What’s up guys I need all my owner / operators and service shops to chime in here and let me know if you’ve ever seen this issue or have repaired one like it. Let me know in the comments
Good on you for discovering a problem and letting people know. Not so sure Grasshopper deserves all that shame tho. They make good machines generally, and glad they make them in the USA.
If that harness is wrap tied in place like the factory intended it to be, those hooks will never touch it. Somebody is either pulling on that harness allowing slack to let it fall out of place, or someone is cutting those wrap ties which let's it fall out of place. I've ran and worked on these mowers since 2002, and never seen an issue there. I have seen missing wrap ties there, but I always replace them if I catch it. I blame careless repairs and maintenance before Grasshopper on this one.
i have owned/fixed and sold 29 grasshopper mowers, NEVER have i noticed that. i will be checking the next midmount i get for this. that's an amazing oversight on GH's part
Great video. I had this issue with my 227 many years ago (it's a 2004 model still running strong). Had to tear the whole frame apart to repair the wires and wrap some heavy duty flex hose around the harness. I love this mower and would buy another BUT it's definitely a huge design flaw and grasshopper was NOT at all helpful when I contacted them. They would only support me through a dealer which wouldn't be bad except that I already had my machine tore apart which is why I just repaired and patched myself. I removed my ROPS and the latching system because of this flaw. If Grasshopper still hasn't fixed this flaw after all these years then I'd have to assume they like sending their dealers this repair job.
I have a 223 mid mount and have had wiring problems for a minute. I have to much money in it right now and I have the same issue. I believe you just solved my problem
I checked on my wiring harness right away. One side was wire tied, but the other was not! So I put a zip tie on the other side. Be careful if you are going to take the latch off, know that the seat belts are connected to the seat, not the frame. At least on my 227. If there is a roll over then the seat can flop forward yielding questionable results.
We have the grasshopper 325D. The way we prevented the wires from getting pinched. Is by taking four zip-ties and pulling the wires back and tight out of the way of the lever hooks. Hopes this helps.
This video is great because wiring is something that you do think much about but can be a real headache. I think all manufacturers could do a better job shielding and routing the wiring in most all equipment, and vehicles. Had trouble with lots of stuff I had to repair. Sometimes it was something as simple as a tiny bare spot, you couldn't see rubbing the metal and shorting out. Had. Motorcycle once and it ran like a champ but had a problem cutting out occasionally when you made a hard right turn. I looked at EVERYTHING. Or so I thought. Fuel system, electrical system, looked for shorts everywhere. Couldn't find ANYTHING and it was an intermittent problem so it was really hard to pin down, UNTIL one day it crapped out so I laid the bike on it's side and heard a clunk. It was the battery. It was just loose enough to slide slightly and the terminal touched the frame and shorted out the ignition system. It was tight to the touch but designed so close to the frame it shorted. Anyway, wiring, very important!! Thanks for the reminder. And shame on Grasshopper. 😠😄
I always took those hooks off on all my grasshopper mowers, simply because it make it harder to check gas meter, but I guess it was a good thing cause I didn’t know the hooks would damage the wires, I love your content on your channel, I learned so much, I even have that little bell 🔔 and it notifies me when there a new video. Please do more videos about grasshopper cause those are the ones I have
Thanks. I checked my 2011 721D for this. No problem. The factory zip ties are still nicely in place holding the wiring group about 2 full inches forward of the latch slot. I appreciate the heads up though. 👍
One good way to fix that fellas is a good piece of rubber hose that will wrap around the whole harness and go across. I’m nothing but I will Shadetree mechanic but all that does fix a whole Lotta issues like that and it’s real cheap and does the job very well. God Bless
Operator error. Ive noticed a couple bad placement of zipties on all my grasshoppers but fixed them immediately. Once it happens to you once, best next step would be to fix the issue to prevent it happening 9 more times. You mentioned in the video to be aware of your wiring & exposed cable, so why not just fix it so its not an issue? Grasshopper is the last mower to try & slander because we all know they're phenomenal machines with plenty to offer. I have a few things im fixing on my 725D right now actually: -Lever tension spring snapped -coolant tank is cracked -deck level lowers a little in bumpy terrain Ill fix it though. Its a lot of machine, so I understand many things could go wrong, unfortunately.
