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

[Gebo]

I feel like I’m inadequate. Does anybody here have a 100 series mower? I’m looking at the 127 and. Visited a Grasshopper dealer Thursday and he started pushing me to a Tomcat 3000. My mind is now confused.

 

[DeereHopper]

New owner of an old Hopper. I have a 2006 722D2 with a 61-inch cutting blade. A friend of mine just purchased a Scag and I got this Hopper from him. The right cutting Spindle just came apart on it so, I ordered all three new ones. I will check the Left and Center before replacing them, but if nothing else I will have them in stock. I also realized the deck would go up vertical but could not get it figured out. With some review and investigation, I realized the Deck Stand assembly was gone. The only piece that is there is the Deck Stand Roller Mount - but the nice thing about that is it is the most expensive piece. When my Spindles come in on Tuesday, I will place an order for all of those pieces. During that I also discovered the right-side Locking Latch assembly was missing - I will order all the parts for that also. It will take a little work, but I'll get this tractor back in good operating condition.

 

[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

Well it's been almost a year since my last post. A lot has happened since then. Before starting I want to remind or maybe even tell for the first time on here that the Grass Hopper was replacing a John Deere F710 front mount mower with a rotted out deck that was beyond my skills to repair or fix.
First off, to alleviate the high centering on the Grass Hopper I had bar tires put on it and that didn't solve anything, just a dug deeper holes before high centering. and sitting on top and spinning. I finally gave up on the Grass Hopper and decided to trade in or sell. As for trading it in on a Mid-Mount, the dealer I purchased it from said he wouldn't be able to give me much on it since it was only a 42". So I then called the next closest Grass Hopper dealer, and they were very receptive. They asked for a few pictures of it before so they would know just what condition it was in. I sent them some. They said they would gladly take it in on a trade towards any new mower they had. We went and looked at their mowers. They said for that model they could deal pretty good and offered me a new Kubota lawn tractor with a 48" deck even swap, or the next model up for my GH and $1000. I don't recall either model number but my wife said maybe a Kubota lawn tractor vs. a John Deere F710 that the GrassHopper replaced would be fine. She did not like any Zero turn. The F710 was her favorite mower and she just loved it and mowing grass with it, but since they were no longer available a lawn tractor vs. a zero turn would be better. Well that was a mistake, she did not like that either. So I figured she isn't going to like anything other than a front mounted mower with a steering wheel and they are no longer available so another phone call and they said come on down and look at something different. I did and since I was going to be the one mowing, I would make the choice and live with it. I picked a Kubota Z252 54" zero turn with a Kawasaki FR730V 24hp engine. I had to pay another $2000 for it but It is a nice mower.
Before I bought the Grass Hopper I used the old deck from the John Deere F710 to copy and build another deck but I messed up and used 12 gauge steel for the top and it was too flimsy, and allowed the belt to come off too often. Since getting the Kubota I took the deck to a steel fabricator/ welder and he was able to stiffen up the top and added a raised portion of the deck to allow better grass discharge and it works pretty good and my wife now has her F710 back. Thanks for reading.
LaVern

 

[Ida-Boy]

Well, I am back on a Grasshopper. Back in 2001 I purchased a 725 from a dealer in Ottawa Lake and had it for near 20 years. In the move to a smaller place I left the mower and purchased a Scag and ran it for 3 seasons. Now I am in need of a dozer blade so I traded the Scag for a 729 with again, a Kubota so I can level out some soil and plow some snow when the weather says it winter. A few minor things and se is puring like a kitten... or should I say a tiger. Time to change my photo!