What Gear to Mow???

[Tankman 3,523]

I'm looking for a 12" rear discharge deck.

"Honest Hon, I'll get the kitchen painted as soon as I'm done cuttin' the lawn. Honest!" :smile:

[Wheel-N-It 2,972]

I'm looking for a 12" rear discharge deck.

"Honest Hon, I'll get the kitchen painted as soon as I'm done cuttin' the lawn. Honest!"

Tankman, just take the center and right side blades off your rear discharge deck. You'll be painting the kitchen before you know it!

[rick 252]

The grass I cut can best be described as "improved native grasses". In other words- patchy and bumpy. Until I got my 416-H, cutting with an speed Horse meant second gear, or first depending where I was. Always 3/4 throttle or more. I would look into slowing the ground speed with a pulley change if I had to go back to mowing with an 8 speed. I am in no hurry to finich cutting the weeds, seat time is good! And the smell of the 100 octane low lead AvGas exhaust is like perfume compared to ethanol crap.

[Fordiesel69 271]

I cut 3rd gear, full throttle on my GT-1682, and GT-1842 and the engines just blow right thru no problem.  The quality of cut is decent as well.  However at my camp, we do not get down there somtimes, and the grass gets high.  The old Kohler 10HP on the B-100 struggles in 2nd gear full throttle. 

 

On the flipside, I cut @ 2750RPM / 540PTO with my 72" woods heritage and can maintain 9 MPH with no issues in cutting quality.  The diesel blows right thru it no poblem.  But the deck is brand new.

[ben06351 19]

Normally I mow with a 48" walk behind Scag and shes quick, but on a few lawns I use the 89 520HC with a 48 sd deck, and she cuts great wide open and full throttle.  I have put a 48 SD on my 1980 C 105 just to see if she could spin the blades and i was really impressed with that old Kohler. On a side note I may be coming across one of the WH zero turns. there's always hope, right?

[Hodge71 665]

 On a side note I may be coming across one of the WH zero turns. there's always hope, right?

Ben, Just be careful with the old Horse zero turns. I've heard some horrible stories about the Eaton 7 hydro-motors on the 612/616/z. I think there may have been a 620z also.  But they all shared that Eaton 7 and were prone to big time failure if they overheated and no parts out there. There was a model 718/720/724z that was made by Dixie Chopper for Toro. Not sure what hydro-motors they had but I have heard good things about that set of models in particular.  

Edited April 18, 2013 by hodge71

[B-100 Dan 7]

I agree.  And that is one fine lookin Horse.

[wheeledhorseman 579]

I know I'm going to be shot down in a thousand pieces for saying this but I don't use full throttle on any of my mowing horses.

 

During peak growing season when the four leg horses can't be let loose to graze on all of it then there's several acres to mow every week so getting enough seat time is hardly a problem in fact we often have three of us out there getting it. It's field grass rather than lawn and lots of bumps but even so anything less than top gear is too slow but top gear with the throttle back a bit seems fine to me and the decks don't seem to have a problem with this at all. Ok so the blades are turning a bit slower but the WH is advancing a bit slower too and It also uses noticeably less fuel.

 

Now to get even more shot down...... I love mowing with the C-120 auto but I don't run that at full throttle either. It's real advantage is being able to stop, back up a bit, then go on again without changing gears as well as controling forward speed independantly of engine speed. I accept it may be a whole different story if you're looking for perfection in a lawn cut but for fields with the decks on their highest setting 3/4 throttle works for me and even the C-100 has way more than enough power at less than full revs.

 

Now for the flack .......incoming!

[decksetter 50]

I like 2nd gear pretty well on my Onan 416-8, it could speed up a bit but I don't mow with it much so it will do.  I haven't tried 3rd on it but I think my yard is a little too rough for it.

 

On the 520H I wish I had more ground speed.  It doesn't seem as fast as it did when I got it a couple years ago, but it may be my imagination.  How fast do they typically go?  Mine is a '90 model.  

 

I have been thinking about going to 26x12 ag tires to pick up a little more ground speed, they should also help to not rut up my back yard as part of it stays VERY wet this time of year.  What other options are there to speed up the Eaton 1100?  Is it safe to put a smaller pulley on it and basically overdrive the unit or will it overheat?

 

If you want a better cut at speed, roll your yard more too.  If you're driving smoother you're cutting smoother.

[Torino 15]

If I mow full throttle on my 520H the cut looks terrible plus if I  mow to fast it does not seem as enjoyable.  It's like you tense up more and do not relax.

[bean 85]

i mow in 2nd-hi on my 310-8. it is slow compared to the husqvarna hydro that I usually mow with, so I just use it when I am not in a hurry and want to enjoy a beautiful day

[47JDG 65]

I was mowing in 1st gear hi-range on my C-81 yesterday with 36" RD deck. That seemed plenty fast enough to me. I like to take it easy on my stuff and get a nice quality cut. I am sure it would do 2nd gear also, but that seems way too fast to me. 1st gear hi range just seemed about right.

[Butch 194]

I mow with my C-85. 1st gear on the Hi side. I could probably use 2nd but I'm happy with 1st.

[chrisd200(inactive) 56]

I know I'm going to be shot down in a thousand pieces for saying this but I don't use full throttle on any of my mowing horses.

 

During peak growing season when the four leg horses can't be let loose to graze on all of it then there's several acres to mow every week so getting enough seat time is hardly a problem in fact we often have three of us out there getting it. It's field grass rather than lawn and lots of bumps but even so anything less than top gear is too slow but top gear with the throttle back a bit seems fine to me and the decks don't seem to have a problem with this at all. Ok so the blades are turning a bit slower but the WH is advancing a bit slower too and It also uses noticeably less fuel.

 

Now to get even more shot down...... I love mowing with the C-120 auto but I don't run that at full throttle either. It's real advantage is being able to stop, back up a bit, then go on again without changing gears as well as controling forward speed independantly of engine speed. I accept it may be a whole different story if you're looking for perfection in a lawn cut but for fields with the decks on their highest setting 3/4 throttle works for me and even the C-100 has way more than enough power at less than full revs.

 

Now for the flack .......incoming!

I have to admit as well, I never mow at full throttle with the D200. Maybe about 3/4 throttle. The K532 has more than enough power, the temp stays safe, the hydro pulls fine and the cut quality is nice. I do however run my C series 8 speed at full throttle.  Weird? Maybe...... but it works for me  

[Kevbo 81]

I have been mowing with various tractors this season between my 414-8, 312-8, C-81, and 212-H (for my steep front bank), and I find that 2nd HI has the best balance. I have to be honest though...on the top of my property today where the grass is more weeds than grass, I was running around in 3rd gear HI on my 414-8 and was flying! Quality of cut was not perfect but it evened out the tall "grass". Just in comparison to last year when I still had not become infected with the "Wheel Horse Bug", my John Deere L100 always struggled through the taller grass (to the point where I finally blew the engine!!)...I am so impressed that my 414-8 just eats up my grass no matter how tall!

Edited May 7, 2013 by Kevbo