Great video MowerMedic Grasshopper needs to re rout the wiring harness more to the front of the seat frame and add a heat shield to protect the harness from the engine heat that may be the solution to the problem.
I'm in the middle of fixing my carburetor on a 120K and you have to remove the muffle and roll loop to remove the carburetor. This has to have been done on purpose
Not sure how old that machine is, but the harness is no longer routed through the channel (as shown in the video), but now below the seat crossmember completely so the seat latches cannot come in contact with the wiring. Seems the feedback has been received and addressed.
DingDingDing Ding!!! The power deck height stopped working on my 428D. The electric motor and pump work fine when you run 12V to it. I replaced the relays and switch, and get 12V at the connectors...but it won't run the deck height motor. I was planning on looking at the harness...now that I've seen this vid though, I know right where to look! I'll BET that this is the problemo with mine! (Had disconnected the electric motor and have been using as a manual for the past 2 years!) THANKS!
Good info. I do my own maintenance on my 223 mid-mount with a Kohler Command Pro 23 hp and it runs like a champ. One question, where may I obtain a shop manual that contains more info than the standard owner's manual for it? I've looked but haven't found anything. Thanks.
My hook doesn't work on my seat. I take off my seat cushion between every stop because the wood is gone. It fell apart after about 5 years. My 329b has never sat outside of the garage not even 1 night and has only gotten wet when i get rained out mid while mowing. Or when cleaning about 2 times a year. Im going to redo the seat with Advantech osb if i ever get the chance. No way im paying over $200 for a small portion of a seat that falls apart when it gets wet maybe 50 times. Other than that my only gripe is the front casters were dry of grease from the factory and locked up after about 300 hours. 10 years and 1700 hours and no problems other than those 2 things.
I have a service call coming up this week where the ignition coil is not working. I think this is what's wrong with it. Will know more when I test it out.
I would like to ask a question/ seek advice . I am looking at a grasshopper 618 mower . On line I have seen a lot of negative about the th18s engine in these . It's a good clean unit with 300 hours on it . What I have seen is that when overheated they drop sleeves , I am thinking that if it's been cared for this long and is running good , then if I continue to care for it it should be ok . Do you think that with care it's a good mower or is it just a grenade waiting to happen ?
I run a Grasshopper 727K and the Kohler EFI runs extremely hot, I was told by the factory rep that they run them very lean for emission reasons, I have replaced the muffler because it burned a hole through it, Kohler would not warranty it. Also, it runs so hot the bearings in the electric clutch cooked the grease out, there is no way to service this unit without removing the clutch and taking the seals off, and packing high temp grease in both bearings every few months. I will not buy another one, just for information I clean it off with compressed air every use, it is not overheating from lack of maintenance. Thank you for your videos, I appreciate them.
@@THEMOWERMEDIC1 I do not know, but the valve cover gasket got crispy and started leaking a small amount of oil so I replaced it, I have no way to check temp .
I got a 725D and sitting on it it would be the left tire spins way faster then the right, when I barely push the handles forward the left spins and tears up the grass every time I could drive this backwards up a wall but going forward I can't barely get over a 6 inch bump with out that left tire digging a trench, I've tried all the adjustments and nothing seams to work I'm about ready to put this grasshopper in my burn pit
Stupid Question, I have a 1997 625 gas, Grasshopper that has sat many years before I bought it. The left hand drive is noisy and weak when warm. I also have a 2016 Cub Cadet Z-Force 48 that I bought new. The left drive on it is getting weak also. I have look at other units for a used replacement, but it's usually the left drive is weak, no matter what kind. Grasshopper wants $1700.00 for one new drive. Way out of my price range. Do you know of a fix for these drives? I know the Grasshopper is a totally different drive than the Cub. I used to rebuild all different types of pumps, (Hydro) and the GH sounds like the pump is dead heading, or working against itself. Where could I find a kit to repair these things. I just can not find the parts. Thanks, Bill
...👍 9 & 1 st comment. After all this time you Grasshopper would take care of this. As far as consumer carelessness, it keeps us busy. Stay safe, Joe Z
dumb question. what led light bulb can i replace for my 2004 725 G2. grass hopper calls the lights "work lamps". part number 182253. would like to replace the bulb with a led .
