Got a new Bob-Cat WB, please help!

[SMB]

We just bought a new Bob-Cat 48" fixed deck, gear drive walk-behind (pistol grip) w/the new 15 HP Kawasaki engine. The engine is awesome! Very smoothe with plenty of power, and easy to start so far (recoil). We got it for $2600 with a set of Jungle Wheels included (don't have them yet, should be Thursday or Friday). But..

Our ZTR really spoiled us! We're having a really hard time getting used to the wb. Any tips/tricks for gear drives? Any tips/tricks specifically for Bob-Cats? I just adjusted all the linkages today, and it made it a little easier to drive, but I want some wb veterans input!

P. S. We don't do "roundy round," just stripeing.

[kutnkru]

I would just have to say get ready for the "lat" workout. You will need to try to brake just enough so you can pull the machine back towards you to make the K turn without tearing up the turf. Hence the lat workout!

I know of several LCOs who use these machines exclusively and swear by them.

Good Luck with your new purchase~!
Kris

[SMB]

Originally posted by kutnkru
I would just have to say get ready for the "lat" workout. You will need to try to brake just enough so you can pull the machine back towards you to make the K turn without tearing up the turf. Hence the lat workout!

I know of several LCOs who use these machines exclusively and swear by them.

Good Luck with your new purchase~!
Kris

Swear by them, I'd swear at them!
We used it Saturday at a residential and yesterday, at a graveyard and my Mom chopped up a foot marker, I was beat by the time I was done mowing with it, and my Dad now has his back trouble acting up. It also took us longer to mow! (We were using 1 48" Z, and the WB)
The manuverability is awful, and it is all in all very dangerous! We're going to try to trade in in or something, the only way we can cut time is with a 60" Z!

There is no comparing this to a ZTR!!!!

[Bluegrass Group]

We have a bunch of them and they hold up very well. The linkage does need routine adjustment though. Try a velky attachment. You can really fly with them.

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

Gear drives just take practice. They can be plenty productive. A trick I use is to leave one of my fingers between the pistol grip and the lever when I squeeze to make sure I neutral out the wheels w/o braking them. Just practice.

[Calvin]

Gear drives WB's with the T Bar, or from what I hear the Hustler system if it comes with gear are real easy to operate. If you go hydro on any of these you will find many benefits over a Z.

[shorelinelawn]

Give it sometime to get used to !!!
I don't think I would run a mower I wasn't comfortable with in a tight area, like a graveyard !!!
I'm only 165 soaking wet, and I run a 48" Lesco gear, and a 32" Bobcat gear. Good shoes are a must, so you don't slip a foot under on slippery grasses .Lesco is a big heavy mower, and I'm confident on where I can put that thing ANYTIME !! I'm just used to it .
Yes, your lats do get a good workout, but hey, your exercising, and getting paid for it !!!!

[Grassman]

We have 2 48" gear drive Bobcats with the 16hp Vangaurd and we use single wheel velkes on both. They cut and maneuver great and have been very dependable. My only complaint is the grips, my hands would constantly hurt(even at night). We bought a 61" Bobcat ZTR in Jan. wich I mow with and I dread ever having to use the wb's again. Russ

[powerreel]

With the jungle wheels just lean to do a 360' and crouch low to go real fast downhill...it's fun.

[rdh]

could it be your ztr spoiled you. i had a walk behind snapper it took a while to get used to. when i first got it i was like how in the world do they run this stuff all day .i hated it until i got used to it.if i had to do it over again it wouldnt be a gear drive to dangerios on hills with wet belts cant controll it

[SMB]

I don't think I would run a mower I wasn't comfortable with in a tight area, like a graveyard !!!
I didn't tear up anything, Mom did!

We now realize that we made a mistake in buying it, and our dealer said "we can work something out." We're now looking into buying a Great Dane Super Surfer, I'm going to post another thread with a question about it.

Sure gear drive WBs may be for some people, but it doesn't serve the purpose that we hoped it would. We don't have time to run something slower than a ZTR, now I see why a lot of people don't use WBs! We needed maneuverability, and this thing doesn't have it, especially on hills/areas with lot of obstacles.

