@@timothyhays1817 Goats will eat a wider variety, which can be helpful or a problem, depending where you put them. There are companies that offer goat teams for hire for clearing out overgrown neglected land.
Lemme finish the sentence for you: "But if I was going to spend that kind of scratch..." I'd just pay someone to do it and eliminate the frustration and free up my time.
This person doesn't really properly understand the difference between patience to get it done, and that amazing feeling whenever you're saving money, and the sense of accomplishment. Everyone is different. For me it's a real ego booster. It's a time when it's modern stuff that you unplug things, and plug in your laptop, and unplug the part, and plug in the new one. You don't even get a hangnail doing that. It takes a lot of testosterone to actually get greasy and dirty. It's one of those things you just have to accept. Ask Tim the tool man, silly!
There's an idea for more ideas: include appliances. Especially *vintage* appliances. Especially repurposing vintage - what? You got it, I can stop now.... Well, okay.
When speaking to my non-American friends, I find myself doing mental conversions to metric units. Which then trips me up when we start talking about time.
I still have to do mental conversions for time. However, it's more because of Timezones like sometimes I forget how many timezones there are on the continental US and so treat in my head the east coast the same as the west also since I live in NZ I have to convert the Day of the week to the one before (if it's Tuesday there then it's Wednesday here). I even have to convert for the season (more for cooking YT channels than anything else) since there it's winter when for me it's summer.
there is a metric time system for a 10-hour day with a hundred minutes in a metric hour and a hundred metric seconds in a metric minute and a 10-day week, his video was almost one a day long.
I’ve mowed the lawns of my hilly family home (and a handful of other places) hundreds of times. From that I can tell you that the riding-mower/mini-tractor style are far more stable and predictable on hills. We’d always disable the seat switch to allow us to lean way off to either side. Handy for maintaining traction by shifting weight onto a spinning wheel and keeping the centre of mass in an unscary position when traversing hill faces. I’d personally skip zero turns entirely. Something that can also be used for hauling firewood, dirt and yard garbage around in a trailer is worth the any extra money. Especially if it can do light earth works in some manner. If you want to experiment with adding weight in the right place on your existing unit, try filling the tyres partially with water, if they aren’t already. Also, you should totally do the solenoid mod. Or just do it with a brake cable and lever from a bike.
The landscapers for the old folks' home across the street from my house, which used to be my town's high school and so has an inordinately huge lawn, have this terrifying "hover platform" mower. It looks like something out of a Defense Department film from the 1950s with a title like _The Infantryman of Tomorrow._ You can't even see the wheels, they're underneath the mower deck, and although it's steered with the same kind of levers as a zero-turn, the operator is _standing up_ on top of the deck, with what I think is an engine cover hump like in a '70s Ford Econoline between his feet. OTOH, in possibly-more-helpful information, my father has one of the small John Deere diesel tractors (the kind that are juuust big enough to call a proper tractor), and he loves the thing. Mower deck in summer, front-end scoop in winter, he could rent a backhoe attachment for it if he had a ditch that needed digging... if you've got a big enough yard for it to be worth it, and I suspect you do, it seems like a good way to go. You can even get a heated cab for them, although Dad's too cheap to buy one for his. :)
The stand-on mowers are an interesting concept. The ability to fit through tight gates and retain the speed and maneuverability of a standard ride on zero turn. Most landscape companies in my area rely heavily on them.
9:06 - To fix your issue with the ditch, here's what you do: 1) Set the mower deck to its lowest setting. 2) Go straight down the hill and SCALP that yard! Scalp it good. 3) Your yard has been reset to the official recommended Hustler minimum clearance height. You may now replant your grass and mow however you like!
My suggestion: Buy a couple of wheel weights for the drive wheels. I don't know if there are any made specifically for the Raptor, but my dad had some traction issues with his John Deere mower and two 50lb weights mounted to the wheels helped immensely. I'm sure there's either a "universal" kit you could use, or you could buy a set designed for another mower and adapt them to work with yours.
I remember when Lowe's started selling these. They discontinued the Kawasaki engines after the first year saying that "Kawasaki couldn't keep up with the demand." My bet is Hustler didn't make enough margin on those over the Kohler engines.
Actually Kawasaki stopped selling their engines to hustler because they were a commercial grade engine that was being put into a consumer grade product. Kawasaki was concerned about their product image since most consumers typically don't do much maintenance.
@@crackerjackingking Don't know where you got that info from but you're wrong. Kawasaki engines are still available on current model Hustler mowers both residential and commercial.
Sometimes I just watch videos of people complaining so I feel better about my own complaining. Sometimes I just watch so I have something new to complain about. Either way, it’s a cheap hobby ... and hobbies sure do cost too much these days...
4:36 - You could attach a bike brake cable to the catch lever and put a bike brake handle on the steering lever. When you squeeze the brake handle it should pull the catch lever via the brake cable and do what you want?
Worked for a lawn care/landscaping company for 5 years. I've put easily 3500 hours on zero-turns. they all suffer from these problems to a certain extent, but there are definitely some that have it worse than others. Look around at what the professional companies are using in your area. They have chosen those machines for three reasons. efficiency, ease of maintenance, and warranty. The company I worked for used almost all exmarks. We tried a few other brands, but the e series and s series exmarks with the welded 60-in decks are heavy enough to be planted, but narrow enough to efficiently mow small lawns. The companies that make lawn mowers chosen by professionals have put time and effort into making a much more well-balanced machine that handles hills far better, and they have added useful features such as extended oil drains and oriented the engine so the oil filter is off the back. Feel free to reach out with any other lawn mower oriented questions 👍🏻
Good lord I love this channel. I hope you don't feel like you _need_ to make videos for this channel though. Don't misunderstand me here. I want more, but that's not a great metric to measure needs-doing-ness. I also want someone to fuel my insatiable cocaine addiction, but that's not really something that needs to be done
RE: dance moves: don't do that. Don't give the hydraulic seals any tougher a time than you need to. Quick transitions like that are liable to blow something out.
I say replace the drive wheels with ones with aggressive tread, and try not to tear up the lawn. But a complete redesign of the mower would be a cool project!
That is better than the cheaper mowers HD and Lowe's sell- they use Chinese made hydraulic pumps that cannot be rebuilt without a large shop and much patience, plus source all the parts on your own, as there are no parts available for non rebuildable pumps. But they do have a classy name- Husquevarna- they just don't tell you how deeply affected they were when they "price engineered" them. I know Robert is mostly POed by "being trained" by these mowers- I've had much the same experience with mine. I have found they are much better than the alternatives like a push mower or, in most cases a lawn tractor mower. But they do best when operated smoothly, working to cut as many fast direction changes as possible from your route. YMMV! IMHO! But Robert, having got that off your chest, you sound much better! Here's hoping for a Robin update soon!
