sulky on a gear-drive

[cutntrim]

We're thinking of a stand-up sulky for our 54&quot; Ransomes Gear-Drive WB. I've heard from a couple of different people that it's not recommended to get one for a gear-driven machine, only hydro. Belt-slippage I guess. We'd be cutting schools with it - wide open and flat. Anyone run a gear-drive w/sulky? Any problems? <p>Thanks.<p>P.S. Afraid if we opted for a sit-down sulky I'd have to stop the machine every 20min to take a leek...to much bouncin' of the kidneys!<p>----------<br>Dave in S.Ontario<br>www.cutntrim.com

[lawrence stone]

No problem espically for a flatlander like you Dave.<p>I would buy a spare tranny just in case and<br>install new tranny output shaft bushings and<br>snap rings.<p>Also you should also weld some heavy angle iron over the mounting area on the mower so<br>the attachment plate has something solid to mount up to.<p>If it is not real bumpy a used standard toro sit down sulky is an option.<p>But any two wheel job were you hands always<br>are the same distance from the controls will wore fine. I bought my first stand on sulky <br>back in 1994. <br>

[kermit]

Lawrence, just curious, why stand if you could sit?

[ProCut Lawn Service]

I havent had a problem running velkes on my gear drive walk behinds. Know lots of people who also have them without any problems.<p>----------<br>ProCut Lawn Service<br>Lakeland, Fl<br>

[lawrence stone]

kermit wrote:<p>&gt;Lawrence, just curious, why stand if you could sit? <br> <br>Standing the turf rider give true zero turn<br>abilities and are better for use on most<br>sites and especially residential and small<br>commercial work. When the turf is rough a<br>stand on sulky is worth its weight in gold.<p>All my machines can accept one of the stand on units or a toro standard sit down sulky.<p>I only use the toro sit down sulky on the<br>athletic fields at this time.<p>In the works is a new homemade wide area combo core aerator and sulky made from a old piece of<br>golf course equipment. 48&quot; width.

[Richard Martin]

If you plan to use a sulky of any type behind a Peerless tranny make sure you know how to change the tranny especially on wider cut/heavier mowers. The Peerless tranny is weak and will only last for a couple of hundred hours before failing.

[lawrence stone]

You can usually get 300-400 hours before the<br>needle bearings take a vacation. <p>If you want to play with gear drives you need<br>a spare tranny behind the seat of your truck at all times. But it's still much better<br>riding at 5 mph than walking at 3mph in 90<br>degree heat with 80% humidity.<p>You have to accept the transmission failures<br>as a fact of doing business and have spares.<br>

[Lazer]

Anyway, as I was saying, (All else being equal) it's cheaper to mow with a Hydro than a gear drive.

[lawrence stone]

On average it costs me $50 to rebuild (parts)<br>a tranny. Hydros are $1500 over gear drives<br>so I will have to go thru 30 trannys at every<br>400 hours or put 12,000 hours on the gear drive to equal the inital cost over the<br>hydro.<p>But then when you factor in that I only buy<br>good used mowers for $700 now that if my transmission costs are a staggering .13 cents<br>per hour you can now see that old gear drives<br>are actually cheaper to operate.<p>I spent a lot of time and money this winter <br>to get my equipment in bristol condition.

[Lazer]

If you add in your time or the cost of a new transmission, the costs approach .50/hour. In transmissions ALONE, the hydro can pay for itself in 3,000 hours. Add in belts, wet conditions useablility and resale value and MOST operators cannot afford to work with belt drives.<p>Small ones are okay and competent mechanics such as Mr. Stone make belt drives okay.

[cantoo]

Dave, buy a good motocross kidney belt and wear it while you cut you will be amazesd how much better it is for your back. I use one when I have to do bumpy properties or any lifting etc.

