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Mt Zion 520H

Stupid question?

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Mt Zion 520H

So uhm.. Might sound like a stupid question but i'd rather ask than damage my Horse.

How do you use it when cutting steep inclines or thick grass? Or even regular grass for that matter.

I've used it a couple times but unsure if operating the Throttle and Fwd lever speed properly. What am i supposed to set throttle at and look for on the engine pressure gauge?

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Adams94

:WRS:     I agree with these guys:text-yeahthat:

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953 nut
4 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

back slowly straight down the same tracks

Good point, traction going forward down a very steep hill is nearly zero, the wheel with the least traction will slide and the other will free-wheel. SLOWLY is the operative word going up or down any steep grade.

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Mt Zion 520H
48 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

:WRS:     Those are some very astute questions! The engine on any hydro (automatic) transmission :wh: should be operated at near wide open throttle so the engine and transmission will receive good cooling. On steep inclines you should go up or down, if you go across them the oil level may not be enough for the splash lubrication on the engine to properly lubricate it.

One more tip you didn't ask for, only use ethanol free gas! The ethanol will damage the rubber parts of the fuel system and create carb problems.

 

:wwp:

Thanks brothers. Got it.. Full on throttle and lever speed as needed. Lol. Up and down steeps slowly and not side to side. Only Ethanol-Free is going to be an issue i think. Clearfield PA.. Not sure any near me. How do i locate one if near?

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953 nut
19 minutes ago, Mt Zion 520H said:

Ethanol-Free

Go to buyrealgas.com and it will show stations near you that carry it. There is another site but I can't remember it.

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WHX??

All I can say is :text-yeahthat: :text-goodpost:

There is no such thing as a stupid question @Mt Zion 520H only ones that don't get asked.

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Mt Zion 520H

Thanks again brothers. Looks like theres a place about an hr from me. Lol.

What do you guys do when the only place to get gas is so far? Buy a huge tank and store it at home? Lol.

 

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WHX??

There was just a good thread here on that very same topic, the fellas were discussing the quality of fuel available  and additives to bolster the boom that happens in these motors. Search gas & additIves in the search block.

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953 nut

The other site that has info on ethanol free gas is

 http://www.pure-gas.org/

Here is the thread that Jim was referring to.

 

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Mt Zion 520H

Much appreciated. Weird; pure-gas shows one closer.. Like 10 min away. Def going to have to check that out. Lol.

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WHX??

Thanks Richard.... one of these days I do have to learn how to post links on a tablet!

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PSully

There is no place near me that sells non-ethanol, unless I want to pay heavily for the quart cans. Instead, I use a particular fuel stabilizer which is sold in a blue bottle.(I don't name products unless I'm asked to). I've been using it for many years now without any problems. If you can't find the blue bottle stuff, probably any stabilizer that uses enzymes to fight ethanol will work. Some people swear by using high test because they think it has less ethanol. Personally, I doubt it because ethanol is an octane booster.

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GlenPettit

Your engine's manual recommends only 89 octane,

that makes a noticeable difference (fuel additives can help),

with older engines we do have to baby them a little.

Ethanol has only a 30-day storage life: In my State, Michigan, the only 

place you can still get 'regular gas' is at Marinas, because boat owners

may go weeks between uses they don't want their engines to gum up,

but the gas/fuel places are only allowed to put it into the boats fuel tank,

not a red plastic container.    Note: all Michigan politicians have their own boats.

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can whlvr

up here all of our premium fuel is no ethanol,so we can get it at every station

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Sarge

I run only the local Phillips 66 91 octane non-ethanol , generally runs right at about $2.99/gal and never had an issue . Also , I use Sta-bil year-'round and haven't had any problems with fuel that is over 6mo old from sitting . Just pulled the old push mower out with the 3.75hp Briggs out yesterday , not started since last fall in September and it fired right up , just like it always does . I'm sick of working on damaged small engines and their parts that folks bring here , once fixed they get their stuff back with a large bottle of Sta-bil , instructions on where to buy non-ethanol gas and of course , the labor/parts bill . If the machine comes back again , well - then they find out how I earned my nickname...and the repair costs double .

 

As to your original question -

Mowing slopes can be a real challenge and flat out dangerous depending upon the grade angle . If it's over a 20* slope , I'd recommend tire chains and some 50lb wheel weights - and consider running suitcase weights as well on that rear axle . Don't sweat the chains and possible damage on the grass - as long as they don't slip , it's not an issue and I run mine all year 'round with no lawn damage where I have to mow a very steep ditch - at 40*+ and I can easily back the tractor up that hill . Turf tires slip too easily on hills and will damage the turf , one of my machines still runs turf tires with weights and chains - not an issue with the lawn . Other machines are all V-bar ags , chains and weights and two run fluid loaded tires as well - never spins but on tight turns they can tear the turf a little . That's about it and compared to the lightweight LA145 Deere I also use on occasion (don't hate - it was inherited and holds some value there) but it's so light and the turfs love to spin easily - also damaging the lawn as well . My stepdad finally listened last year and left the winter ag tires on his Grasshopper due to a bad ditch angle he has to mow on the side slope - works like a charm and eliminated the problem with the whole thing sliding sideways into the ditch and getting stuck or damaging the mower itself .

 

Everyone seems to have a fear of damaging the lawn with ags and/or chains  - I rent here and honestly could care less if I killed that huge lot of grass - but despite using very aggressive tires and cutting it about one notch above "dirt" it looks great all the time and I swear someone is sneaking in and fertilizing the stuff .....sigh .

 

Sarge

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Mt Zion 520H
On 5/9/2017 at 11:07 AM, Sarge said:

but despite using very aggressive tires and cutting it about one notch above "dirt" it looks great all the time and I swear someone is sneaking in and fertilizing the stuff .....sigh .

 

Sarge

Wow.. Lol.

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Sarge

I'll get a pic later today , just mowed it again Sunday and by tomorrow it will need another mowing . This weather pattern we've been stuck with for the last 2 months means if it stops raining you'd better be out there knocking that stuff down - or pay for it later . Had to drag the sweeper out last time and pick up the clippings since I missed one small window a few days prior to the last cutting . Ended up with 1.5cu/yds of debris that I hauled out to the village's burn pile , second time this year already . The Village Idiot waited 2 weeks to do the empty lot next to us on the north side and finally cut it yesterday in the rain , leaving a nice 20' wide swath of balled up garbage on this property - might take the time today to pick that up and deposit it in front of the Village office - maybe they'll get the hint ...

 

Sarge

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tunahead72
On ‎5‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 6:27 AM, 953 nut said:

The other site that has info on ethanol free gas is

 http://www.pure-gas.org/

Here is the thread that Jim was referring to.

 

 

We're getting off the original non-stupid question, but here's another recent fuel additive topic you might find interesting:

 

 

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