Help me choose a zero turn.

[xgmad]

An hour meter is SUCH A GOOD OPTION , I hate having to remember how many hours i'd put on with my mower, an hour meter would really help you out whenever you need to change the oil because changing oil every season isn't always a good idea especially if you have low hours on it and that's just wasting money.

If you cant get one with a deck hose attachment you could always fit one in, I believe some manufacturers make kits to add a hose input, although it can be a hassle especially if your buying a new mower and not wanting to mess up the paint job or anything.

Make sure you wax your mower with some spray wax , and it does help to wax the underneath of the decks with nufinish to help in cleaning out the clumps without having to scratch anything.

Its good that you eliminated those brands, all of which I have had bad luck with.

The spartan is a good choice, my buddy used it for commercial purposes and handling it well.

I personally dont like zero turns since I like steering wheels better.

 

[Gillsy]

It’s not just an oil filter. It’s a hydraulic filter. Totally different than an automotive engine oil filter. I buy mine at NAPA.

AYE, SMH! Often attached to the hydro, mine uses engine oil, and it is a filter. It may have different specs than an engine oil filter, but it is in fact an "oil filter" that is more often than not, overpriced!

 

[Gillsy]

Do you have any deck vibration when the blades are running?
I am struggling with this issue. The PTO belt was whipping a lot and looked to me there was not enough tension on it. Repositioned the tensioning wheel closer to the tip of the arm, which decreased the vibration / whipping on the left side of the belt as it comes off the pto. Now I see the tensioning wheel bouncing a lot instead. Just want to have a sense of "are they all like that" or should I keep trying? Next thing I would do is try a shorter belt. Just getting tired of messing with this..
Other than this , I like the mower. Built like a tank.

Every new blade I ever bought was out of balance. Some out a little, and some a lot. I bought a quality wall mounted balancer, and bring them into balance with the "All American Sharpener". Cost was approximately $300 for both. Balancer was approx $90 off eBay, and the sharpener was approx $210 from the manufacturer. In my opinion they were money well spent.

 

[coder]

Gillsy,
Thanks, I have a wall mounted balancer like you suggest. I just do not have an easy way figured out to get under the deck, otherwise I would have balanced the blades already. I use a belt sander to sharpen the blades.
Waiting for the local HF to get the Fischer Mower jacks to be back in stock.

For the Hydro filter, keep in mind the "correct" filter does not have a bypass valve. The application is so high pressure, that the bypass would be open all the time. So it is best not to just sub any automotive filter which may physically fit. Make sure it cross references with the factory recommended one.

 

[MParr]

@coder
I use a floor jack and place it under the front center of the deck. Place jack stands where they work best. I use a 1/2” DeWalt cordless impact to remove and replace the blade bolts. The bolts take a 15/16 socket.
I use a 4 1/2” angle grinder with a 40 grit flapper wheel to sharpen the blades.
For blade balance, a 16d nail in a tree or stud will work just fine.

 

[coder]

I have a racing jack, and tried to lift it by the front of the frame where the counter weights are. That did not give me enough clearance to get my air impact wrench under the deck. Although I should try it again with the deck in the highest position.

Lifting by the deck may work, but: Won't lifting the mower by the deck stress or deform the deck mounting hardware? This thing is 750 lbs total, although a lot of the weight is in the back.

 

[MParr]

I have a racing jack, and tried to lift it by the front of the frame where the counter weights are. That did not give me enough clearance to get my air impact wrench under the deck. Although I should try it again with the deck in the highest position.

Lifting by the deck may work, but: Won't lifting the mower by the deck stress or deform the deck mounting hardware? This thing is 750 lbs total, although a lot of the weight is in the back.

I’ve been lifting by the deck for pretty good while. It hasn’t hurt anything on any that I’ve owned. Remember, most of the mower’s weight is on the back. Before lifting it, put the deck in the highest or transport setting.
You could always find a place to mount a chain hoist, if you’re not comfortable with jacking the front of the deck. Or, you could get a trailer jack and mount a receiver on the front cross member.

 

[dlundblad]

AYE, SMH! Often attached to the hydro, mine uses engine oil, and it is a filter. It may have different specs than an engine oil filter, but it is in fact an "oil filter" that is more often than not, overpriced!

The principle is the same but, I would be doing some good research if you plan to get by with just an engine oil filter. Different operating pressures. Can thicknesses. Some have a bypass. Some don’t.

I would assume they are overpriced for a reason. The hydraulic filter for my dads tractor actually has a machined baseplate and is about $100 IIRC. You wouldn’t want to use a plain Jane engine oil filter on that. It might explode or simply shoot off and take a knee out. (Apparently this happened to someone.)

 

[coder]

All automotive engine oil filters have bypass. Like discussed in this thread before, a filter with bypass will not work well. The OEM filters are high-efficiency. AFAIK, the Hydrogear is 10 micron rated. Some of the x-referenced cheaper brands are lesser rated. The contaminants filtered are mostly small metal wear particles, so the high filtering efficiency may be relevant here.
Given the long service interval, the money savings are not all that dramatic anyway, so why not just play it safe?