We're going to see if we can get a good shine on it tomorrow to return it Thursday.

WE'LL NEVER AGAIN OWN A WALK-BEHIND BIGGER THAN A 21"!

[Calvin]

"WE'LL NEVER AGAIN OWN A WB BIGGER THAN A 21"

No offence SMB but you got the bottom of the barrell WB in tearms of features. I run hydro WB's with Toro T bar & Exmark ECS and can maneuver those machines effortlessly & with extreme precision. They can also go alot of places & do many lots a Z can't.
Put a steering wheel on a gear driven Z (read lawn tractor) for a more fair compairison to your WB.

[TJLC]

I'm sorry, but IMHO a hydro w/b is the ONLY way to go. I've owned and used a belt drive machine and was thrilled when I traded it in on the Exmark hydro.Very easy to operate. Instant reverse alone is worth the extra cost to me. For what it's worth, this is my 2 cents.

[edward hedrick]

I own a 52 Lesco belt drive. I threw away the pistolgrips installed a Toro T bar. Went from a difficult toan easy machine. I would be happy to convert your bobcaat.

[SMB]

OK, we might own a hydro someday, but this belt drive is terrible to operate, I guess I exagerrated a little bit with "we'll never own.... :)

[cutntrim]

Gear-driven pistol grip mowers are not for little guys or females. If you've got some strength, they're no problem to operate. Hydros are definately more efficient though.

[Evan528]

cutntrim, I dont agree. I bought my first new walkbehind with pistal grips when I was 11 years old. A 36 inch gravely..... (we all know gravelys aint light machines) Ive never had a problem. It could be because its the only kind of walkbehind I'd ever used. If i had started out with a t-bar steering toro it might have been diffrent. Too this day ive still never used any other kind of walkbehind that a pistal grip.... Just cant seem to get used to the idea of steering with my arms instead of with my finger tips.

[bubble boy]

what do you mean theyre not for little guys. im a little guy and pistol grips on gear driven mowers are no probcvjkxdhgbvfdn

sorry my hands cramp up after a days work ouchouchouch

[cutntrim]

Maybe you were freakishly large for your age Evan. More important than body size is hand size. For the grips on the bobcat mowers to operate properly (sufficient braking) they need to be adjusted fairly wide open. Small handed people have difficulty operating them. This comes from the experiences of training dozens of people on them over the past decade.

[Calvin]

Cutntrim,
Just looked at your website and I got a couple of questions: When has your cutting season ever started 1'st week of May. I'm 20 min East on the QEW and we start cutting all accounts 3rd or 4rth week of April. Give them a half month contract for cutting April. Also I don't understand the fall cleanups hourly rate thing. What's your hourly for these? This is when we make huge $$$ by charging per job not per hour. Probably would work out to over $200 per hour & can't tell the customer that's the hourly rate.
Just curious.

[Evan528]

cutntrim, I was about 5 ft tall or so... small guy..... I used gravelys, scags and exmarks at that age.... never had a problem!One of my old employees used to make fun of me though because of my giant forearms...... they dont seem to fit my body.... I think thats from all the lifting and digging I do for landscape installs!

[SMB]

OK guys we're keeping it. We jumped the gun the other day. You just have to use it like a front-tine tiller--let it do the work. We just cut the time at one yard WAY down from a 21" push today, I'm happy! :) Dad also was able to do our horrendous back bank with it. So far, we haven't had hardly any problems with it being a fixed deck, and we mow some ROUGH yards (including ours).
Thanks for all the help!


We had to order an hour meter from notherntool.com for the WB, thats the only thing it doesn't have. I still can't quite figure out how they expect you to do scheduled maint. without an hour meter.

SHOOT! The jungle wheels still ain't come yet! Thats how it is with UPS! :angry: We did get our Mo-Deck though. :blob3:

cutntrim and Evan, I'm about 5' 8" or so at 14, so I've still got a little ways to go, Dad's about 5' 10-11"