My Grasshopper has 200 hour and has been in the shop for over a month.,A 900D is nothing but a MTD quality machine the 729 was fantastic. I would never ever buy another Grasshopper, very poor factory support in fixing a design problem they knew about!
Sorry way to get views and make click bait undeservingly bashing a company. I have two of these mowers and that harness is no where near the seat latches. Probably you or your mechanics too lazy to put them back in place after a repair and this is the results...
What’s up guys I need all my owner / operators and service shops to chime in here and let me know if you’ve ever seen this issue or have repaired one like it. Let me know in the comments
Hi. We sold hundreds of Grasshopper mowers in New Zealand and never seen this before. Cheers
Good on you for discovering a problem and letting people know. Not so sure Grasshopper deserves all that shame tho. They make good machines generally, and glad they make them in the USA.
Correct, all manufacturers have that one gremlin in their lineups.
If that harness is wrap tied in place like the factory intended it to be, those hooks will never touch it. Somebody is either pulling on that harness allowing slack to let it fall out of place, or someone is cutting those wrap ties which let's it fall out of place.
I've ran and worked on these mowers since 2002, and never seen an issue there. I have seen missing wrap ties there, but I always replace them if I catch it. I blame careless repairs and maintenance before Grasshopper on this one.
this wasn't a problem on my 900D but it did give me the idea to remove the latch assy. which is always a pain to get released, so thanks!
i have owned/fixed and sold 29 grasshopper mowers, NEVER have i noticed that. i will be checking the next midmount i get for this. that's an amazing oversight on GH's part
Great video. I had this issue with my 227 many years ago (it's a 2004 model still running strong). Had to tear the whole frame apart to repair the wires and wrap some heavy duty flex hose around the harness. I love this mower and would buy another BUT it's definitely a huge design flaw and grasshopper was NOT at all helpful when I contacted them. They would only support me through a dealer which wouldn't be bad except that I already had my machine tore apart which is why I just repaired and patched myself. I removed my ROPS and the latching system because of this flaw. If Grasshopper still hasn't fixed this flaw after all these years then I'd have to assume they like sending their dealers this repair job.
Yes Sir !!! Excellent Video my friend. Great information for those Grasshopper owners.
I have a 223 mid mount and have had wiring problems for a minute. I have to much money in it right now and I have the same issue. I believe you just solved my problem
I checked on my wiring harness right away. One side was wire tied, but the other was not! So I put a zip tie on the other side. Be careful if you are going to take the latch off, know that the seat belts are connected to the seat, not the frame. At least on my 227. If there is a roll over then the seat can flop forward yielding questionable results.
We have the grasshopper 325D. The way we prevented the wires from getting pinched. Is by taking four zip-ties and pulling the wires back and tight out of the way of the lever hooks. Hopes this helps.
