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My Bobcat ZT225 that I have had for about 10 years is starting to have hydraulic issues. The left side often won't roll until the right side is engaged and when cutting, it is a struggle to go uphill now. I have searched around and a new pump for it would run $511 and then the wheel moto is about $389. I'm not sure if there is anyone in my area that can rebuild them and I have to question whether it's wise to put that kind of money into an old mower. The problem there is that I had the heads redone about 3 years ago so the motor is strong and I put a new clutch and belts on it at the end of last season. The mower ran and cut well.

I currently don't have the funds to just go buy a used mower or I would go looking. I can get a new mower financed and I'm considering a few models. I have a 1 acre yard and it would only be used for my yard and occasionally a neighbor's yard but pretty rarely. His yard is about 2 acres. I am looking at a few models and don't want to under or over buy. I just want something in the middle that will last. I am looking at the Bobcat CRZ52 and the XRZ Pro RS. The dealer also carries Toro and has a Timecutter HD. My neighbor has a Timecutter that he got from Lowes that has a stamped deck and I am not all that impressed. My local hardware store that has been around forever has just started carrying Exmark which is a brand I have always liked but all they had in stock was either a bottom line residential zero turn or a fully decked out Lazer Z...nothing in between. Any advice would be appreciated.

Before going out to get in debt for a less durable mower than you already have lets check a few things. When is the last time the fluid and filter was changed in the hydrolics. It may be the fluid is low because of a leaking hose and would be a easy fix.

Well you won't get anything for $ 900 so go ahead & repair or replace.
To get anything of a similar durability as your old Bobcat you will be spending at least 10 times that much.

I changed the hydraulic fluid and filter Thursday. I changed it every other year prior and it uses 15W-50 full synthetic . Looked for leaks and found none. I like the mower but coming up with the money to fix it is daunting...where do you suggest looking for parts since I don't want to keep doing this over again is to just do both pumps and motors at the same time. I can get a mower at just about any payment I want and can go into better classes of mower without jacking the payment up too much. I realize I will take a depreciation hit and have other dealerships where i can possibly buy a demo model or something along that line. I also have scags and toros that I can consider.

I like the mower I have. I know what it can do and know what is wrong and right on it and wouldn't mind fixing it. The repair is pretty easy but it's the up front cost that is holding me back.

Check the pulley on the pump.
Most are on a spline and over time the chattering effect hammers the splines flat so the pulley spins the shaft until you apply a load then it slips.

The tranny makers will have parts lists and manuals available on line bt you will need the number off the tags on the trannies unless you are among the 0.01% of people who read their manual then go & write down the mower,engine & tranny numbers in their manual.
I get all my tranny stuff from Mulligans in the USA they are cheaper and a lot more helpful than any one down here in Oz.
The OEM for the tranny can direct you to their authorised repair agents ( most mower shops are not ) that are closest to you.
In most cases the tranny service agents will not want ( or need ) the mower as they just service the transmissions not mowers.
Thus you cab pull them out stick them in your boot & take ( or freight) them off for repair.

I will check the Pulley tomorrow and let you know. It seems to do Ok when it is cold but gets worse as the fluid warms up.They have always whined and chattered a bit here and there. It would be nice if it could be that simple. I went and looked at a used Bobcat that was the same mocel but had a 61 inch deck. It had the same issue with the left side not running near as fast as the right side...if I could cut like Nascar, I would have it made.

20w50 should be the oil you use. The thinner oil could be causing this problem.

The label on the tank said 15w40 or 20w50 if mineral based and 15w50 if synthetic. Can I mix the mineral base and synthetic base? I'm not sure if I can get the system completely drained.

I will look into going to a thicker oil.

rrodger9 said:

The label on the tank said 15w40 or 20w50 if mineral based and 15w50 if synthetic. Can I mix the mineral base and synthetic base? I'm not sure if I can get the system completely drained.

I will look into going to a thicker oil.

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Hydro gear builds their pumps and motors both with castor oil 20w 50 oil in mind. All specs are built upon that oil.

bertsmobile1 said:

I get all my tranny stuff from Mulligans in the USA they are cheaper and a lot more helpful than any one down here in Oz.

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Wow...they are a lot cheaper than anything else I saw. $200 cheaper on the wheel motors and $150 cheaper on the pumps so I may just replace all of it and keep the mower. Have you had any issues with any of their parts? Just wondering since their catalogue says it's an aftermarket part

I have not yet had a complete failure...just a noticeable weakening so my concern is metal shards. Should I also replace the hoses? They seem to be in good shape...still semi-flexible and not leaking. If so is it all of the hoses or just those from the pumps to the wheel motors?

Sorry for all the questions. I have never messed with hydraulics and don't want to replace parts just to ruin them

No problems.
So far everything I have ordered from them has been good.
Down here just about everything is franchised and a small bunch of "old boys" outbid each other for distribution rights then jack up the prices to recover the cost of their egos.
Thus we pay 2 to 3 times the price for everything down here.
I came across them when searching for parts .
Their rebuild kit is cheaper retail + freight + GST than I can get down here even with a trade discount .
In fact some times a replacement tranny complete is cheaper than the repair parts alone locally.