[cutntrim]

Thanks for the info and the heads-up on trannys wearing-out. We may just go ahead and walk this year. My partner and I are each only 30, plus we can take turns sittin' on the Toro Z-150. <p>Our original Ransomes 36&quot; gear-drive is going on its 7th year with somewhere around 5000 hrs on it and still has the original transmission. Guess we must be lucky. We're selling it cause we don't need it anymore, but it still starts 1st pull and cuts clean and reliably.<p>----------<br>Dave in S.Ontario<br>www.cutntrim.com

[lawrence stone]

Dave wrote:<p>&gt; We may just go ahead and walk this year. <p>Your NUTZ. I have tranny problems because<br>I am 260 lbs and I live in a hilly area.<p>You are a flat lander and if you can keep you<br>operators under 160 lbs the transmissions<br>might not even break.<p>Let me tell you point blank dave you NEED a <br>pair of sulkys. The sulky will pull you around all day in high gear. At the end of the day you won't feel like a dishrag.<br>You can only walk 3 mph average.<p>Buy rocket wheels for $300. It looks like<br>the best one on the market right now IMHO.<p>If you have to spend $180 for a new tranny every season it is still cheaper than blowing<br>out your knees.

[Orkin Yards]

i meant to make this post here not as a new discusion, the sliders are the best for most operations, email for deatils, also see my other accidental post...jeffrey@tedorkin.com

[turfquip]

<p>Stone's right...again. On mostly flat to rolling terrain you MUST have a pull behind sulky type device. I walked behind a pair of Bunton gear drives for five years until I wised up. <p>Expect a 15% increase in productivity if you buy the right unit.<p>Rocket wheels is a nice unit but it wouldn't be my first choice for that machine....

[cutntrim]

Can't argue with your logic Lawrence. Thanks for the advice. I go 200lbs, my partner is 160lbs. I'm guessin' you're either 6'5&quot; or have the world's slowest metabolism. Most cutters around here go about a &quot;buck-sixty&quot; 'cause they're sweating all day long (riding or not).<p>Anyway you're right...faster to ride than walk.<p>----------<br>Dave in S.Ontario<br>www.cutntrim.com

[Alan]

I know this may not be the right place for this, but when you factor in the greater productivity of a hydro over a belt, and then add the fact that towing a sulky doesn't add to your downtime or repairs appreciably, why buy belt in the first place. I try to buy for value and production, not lowest dollar on the initial purchase. And to me, cheap used machines that you have to plan on fixing regularly are NOT a bargain. I've got 6 seasons on my Howard Price hydro and I don't know how many hours, and repairs have been under $200 total and availability is way over 98%. So tell me again how wise it is to save $1500 up front by buying belt drives. Oh yes,, I pull a sit down, homegrown, caster wheel sulky behind mine.

[columbiaplower]

Dave listen to Mr stone. I just barrowd rocket wheels (thinking about buying them) their great. So much better to ride than walk <p>-Nick

[grasscapeinc]

I have the toro steerable sulky on my gear drive.<br>I am on the second transmission, and <br>6th set of belts<br>400hrs.<br>UHHHHHHH

[Evan528]

why are you going through so many blades? i sharpen my blades every day or so and they last a real long time before i need new ones!

[lawrence stone]

grass cape wrote:<p>&gt;I have the toro steerable sulky on my gear drive.<br>I am on the second transmission, and <br>6th set of belts<br>400hrs.<p>400 hours is just about right. The needle bearings for the input shaft takes a holiday.<br>But the are not too costly and easily replaced. What happens is the tranny input shaft becomes SO loose that the traction belt<br>jumps right off the tranny input shaft drive pulley.<p>I HAD one of the those self steering sit down<br>sulkys. I bought one ten years ago with a new WB. Because of the steering mech hung so low off the back of the machine it was always<br>getting hung up when unloading. <p>Try a rocket wheels sulky.<p>I hope you saved some of the belts instead of throwing them away. If you adjust the<br>complete handle forward you will pick up <br>adjustment on the upper tension rods and<br>will pick up another inch of belt usage.<p>By adjusting the handle to it's highest position it is the easiest to operate with<br>a stand on sulky.<p>Always make sure you have a good spare tranny ready to install.<br>This keeps your downtime to a min.<br>

[Evan528]

just using a velke takes that much life off of a trasmission? i have a gravely 36 that is 5 years old (without a velke) that has not had one problem with the tramssmission. i was seriously considering getting rocket wheels this week ornext week but now im having second thoughts.... the mower is not my main cutter, my ztr is but it would be nice to have rocket wheels for those fenced in yards i use it on.

[Richard Martin]

My Peerless let go after 1 and a 1/2 years. Since I haven't opened it up yet I can't say what happened to it but it wasn't a problem of the belt coming off. My tranny wouldn't come out of gear once you put it into gear. Any ideas?