@@fredericrike5974 AFAICT, all the cheaper mowers on the market right now use either Eaton transaxles (which are super hard to get parts for), Kanzaki IHTs, or they use the Hydro-Gear T2, literally all of the cheap zero turns for the past 15 years have used the Hydro-Gear EZT2200 (which is the crappiest integrated hydrostat ever made, even if it was designed and assembled in Sullivan, IL) Can't come up with any off brand chinese integrated hydrostatic transmissions being sold in residential riding or zero turn mowers; the much bigger concern is the gear drive models with plastic transmission housings, thats why I always tell my customers to go for the more expensive hydrostatic units, as long as they don't overheat, they generally last 20 years
@@jeremiahjorenby2275 I can't tell you much- my Husky was bought by my step mother, who didn't even find out how to drive it. When I got it, it was sluggish and jittery; a friend said he thought it needed fluid, and showed me dampness around both drive motor axle seals. We also found that there was no way from the factory to check or add fluid. So we cut one of the lines and spliced in a "fill tube", and were able to top it up and the sluggish feel and jitters got much better. I thought about the damp seals and said what to do, and he said "look at this- Made in China, cast right into the main housing, no bolts or screws to hold it together, just peened over like rivets. Owned it another year and bought a Yazoo, used from the lawn maintenance guy that lived up the street. Never looked back and am not sorry. When I went to HD for parts, all they wanted to sell me were whole pumps and gear motors, telling me they were not rebuildable- they were less than two years old, the machine showed 90 hrs on it. POS, is my opinion. the Yazoo has been through three sets of blades, has 160 hrs on it since I bought it (had 400 or so on it when I got it), uses a deck drive belt I can get at a machinery supply for about 15 bucks vs the $52 for the odd size belt the Husky REQUIRED. POS. This is a product of engineering for a price point, not for long life or economic operation. That cheap mower wasn't cheap to buy- $3500 bucks, but it was terribly expensive to keep up. the used Yaz cost me that but has only needed fuel, a blade every now and again, grease it frequently, and empty out the cup holders that catch grass. The seat is a bit saggy now, but my butt fits fine.
@@fredericrike5974 what's even funnier is Yazoo Kees was bought out by husqvarna in 1997(much the same as what happened to Dixon in the mid 2000s 😥), I have a 1984 eaglestar machine which was designed by yazoo but manufactured by Exmark which is now owned by Toro(Toro also acquired Exmark in 1997) Parts.....barely exist, I have to use snapper blades and john deere deck bearings Such a mess, oh how the turn tables
@@jeremiahjorenby2275 Wow, I hadn't realized the incest had got that bad. I bought the Yazoo, thinking it was a more professionally oriented machine- and so far this one has done right well. I got into keeping the blades sharp because it actually gets a cleaner cut- the grass in S.Louisiana seems to grow so fast, by the time I cut that five acre yard, the corner I started in was ready to cut again. It probably would have helped if I did more than a couple hours in the morning when it was cool! Also one of my neighbors has driving practice off his back porch, so I'm always whacking his balls. I just had to throw that in there!
Maintenance: The #1 reason I went (battery) electric with my current mower. The only real thing I have to do is charge the battery and sharpen the blade once a year.
Electric mowers (of the size in this video) are just an incredibly stupid idea. TERRIBLE. Wait until that battery needs replacing. There are plenty of 80s tractor mowers still faithfully serving their owners without needing the engine replaced. Good quality batteries would drive the cost of an electric mower just way too high.
@lass kinn Yeah, but they still use a lot of power. That's why the engines are as big as they are. They need to be able to go uphill cutting thick long grass. They need to include as much battery as is needed to mow the largest yard that size mower is designed for.
@@agingwheels Well, better than nothing. Maybe try going even lower, no idea what that mower weights, so 0,5 bar was probably a little on the high side.
One of the many reasons why my husband refuses to run hustlers mowers again for his business. Switched over to walker zero turn mowers and never had issues again
I have the same mower, except I changed the front casters to spring loaded flex casters. Makes a pretty significant difference in how it rides as well as traction. It doesn't eliminate the traction problems, but it minimizes them decently. I haven't had issue with bolts coming loose on mine, though I agree fully with the oil change problem. I've fabricobbled together some things just to deal with that problem and it irks me every single time I change the oil.
I've got a few of those mowers, and yeah this is pretty accurate. The Grasshopper variant from the 80's with the centrally located wheels does better with hills, but if you just drive in reverse a bit you can turn on downhills. You just need both wheels going in reverse and you can turn on any hill you can climb. The big thing about these is they do tend to go through engines. The engine is replaceable, but eventually the valve spacings just don't stick anymore so it stops working until you put a new engine in. From what I can tell, the grasshopper is basically the same as the cub cadet in terms of engine. Although the 80's grasshopper might have failed slightly differently, it's still total engine failure more frequently than we would like. Also, the advantage to the rear wheels is with the bagging attachment you can use it to pull a trailer! With the centrally located wheels, it makes the mower significantly longer and also makes it much less inviting for towing a trailer behind. If you do use the bagging attachment for trailers, don't go uphill. It will cause you to tip backwards. You can also do a wheely on flat ground with a heavy enough trailer (Sometimes as low as sub 1000 lbs). If you have a lot of mud, be aware that zero turn mowers are still mortal mowers and as such get stuck in mud. If it is stuck, you'll need to pull it out probably by hand. If you disconnect the hydros first it becomes a one person job sometimes. Even disconnecting only the hydro for the stuck wheel can help at times. As far as adjusting the cutting height without using your hands, I'm a bit curious why? Normally I like my lawn uniform, all at one height. So I only really adjust the blades when starting out and parking.
It's worth considering switching to knobbier tires to ameliorate the traction issues. They do increase the risk of tearing up spots in the yard, however.
Between you and Technology Connections I feel like I get to relax and enjoy learning about things that may or may not effect my daily life, but are important to know anyway.
You've captured the frustration of trying to control a zero-turn on hillside perfectly. The Toro Timecutters are almost completely unusable on any slope/grade whatsoever
Maybe you can fill the drivewheels with water and antifreeze to get more weight on them and be able to turn properly. Its easy to do i think its worth a try.