This video is great because wiring is something that you do think much about but can be a real headache. I think all manufacturers could do a better job shielding and routing the wiring in most all equipment, and vehicles. Had trouble with lots of stuff I had to repair. Sometimes it was something as simple as a tiny bare spot, you couldn't see rubbing the metal and shorting out. Had. Motorcycle once and it ran like a champ but had a problem cutting out occasionally when you made a hard right turn. I looked at EVERYTHING. Or so I thought. Fuel system, electrical system, looked for shorts everywhere. Couldn't find ANYTHING and it was an intermittent problem so it was really hard to pin down, UNTIL one day it crapped out so I laid the bike on it's side and heard a clunk. It was the battery. It was just loose enough to slide slightly and the terminal touched the frame and shorted out the ignition system. It was tight to the touch but designed so close to the frame it shorted. Anyway, wiring, very important!! Thanks for the reminder. And shame on Grasshopper. 😠😄
I always took those hooks off on all my grasshopper mowers, simply because it make it harder to check gas meter, but I guess it was a good thing cause I didn’t know the hooks would damage the wires, I love your content on your channel, I learned so much, I even have that little bell 🔔 and it notifies me when there a new video. Please do more videos about grasshopper cause those are the ones I have
Thanks. I checked my 2011 721D for this. No problem. The factory zip ties are still nicely in place holding the wiring group about 2 full inches forward of the latch slot. I appreciate the heads up though. 👍
Wow… I just replaced the coils on mine less than a year ago… I going to check that seat latch in the morning for sure… thanks buddy…
One good way to fix that fellas is a good piece of rubber hose that will wrap around the whole harness and go across. I’m nothing but I will Shadetree mechanic but all that does fix a whole Lotta issues like that and it’s real cheap and does the job very well. God Bless
Operator error. Ive noticed a couple bad placement of zipties on all my grasshoppers but fixed them immediately.
Once it happens to you once, best next step would be to fix the issue to prevent it happening 9 more times.
You mentioned in the video to be aware of your wiring & exposed cable, so why not just fix it so its not an issue?
Grasshopper is the last mower to try & slander because we all know they're phenomenal machines with plenty to offer.
I have a few things im fixing on my 725D right now actually:
-Lever tension spring snapped
-coolant tank is cracked
-deck level lowers a little in bumpy terrain
Ill fix it though. Its a lot of machine, so I understand many things could go wrong, unfortunately.
Great video MowerMedic Grasshopper needs to re rout the wiring harness more to the front of the seat frame and add a heat shield to protect the harness from the engine heat that may be the solution to the problem.
I'm in the middle of fixing my carburetor on a 120K and you have to remove the muffle and roll loop to remove the carburetor.
This has to have been done on purpose
Not sure how old that machine is, but the harness is no longer routed through the channel (as shown in the video), but now below the seat crossmember completely so the seat latches cannot come in contact with the wiring. Seems the feedback has been received and addressed.
I have a 20 year old Grasshopper with 2000 hours on and I have Is barely any issues
DingDingDing Ding!!! The power deck height stopped working on my 428D. The electric motor and pump work fine when you run 12V to it. I replaced the relays and switch, and get 12V at the connectors...but it won't run the deck height motor. I was planning on looking at the harness...now that I've seen this vid though, I know right where to look! I'll BET that this is the problemo with mine! (Had disconnected the electric motor and have been using as a manual for the past 2 years!) THANKS!
Good info. I do my own maintenance on my 223 mid-mount with a Kohler Command Pro 23 hp and it runs like a champ. One question, where may I obtain a shop manual that contains more info than the standard owner's manual for it? I've looked but haven't found anything. Thanks.
Glad mine is a front mount. Don’t have that issue. Never been a big fan of mid mounts…..
I don't have any of your machines but I enjoy your content
My hook doesn't work on my seat. I take off my seat cushion between every stop because the wood is gone. It fell apart after about 5 years. My 329b has never sat outside of the garage not even 1 night and has only gotten wet when i get rained out mid while mowing. Or when cleaning about 2 times a year.
Im going to redo the seat with Advantech osb if i ever get the chance. No way im paying over $200 for a small portion of a seat that falls apart when it gets wet maybe 50 times.
Other than that my only gripe is the front casters were dry of grease from the factory and locked up after about 300 hours.
10 years and 1700 hours and no problems other than those 2 things.
I have a service call coming up this week where the ignition coil is not working. I think this is what's wrong with it. Will know more when I test it out.
