Grasshopper Owner Check-In --- Read This First!

[Tobster117]

Hey All,

I'm new here and joined up to seek a little help, mother inlaw has a Grasshopper 321D that I've got to troubleshoot a post fire electrical fault, confident I've already fount the issue but I'll post more details in the main threads. I've also got an ancient push mower which I hope someone can help identify, all I know is its a Villiers "pull start" so to speak but you actually wind the handle and push a lever to get it to start.

I uploaded a picture but I'll keep the push mower questions out of the grasshopper board.

Cheers,
Toby

 

[amowingfool]

GREETINGS to all Grasshopper mower owners!

If you're new to the forum, please reply to this thread and introduce yourself and your mower (that is, if your mower have a name ). maybe attach a photo or two of your mower and show off your pride and joy.

Also, if you haven't done so already you can upload a user avatar (picture under your user name). You can do so by clicking on settings and "edit avatar" or just click here.

Please be helpful and friendly to all other Grasshopper owners (how could you not, right?) and if you like this forum, tell your friends about it. :biggrin:

We want to make this the best resource for Grasshopper mower owners, and to do that we need your help! Questions? Experiences? Stories? Data? Photos? Articles? Links? Cool Grasshopper stuff? Post it here!

Last but not least, please let me know if you have any suggestions for the site. We'd love to hear them.

Just acquired in trade a vintage GH mower #1822 with deck #6152
I also have a Big Dog, A Hustler, A Husqvarna and an Ariens Tractor

 

[ljms]

Hi All, I am not new here but have gotten the weekly updates and have read a lot of the postings. I have asked questions on here before so I am not totally new.
I have a Grasshopper 524V-42 that I bought new last year. After two summers worth of mowing I have come to several conclusions about this mower, some good, some not so good. My previous mower was a John Deere F710 front mounted mower. I bought that used in 1995, and used it every year until 2020 when the deck gave out and I could no longer keep it patched. My search for a replacement deck after many years was unsuccessful so began my search for a replacement. I posted on here several times inquiring about a replacement and some of the concerns I had. My son has a 54" Cub Cadet Ultima and I used that for one summer and found it to be a good mower other than two things. One the frame is so stiff that my lawn which has it's share of uneven surfaces did not look as nice as the job my John Deere did. The second problem I found was working on the deck. At 69 years old then, removing the blades was hard and removing the deck harder.
I had seen many of the commercials for the Grasshopper and the ability to raise the deck for easier access was a very attractive feature. And the advertised "fastest lawn mowing" looked promising. So when I went to the dealer to do some research they talked them up pretty well. I mow about an acre of grass and much of it is around trees, bushes and flower beds so the 42" seemed like a good fit. Now to what I find as good in this mower. The option to raise the deck for cleaning and service. This is really a very nice feature, even better than my John Deere F710 which you could raise the deck but you had to raise it anf lower it on blocks to keep it raised for under deck access. Next nice feature is the quality of the over all build. It is built with very substantial material and as long as one keeps the under side of the deck clean and services the engine it should last a very long time.
And now for the negative. With the 42" width the deck does not extend out past the width of the wheels and does not allow for mowing right up to ditches or even fences very well. It requires a lot more sting trimmer work. Maybe a bit different engineering, but maybe nothing more could be changed. And the major negative and if I had had an opportunity to run this on my property, it would have been a game changer and I would not have purchased the mower. The skid plate under the deck drive belts hangs up constantly on the slightest high spot and high centers, requiring one to stop, raise the deck to it's highest position and move forward or backward as needed. My lawn has too many of these areas. I can't even mow along the edge of my gravel drive way due to the crowning of the driveway. Never had that problem with any other mower I have used. Anyway that's my experience with my Grasshopper. Have any of you had similar problems? Ihope this posting isn't too long and thanks for reading.
LaVern

 

[bobojay]

Been a member for several months doing a lot of reading.
Have a bought new 2000, 225-52 with a Kohler Command 25hp. Just made 1000 hours this summer with it and also had 2 major problems show up. A frame crack on the left rear wheel/hydro mount "box", and a BIG oil leak in that hydro which had to be rebuilt at a cost of $550.+. First non maintenance issues ever.
Overall pretty satisfied, but it's showing its age....

 

[Dadah]

Just found the intro thread!?! At 68 and I bought my first Grasshopper 4 years ago when we built our first house. We lived in the old house 42 years and it was 118 years old.
My Grasshopper is a 329BB mid-mount with a 61” deck. I opted for the good seat and I mow 5 acres with it. I do wish I had bought a front mount 72” diesel. Front mount would make deck/blade maintenance easier, 72” obvious and diesel, well, my JD 3025e is diesel. Anyway, I love my Grasshopper and my local dealer is awesome!!

