Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] tripod mower traction issue. (I'm fixing it in my shop!)

From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 09:13:28 -0400

Your problem seems to be center of gravity.  I assume the mower is sprung,
and not rigidly mounted?  Going uphill backwards, the engine weight shifts
over the drive wheels - Frontwards, the mower weight should hold it, but
maybe it's counterbalanced by the engine weight?

Meanwhile, I've attached a photo of the Hustler sprayer we had at work for
a while.  That was a fun ride.  Never tried it on a hill, though.

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.

On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 8:36 AM, <[email-masked]> wrote:

> OK, I know that there is someone here that can come up with the solution
> to this weird issue.
>
> I have a zero turn tripod mower (here is a photo of it with the snow plow
> on it...  )  (This one is actually mine.)
> http://tinyurl.com/m38436w
>
> Here is another photo of how the deck mounts to it  (This is a stock
> image, but it shows how the mower is mounted.)
>
> http://www.purplewave.com/cgi-bin/mnlist.cgi?140401/AY9842
>
> Now, the problem is the traction.  It is unacceptable.  I've tried ag and
> bar tires, with and without snowchains.  The mower barely can go up
> inclines and often ends up sliding sideways once it loses traction.
>
> Here is the bugger of the issue,   It will climb up the steepest of my
> hills, IN REVERSE.  So, I know this is a problem with the weighting or
> something.
>
> The unit has the ability to add or remove weight over the rear 'tripod'
> wheel.  I've tried it with and without weight with limited success.
>
> Can anyone explain why it can go in reverse up a hill but not in forward?
> (and yes, the bar tires were mounted in the proper direction.)
>
> Is there something I can do to fix this issue?   More or less weight in
> the rear, or elsewhere?   Is there a tire out there with spikes in it or
> something?
>
> Any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance.  (I haven't had to mow for over 12 years and now I have
> to again since my tenant that had a landscaping business moved out.)  8>(
>
>
> Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
> Eric P
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
> being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
> Waldo Emerson
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[demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of hustler_sprayer.jpg]
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From: John Innis <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 08:59:56 -0500

That mower looks a lot like a Grasshopper design.  Not sure if it is a
re-braneded Grasshopper or just a similar design, but on my mower there is
a "traction kit" that transfers some of the deck weight to the drive
wheels.  Ir works similar to the way a weight distributing hitch works on a
truck.  A series of arms, chains and springs lift the deck from a pivot
point near the drive wheels.  Here is a link to the system from
grasshopper.  You might be able to adapt their system or invent your own.

http://www.the-mower-shop-inc.com/718k-720k-725k_1997_traction_kit.aspx

The bracket (#2 in the figure) is mounted just in front of the drive
wheels.   The lever arm is pulled be the spring from the rear and attached
to the deck via the chain at the front.   This figure shows the version for
the smaller decks.  FOr larger decks the system is upgraded as shown here:

http://www.the-mower-shop-inc.com/9861_2001_traction_kit_adapter.aspx

Hope this helps!

On Mon, May 11, 2015 at 7:36 AM, <[email-masked]> wrote:

> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>
>

-- 
=================================
= Never offend people with style when you   =
= can offend with substance --- Sam Brown  =
=================================
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From: David Hillman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 May 2015 15:21:30 -0400 (EDT)

> (and yes, the bar tires were mounted in the proper direction.)

    As previously noted, weight transfer to the undriven wheel.

> the rear, or elsewhere?   Is there a tire out there with spikes in it or

    If anything, add weight to the front, not the rear.

    I have no idea if there are off-the-shelf spike tires available, but 
they are easy enough to make, especially for low-speed operation.  We make 
tires for ice-racing all the time, and they see far more abuse than 
anything that plowmower could dish out ( ie, 100mph, 1+ lateral G ).  The 
only problem might be if you are plowing asphalt that is in good shape, 
and you'd like to keep it that way.  Metal tires might leave some marks.

--
  David Hillman

[email-masked]