...deck mount bushings were shot, the from caster wheel bearings were worn, and the blades looked original. So I ordered all of that along with new hardware figuring some was bent or worn. Where has everyone been ordering parts from for these things...I found one place online that seems pretty detailed, but not sure they're cheap by any means. I have a local Grasshopper dealer, but they have to order everything in!
I found the idler pulleys for the deck needed grease, found the idler arms were seized. That took a little bit to figure out. I also learned that, even though there are grease fittings on the front wheels; the bearings from Grasshopper are sealed and won't accept grease. I removed the blades and decided to paint the underside of the deck for the summer since it was fairly clean and dry. I'm waiting on the fiber washers that sandwich the blades so that I can install the new blades. I also found the PO has welded the front air dam onto the main deck shell...I'll need to cut that off this fall (or maybe sooner depending on how well it works). I may need to replace the drive shaft to the deck...the square slip coupling has some play in it and I think that's causing me a vibration.
The PO had recently completely a drain and refill of the hydros using the alternative Mobile DTE-18M oil and new Grasshopper filters. I found the idler pulleys again dry of grease, so I greased those.
Moving to the engine, I changed oil and filter. I found the air filter plugged, and that it had been leaking around the seal...hopefully that doesn't present problems down the road. I also pulled the oil cooler from the engine. Now here's where things get interesting. The cooler had a plate covering the hole in the engine shroud. There was no air blowing across the cooler, so it was pretty much a decoration. So if you haven't checked, make sure you look under the oil cooler.
Overall the unit seems in good condition. I was thinking about trying it out tomorrow, but we are forecast for 4 to 8 inches of snow!
Are there any known problem points on these that need addressing or preventative maintenance more than others???
