No Chopper For Me!!

[LawnSmith]

ALL THESE STATEMENTS ARE PURE OPINION!!

i demoed a 60 inch w/ a 25 and didnt like it much at all. my main gripes(and they are major ones to me) are the fact that the blade engagement is right there in front of you and the way it engages. i dont want to be on a hill and suddenly go into a slide and have to reach down and bend over to kill the blades.

secondly, i dont like the non-user friendly controls. the throttle is really weird in my opinion, some cheezy lever. i wish all the controls were on the same side.

when the throttle is all the way up and the blades are not engaged, the motor constantly revs and slows, revs, slows. it is majorly anoying.

the deck is the absolute worst part. first, it isnt marked so you dont know what height you are cutting at. second, the lowering/rasing techinque is very funky and hard to get use to. third, if you hit a bump the deck sometimes slams all the way up and stays there until you lower it back down. and lastly, the deck doesnt even raise up far enough to clear a freakin curb!!

things i did like about it were the comfort of the ride. but thats credited to the mud terrain tires on the back being ran at about 10 lbs of pressure. this results in a bumpy but controled ride on uneven surfaces.

i liked the mulching plate that raises and lowers on the side. but, this would quickly get snagged on anything from a tree limb to a overhanging deck or road sign.

i liked the blade tip speed but i didnt like the engine noise that cam with it.

i liked its ability to hold a hill but my tiger will hold them just as well w/ its lower center of gravity and lower tire pressures.

all in all, a few Pro's but mostly Con's and the cons i couldnt and wouldnt get use to. No Chopper For Me!

[Richard Martin]

I know that you probably won't ever buy a Chopper but if I can address a couple of your issues.

"the blade engagement is right there in front of you and the way it engages. i dont want to be on a hill and suddenly go into a slide and have to reach down and bend over to kill the blades."

The red lever that you used to engage the blades can just as easily be made to stay in the horizontal position. All you need to do is slide the hole in the lever over the shaft and it stays put. That way you can use your foot to engage and disengage the blades.

"when the throttle is all the way up and the blades are not engaged, the motor constantly revs and slows, revs, slows. it is majorly anoying."

This has nothing to do with it being a Chopper. This is the governor on the engine working. As the engine wears in a little it tends to stop doing this.

"second, the lowering/rasing techinque is very funky and hard to get use to. third, if you hit a bump the deck sometimes slams all the way up and stays there until you lower it back down. and lastly, the deck doesnt even raise up far enough to clear a freakin curb!!"

Yes, the deck lift does take a little getting used to. But once you do you would appreciate the fact that you can raise or lower the deck, turn the blades on and off, adjust the throttle and steer the mower all at the same time. It's like operating a skid steer.

As far as the deck getting stuck in the up position Dixie took this into account when they built the machine. For people who tend to be rough on machines there is a small lever on the side of the deck lift. When it's in the down position it will allow the deck to go up and then come back down without using the deck lift.

Dixies have the same if not more range of height then all of the other mowers. I think it's 1 to 5 or 5-1/2 inches.

"i liked the mulching plate that raises and lowers on the side. but, this would quickly get snagged on anything from a tree limb to a overhanging deck or road sign."

There is a large thumb screw on the side of the OCDC. Just tighten it up a little and the OCDC stays up.

A DC is not a Scag just like a Exmark is not a Scag. When you try a new mower for the first time you need to take into account the fact that you may be used to something else and that a new system may be different and will take a little time to get used to.

[LawnSmith]

thanks for the good response w/out slamming me. you are very right when you say things take time to get used to.

if someone gave me a chopper i would more than likely keep it and get used to it and probably end up changing opinions of it.

when i commented on the mulching kit i more or less ment the whole setup..handle, bars, all that stuff. i can totally see the whole skeem of things getting damaged.

the tiger deck goes up to about 6.5 inches total. my deck now rubs on a lot of curbs. i cant see the chopper clearing those steep of curbs. i have heard people on here just complaing about getting it on the trailer!

i realize the motor revving is not a chopper thing but my 25 kohler doesnt do it and thats what this mower had on it. not only that, the muffler on my tiger is practically right behind my head, on the chopper it is down and out of the way. yet, the chopper was almost twice as loud. sounds to me that either chopper or kohler needs to re-route the or redesign the exhaust system.

just so it doest seem like i am totally slamming those mowers....i have seen more complaints on this board about Tigers than any other mower out there. i have been one of the "lucky" ones and havent had the slightest bit of trouble out of mine. but then again, it only has like 300 and something hours.

again thanks for the great response!

[HOWARD JONES]

I can't walk and chew gum at the same time - can't quite imagine doing 4 things simultaneously on the mower.

