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rear wheels spinning

#1

W

wingstrut

Folks, I have a Snapper X50ST Pro zero turn that has no traction on rear tires, if I am on an incline the up hill tire will lose traction, if I am on a level surface I have to come to a complete stop to turn so I don't lose traction and tear up the grass, I don't see this in other models.
It is either the compound in the tire, possibly the tread design or most likely not enough weight on the rear tires.
Does anyone else have this problem and where can I purchase wheel weights. I have a nice set of wheel weights for my troy built tiller, but I want to see if I can correct this without drilling holes in my wheels to attach the weights.

Thank you for your time and help.


#2

M

mechanic mark

You must be mowing in the morning when grass is wet. I mow in the afternoon or evening when grass is dry..


#3

B

bertsmobile1

Do what real tractors do.
Fit a tube and fill it with water to about 1/2 way


#4

Ken22

Ken22

I've had my ZTR for near a year. It took a while to learn the quirks of my machine. I have to stop twice on every turn. Once to back up to line up with the next pass then forward to mow it. I initially would spin out in reverse until I've learned to never have only one tire rotating at anytime. I think, and this is my idea, that all ZTR mowers have a lot of weight on the rear wheels and if you feel you need more take Bert's advice and put on tubes and fill them with fluid. If you're in position that Mark described, which is likely the case, you'll need tire chains.


#5

G

gsim

Tire pressure can affect ZTR mowers this way. I keep mine around10# tops. I still have to watch when turning on a slope not to break uphill tire loose. And I have the cleat tire tread o my Grasshopper mower. But adding liquid is a good idea. And you could have a welding shop make up some wheel weights too. They could make them up so that you can use the stock wheel bolts. Just have them use 1/8 thick base plate, drill and chamfer holes to match wheels, then weld on weights around perimeter. Mower speed is so slow, that balance means nothing. Adding liquid and wheel weights both may take care of most of your problem. I mow in a circular or oval pattern everywhere on my place, but I cut about 5 acres a week too. Smaller places might be hard to do in an oval or rectangle.


#6

cpurvis

cpurvis

If your zero turn (like mine) has no suspension, only three tires will make contact on rough ground. If the one that isn't making contact is a drive wheel, there you sit, wheel spinning. That's how I ended up with the zero turn I have--the previous owner was mowing rough ground and said it had no traction, so he piled weight after weigh after weight on it, to no effect. Finally decided he'd had enough and sold it. You can still see the marks where the weights were bolted to the frame. I didn't get any weights with it. I guess he wanted to keep them for his next mower.

My ground isn't all that smooth, either, and occasionally I encounter the 'dead stick.' But keep this in mind--one of the two rear wheels is always in contact with the ground, and going forward with the left is the same as going in reverse on the right and vice versa. It'll move you enough to get the traction you need on both wheels. At least it always has for me; I haven't been stuck yet.

If manufacturers put a pivoting front axle in zero turns, a lot of this problem goes away.


#7

W

wingstrut

Thanks guys, I figured that was the problem, I just wanted to get it confirmed.

My Kubota tractor has a lot of water in the rear wheels plus it has a lever you can press down to lock all four wheels, that one has saved me several times.

I mow in the evening when everything is dry, but the St. Augustine grass is naturally thick and slippery.
I run 15lbs. I will try the 10lbs.
I have actually set the mower on flat level ground and got the mower going forward slowly and gently backed off on the left control and the left tire just slid.
I left the left control where it was and moved the right lever forward slightly and the left tire slid.
The rubber actually looks like it has a film on it like the old airless hard rubber tires, if I can't resolve the problem maybe some new skins will work.
Aggravating....................I may trade it for a Kubota!!!! Ha!Ha!

Thank you folks for your ideas and help, much appreciated!!!..............I will keep working on it.


#8

W

wingstrut

Here it is 2021 and I finally noticed something, the left tire on my Snapper is reversed from the right tire, in other words the aggressive tread is reversed from the right tire and I believe that is why I am losing traction on my left tire.
I have tried on level dry ground and the left tire loses traction immediately if I try to back up with both sticks at the same time.
Have anyone of you have the right tire tread opposite than the left.


#9

S

slomo

Ken22 said:
I've had my ZTR for near a year. It took a while to learn the quirks of my machine. I have to stop twice on every turn. Once to back up to line up with the next pass then forward to mow it. I initially would spin out in reverse until I've learned to never have only one tire rotating at anytime. I think, and this is my idea, that all ZTR mowers have a lot of weight on the rear wheels and if you feel you need more take Bert's advice and put on tubes and fill them with fluid. If you're in position that Mark described, which is likely the case, you'll need tire chains.
Click to expand...
Just mow in a circle. No turning around needed. Easy right?


#10

S

slomo

Stunned because how much these 0-turns weigh with operator and still spins the tires.


#11

W

wingstrut

I forgot to mention that I never mow grass even damp,
I fixed my problem I put more aggressive tires on the rear and it works just fine.
I would put that thing on a slight incline and it would slide right in.


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