These styles of mowers are more of a Pro-sumer type. A commercial type mower like the Toro GroundsMaster. Benefits are the deck is out front and the drive wheels just are behind the deck and a small car style engine on the back with steering wheels and wheel brakes that will zero turn.
I used to have an old Ford ride on mower with a similar setup to the one you said you preferred but it was also diesel and 4wd. It could still "zero turn because of the steering angle it could achieve and you never lost control of the mower and hills were not an issue.
I too share your enthusiasm and enjoyment regarding complaining. Dumb thing here and a dumb thing there, here a dumb there a dumb everywhere a dumb dumb. Ol' Mcdonald complained a lot, e i e i o. 😋
I’ve used a grasshopper with the deck out front. By far the superior design. Still has some downsides because it’s longer and can be hard to fit in some areas. But it makes mowing ditches and bumpy areas a breeze. I’ve never felt like I was gonna tip over using one.
Well it's 2am here. A 14 minute video about a lawnmower showed up in my feed. I have no interest in lawnmowers, usually just pay a guy to mow my lawn for me and God damn it, I'm watching it!
I've been in the same predicament as you with an additional challenge of extreme swampiness in the springtime. I'd be able to mow approximately one acre of the five we keep mowed, from April to July. The ZTR would bury itself if two squirrels pee at the same time, not to mention the same hill control issues you mention. The solution, Kubota GR2120. All wheel drive, power steering with a very tight turning circle, no turf damage, amazing fuel economy, excellent towing capability and it has a cup holder you can use while in motion! (thanks to the use of old technology, the 'Steering Wheel') It's a true wolf in sheep's clothing. Unassuming to look at yet very capable. I've been unable to bury it in our horrible Indiana soup clay. 5 Gallons of Diesel will last me 3 mowing sessions, that's 3 acres per gallon! The best part however is that it's so comfortable, predictable and easy to maneuver, I have to fight the wife to mow now!
Hello. This represents the reason I watch this channel. Sometimes I use your Amazon affiliate link to buy things, but not the stuff you are linking. Tom Scott told the world that the affiliate link remains active for 48 hours or something close to that. So I buy groceries that way.
Funny because each time I use our riding mower tractor during the summer, I wish it were a zero-turn one. Also why don't they fit these with tires that have any actual grip? These large tires are rubbish and just slip over the grass. Why not use some real off-road thread designs?
I have a set of ATV tires on my mower and my neighbor uses chains on his. Pluses of the chains are they can be removed easily, but theymark asphalt and are loud. They are also cheaper than a set of tires. Pluses of the ATV tires are they are quieter, don't mark asphalt, and unless you are making an extremely tight turn on a hill don't damage the lawn. There are quite a few options in the 20x10-8 size and I prefer the X or H patterns vs super lug Vs or ovals. They are the best combination of grip without tearing up turf or getting caked with mud if you get in a wet patch.
I used to operate Howard lawn tractors back in the early 90’s. The one I rode had a 109” mowing deck! It was similar in design except the drive wheels were in front and the steering wheel was in the rear. It was a crazy machine!
I bought the Cub Cadet zero-turn with the steering wheel - very cool - it works the same as the twin-stick-style except for one additional feature; it turns the front wheel casters in-sync with the steering wheel - which assists in making turns... it works really well... It's generally very easy, and going on a hill sideways is a breeze
@@jacob07221 I'm from N Oklahoma and went up to Wichita all the time. You should see Kansans fume when you correct them on the pronunciation of the Arkansas river.
The deck reinforcement band thing prevents dents in the deck. I see a lot of junk mowers that rust out there or have bends and dings. I guess it's a life extension feature.
I'm enjoying your woodworking channel, but I'm pretty sure you could make videos about anything and they would be great to watch. Thanks for the video!
Walker mowers have the weight distribution equation nailed down perfectly. Center mounted wheels, casters on the deck and one thing not mentioned here, a much lower center of gravity
The Raptor SD had bigger wheels front and back, a sturdier frame, hour counter, upgraded seat with arm rests, and the engine guard (which I think became standard on the basic model after I bought my SD). I've had mine for 2.5 years and it' been fantastic. Sure, you can sometimes tear up the turf if the wheels lose traction, but I'm sure that happens with every other comparable lawn mower.
I used to cut grass on a Hayter Rider lawn mower. It was three wheeled which made it zero turn. It was a very old one and had an hour gauge on it, a Kohler engine, hand throttle, a manual choke, a huge lever to engage the blades which would make a horrendous squeal, a lever to lower the deck and a clutch and 3 gears.
I remember back in the day people putting water in the rear tires. Doesn't add weight behind the drive wheels which would eliminate the flip factor. But adds weight directly to the tires. You take the air valve out of the tire nipple. Turn the valve so it's on top. Add as much water as you want. If I remember correctly you don't want to go above the halfway point. Then reinstall the valve, and add air to the appropriate PSI.
I am a small engine mechanic and all zero turn mowers like that have the same problems. The grasshopper mowers like you mentioned have there down falls to. They are big and have the same traction issues. They are more stable on hills but that's it.
Mine has the drive wheels center-front, steers from the back and has casters off the front of the deck which also hangs out front. It is an EXCELLENT design with only one flaw. Because the drive wheels are in the middle you high-end yourself and get stuck if you try to cross any gulley or low spot of any kind.
my dad got one of these to mow his extremely hilly yard (45 degrees in some places). within literally the first 5 minutes of driving it after he brought it home, he rolled it over completely on top of himself and got crushed. by some miracle, the mower landed partially on a stone wall which kept the full weight off of him, and he was able to wiggle out and get to the hospital without only a bunch of cuts and no broken bones. he tried suing the mower company because he was using the mower "normally" when it flipped over without warning on a 45 degree slope. well, the lawsuit never even got started because he found out he just never read the manual all the way through, and the manual explains the extreme roll over risk when corning on a hill in just the right way. its the same rollover risk you get with a three wheel ATV that has two wheels in the back (actually with the mower its WAY more of a risk). after all that mess, he made the store take back the zero turn mower, and then rage purchased literally the most expensive john deere lawn tractor that is so absurdly massive, it can't mow about 20% of the property which is now cut by hand with a weed wacker that has a metal blade. and he refuses to pull anything with the new lawn tractor because "pulling things is hard on the transmission and tractors aren't made for that." let that last part sink in. he bought a second tractor for pulling things.
I am an automotive/lawnmower mechanic and I have to agree with all the things you’re complaining about the hustler/big dog mowers all have these problems. Just the other day I had to put a set of spindle bearings on a big dog mower that only had 130 hours on it there are no grease Fittings for the bearings very annoying you would think as much is these cost you should at least be able to grease the bearings properly, cub cadet an A lot of other lawn tractors are the same way. Cool video!
