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Is there a garden tractor, in production....

Absent Minded Farmer

Absent Minded Farmer

Well-known Member
Location
Gehl Country, Wis.
that has the hydro lever on the dash? I was cutting lawn for about four hours today & couldn't get off the lawn mower when I was done. It felt like my right knee was never ment to move. Couldn't move it more than an inch without it feeling like something was going to tear. I think those darned foot pedals are to blame. Pain in the donkey to keep steady pressure on. Dumb "cruise control" only works 'till you hit a bump & then it's a teeth rattling full stop! So, I was wondering if some company still has a lever on the dash like my old C.C. 1650. Shoulda never gotten rid of it.
Thanks - Mike
 
The biggest disadvantage I think with the lever on the dash is, in order to stop you have to "consciously select neutral". With the foot pedal you take your foot off the pedal and it stops. That's simpler than having to "select" neutral with the lever. Years ago my brother-in-law bought a new JD 318. His son got on it and promptly drove it into a tree, not used to it and able to stop. He had it for years with a broken front grille, now has a 425.
 
It's not on the dash, but I had a Sabre once that had the hydro on the right side fender. Went ZTR and wouldn't even think about a mower that has a steering wheel.
AaronSEIA
 
I have a ZTR mower,that uses a joy stick for the controls. Very nice only using one hand for everything including steering,speed, and turning.
 
Donno if anyone makes one now, but I have a 40 yr old JD 140 that has the hydrostatic control to the right of the steering wheel. Vertical off the side of the cowling. Very handy, easy to operate. Love it!
 
After years of mowing with JD 300/316/317/318 series I am sick of hydro on the dash . Pain in the rear to keep speed constant . Pretty much mowing with one hand on wheel and other on hydro lever .
 
I cant help ypu but need the same help . I have a NH commercial mower with a right foot pedal and after a few hours my leg wont work and pain in my hip and knee is mind boogeling !! Dont forget the leg cramps too . I sure would like to come up with a better way . I like the mower , wish I could just fix the leg !!
 

Get a Husqvarna / Sears / Poulan Pro or what ever color they paint them in with the fender shift hydro.

I would never buy a foot pedal hydro either.....

The fender shift hydro is easy to use, and still has a real "clutch" pedal on the left side, idiot interlock shuts the engine off if you try to get off with out locking the pedal/parking brake so it can't drive off on it's own....
 
That's why I like my old Wards tractor. The hydro control is between your knees and doesn't
need to be touched unless you're slowing down or stopping. Hal
ra3qyq.jpg
 
Ingersoll still makes a good GT with hand control.As far as older models Ariens S and GT and Simplicity Sunstars have some of the best user friendly hydro contols around.I too hate to mow with a foot control hydro,They're a pain in the ankle(LOL)
 
NO, you do not have to do that. There is a clutch like pedal that hit that and it imediatly goes to netrual. Both the CC 129 an JD 140 were that way and with my rough ground NO WAY could you keep a foot on that pedal.
 
My JD lawn mower has foot pedals and cruise control on the dash. It doesn't jump off cruise. Neighbor has identical machine and got to close to a post. He hit the wrong lever and the cruise didn't come off. It ended up climbing the post until the the front wheels were off the ground and the rear wheels were still spinning. I do agree about the pedals though. I had a broken ankle and it kills it to run it without cruise.
 
There are a couple of Husqvarna models that have the lever on the fender.

Lowes has one of the models. It's the one with 54" cut.
 
The older Cab Cadet 129 hydrostatic drive had a lever by the steering wheel for travel.

