Anyone else have a Gizmow ?

[FarmerCharlie]

Congratulations, FarmerCharlie. That's one serious piece of metal. Love the paint, it reminds me of the Kawasaki Racing Green of my reckless youth.

While I was researching my own recent mower deal, your machine was on my short list but the only dealer in Ohio is 200 miles from me. A shame, because the Gizmow specs out on paper like a the $13,000 - $15,000 Cub Cadet Tank S, but is currently available at a price closer to the lighter Cub Commercial Z-Force S that I bought.

My Cub dealer is about 20 miles away, and the Gizmow dealer is about 50 miles. The Cub dealer did not have the commercial model you bought. Just the residential model and the Tank. And the Tank was a lot more expensive than the Gizmow. I will miss the Cub dealer. He is an old-timer who goes all the way back to the IH days, and I enjoyed bantering with him. I did notice quite a difference between the Cub residential model and the Tanks. I wonder if your commercial version and the tanks are made by MTD like my SLT-1554 was.

Please let us know how you do on the steep banks of your pond when you get to them. One thing I wondered about is the 13" x 5" slicks the Gizmow runs on the front. There's a good compensation with the agricultural treads on the back, but if your front end slides around or your uphill wheel tears the grass while traversing slopes, it appears that your front forks are wide enough to accommodate 13" x 6.5" tires with some meaty tread on them. I certainly get the idea that you're dealing with some major inclines, so that may be a cheap and easy adjustment just in case.

Spring is here, happy mowing.:smile:

Still have not braced the steep banks. I had thought about swapping out to turf tires, but I haven't seen any major damage to the grass by the tires I have. Guess I'll wait a while on that.

 

[FarmerCharlie]

Please let us know how you do on the steep banks of your pond when you get to them.

I finally worked up the nerve today to take on the back slope of the pond. Here is what it looked like.

The uncut part in the background is the steepest part, which I didn't cut. The technique I used was to mow straight down the slope, then make a wide circle to the end of the dam, then back across the dam to make another pass going down the slope again. I never felt any instability or loss of control at all, but I was still a little too chicken to try the steepest area, which is probably more than 30 degrees.

 

[Jetblast]

Thanks for the followup. My Cub is doing great on the slopes as well even though they're a little wet and slippery right now. I'm definitely sold on this whole ZTR w/steering wheel idea. I surprised at how much time I've saving over the old lawn tractor, and of course the "fun to drive" factor is at never-before-seen levels.

The part in your picture with the grass still on it doesn't look quite as steep as what I've got, but it's hard to tell from a photo. You're smart for easing into it and using your instincts. If you were able to cut that with your old SLT-1554, I'd tend to think you'd be able to do as well or better on it with your Gizmow.

 

[FarmerCharlie]

Thanks for the followup. My Cub is doing great on the slopes as well even though they're a little wet and slippery right now.

I think the commercial model Cub you have would work just as well as the Gizmo. But I didn't like the residential model, and did not want to spend the big bucks for the Tank. Does yours have cruise control? That was a pretty big deal for me, because the pedals were pretty stiff on the model I tried.
And you're right about the "fun" factor. I can go so fast now that I may be looking around the neighborhood for other grass to cut.

I may work up the nerve later to try the steeper section. I never would have even considered trying to cut the dam with my old SLT-1554; the only time it has ever been cut was when a neighbor (a professional lawn care guy) did it for me.

 

[Jetblast]

There's no cruise control but I never used it on my old Cub except to test it out once. My lawn requires ever changing speeds so I never thought about it. The pedal feel is the same on mine as the residential version I tried, but to me it's just right. If it were too light it would be harder to modulate speed control in between the stops and if it were heavier it would get tiresome. I think they got it right, but the pedal feel wouldn't be hard to change by modding or swapping springs if the need arose.

Did you find a way to keep your cruise control from disengaging? Seems there'd have to be an easy fix for that.

 

[FarmerCharlie]

There's no cruise control but I never used it on my old Cub except to test it out once. My lawn requires ever changing speeds so I never thought about it. The pedal feel is the same on mine as the residential version I tried, but to me it's just right.

Your feet must not be 70 years old.

Did you find a way to keep your cruise control from disengaging? Seems there'd have to be an easy fix for that.

Not yet, but the mechanism is pretty simple, and I think I can probably adjust it. I have been using it without cruise control, and it's not all that bad. Maybe my 70 year-old feet are getting stronger.

 

[FarmerCharlie]

Update. Re: Anyone else have a Gizmow ?

After a season with the Gizmow, I am still satisfied. I think I mentioned earlier that I used my old mowers with a DR lawn vacuum but that it tended to clog a lot with the Cadet. So far that has not been a problem with the Gizmow. I guess that's probably because the Gizmow blades throw the grass a lot faster into the vacuum intake, so the DR vacuum can suck it up easier. If the grass is not too long, I don't have to use the vacuum. The clippings just seem to disappear.

But about every fourth mowing I do use the vacuum. My field still has irrigation pipes on the surface, which means I have to make lots of sharp turns around the pipes. Since the mower will not make sharp turns with the vacuum attached, I usually first just mow the area clockwise without the vacuum attached. This gradually throws the clippings towards the center of the field. My old mower was not powerful enough to do this, but the Gizmo does it just fine.

Then I attach the vacuum and go over just the center of the field with the accumulated clippings. Here is the mower with the DR vacuum attached. Notice the accumulated clippings to the right.
https://www5.vetmed.auburn.edu/~branch/images/FarmEquipment/mowers/IMG_5506_800w.jpg
Here is a view showing the rows I have already covered along with those I have not yet vacuumed.
https://www5.vetmed.auburn.edu/~branch/images/FarmEquipment/mowers/IMG_5503_800w.jpg

And here is a view from the driver's seat. Notice how thick the clippings are, and how clean it looks on the row I have just finished to the left.
https://www5.vetmed.auburn.edu/~branch/images/FarmEquipment/mowers/IMG_5504_800w.jpg

I just wish I could get back all those hours I have spent over the years on my two previous mowers.

 

[estang]

I use one on a farm with 386 acers, we mow arround the ponds and buildings works great but the parts are getting hard to find.

 

[FarmerCharlie]

I guess the Gizmow is finally really dead. The WEB site was still active until recently, but it's gone now.
Too bad. I think it is a really great machine. I wish someone with some knowledge would post a blurb on the history and what went wrong.

 

[58jeff]

Sorry life gets in the way sometimes building a house teaching beekeeping & making & selling Queen bees eats any extra time I have
Gizmoe was made by Hinsesman MFG in Indiana has put production on hold so it is an orphan( I heard rumers that they are building the Cub Tank ) still a stong machine been bulletproof with the exception of dealer & user created problems
Mower Deck does plug when cutting 8" tall wet field grass but what doesn't 27hp kohler pro is sure a gas hog & wish it was a diesel but does get with the program on hills we mow some 45 degree slopes with no problems we have a charging problem now but that was from a tee shirt getting sucked thru the cooling fan ( wife likes to sit on a shirt )
Electric deck is nice works good
I just hope it stays together as parts will be hard to get
JJ