One of the mowers my dad had when I lived with him was a John Deere F725, weird looking thing, but it was set up almost like what you're describing. Drive wheels in the middle, rear steering, with the deck on the front attached with a hydraulic lifting system. It was good. Except uphill
I've got the exact same mower. Same motor and everything. I've not had any of those problems, but my yard isn't real steep. The only problems I've had is the bracket that holds the deck up on one side has bent a few times and let the deck drop down. I've finally over bent it and haven't had a problem with that since. The main belt went out once. Probably my fault for over stressing the mower by using it like a brush hog. The front decks are far superior, much easier to watch the deck out in front of you as you mow instead of below you. But the cost starts at double. So I can live with it. I did add a Works robotic mower to do my front lawn and I love it!
I own 20 acres and also live in Missouri and have the Hustler Z4 I bought new in 2010. They only made that model for a year or two and I LOVE the mower to death. I use it for mowing, cutting brush (not good for it but I replace blades yearly) and I tow a trailer to help hand plant 14,000 trees. Yes you can pull a trailer with a ZTR, just remember not to turn a 180. My model has spring loaded air filled front tires, 27 hp kawasaki motor, twin fuel tanks, and a really cool roll bar.
Compact tractor. My uncle had a really early Kubota tractor for this sort of thing (and light hauling and cultivating) that he must have imported used from Japan circa 1965 when he was stationed there and it was perfect when I used it in my teens for farm work in NE OK. Mow any direction except sideways on a steep grade. All of the controls were in Japanese and sometime in the past few years someone I'm unfortunately related to repainted it Deere green instead of Kubota orange, but otherwise no complaints from me. They were still using it last time I was in town.
why was i so captivated by a 14-minute video about a suboptimal lawn mower
Because this man is a friend that just happens so be stuck inside our screens.
Because what he says makes sense?
Mustie 1
I’m wondering why I was anxious to click on it. Lol
Welcome to the club!
"A cup holder in case you want to drink something infused with grass clippings."
So, herbal tea then.
Mmm lemongrass.
So, herbal beer then
Organic 🤤
Spider: minding it's own business
"That's a big spider. I am gonna kill that spider"
Spider: :(
Barbaric. SLM.
Colleague "Now it´s a spider." He grabs a hammer, "Now it´s wall art!"
He spotted it from across the room. Must have been huge. Or trying to make off with a power tool.
The spider was probably thinking "Wow, that's a big human. I'd better kill it"
*Spider: ::::(
Dude, just buy a goat.
...and teach it how to drive the mower.
Sheep are more efficient.
Or have children...and teach them to drive the mower.
or be filthy rich and pay bankers to do it for you with a old mechanical push mower.
Or one of those Robotic mowers?
@@timothyhays1817 Goats will eat a wider variety, which can be helpful or a problem, depending where you put them. There are companies that offer goat teams for hire for clearing out overgrown neglected land.
How about turning the Robin into your new zero turn mower by taking the front wheel off and adding two casters?
The front wheel on the robin is what does the steering, you'd have to get quite creative
Legendary
Yeah, and you could call it the “Coupe de Grass.” ;-)
@@bradleymorgan8223 Just add independently controlled brakes to the rear wheels ;) (i hope it has a differential...)
It would be an unnecessary reliable upgrade to the robin
Lemme finish the sentence for you: "But if I was going to spend that kind of scratch..."
I'd just pay someone to do it and eliminate the frustration and free up my time.
Why do I hear drum beats?
@@BeefHandlesInc I had to check to see if there was a tow truck near by ! :-)
Damn, why do RUclipsrs that I subscribe to, post on RUclips channels I subscribe to?
Damn you algorithm!
"... I'd get a robot lawnmower that I could also make a series of videos about."
This person doesn't really properly understand the difference between patience to get it done, and that amazing feeling whenever you're saving money, and the sense of accomplishment. Everyone is different. For me it's a real ego booster. It's a time when it's modern stuff that you unplug things, and plug in your laptop, and unplug the part, and plug in the new one. You don't even get a hangnail doing that. It takes a lot of testosterone to actually get greasy and dirty. It's one of those things you just have to accept. Ask Tim the tool man, silly!
I could watch you complain about various home appliances all day
There's an idea for more ideas: include appliances.
Especially *vintage* appliances.
Especially repurposing vintage - what? You got it, I can stop now.... Well, okay.
I bet your that guy that wears a mask driving alone in their car.. I heard the sweet and sour sniffles does car jack now 💩😷🤣🤣🤣
When speaking to my non-American friends, I find myself doing mental conversions to metric units. Which then trips me up when we start talking about time.
I still have to do mental conversions for time. However, it's more because of Timezones like sometimes I forget how many timezones there are on the continental US and so treat in my head the east coast the same as the west also since I live in NZ I have to convert the Day of the week to the one before (if it's Tuesday there then it's Wednesday here). I even have to convert for the season (more for cooking YT channels than anything else) since there it's winter when for me it's summer.
But let's be honest about it... How many non-American friends do you have and how often are you talking to them?
As a non-American, I have the same experience. I'm always relieved that I don't have to google "20 minutes in foot-pound per washing machine"
there is a metric time system for a 10-hour day with a hundred minutes in a metric hour and a hundred metric seconds in a metric minute and a 10-day week, his video was almost one a day long.
@@tybofborg But do you measure velocity in furlongs per fortnight?
50lb bolt on wheel weights will make a world of difference. Or you could add liquid tire ballast internally.
Yes, Farmers will put water in the rear tires of their tractors.
@@hoodagooboy5981 Usually they use beet juice now. Water freezes and expands.
@@Studio23Media I didn't think of that, I live in a desert
did you two team up to plan the Frank Howarth skits this week?
did you two team up to plan the Frank Howarth skits this week?
11:08 Wow, what amazing effects. It's like the older mower was right there in the shop with you!
RUclips desktop tip: Pause at 0:09 and use the , and . keys to view all the vehicles frame by frame. Loved the editing!
how do you use that
Reminds me of the polymorph episode in Red Dwarf
How did I not know about the , and . !
@@seangorry how do you use it
@@rosen0662 Pause the video, and they let you go forward or back one frame at a time
I’ve mowed the lawns of my hilly family home (and a handful of other places) hundreds of times. From that I can tell you that the riding-mower/mini-tractor style are far more stable and predictable on hills.