I would like to ask a question/ seek advice . I am looking at a grasshopper 618 mower . On line I have seen a lot of negative about the th18s engine in these . It's a good clean unit with 300 hours on it . What I have seen is that when overheated they drop sleeves , I am thinking that if it's been cared for this long and is running good , then if I continue to care for it it should be ok . Do you think that with care it's a good mower or is it just a grenade waiting to happen ?
I had 2 Dixie Choppers that had bad wiring harness one had a low voltage to the coils and burned up the engine misfire too lean great video 😊
There should not be any voltage to the coils
Right the wiring harness caused the misfire 😁
I run a Grasshopper 727K and the Kohler EFI runs extremely hot, I was told by the factory rep that they run them very lean for emission reasons, I have replaced the muffler because it burned a hole through it, Kohler would not warranty it. Also, it runs so hot the bearings in the electric clutch cooked the grease out, there is no way to service this unit without removing the clutch and taking the seals off, and packing high temp grease in both bearings every few months. I will not buy another one, just for information I clean it off with compressed air every use, it is not overheating from lack of maintenance. Thank you for your videos, I appreciate them.
What head temps are you getting?
@@THEMOWERMEDIC1 I do not know, but the valve cover gasket got crispy and started leaking a small amount of oil so I replaced it, I have no way to check temp .
Just don't buy one with a Kohler...There is other options
I got a 725D and sitting on it it would be the left tire spins way faster then the right, when I barely push the handles forward the left spins and tears up the grass every time I could drive this backwards up a wall but going forward I can't barely get over a 6 inch bump with out that left tire digging a trench, I've tried all the adjustments and nothing seams to work I'm about ready to put this grasshopper in my burn pit
Stupid Question, I have a 1997 625 gas, Grasshopper that has sat many years before I bought it. The left hand drive is noisy and weak when warm.
I also have a 2016 Cub Cadet Z-Force 48 that I bought new. The left drive on it is getting weak also.
I have look at other units for a used replacement, but it's usually the left drive is weak, no matter what kind. Grasshopper wants $1700.00 for one new drive. Way out of my price range. Do you know of a fix for these drives? I know the Grasshopper is a totally different drive than the Cub. I used to rebuild all different types of pumps, (Hydro) and the GH sounds like the pump is dead heading, or working against itself.
Where could I find a kit to repair these things. I just can not find the parts.
Thanks,
Bill
Mowermechanic1, Have you tried to contact Grasshopper considering this design flaw ? If so, what was their response?
Thanks!
...👍 9 & 1 st comment. After all this time you Grasshopper would take care of this. As far as consumer carelessness, it keeps us busy.
Stay safe, Joe Z
Have you seen this before?
@@THEMOWERMEDIC1 No, but will keep it in mind. I get mostly Craftsman, Toros, & some John Deere in my area.
When did u make this video I have a 90's one and it,s wire's r on the other side of the latche 220 model
dumb question. what led light bulb can i replace for my 2004 725 G2. grass hopper calls the lights "work lamps". part number 182253. would like to replace the bulb with a led .
That's high quality design, engineering and QC right there. Bawahahahaha.
How much did it cost to replace the engine on that 329 big block grasshopper??????????
About 3k dollars
@@THEMOWERMEDIC1 . . . . Well , cheaper than a new mower but OUCH !
I'd really like to know to repair the circuit board on my 718K.
Interesting video.
Good video
My Grasshopper has 200 hour and has been in the shop for over a month.,A 900D is nothing but a MTD quality machine the 729 was fantastic. I would never ever buy another Grasshopper, very poor factory support in fixing a design problem they knew about!
Sorry way to get views and make click bait undeservingly bashing a company. I have two of these mowers and that harness is no where near the seat latches. Probably you or your mechanics too lazy to put them back in place after a repair and this is the results...
Wow that was a serious safety issues there
I have a 900 d rear discharge gets really hot quickly, any idea
That runs off propane?
You should NEVER have that face that close to the camera. 😂. Life is scary enough!!
It is a shame to pay that much money for something that is crap
I own one and it’s broke down more than it runs, pure junk, stay away from this junk.