FWIW, I've been mowing the same acre of ground for fifty years, so I know it pretty well.
The all-around best mower for the money was a Simplicity 30" 8hp tractor style. The little B&S ran for thirty years and was still running when I sold it.
Two Cub Cadet tractors, a 12hp and a 16hp Kohler, were beasts and I probably should have kept one of them. Problem was, tractors are slow, don't climb steep hills for shite. What I do miss is their ability to steer the front wheels and to cut right up to the fenceline on hillsides.
Anyway, for several years now, I've been using a Toro Timecutter 4250 ZT. It's faster, more maneuverable on flat ground; however on hillsides, it's a dangerous pig-on-ice. Way too many times, including just today, the Toro has gotten me stuck and tangled into fences where the tractors were never, ever a problem.
The Toro Owner's Manual goes into great detail about safety and emphasizes that the mower is only safe to use on flat ground.
However, while escaping the zombie apocalypse, I have mow my way up a way-too-steep hill. I discovered the Toro is a regular mountain goat, as long as it's going straight up or straight down. Try to traverse a side hill and the zombies will get you for certain.
Anyway, if the grass catchers are full of green grass, and/or the operator is 6' 2" 240, that's a lot of weight on the rear and the front end can get a little light at the top of the hill. I added a 2' section of 3" oil field pipe; about 50#, to the weight box above the front axle and that ties the front down solidly.
jack vines
The all-around best mower for the money was a Simplicity 30" 8hp tractor style. The little B&S ran for thirty years and was still running when I sold it.
Two Cub Cadet tractors, a 12hp and a 16hp Kohler, were beasts and I probably should have kept one of them. Problem was, tractors are slow, don't climb steep hills for shite. What I do miss is their ability to steer the front wheels and to cut right up to the fenceline on hillsides.
Anyway, for several years now, I've been using a Toro Timecutter 4250 ZT. It's faster, more maneuverable on flat ground; however on hillsides, it's a dangerous pig-on-ice. Way too many times, including just today, the Toro has gotten me stuck and tangled into fences where the tractors were never, ever a problem.
The Toro Owner's Manual goes into great detail about safety and emphasizes that the mower is only safe to use on flat ground.
However, while escaping the zombie apocalypse, I have mow my way up a way-too-steep hill. I discovered the Toro is a regular mountain goat, as long as it's going straight up or straight down. Try to traverse a side hill and the zombies will get you for certain.
Anyway, if the grass catchers are full of green grass, and/or the operator is 6' 2" 240, that's a lot of weight on the rear and the front end can get a little light at the top of the hill. I added a 2' section of 3" oil field pipe; about 50#, to the weight box above the front axle and that ties the front down solidly.
jack vines
