time to upgrade

Jinzo Ningen

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Proud owner of a 721D for the last eight years. The other afternoon I was out mowing when I had the housing on the right side Gemini wheel motor take a dump. Luckily I was able to get it repaired by a local shop but after conferring with their parts guy and couple of other GH parts places in my area, I decided to get rid of this rig before anything else goes wrong. If they still made complete new 771 motors I would probably keep the 721D forever, as it does everything I can ask of it and more. Still the thought of trying to find parts and or whole units (only used now) or praying someone can rebuild / refurbish a damaged motor. Ugh! Too much stress.

I was thinking a 725 as it's the most direct replacement, size-wise... but in the back of my mind a little voice kept saying 'go bigger or go home'. LOL. So anyhow, after doing a lot of web searching over the past month or so I located a 930D G2 the dealer lists it as a 2014 model, with a 72" PowerFold deck. This was key because I didn't want to go down in size; the huge cutting deck was the primary factor in buying my old 721 in the first place. The dealer is giving me $1200 for my '97 721 as a trade-in. The 930 only has 250hrs on it and is loaded to the gills with every option GH offered, including the snazzy air suspension seat (a crazy $800 option!).

Any other 930 / 900 owners here? I realize that it's kind of overkill for a lot of guys who have small yards and are not commercial lawn care pros. But my acreage is pretty huge and I am hoping that this GH will literally be my last mower. If it lasts as long as the 721D has then it probably will be!:laughing:

Anyhow, I will post pics when I get her back to the paddock. Cheers everyone!
 

Jinzo Ningen

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Been meaning to post these for a while, but work has been really crazy lately. So...
DSCF2418.jpgDSCF2422.jpgDSCF2426.jpg

I recently completed one of my routine upgrades: installing heat & sound insulation under the hood, around the muffler shroud, under the seat and under the main deck shielding. This has helped greatly reduce the amount of noise that reaches my ears, making the task of mowing the lawn even more pleasant.
DSCF2429.jpgDSCF2432.jpg

Don't misunderstand me, the mower hasn't suddenly become a stealth bomber. She still makes some rumble, but it's more like a Piper Cub now instead of a 747. :laughing:
 

tom3

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Weirdest looking mower I've ever seen. Function over form there. Does look like it's built to last. I like the sound proofing but don't think that'd work with air cooled motors?
 

7394

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I like it, I have plenty of trees & such I could get that deck under saving me a bunch of other work (weed wacking),..
 

Jinzo Ningen

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Weirdest looking mower I've ever seen. Function over form there. Does look like it's built to last. I like the sound proofing but don't think that'd work with air cooled motors?

Grasshoppers are commercial grade mowers, so beauty is low on their priority list.:laughing:

Soundproofing will work on ANYTHING you want to quiet down. I also installed in under the hood of my John Deere GT235. That's even more noticeable to me because the engine's right in front and the sound travels back at you. Now it's coming more out of the heat vents cut low on the sides of the hood, rather than through the top of the hood itself. We're not talking total silence, but every decibel counts; even a 6 or 7 less is almost like cutting the noise level in half. My ears can tell the difference, and after a long day of mowing I feel a lot less fatigue from the constant drone. Worth it, to me - a relatively cheap investment in your physical (& mental) health and safety.:thumbsup:
 
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Jinzo Ningen

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I like it, I have plenty of trees & such I could get that deck under saving me a bunch of other work (weed wacking),..

I have several maples, a few oaks and dozens of pines around my property. Just a quick swivel of the front-mount deck underneath the lower branches and whoosh! they're groomed! :cool: I very rarely even pull out the weed eater anymore. The 'Hopper has a neat (optional) feature on their decks... a side-mounted "guide" wheel on the side opposite the discharge chute that allows you to literally run it right up against curbs, buildings, etc. as you mow and it will cut within a 1/2" ...sure beats having to walk around lugging a vibrating weed eater, getting covered in shredded grass - and risking breaking a blade tip against a curb, rock or whatnot and having it fly into your shin. Yes, that's happened and man! does it hurt!!!:confused2:
 
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NorthBama

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That is an awesome machine thanks for sharing the pictures
 

7394

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I have several maples, a few oaks and dozens of pines around my property. Just a quick swivel of the front-mount deck underneath the lower branches and whoosh! they're groomed! :cool: I very rarely even pull out the weed eater anymore. The 'Hopper has a neat (optional) feature on their decks... a side-mounted "guide" wheel on the side opposite the discharge chute that allows you to literally run it right up against curbs, buildings, etc. as you mow and it will cut within a 1/2" ...sure beats having to walk around lugging a vibrating weed eater, getting covered in shredded grass - and risking breaking a blade tip against a curb, rock or whatnot and having it fly into your shin. Yes, that's happened and man! does it hurt!!!:confused2:

Now you're just making me jealous... I do too much weed eating... Cool Rig..
 
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