Adding Weight to ZTR

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member
Anyone tried adding weight to the rear of a ZTR? We have a Toro Timecutter (18 HP? something like that, it's a bottom end commercial, 42") Use it for mowing the church property.

There is a long drainage ditch that just gives the mower fits! We have to mow it long ways, not steep enough to be a rollover hazard, but the mower can't get enough traction to control the steering. It wants to nose dive to the bottom of the ditch because of poor traction.

The tires are typical turf track tread, both have good tread. Was thinking if I could add some weight to the rear it might give it just enough bite to make it steer on the slopes.

Any ideas of how much, over the axle, behind the axle? Thought about wheel weights, but the wheels are too small to add much, plus dealing with them with frequent flats.

Thanks!
 
I do not know what the tire sizes are but perhaps changing to bar tread ag tires is a possibility.

Tire chains are also another possibility.

Whether HDAP tires come in your sizes, I cannot say.

Sno Hogs also offer aggressive traction.

If frequent flats are a problem then liquid ballast such as RimGuard could only be used if you choose 6 ply tires, especially if you have 2 ply rubber on there now.

Essentially, this mower is talking to you. It does not want to mow that ditch. Making up custom brackets front and rear so that suitcase weights or even flat steel plates can be added is a possibility but as I see it, your main problem is with the tread pattern.
 
OK.... I took a look at the next to useless Toro website. I presume that the link below is for your tractor. If so, then it is no wonder you are having problems.

The front tires are slicks. It does not even say if they are pneumatic or solid. The dimensions given for the rear tires mean absolutely nothing in the world of tires.

Nothing pizzes me off more than manufacturers who post specs like these. Do they think that we are all numbskulls who know nothing about grass cutting equipment? They don't even tell you which Series of Kohler engine is being used. Obviously it is not a Command Pro or they would be shouting that loud and clear.

In my opinion, you are skrewed. Trying to get those front caster wheels to find traction on a slippery grass slope is going to be impossible. There does not seem to be any room to do much of anything. If those are solid wheels, then maybe you could stud them by using short #8 hex-head Tek screws.

Check the sidewalls of the rear tires and see if there is a proper tire size listed. Then contact Miller Tire and see if they have something in that size with an aggressive tread design.

In my opinion, no amount of weight on the front is going solve the problem of totally bald tires.
Toro ZTR
 
Yehbut have you ever mowed with a zero turn? They tend to chew up the sod when you turn even with turf tires. I have a dumb idea. Have someone drive alongside the ditch bank with some kind of 4 wheeler (car or truck even) with a rope tied to the front of your z-turn (or have a regular garden tractor there to do that job). I have a ditch bank I mow regularly with a JD 345 g.tractor and I have to hold on to the fender to keep from sliding off the seat.
 

My girl friend just bought a Toro zero turn this spring. She was advised steep hill sides can be a problem. She has a ditch but is able to go up and down.

To your question: The front wheels do not steer so adding weight there will only add to the problem. Increasing the traction of the rear wheels by adding fluid would probably the most simple and cost effective.

Increasing the rear track width by spacing out the wheels, wider tires or other means would provide for more leverage to counter the downward pull of the hill. Of course you would not want to go much wider than the deck or you will not be able to mow close to anything.
 
Yes.... I have many hours of seat time on several ZTR's, just so you know.

Rather than trying out dubious methods of roping the ZTR to another vehicle, why not just STOP trying to cut the ditch with a machine that was never designed for that purpose? Instead, use a push-type rotary mower or a Hovermower from Eastman Industries.

Another option would be a string trimmer.

Every machine ever made has its limitations. It is all about knowing what those limitations are and staying within them.
 
Those light mowers are not designed to mow much anything more than flat ground, You have 2 issues with the Timecutter as it is Toro"s entry level consumer mower, one,hufros are not heavy enough to hold the pressure you need to stay on the side of a hill and second, the hydros would not hold up for long if you weighted it enough to get the traction you need.
 
For some this has worked. remove the drive tires, lay them on their sides, valve stem up and bust the top bead loose. add windshield washer or RV antifreeze fluid to the tires and then air them back up. at 7 lbs to a gal it adds a lot of weight. It will not freeze and will not deteriorate the wheels like calcium chloride does. Hope this helps but as others have said ZTR's do have their limits in a ditch or on a hill.
 
Based on the photos of this ZTR, I don't think that liquid ballast will make a significant difference.

The OP already stated that he gets frequent flats so liquid ballast isn't ideal from that standpoint. This is the wrong machine for cutting ditches with.
 

I know that mowing with my Ferris, that steering while going down hill is not as good while going on the level or uphill. Mine came with loaded tires and I thought that I would get new ones but it has been doing just fine with the lesser amount of tread. Where I need to go down hill on a side slope I take it more slowly, and of course we all know that you can steer much better on dry than wet grass.
 
Steve,My Exmart does the same thing.After operating it for 10 years I learned to put my weight forward when going down hill.{didn't make sence to me}And it doesn't slide out of control.Just play with it a little by shifting your weight while sitting in the seat

jimmy
 

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