We’d always disable the seat switch to allow us to lean way off to either side. Handy for maintaining traction by shifting weight onto a spinning wheel and keeping the centre of mass in an unscary position when traversing hill faces.
I’d personally skip zero turns entirely. Something that can also be used for hauling firewood, dirt and yard garbage around in a trailer is worth the any extra money. Especially if it can do light earth works in some manner.
If you want to experiment with adding weight in the right place on your existing unit, try filling the tyres partially with water, if they aren’t already. Also, you should totally do the solenoid mod. Or just do it with a brake cable and lever from a bike.
The landscapers for the old folks' home across the street from my house, which used to be my town's high school and so has an inordinately huge lawn, have this terrifying "hover platform" mower. It looks like something out of a Defense Department film from the 1950s with a title like _The Infantryman of Tomorrow._ You can't even see the wheels, they're underneath the mower deck, and although it's steered with the same kind of levers as a zero-turn, the operator is _standing up_ on top of the deck, with what I think is an engine cover hump like in a '70s Ford Econoline between his feet.
OTOH, in possibly-more-helpful information, my father has one of the small John Deere diesel tractors (the kind that are juuust big enough to call a proper tractor), and he loves the thing. Mower deck in summer, front-end scoop in winter, he could rent a backhoe attachment for it if he had a ditch that needed digging... if you've got a big enough yard for it to be worth it, and I suspect you do, it seems like a good way to go. You can even get a heated cab for them, although Dad's too cheap to buy one for his. :)
Can you post a picture and give me a link Pleese
@@1993MAZDAMIATA Of the old folks home's lawnmower? It's November in Maine, they're not doing lawn care right now...
@@ZGryphon yes and ok
I've seen those buzzing around commercial fields before. Looks equally thrilling and terrifying to ride, lol.
The stand-on mowers are an interesting concept. The ability to fit through tight gates and retain the speed and maneuverability of a standard ride on zero turn. Most landscape companies in my area rely heavily on them.
For the record, I discovered aging wheels through under dunn. You're clearly doing something right. Keep it up man!
I have a great idea for "Not a car November"....the BUS!
why not make him happy by having him make a video were he does nothing but complain about everything lol
I have had a hustler for almost 13 years. What absolutely amazing mower it has been
9:06 - To fix your issue with the ditch, here's what you do:
1) Set the mower deck to its lowest setting.
2) Go straight down the hill and SCALP that yard! Scalp it good.
3) Your yard has been reset to the official recommended Hustler minimum clearance height. You may now replant your grass and mow however you like!
My suggestion: Buy a couple of wheel weights for the drive wheels. I don't know if there are any made specifically for the Raptor, but my dad had some traction issues with his John Deere mower and two 50lb weights mounted to the wheels helped immensely. I'm sure there's either a "universal" kit you could use, or you could buy a set designed for another mower and adapt them to work with yours.
You can also add about 5 gallons of windshield washer fluid to each rear wheel. That adds about 40 lbs to each.
Robert's eternal struggle against Missouri spiders never fails to amuse me.
I remember when Lowe's started selling these.
They discontinued the Kawasaki engines after the first year saying that "Kawasaki couldn't keep up with the demand."
My bet is Hustler didn't make enough margin on those over the Kohler engines.
Actually Kawasaki stopped selling their engines to hustler because they were a commercial grade engine that was being put into a consumer grade product. Kawasaki was concerned about their product image since most consumers typically don't do much maintenance.
@@crackerjackingking makes sense
@@crackerjackingking Don't know where you got that info from but you're wrong. Kawasaki engines are still available on current model Hustler mowers both residential and commercial.
I've got the Kawasaki on my Raptor SD 42. It's a brilliant engine. The new models still have Kawasaki engines in New Zealand.
I just sat here for almost 14 mintues to watch a man complain about his mower, I may need to rethink the choices in my life that brought me here lol
Sometimes I just watch videos of people complaining so I feel better about my own complaining. Sometimes I just watch so I have something new to complain about. Either way, it’s a cheap hobby ... and hobbies sure do cost too much these days...
4:36 - You could attach a bike brake cable to the catch lever and put a bike brake handle on the steering lever. When you squeeze the brake handle it should pull the catch lever via the brake cable and do what you want?
I had the exact same thought.
Truly, only you could make a video about a lawn mover genuinely interesting & fun!
Worked for a lawn care/landscaping company for 5 years. I've put easily 3500 hours on zero-turns. they all suffer from these problems to a certain extent, but there are definitely some that have it worse than others. Look around at what the professional companies are using in your area. They have chosen those machines for three reasons. efficiency, ease of maintenance, and warranty. The company I worked for used almost all exmarks. We tried a few other brands, but the e series and s series exmarks with the welded 60-in decks are heavy enough to be planted, but narrow enough to efficiently mow small lawns. The companies that make lawn mowers chosen by professionals have put time and effort into making a much more well-balanced machine that handles hills far better, and they have added useful features such as extended oil drains and oriented the engine so the oil filter is off the back. Feel free to reach out with any other lawn mower oriented questions 👍🏻
You're like the Missourian Hank Hill and I mean that as a huge compliment!
Try sheep and goats, although I do think you would look very silly riding a goat.
The ZTR ones are a little spendy.
Walker mowers are also set up almost exactly the way you described! You can also get them with a diesel engine!
Good lord I love this channel.
I hope you don't feel like you _need_ to make videos for this channel though. Don't misunderstand me here. I want more, but that's not a great metric to measure needs-doing-ness. I also want someone to fuel my insatiable cocaine addiction, but that's not really something that needs to be done
my Lawn mower has trained me and I don't like that hilarious
RE: dance moves: don't do that. Don't give the hydraulic seals any tougher a time than you need to. Quick transitions like that are liable to blow something out.
Not to mention these consumer models are not particularly robust.
Worth it for the fun though
imagine wheego lawnmower.
I say replace the drive wheels with ones with aggressive tread, and try not to tear up the lawn. But a complete redesign of the mower would be a cool project!
6:34, noooooooo your poor hydrostatic transmissions.......well we can soon expect to see an episode of how to rebuild a hydrogear ZT-2800 😂
That is better than the cheaper mowers HD and Lowe's sell- they use Chinese made hydraulic pumps that cannot be rebuilt without a large shop and much patience, plus source all the parts on your own, as there are no parts available for non rebuildable pumps. But they do have a classy name- Husquevarna- they just don't tell you how deeply affected they were when they "price engineered" them.