They certainly made this job a lot more affordable. I can even get the hoses and still save over other's prices. I appreciate the info.

So I made my order with Mulligans today and the order wouldn't go through at 1st. The guys from Mulligan flagged it because I had a possible invalid order. I called and they immediately knew who I was and why I was calling. They wanted to let me know that the wheel motors I chose were not the best...they were not carried by them in their warehouses and would take longer to get to me. They are also chinese knockoffs and while ok for short term was not what I wanted for long term operation. I told him the money for this was borrowed so I was working within a budget. He lowered the price of 2 Parker Wheel motors by about $50 each and waived shipping on my entire order. While it still raised the price overall, it was something I could afford to do. I will recommend these guys to everyone I know...lower prices and great customer service. Such a rarity these days.

rrodger9 said:

So I made my order with Mulligans today and the order wouldn't go through at 1st. The guys from Mulligan flagged it because I had a possible invalid order. I called and they immediately knew who I was and why I was calling. They wanted to let me know that the wheel motors I chose were not the best...they were not carried by them in their warehouses and would take longer to get to me. They are also chinese knockoffs and while ok for short term was not what I wanted for long term operation. I told him the money for this was borrowed so I was working within a budget. He lowered the price of 2 Parker Wheel motors by about $50 each and waived shipping on my entire order. While it still raised the price overall, it was something I could afford to do. I will recommend these guys to everyone I know...lower prices and great customer service. Such a rarity these days.

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Excellent result.
Nice to find people who are honest, not just trying to make an easy quick buck.
Like you I have had nothing but good dealings with them
Hope the repair goes well.
Remember the magic word is clean so while you are waiting clean everything as good as you can.
I blow down trannies, then pressure wash then soda blast then rinse off
I use a home made soda blaster which is nothing more than a soda bottle with an air duster poked through it.
Not the best but cheap and does not require any masks.
Started off using animal feed soda cause it is very cheap but gone through that 50lb bag & am now using blasting soda.
Same stuff chemically wise, just bigger grains.
For you purpose a couple of pounds bought from the super market would do fine.
If you have some acid soil do it over that , soda is a ph buffer and will increase the ph of acid soil a little.
\Should mention it is BAKING soda , not Caustic Soda ( lye)

I appreciate the tips and all of the help

I haven't taken it apart yet since I need to cut the yard once more and need to keep it mobile so that I can move it out of the shop for a brake repair on the wife's car...I have to keep her happy...

I don't see anything in the parts diagram that shows any seals or O-rings on the hoses that lead from the pumps to the wheel motors. Are these machine fittings that don't need seals or can low pressure systems like this be sealed with teflon tape? I included a pic of the parts diagram but couldn't find 1 with both the diagram and a parts list.

You, sir,appear to be what they refer to as "on the horns of a dillemna" I have experienced this one many times myself where the clear solution seemed to be just throw some money at the problem, but the money was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, in my case, I have been blessed with some pretty good mechanical skills, so I was able to work through them via " sweat equity" . I wasn't always happy about that, either, having to come home from work and jerk around working on some piece of crappy equipment, when frankly I felt I deserved much better. And in the meantime, sometimes the grass got pretty tall! Or the garden didn't get put in in a timely fashion, etc. Unfortunately, I do not see that as an option you feel up to. Not at all your fault, each of us has their own gifts. So the following is offered purely tongue in cheek as a solution:
#1. Sell your property. Costs money to live in the 'burbs.
#2. Waste the proceeds wallowing in drugs and self pity.
#3 Move to the ghetto and complain you were "exploited by the system". Vote for politicians like Bernie Sanders who promise you they will take care of you.
#4 If only you will just give up...... All of your freedoms, any right to self determination, and your privacy.
#5 That privacy thing? Sooo... 1700's. As obsolete as the constitution. If you have a twitter or facebook account, social media has already trained you that the details of your last bowel movement are far more important than some outmoded notion of "Privacy".
Sorry to make light of your problem. Anyway, good luck, we're ALL gonna need it.

The problem with your solution is that I am on disability due to a couple of strokes that I had...I had to fight for almost 1 1/2 years to get them to approve it even though it was pretty obvious to me and my doctors that I would never return to work. In the meantime, I have had agents from the long term insurance show up to see what I was doing. I had friends that did this so I knew what not to get caught doing so I can't take in work to fix or I would...nor can I start up my lawn business again. I cannot take the chance of messing things up. It sucks because I feel that I could do some things but admittedly, I no longer have the stamina. I still managed to get the money together...It wasn't pretty but I did and my parts will all be here Tuesday...I can't wait. I cut with it yesterday and while it completed the task...it wasn't at all happy about it.

Sorry to hear of your problems, you do have my sympathies.
I know your situation very well and it can get very nasty doing your head right in because you feel that you can do some work, but not enough or regularly enough to support yourself but if you are seen to be doing any work it gets taken that you can support yourself. It is a mentally cruel situation.
A friend was followed 24/7 by the gum shoes from the insurance company for nearly 2 years till they thought they had enough evidence to cancel his part dissability pension.