I bought my new Bobcat CRZ 52" a couple months ago and have used it a few times by now and am getting more and more comfortable with it each time I use it. I'm finding myself with a traction problem in part of my front yard. My front yard is split into two by my driveway. On one side there is no issue with traction but on the other side I cant seem to keep my rear tires planted. I'm slipping and sliding around trees and turns. This is on dry grass that has not been rained on in at least 3 days. The rear tires are at the manufacturer recommended PSI (12 if memory serves) but I just cant get them to stick. I also have a slope on that side of the yard which makes traction all the more important. Any tips or advice?
#2
cpurvis
If your mower is a Rigid frame mower, they can only put 3 out of 4 tires in contact with ground that isn't perfectly flat. But one of the rear tires will always be in contact. If one wheel spins, do something with the other to get the mower moving again.
Best advice I can give is to be conscious of keeping as much weight as possible on your rear wheels and adjust your mowing and turning pattern to accomplish that.
P.S. - As others have suggested, different tires would help with traction. The Zero-T tires on Bob-Cat mowers have poor traction in my opinion and the treads clear poorly. They're actually pretty good going across a slope but lousy going up/down them.
The best way to solve that problem is get rid of the turf tires, and replace them with a set of bar tires.
The difference in traction on hills is HUGE. (I went with Chevron AT 101)
I should have done this years ago.
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#5
tom3
Depending on the actual size of the tires there are ATV tires that are much better than the turf savers but not quite as aggressive as the bar type. But on a ZT machine that will take some practice to get used to the different traction characteristics.
#6
Oliver Douglas
Those bar tires will rip the lawn up if wet. Calcium Chloride inside the turf tire is a better option.
I went from an 850 LB zero turn with crappy traction with turfs, to a 1600 LB zero turn.
Nearly double the weight and it still got crap for traction with the turfs.
I'll stick with my bar tires.
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. My fear with the bar tires is tearing the lawn up. I'm in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC and it is very wet here. I try to only mow when there has been no rain for at least 2 consecutive days prior to mowing day but even then the ground is very soft and is easily torn up.
Do you think I'd gain anything by dropping the air pressure in my rear tires a couple more PSI?
10 PSI may help and is still enough to make sure you'll keep the tires from rolling off the rims on side slopes. Personally I wouldn't go lower than that. Keep in mind it will change your deck pitch. No need to adjust the pitch to test and see if it helps, but you will want to adjust if you keep them at 10.
Some mowers add a rear weight plate such as my Exmark. Don't know if you can fabricate something to add weight there.
#11
cpurvis
Turning technique probably has as much effect on tearing up the yard as tire type.
Don't pivot on a tire. If you have to turn tight, spin around the mower's vertical axis, i.e., one wheel going forward and the other in reverse.
I am getting better at that. This is my first zero turn and I have about 4.5 hours on it so I am still a rookie however I am definitely starting to get the hang of it. I do tend to pivot more on the inside tire that is in reverse and am conscious about needing to have the opposite tire going forward. the first 1-2 hours of operation I put some nice divots in the lawn but each time I mow I get better at it.
The side of the front yard I am having the traction issue is the steeper of the 2 sides. I am mowing diagonally to the incline and she seems to be pretty stable going in a straight line but when I need to go around trees is when I cant keep the wheels from spinning. I don't want to tear up the grass but more importantly I don't want to end up in the ditch at the bottom!
I am getting better at that. This is my first zero turn and I have about 4.5 hours on it so I am still a rookie however I am definitely starting to get the hang of it. I do tend to pivot more on the inside tire that is in reverse and am conscious about needing to have the opposite tire going forward. the first 1-2 hours of operation I put some nice divots in the lawn but each time I mow I get better at it.
The side of the front yard I am having the traction issue is the steeper of the 2 sides. I am mowing diagonally to the incline and she seems to be pretty stable going in a straight line but when I need to go around trees is when I cant keep the wheels from spinning. I don't want to tear up the grass but more importantly I don't want to end up in the ditch at the bottom!
How are you going around these trees? In a circle? If so, that's your problem. You never want the front of the mower pointing downhill on substantial slopes. That puts most of the weight on the front caster wheels that you have no control of and off the rear wheels that you depend on for traction and control.
Try breaking the tree mowing into half circles and going backwards if necessary to keep the weight on the rear wheels and so that you're not pointing your discharge into the trees where debris can bounce off of them and hit you. And go slowly and smoothly. Painfully slow if necessary to maintain traction and control. There's always the possibility of cutting in around the trees with a walk-behind mower or a string trimmer too.
Welcome. Zero-turn mowers are a different animal and require different techniques. It's not the best instructional video since you can't hear him over the mower but it demonstrates the technique regardless. Had he turned downhill at the end of his left to right passes he risked the possibility of losing control and ending up under the mower in the water. Not good.
Yes I am- thanks for asking! As I get more comfortable on the new mower, and driving a zero turn in general, I am learning that it is easier to go down into the swale from the street and power up the slope head on from the bottom of the swale. I am not having any traction concerns doing this and she seems to have plenty of horsepower to power me up from the bottom of the swale. The hyrdos whine slightly when I first start up from the bottom but I don't feel as though I am overworking them.
Most importantly- I have full control doing it this way and it feels stable with all the weight on the rear wheels.