I know Robert is mostly POed by "being trained" by these mowers- I've had much the same experience with mine. I have found they are much better than the alternatives like a push mower or, in most cases a lawn tractor mower. But they do best when operated smoothly, working to cut as many fast direction changes as possible from your route. YMMV! IMHO! But Robert, having got that off your chest, you sound much better! Here's hoping for a Robin update soon!
@@fredericrike5974 AFAICT, all the cheaper mowers on the market right now use either Eaton transaxles (which are super hard to get parts for), Kanzaki IHTs, or they use the Hydro-Gear T2, literally all of the cheap zero turns for the past 15 years have used the Hydro-Gear EZT2200 (which is the crappiest integrated hydrostat ever made, even if it was designed and assembled in Sullivan, IL)
Can't come up with any off brand chinese integrated hydrostatic transmissions being sold in residential riding or zero turn mowers; the much bigger concern is the gear drive models with plastic transmission housings, thats why I always tell my customers to go for the more expensive hydrostatic units, as long as they don't overheat, they generally last 20 years
@@jeremiahjorenby2275 I can't tell you much- my Husky was bought by my step mother, who didn't even find out how to drive it. When I got it, it was sluggish and jittery; a friend said he thought it needed fluid, and showed me dampness around both drive motor axle seals. We also found that there was no way from the factory to check or add fluid. So we cut one of the lines and spliced in a "fill tube", and were able to top it up and the sluggish feel and jitters got much better. I thought about the damp seals and said what to do, and he said "look at this- Made in China, cast right into the main housing, no bolts or screws to hold it together, just peened over like rivets. Owned it another year and bought a Yazoo, used from the lawn maintenance guy that lived up the street. Never looked back and am not sorry. When I went to HD for parts, all they wanted to sell me were whole pumps and gear motors, telling me they were not rebuildable- they were less than two years old, the machine showed 90 hrs on it. POS, is my opinion. the Yazoo has been through three sets of blades, has 160 hrs on it since I bought it (had 400 or so on it when I got it), uses a deck drive belt I can get at a machinery supply for about 15 bucks vs the $52 for the odd size belt the Husky REQUIRED. POS. This is a product of engineering for a price point, not for long life or economic operation. That cheap mower wasn't cheap to buy- $3500 bucks, but it was terribly expensive to keep up. the used Yaz cost me that but has only needed fuel, a blade every now and again, grease it frequently, and empty out the cup holders that catch grass. The seat is a bit saggy now, but my butt fits fine.
@@fredericrike5974 what's even funnier is Yazoo Kees was bought out by husqvarna in 1997(much the same as what happened to Dixon in the mid 2000s 😥), I have a 1984 eaglestar machine which was designed by yazoo but manufactured by Exmark which is now owned by Toro(Toro also acquired Exmark in 1997)
Parts.....barely exist, I have to use snapper blades and john deere deck bearings
Such a mess, oh how the turn tables
@@jeremiahjorenby2275 Wow, I hadn't realized the incest had got that bad. I bought the Yazoo, thinking it was a more professionally oriented machine- and so far this one has done right well. I got into keeping the blades sharp because it actually gets a cleaner cut- the grass in S.Louisiana seems to grow so fast, by the time I cut that five acre yard, the corner I started in was ready to cut again. It probably would have helped if I did more than a couple hours in the morning when it was cool! Also one of my neighbors has driving practice off his back porch, so I'm always whacking his balls. I just had to throw that in there!
Maintenance: The #1 reason I went (battery) electric with my current mower. The only real thing I have to do is charge the battery and sharpen the blade once a year.
Yeah, but I haven't seen any electric zero-turn or ride mowers
@@neyoid they have been out there for a while, but dang are they expensive.
@lass kinn In the one that I have the blade is directly driven by the motor.
Electric mowers (of the size in this video) are just an incredibly stupid idea. TERRIBLE. Wait until that battery needs replacing. There are plenty of 80s tractor mowers still faithfully serving their owners without needing the engine replaced.
Good quality batteries would drive the cost of an electric mower just way too high.
@lass kinn Yeah, but they still use a lot of power. That's why the engines are as big as they are. They need to be able to go uphill cutting thick long grass. They need to include as much battery as is needed to mow the largest yard that size mower is designed for.
Thanks for explaining why I am annoyed with my zero turn
The way you said Wichita had me dying but so does all of your videos, keep up the great videos
I believe the motor is made in Maryville, MO. Good to see a Missouri guy like you are supporting MO jobs.
You need studded tyres..... oh, and big sharp spiky sticky-out bits on the hubs like Boadicea (or Boudica or Boudicca if you prefer)
they don't make winter studded tire for lawn mowers sorry!!!!! so forget about the big sharp spiky sticky-out bits
I would suggest lowering the pressure in the rear tires to gain more traction.
0,5 bar should do the job.
I actually did that. It helped a little bit
@@agingwheels Well, better than nothing.
Maybe try going even lower, no idea what that mower weights, so 0,5 bar was probably a little on the high side.
Just drive backwards ffs.....
Btw this is genuinely the first time i've seen a american complain about having a cupholder....
@@5Andysalive it's weird, isn't it? Every mower has one. But for what? Bottles? Otherwise they'd be full of dirt and grass. I've never understood it.
@@zendell37 bottle...or anything, just bounce out of the holder. It's almost completely useless. The only thing it holds is grass.
One of the many reasons why my husband refuses to run hustlers mowers again for his business. Switched over to walker zero turn mowers and never had issues again
I have the same mower, except I changed the front casters to spring loaded flex casters. Makes a pretty significant difference in how it rides as well as traction. It doesn't eliminate the traction problems, but it minimizes them decently.
I haven't had issue with bolts coming loose on mine, though I agree fully with the oil change problem. I've fabricobbled together some things just to deal with that problem and it irks me every single time I change the oil.
Nice to see good ol' Jim's Throne making an appearance. ;)
Good morning Pandemic, welcome to your Tuesday morning feed.
Next up:
Man rages over his powered lawnmover.
I've got a few of those mowers, and yeah this is pretty accurate. The Grasshopper variant from the 80's with the centrally located wheels does better with hills, but if you just drive in reverse a bit you can turn on downhills. You just need both wheels going in reverse and you can turn on any hill you can climb. The big thing about these is they do tend to go through engines. The engine is replaceable, but eventually the valve spacings just don't stick anymore so it stops working until you put a new engine in. From what I can tell, the grasshopper is basically the same as the cub cadet in terms of engine. Although the 80's grasshopper might have failed slightly differently, it's still total engine failure more frequently than we would like.