 

[edporch]

Just found the intro thread!?! At 68 and I bought my first Grasshopper 4 years ago when we built our first house. We lived in the old house 42 years and it was 118 years old.
My Grasshopper is a 329BB mid-mount with a 61” deck. I opted for the good seat and I mow 5 acres with it. I do wish I had bought a front mount 72” diesel. Front mount would make deck/blade maintenance easier, 72” obvious and diesel, well, my JD 3025e is diesel. Anyway, I love my Grasshopper and my local dealer is awesome!!

I hear you about the front mount deck.
I have a 61" front mount deck and I like it a lot better.
It's easier to get under and around things so less trimming is needed, and if the added overall length of the mower isn't a problem, it's a win.

 

[ljms]

Hello All,
It's been 9 months since I posted my intro and likes and dislikes of my Grasshopper. I am surprised that no others have had any issues regarding the limited ground clearance and tendency to high center so easily. On my Grasshopper, parked in my garage with a concrete floor, with the deck set on the highest cutting position, there is only 1-7/8" of clearance between the skid plate and floor. It doesn't take a very deep low spot or crest in the lawn to leave it high and dry and spinning and in need of a push or pull to get it going. Hasn't any body else experienced this problem? I love the ability to lift the deck for easier cleaning and blade maintenance, but it seems unless you have a near perfect landscaped lawn, it is problematic. I'm not an engineer, but I would think that 48 yrs. could have fixed this, or at least made it's limitations known to potential customers and directed towards their mid mount. Just my opinion, but I am looking for others experiences. Thank You.
LaVern

 

[gcarguy]

Hello All. I just found this forum and I hope it will help me with a few questions I have. I traded fora 618 that did not run a few years ago and found timing belt off, . Long story short I have to make some parts for it and used it for one summer and the next summer it started leaking oil bad. Since the Triad Kohler was not a very strong engine and so many parts discontinued, I installed a 20 HP Kohler commander. It runs great and I really enjoy my mowing. This spring I traded for a 321 d in need of love. I overhauled the diesel and it came with an extra drive unit (one was leaking) Repaired all the rust holes in the deck ,sharpened the blades repaired the electrical issues. Now my problem: both drives are weak ,so I resealed the Hydros and replaced splash plates ,The charge pumps show a little wear but I could not find any available at the time in my price range, reinstalled and tried out, Still both are weak and when it get hot it will actually stall the engine, Also I noticed that I do not have to disengage the bypass in order to push the unit. it is like it bypassed all the time. So any advice anyone can share would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

 

[jlasater]

Howdy folks! New Grasshopper owner. I picked up a 614 for CHEAP that had a bad rod knock in the engine, according to the previous owner. It had been parked for a year. Sure enough, the engine (someone upgraded to an 18HP Vanguard at some point) sounded bad. Pulled the heads and one piston was destroyed. A second 18HP Vanguard that I had in storage (free...unknown condition when I got it) turned out to be even worse...broken rod, ruined crank, cracked block. FB Marketplace turned up a "good used" 16HP twin Vanguard for $400. Took a risk and bought it. Moved things over like the flywheel, throttle linkage, and anything else unique to the GH setup. It fired RIGHT up (like 1/2 second crank), and smoked like crazy for a while. I think the engine had been stored on its side, one cylinder had oil in it. Took it for a spin and the hydro's worked fine as did the mower deck. I'm really happy with the purchase. Will run it some more this afternoon and see if the oil smoke issue is truly resolved. I'll also do a compression test. Both front swivel wheels and one back one (it has the wide rear beam axle) need tubes.

 

[jlasater]

Fast forward a few weeks. I have a runner! The engine cleared out and runs perfectly. I did another oil change after an hour of use and the oil looked good. I cut open the oil filter to check for debris but it was clean. After using it a few times on small yards, I found the battery was dead. Discovered that the charging circuit wasn't working. The regulator/rectifier was bad. Replaced that and got a good 14+ volts at the output. Still no charge to the battery. Traced back to a broken clip in the fuse box for the charging circuit. Replaced the whole fuse box for about $15 with an OEM part. The strange thing was, it only came with enough crimp clips for three fuses but mine used all four. I was able to source two more of the special crimp ends. After that, charging works perfectly.

Since then, I've had a hoot using the machine. A tech at Grasshopper said I might be able to adapt a set of the air dams from another deck to my 9148. I was able to with some modifications and will see how it works. The 9148 seems to be a shorter deck and the spindles are not as long, so the air dams don't line up quite how I think they should.