[awm]

we getting ready to fight a war to preserve each of our rights to have an opinion.worth fighting for,absolutely

[1grnlwn]

Hey Richard,

I have heard from a LCO in my area that the deck lift mech. disengages on big bumps and that the foot pedal is so hard to push that all of his seats are broken. I also would be concerned with only 5/8" between one level to another. I like my Ferris 1/4". I am considering buying one Maybe I will Make my own deck lift. I have often wondered (while semi sliding on hill) If I would be quick enough to hit the blade button in a rollover emergency. Or even pick the right side. I guess that is what the seat switch is for. How does dixie address a rollover? Nine foot width? lol

[Eric ELM]

Originally posted by 1grnlwn
I have heard from a LCO in my area that the deck lift mech. disengages on big bumps and that the foot pedal is so hard to push that all of his seats are broken.

First of all, tell this LCO that there is a spring assist on the deck lift on the newer decks and you can tighten it up so much that a baby can lift the deck. I do not know when they first put this feature on them, but my 1995 doesn't have it and my 2001 does.

I also have an old Chopper that didn't have this feature and my wife, who isn't very big or young, can raise the deck just fine on that machine. Of all the Choppers I've owned, I've never had a mower deck my wife can't raise.

I noticed your first 3 words are, "I have Heard"
In the posting guidelines it says, (* Opinions that slam a manufacturer or product must be
backed up with facts! If you don't own or have not owned or operated a particular
piece of equipment or product your opinion is worthless and will not be expressed
at the expense of manufacturer slander.)

If any of you members haven not read read the posting guidelines, please do. It will make the moderators jobs much easier if these rules are followed.

Thanks
Eric

Disclaimer: I've done this for other Mfgs too. ;)

[PRO-LAWN INC.]

i have a chopper and can tell you all kinds of stuff i ve put it threw
in fact the day after i bought the mower i got a roofing nail in the back tire2-99- still there today9-01 it has fallen off my farther inlaws trailor hit rebar hit man hole coversetc.i like to comment on
hills try going up and down a hill-slope etc i under stand time is money so put it on the hill or maybe push mow weed eating looks
like crap in my opion chopperis one of the strongest mower i had pleasure using

[TLS]

PRO-LAWN,

Are you any relation to Tony Marks (awm)? You got his spelling and lack of punctuation beat by a mile!

[1grnlwn]

I am considering buying one

Eric,

It's true I'm a Newbe (to the forum) and like most probably didn't spend hours studying the rules. Apparently I have awoken the sleeping giant. If you would have read all of my post you would have noticed I am interested in Buying one. My goal is to research (alleged ) weaknesses of said product until in my mind they are strengths. Not slam the manufacturer. In fact the reason I am Looking at DC is because I see many original engineering ideas that are so cool. That being said, a good thing can always be made better. I'll take my spanking because it's for a good cause . ( being a better business owner) Maybe you have no worries about rough terrain in the smooth estates of Chi town, but here in central Illinois our subdivisions produced corn last year.:confused:

[Scotty]

For those of you that can't appreciate the excellent design and quality of a Dixie Chopper I encourage you to quickly buy another machine. This way I can laugh longer at your substandard machine as I, and many other DC owners pass the 3000 - 4000 hour mark, quickly double cut at 15mph, reverse speed is just as fast as foward, very responsive steering levers with no steering dampeners, driving DC 15 mph from one job to another through subdivisions all day without loading on trailer, and the best thing, at the end of the year, when the machine are cleaned up, they still look like new. Because the stainless steel washes so much better than gas stained and sun faded painted surfaces.

[Richard Martin]

1grnlwn wrote:
...............................
How does dixie address a rollover?
...............................

There is a mercury tilt switch that kills the engine once it gets to 90 degrees of horizontal.

[1grnlwn]

Thanks Richard.

[mowerconsultant]

Originally posted by Scotty
This way I can laugh longer at your substandard machine

So......What your saying if anyone owns a machine other than a Dixie Chopper, it is substandard ???
Ok............
I will start telling my dealers not to bother selling Hustlers anymore.....because in your opinion they are substandard as with all other machines......
LOL !!!!!!!

[1grnlwn]

Does DC make engines? Or are you putting 3000 hrs. on the same engine as my substandard ride uses. Moral of the story. Chopper fans are loyal but slightly thin skinned. Got to go got turf to plug.:cry:

[Evan528]

Its the extra amsoil oil filter and donalson heavy dity air filter dixie has standard on most of there mowers that make them out last other brands.

[awm]

tls i dont know what your about but if you want me i dont talk
people down on phones or an internet.email me and ill give u a chance to straiten me out. dont do it unless you mean it,
and this forum is not the place for it

[captdevo]

Lawnsmith
Sorry, i disagree, Choppers are very nice equipment!!!!

they make one of the best mid-mount ZTR's on the market.

if i had more open ground, i'd definately own one or two.

as with anything in life, you have to adapt!

were you born knowing how to drive a car, or did your parents teach you?

with time any tool becomes familiar!!!

don't slam them till you've spent a few hours on them and realized their potential!


BTW---- what do you use?????

Riverboatin'....