Also, the advantage to the rear wheels is with the bagging attachment you can use it to pull a trailer! With the centrally located wheels, it makes the mower significantly longer and also makes it much less inviting for towing a trailer behind. If you do use the bagging attachment for trailers, don't go uphill. It will cause you to tip backwards. You can also do a wheely on flat ground with a heavy enough trailer (Sometimes as low as sub 1000 lbs).
If you have a lot of mud, be aware that zero turn mowers are still mortal mowers and as such get stuck in mud. If it is stuck, you'll need to pull it out probably by hand. If you disconnect the hydros first it becomes a one person job sometimes. Even disconnecting only the hydro for the stuck wheel can help at times.
As far as adjusting the cutting height without using your hands, I'm a bit curious why? Normally I like my lawn uniform, all at one height. So I only really adjust the blades when starting out and parking.
I would love to watch a video series about building the best zero turn lawnmower!
I love the T-Shirt! Oh and uuuhhh something something lawn mower.
Seeing it go down hill and spin it's wheel I started to think, "It's a drift mower!"
It's worth considering switching to knobbier tires to ameliorate the traction issues. They do increase the risk of tearing up spots in the yard, however.
Between you and Technology Connections I feel like I get to relax and enjoy learning about things that may or may not effect my daily life, but are important to know anyway.
"In case you want to drink something infused with grass clippings" killed me.
Hmm in all the lawnmower videos I've watched, no one has ever talked about the physics issues you brought up. Interesting.
You think he realizes how funny he is? You have a 1in a thousand sense of humor, it’s refreshing
You've captured the frustration of trying to control a zero-turn on hillside perfectly.
The Toro Timecutters are almost completely unusable on any slope/grade whatsoever
Maybe you can fill the drivewheels with water and antifreeze to get more weight on them and be able to turn properly.
Its easy to do i think its worth a try.
Good Idea. Maybe also make some bolt on weights for the wheel hubs.
@@philbaxter487 Yes, also possible.
"Wi-CHEE-ta?" Seriously, man, I can't even tell if you're messing with us now.
These styles of mowers are more of a Pro-sumer type. A commercial type mower like the Toro GroundsMaster. Benefits are the deck is out front and the drive wheels just are behind the deck and a small car style engine on the back with steering wheels and wheel brakes that will zero turn.
I used to have an old Ford ride on mower with a similar setup to the one you said you preferred but it was also diesel and 4wd. It could still "zero turn because of the steering angle it could achieve and you never lost control of the mower and hills were not an issue.
I too share your enthusiasm and enjoyment regarding complaining. Dumb thing here and a dumb thing there, here a dumb there a dumb everywhere a dumb dumb. Ol' Mcdonald complained a lot, e i e i o. 😋
Honestly, the complaining is one of the main reasons I watch this channel. We should be friends, I complain lots and it's FUN. lol
I’ve used a grasshopper with the deck out front. By far the superior design. Still has some downsides because it’s longer and can be hard to fit in some areas. But it makes mowing ditches and bumpy areas a breeze. I’ve never felt like I was gonna tip over using one.
the more I look at zero turn mowers the more a standup type makes sense to me.
Imagine complaining about a huge zero turn mower. I mow my lawn with a 24" corded electric mower.
Chances are you also don't have as much to mow as he does.
Get your back tire fill with calcuim or agrilim like farm tractor do , they will be heavyer giving you more traction whitout the roll over risk.
He is certainly a very humorous guy which I really appreciate! The best lawnmower video I've seen in a long time! Bravo!
Well it's 2am here. A 14 minute video about a lawnmower showed up in my feed. I have no interest in lawnmowers, usually just pay a guy to mow my lawn for me and God damn it, I'm watching it!
i installed a throttle cable on my lawn mower,
quite useful for overgrown grass and messing around with so I don't get bored.
I'm usually annoyed by my neighbors lawnmower, but each to their own.
I've been in the same predicament as you with an additional challenge of extreme swampiness in the springtime. I'd be able to mow approximately one acre of the five we keep mowed, from April to July. The ZTR would bury itself if two squirrels pee at the same time, not to mention the same hill control issues you mention.
The solution, Kubota GR2120.
All wheel drive, power steering with a very tight turning circle, no turf damage, amazing fuel economy, excellent towing capability and it has a cup holder you can use while in motion! (thanks to the use of old technology, the 'Steering Wheel')
It's a true wolf in sheep's clothing. Unassuming to look at yet very capable. I've been unable to bury it in our horrible Indiana soup clay. 5 Gallons of Diesel will last me 3 mowing sessions, that's 3 acres per gallon!
The best part however is that it's so comfortable, predictable and easy to maneuver, I have to fight the wife to mow now!
Hello. This represents the reason I watch this channel. Sometimes I use your Amazon affiliate link to buy things, but not the stuff you are linking. Tom Scott told the world that the affiliate link remains active for 48 hours or something close to that. So I buy groceries that way.
Funny because each time I use our riding mower tractor during the summer, I wish it were a zero-turn one.
Also why don't they fit these with tires that have any actual grip? These large tires are rubbish and just slip over the grass. Why not use some real off-road thread designs?
The trade-off is that grippier treads tear up grass more, smoother ones make you slip and still tear up the grass more. Clear reasoning.
@ralfoide A set of 4 wheeler tires on the back goes a looong way, or a set of cross chains.
@@outspokeninsider752 yep, anything with more grip tears the grass all to hell
I have a set of ATV tires on my mower and my neighbor uses chains on his. Pluses of the chains are they can be removed easily, but theymark asphalt and are loud. They are also cheaper than a set of tires. Pluses of the ATV tires are they are quieter, don't mark asphalt, and unless you are making an extremely tight turn on a hill don't damage the lawn. There are quite a few options in the 20x10-8 size and I prefer the X or H patterns vs super lug Vs or ovals. They are the best combination of grip without tearing up turf or getting caked with mud if you get in a wet patch.
I like strange, keep up the good work. ( this comment probably says more about me than you but that's just how it is)
I used to operate Howard lawn tractors back in the early 90’s. The one I rode had a 109” mowing deck! It was similar in design except the drive wheels were in front and the steering wheel was in the rear. It was a crazy machine!
I bought the Cub Cadet zero-turn with the steering wheel - very cool - it works the same as the twin-stick-style except for one additional feature; it turns the front wheel casters in-sync with the steering wheel - which assists in making turns... it works really well... It's generally very easy, and going on a hill sideways is a breeze
0:39 Is he trying to pronounce Wichita? As in WITCH-i-taw?
