Buying a mower for the long haul

Rob89

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Grats!

The deck probably isn't adjusted properly if the tires were still at shipping pressure, so don't freak out if the cut quality isn't up to par. I really hate that dealers do that! You'll likely have to adjust the pitch and level yourself.

The whole deck is offset to the left to increase overhang and trimming ability on that side. I suspect that has something to do with the front caster placements.

I keep the hydro fluid a little high in my machine as it's difficult to see if it's at the full line which is very low in the reservoir and hard to see. With it a bit higher I can check at a glance.

Thank you!

How do I adjust the deck? I do see that it is pitched up as in the front of the deck is slightly higher than the rear. Side to side appears to be pretty level.

I did also try to check the hydro fluid levels and I cannot get a good enough angle to see where they are at.
 

Darryl G

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The deck adjustment procedure is in the manual. I haven't adjusted the deck on my Bob-Cat so I don't know that procedure. On my Exmark Z I loosen the chains to drop the deck on precision thickness blocks, then tighten it all back up. Varies by manufacturer and deck. In general you want the deck lower in the front by 1/8 to 1/4 inch. That's known as toed. For my Bob-Cat Dura-Deck they say it cuts best level, but my dealer sets them up with the back slightly lower (heeled) and I've left it that way. You end up cutting each blade of grass twice, which is great to eliminate missed blades of grass, but it requires more power and can lead to discharge/clumping issues. It's generally not advisable. It really all depends on your particular cutting conditions and the characteristics of your deck, but healing isn't the norm, toeing is.

You may also have an adjustable front lip. I can't recall if the CRZ has that. Again that depends on cutting conditions whether you run it up or down. It's easy enough to experiment with.

And yeah, that's why I fill my reservoirs a bit over the fill line. It's just an expansion tank so I just run it 1/2 inch or so above the line where I can see it. Not going to hurt anything and still plenty room for expansion.
 
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Rob89

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The deck adjustment procedure is in the manual. I haven't adjusted the deck on my Bob-Cat so I don't know that procedure. On my Exmark Z I loosen the chains to drop the deck on precision thickness blocks, then tighten it all back up. Varies by manufacturer and deck. In general you want the deck lower in the front by 1/8 to 1/4 inch. That's known as toed. For my Bob-Cat Dura-Deck they say it cuts best level, but my dealer sets them up with the back slightly lower (heeled) and I've left it that way. You end up cutting each blade of grass twice, which is great to eliminate missed blades of grass, but it requires more power and can lead to discharge/clumping issues. It's generally not advisable. It really all depends on your particular cutting conditions and the characteristics of your deck, but healing isn't the norm, toeing is.

You may also have an adjustable front lip. I can't recall if the CRZ has that. Again that depends on cutting conditions whether you run it up or down. It's easy enough to experiment with.

And yeah, that's why I fill my reservoirs a bit over the fill line. It's just an expansion tank so I just run it 1/2 inch or so above the line where I can see it. Not going to hurt anything and still plenty room for expansion.

Thanks, I will look into doing that too. I have hydraulic fluid in my garage but the manual calls for 20-50W engine oil so I'll have to pick some up. I also found the deck adjustment in the manual- looks like you said, to drop the deck on some blocks and then there's a couple bolts to take loose.
 

Darryl G

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The mower should have come to you ready to mow and it appears that it really isn't. Sadly that's pretty common. You can mow with it with the pitch off until you get to adjusting it, but your cut quality will likely suffer.

I know you said that your lawn is fairly level, but just a word of advise on operation. Z mowers have control issues going down slopes because the weight of the machine shifts to the front wheels which you have no control of. To maintain traction and control on slopes, operate the mower so that you maintain weight on the rear wheels.

Expect to rip the lawn up a bit on turns, especially at first when the tires are brand new and "sharp" and you're inexperienced on it. It's just like pushing a heavy shopping cart, the way you push with one hand and pull with the other. A lot of inexperienced operators "one-stick" their turns which causes the inside tire to pivot while stationary and cause turf tearing. The proper way is to separate the sticks on turns...as soon as the inside tire stops going forward it should be reversing. Some people never get the hang of it or just do 3-point turns.

If you find the ride is still too harsh you can add the suspension seat base.
 

Rob89

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The mower should have come to you ready to mow and it appears that it really isn't. Sadly that's pretty common. You can mow with it with the pitch off until you get to adjusting it, but your cut quality will likely suffer.

I know you said that your lawn is fairly level, but just a word of advise on operation. Z mowers have control issues going down slopes because the weight of the machine shifts to the front wheels which you have no control of. To maintain traction and control on slopes, operate the mower so that you maintain weight on the rear wheels.

Expect to rip the lawn up a bit on turns, especially at first when the tires are brand new and "sharp" and you're inexperienced on it. It's just like pushing a heavy shopping cart, the way you push with one hand and pull with the other. A lot of inexperienced operators "one-stick" their turns which causes the inside tire to pivot while stationary and cause turf tearing. The proper way is to separate the sticks on turns...as soon as the inside tire stops going forward it should be reversing. Some people never get the hang of it or just do 3-point turns.

If you find the ride is still too harsh you can add the suspension seat base.

Thank you for all the help and advice! My property is a steady 2-3% incline from the street all the way back. It is also pie shaped so I have lots of front/side yard and less backyard. The pattern I used to push mow was to go side to side because that way I wasn't scaling the incline/decline 100 times. I think I will try to use the same pattern with the Bobcat to keep the weight on the rear wheels and any potential control issue at bay with the decline.

I did practice my turning for a few minutes last night but not for long. I was separating the sticks going around the trees but I am definitely inexperienced and will need a few hours on it to really get comfortable.

I'm in North Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and we really have no clear cut dry season. Every season is varying levels of wet. The ground is almost always saturated because of this. Is it OK to spray water from a garden hose under my deck after each mow to get rid of the build up and clumping from wet grass?
 

Darryl G

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Yeah, that pattern should work fine, from the bottom up or if from the top down and make your turns uphill.

If you do get stuck be sure to release both sides of the hydros with the levers on the back before pushing/pulling/towing it out!

I would advise keeping water away from your deck, as the bearings can draw in moisture, especially right after mowing when the spindles are warm/hot. Better to blow the upper parts of the mower off with a blower or compressed air and to scrape the deck with a putty knife, Bondo scraper or other scraping tool. My mowers are often trailered around so it's convenient for me to just pull onto my trailer with one front wheel on the ramp to get under it. Alternately you can pull it onto auto ramps, use a floor jack and axle stands or get a mower jack designed for the purpose. If you're strong you can just lift the front of the mower up and slide an axle stand under it with your foot. I throw down a tarp to lie on and to go under the deck to collect the crud. It's best done before it all dries.

BTW, I love the Blue Ridge Mountains! I've driven through them several times, driving the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked through them on the Appalachian Trail.
 

Rob89

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Yeah we love this area. We love it in the summer when its 85 degrees at home and we can run an hour up the mountain and its only 70-75 degrees.

I have a plastic scraper for today assuming it doesn't rain and I have enough time between my 3:30PM and 6PM appts to go play on it for a few minutes. I will probably use the car ramps on a normal basis as my trailer doesn't get moved all that often.
 

Rob89

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I feel for the unsuspecting second owner who has to buy used because he can't quite afford new.
 
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