I bought mine used and it wouldn't hold a steady speed so needed frequent adjustment.
 
for the responses! After a restless night with a cramping calf muscle, I'm happy to see I still have options. Seems there are quite a few votes for Z-turns & a few for Husqy's (I forgot they even had mowers. MTD manufactured?). I'll have to look into Z-turn mowers. Not sure how much of an angle you can cut on with those machines, but I'm thinkin' there a bit tippy. I have a few hills I take pride in cutting because they're real cliff hangers. Can't have a mower with a high center of gravity. That's why I like the CC 3225, it's short & fat. As for the safety of neutral return on hydro-on-dash models old or new, I thought the lever always returns to neutral when you hit the brake. It did on my 1250 & 1650, at least. The pedals on my "new" CC haven't returned to neutral in years. Stupid plastic grommet-bearing thingys! Makes me wonder if I can modify the CC to add the lever & omit a few other problem areas I've designated designed-idiocys. Thanks again, everyone, for the help! - Mike
 
The 1250 I had held it's speed ok. It never really had neutral. It crept backward realy slow. I adjusted & readjusted the linkages & so forth to no avail. I ended up overhauling the hydro transmission & what ever I did during that process cleared it up. No clue what I did right or wrong, but it held in neutral.
 
Hey, it is a Monkey! I saw it posted a while back & thought that's what it was. Sharp! Weren't they repainted/rebadged AC's? Those stubby little fenders look like it might be an Allis or Simplicity. Is that a brinley hitch on the back? That would be a neat little garden plow tractor. Thanks for the pic. - Mike
 
(quoted from post at 18:53:25 06/17/10) that has the hydro lever on the dash? I was cutting lawn for about four hours today & couldn't get off the lawn mower when I was done. It felt like my right knee was never ment to move. Couldn't move it more than an inch without it feeling like something was going to tear. I think those darned foot pedals are to blame. Pain in the donkey to keep steady pressure on. Dumb "cruise control" only works 'till you hit a bump & then it's a teeth rattling full stop! So, I was wondering if some company still has a lever on the dash like my old C.C. 1650. Shoulda never gotten rid of it.
Thanks - Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

I am taking your statement literally about your knee and you may want to have it checked. Mine would literally lock in the bent postion and it would take a while to unlock it. Made riding motorcycles very interesting to say the least. Mine was a torn meniscus in the left knee and a day surgery repaired it with about 4 weeks of recovery to get me back on my feet.
 
No matter what color or size trctor, I always did like the lever on the dash. When we bought our 3225, it had the pedals & they worked good(HMMPH! Everything works good new!). Never thought about it 'till now. Might have to get an old CC Quiet Line tractor again. They are pretty quiet, too. Quieter than my neighbors White garden tractor. Pardon my sayin', but it sounds like someone f@rting through a PA system. Terrible raucus!
 
I poked around a little on Husqvarnas website. They have quite the selection & some good looking machines, too. I swear I've seen that grill & hood before & I can't quite place it. I'll have to find a smaller hardware store or an outdoor power equipment center that deals with the Husqy line. I wouldn't buy from a Homer Depot or other big box store. No parts support/service. Good call, though & thanks for the tip. - Mike
 
Normally, I wouldn't bother having it checked. I'd just poo-poo it & figure it was just a part of the aging process. I will have it looked at (I'll wait unil Monday to call, so I can see my doc & not his "Gone Golfin', Fishin' or Campin'" replacement). Preventitive maintenence on myself wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, four hours of mowing time isn't always long enough. I also, knock on wood, have quite a few years ahead of me. Might as well fix it now. Thanks - Mike
 
I have a plow for it. The tractor was made in 1971 by Gilson for Wards. I've had it since it was new. The plow is off an old walk behind Viking garden tractor. I bought the Viking in 1960 for $15.00. I even have a spare plow share for it. Hal
PS: The sleeve hitch came from Wards with the tractor. I have a Wards mower and snow blade for it.
2ezmp10.jpg
 
I have a CC2284 with a hand operated Hydro and I thought I"d like a foot operated one but my wife needs a knee repacement and my right knee is ailing so I"m glad I have the hand stick hydro.
 
Not sure if it matters to you or not but the Ingersoll mentioned isn't actually a hydrostatic machine. It uses a hydraulic drive.

Also, zero turns on sidehills aren't that great. In fact I hate mine for it. The swivel castor wheels don't help hold the hill at all. Couple that with the wheel that is on the high side of the hill having less traction and it results in the inability to hold a line very well. A standard drive tractor allows you to hold the wheels straight via the steering wheel. My zero turn holds a hillside to about 15 degrees. Steeper than that and you zig zag up and down.
 
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