We should start using "Wi-chee-ta" as a secret code when we're mildly afraid to pronounce it correctly.
You must be new. He does that just to poke our brains for a reaction. It worked! And I love it.
hoooo boy that got me more than I’d like to admit as someone born and raised in wichita
@@jacob07221 I'm from N Oklahoma and went up to Wichita all the time. You should see Kansans fume when you correct them on the pronunciation of the Arkansas river.
Honestly being not american i thought it was pronounced like that lol
Thank you for giving us the metric equivalence for the running hours. Made me laugh.
The deck reinforcement band thing prevents dents in the deck. I see a lot of junk mowers that rust out there or have bends and dings. I guess it's a life extension feature.
I'm enjoying your woodworking channel, but I'm pretty sure you could make videos about anything and they would be great to watch. Thanks for the video!
Walker mowers have the weight distribution equation nailed down perfectly. Center mounted wheels, casters on the deck and one thing not mentioned here, a much lower center of gravity
Have a Fastrak SD. 6 years and over 500 hours. I love that thing. It mows fast and the cut is soooo nice.
The Raptor SD had bigger wheels front and back, a sturdier frame, hour counter, upgraded seat with arm rests, and the engine guard (which I think became standard on the basic model after I bought my SD). I've had mine for 2.5 years and it' been fantastic. Sure, you can sometimes tear up the turf if the wheels lose traction, but I'm sure that happens with every other comparable lawn mower.
Have your transmissions fallen off yet? that is a major problem with them, the brackets for the trans where too thin of a metal.
This is why I love our CubCadet 1046i
Just love this guy's sense of humour
"right here is a cup holder in case you want to drink something infused with grass clippings" 😂😂😂
This being Nov. that really big spider has certainly laid its eggs by now.
The front number plate on the Reliant Robin is brilliant
I used to cut grass on a Hayter Rider lawn mower. It was three wheeled which made it zero turn. It was a very old one and had an hour gauge on it, a Kohler engine, hand throttle, a manual choke, a huge lever to engage the blades which would make a horrendous squeal, a lever to lower the deck and a clutch and 3 gears.
This is not a review we wanted, Its a review we needed.
I remember back in the day people putting water in the rear tires. Doesn't add weight behind the drive wheels which would eliminate the flip factor. But adds weight directly to the tires. You take the air valve out of the tire nipple. Turn the valve so it's on top. Add as much water as you want. If I remember correctly you don't want to go above the halfway point. Then reinstall the valve, and add air to the appropriate PSI.
I find it hilarious how this ride on is so similar to my Kubota Z421. Almost everything is identical, including the motor, layout, design etc.
It's like the movie Groundhog Day, except about lawn mowers...
I am a small engine mechanic and all zero turn mowers like that have the same problems. The grasshopper mowers like you mentioned have there down falls to. They are big and have the same traction issues. They are more stable on hills but that's it.
My dad used to have this problem. He bought weights that bolt to the wheels to add more weight. Also got chains for them as well.
Mine has the drive wheels center-front, steers from the back and has casters off the front of the deck which also hangs out front. It is an EXCELLENT design with only one flaw. Because the drive wheels are in the middle you high-end yourself and get stuck if you try to cross any gulley or low spot of any kind.
my dad got one of these to mow his extremely hilly yard (45 degrees in some places). within literally the first 5 minutes of driving it after he brought it home, he rolled it over completely on top of himself and got crushed. by some miracle, the mower landed partially on a stone wall which kept the full weight off of him, and he was able to wiggle out and get to the hospital without only a bunch of cuts and no broken bones. he tried suing the mower company because he was using the mower "normally" when it flipped over without warning on a 45 degree slope. well, the lawsuit never even got started because he found out he just never read the manual all the way through, and the manual explains the extreme roll over risk when corning on a hill in just the right way. its the same rollover risk you get with a three wheel ATV that has two wheels in the back (actually with the mower its WAY more of a risk).
after all that mess, he made the store take back the zero turn mower, and then rage purchased literally the most expensive john deere lawn tractor that is so absurdly massive, it can't mow about 20% of the property which is now cut by hand with a weed wacker that has a metal blade. and he refuses to pull anything with the new lawn tractor because "pulling things is hard on the transmission and tractors aren't made for that." let that last part sink in. he bought a second tractor for pulling things.
I am an automotive/lawnmower mechanic and I have to agree with all the things you’re complaining about the hustler/big dog mowers all have these problems. Just the other day I had to put a set of spindle bearings on a big dog mower that only had 130 hours on it there are no grease Fittings for the bearings very annoying you would think as much is these cost you should at least be able to grease the bearings properly, cub cadet an A lot of other lawn tractors are the same way. Cool video!
One of the mowers my dad had when I lived with him was a John Deere F725, weird looking thing, but it was set up almost like what you're describing. Drive wheels in the middle, rear steering, with the deck on the front attached with a hydraulic lifting system. It was good. Except uphill
imagine having a lawnmower with more features than a east-german car.
I've seen push-mowers with more features than many east german cars. ;-)
@@outspokeninsider752 true.
I've got the exact same mower. Same motor and everything. I've not had any of those problems, but my yard isn't real steep. The only problems I've had is the bracket that holds the deck up on one side has bent a few times and let the deck drop down. I've finally over bent it and haven't had a problem with that since. The main belt went out once. Probably my fault for over stressing the mower by using it like a brush hog. The front decks are far superior, much easier to watch the deck out in front of you as you mow instead of below you. But the cost starts at double. So I can live with it. I did add a Works robotic mower to do my front lawn and I love it!
I own 20 acres and also live in Missouri and have the Hustler Z4 I bought new in 2010. They only made that model for a year or two and I LOVE the mower to death. I use it for mowing, cutting brush (not good for it but I replace blades yearly) and I tow a trailer to help hand plant 14,000 trees. Yes you can pull a trailer with a ZTR, just remember not to turn a 180. My model has spring loaded air filled front tires, 27 hp kawasaki motor, twin fuel tanks, and a really cool roll bar.
Compact tractor. My uncle had a really early Kubota tractor for this sort of thing (and light hauling and cultivating) that he must have imported used from Japan circa 1965 when he was stationed there and it was perfect when I used it in my teens for farm work in NE OK. Mow any direction except sideways on a steep grade. All of the controls were in Japanese and sometime in the past few years someone I'm unfortunately related to repainted it Deere green instead of Kubota orange, but otherwise no complaints from me. They were still using it last time I was in town.
Strange videos are what I expect from you,Robert. Don’t change now!