The Captain

[LawnSmith]

i agree that some chopper owners are thin skinned it seems.

i wasnt slamming the chopper.....i only stated my opinions.

i run all scag, 36 hdryo, 48 hydro, and a 61 TT.

i dont get mad or make rude replies when people "slam" the Turf Tiger. and believe me, they really, really, get slammed on this site.

Again i call them how i see them or use them in this matter. Another thing, if i dont want or have to "get used to something", i wont. different strokes for different folks!

hey chopper owners: dont take it to heart, i dont!

[awm]

good message lawnsmith. every ones entitled to there own
but these fellows get right close to the machines .
and i do the same ,just human nature later now

[Scotty]

Sorry guys about the substandard comment. I really don't laugh at other machines. I guess the first few post got under my skin and I needed to vent. Believe it or not, when I bought my first DC 9 or 10 years ago, I really didn't want to, because I couldn't stand the dealer. I tried several brands of machines, some of them I tried 3 and 4 times hoping to find the right machine. Reluctantly I tried the DC fully expecting to find many faults. I was sold within the first 30' of cutting.

So thats my story, once again I'm sorry. Hopfully, no hard feelings.

Scott

[HOMER]

The reason for the deck bouncing up is the spring assist to help raise it. My springs broke and the problem went away, I didn't bother to replace them.............my left leg is much stronger now than my right one! It took me a good day or two to get the hang of using it but now that I have everything else seems obsolete. Nothing like running flat out and being able to adjust your deck without using your hands. As for knowing what height your cutting at.................I just use the seat of the pants approach. I start a little high and drop it down if I need to take more off. I have measured the blades at each notch so I know basically what height I'm mowing anyway. As I understand it the ones that are marked are more often than not wrong anyway. A good operator knows how much to take off without a tape measure.

The blade engagement device is easily operated with your foot. I always engage with my foot and disengage with my hand, real easy to get used to.

As for the throttle...........I like it better than my Scag because it's more "ergonomically" located. I usually drive with my left hand anyway so my right hand is free to operate the throttle and the OCDC which by the way should be standard on any machine that doesn't have a mulching kit or a bagger. (My personal opinion)

Curb hopping is accomplished more easily with my 72" because of the taller tires. The 50" I have can be tricky at times but after you get stuck enough you figure this out too, go up sideways until the deck clears and back off sideways until the deck is free from anything that makes it hang up.

Noise? I don't know why the Chopper would be louder than any other machine with a Kohler engine.

When I bought my first Chopper I had never been on one before. I knew though that I was getting a good machine and after buying my second one I still feel that they are among the best out there. I made the comment a while back that every time I go the dealer there is a "red" machine being worked on. I'm proud to say that my Choppers have been very dependable and yes, I would and probably will be buying another one in the near future.

Your comments did not upset me and I'm not responding because you hit a nerve, my skin is not thin. I'm merely pointing out a few things that I had to get accustomed to after I bought mine.

Good luck with your hunting.

[1grnlwn]

Thank you Homer.

I thanks for the 411 on the deck lift. This is basicly my only concern of buying DC for me. I really like the foot assist and 1/4" increments and exact height of my ferris (hitch pin style with foot assist). You can be mowin along and raise the deck when you hit a nasty area , with your foot and just let it down to the same setting. I guess I am sensitive to cut height ( I know a lot of cust. are) and try to calibrate all my equip, so if you grab one mower set at 3" and mow half you could theoreticaly grab the other and finish. Maybe I should call DC and ask them to change it!:D
They would do it Right? You never know till you ask.

[Eric ELM]

Originally posted by 1grnlwn
You can be mowin along and raise the deck when you hit a nasty area , with your foot and just let it down to the same setting.

Homer didn't mention that DC has an adjustable stop in the foot lift so you can set the minumum you want to cut at. If all of your lawns are being cut at 3", you can set it at 3". I have mine set at 2.5" and if I want to cut at 3", I know it's up one click from all the way down.

Hope this helps. ;)

[1grnlwn]

Yes, Thanks Eric.

[LawnSmith]

i never even mentioned the fact of the Indoor/Outdoor carpet on the mower. honestly that stuff is a joke.

the other thing, why are the fron tires ribbed? i experienced some turf damage while making turns. have any of you chopper owners switched to smooth caster tires?

another thing, the one i demoed had the "mudder look" tires on it. are there any diferences in those and the regular "turf" style tires like on a scag or exmark? i dont mean in performance or comfort, i mean in turf damage.

Thanks!

[1grnlwn]

The dealer at the Louisville show said thy are designed for better traction in the forward direction. I too, wondered about turf damage. I do enough on wet days with the turf tires. The astro turf I could live with.:cool:

[HOMER]

I bought new turf tires for my Scag...................they did more damage than the "mudders".

Ribbed tires on the front? Not really a factor in tearing up the turf.

[TLS]

Yes, the ribbed (for her comfort!) front tires do damage the turf more than the smooth tires. When they swivel, the chopper would leave a "spinner" or divot, where my Lazer doesn't do this (smoothe). I really don't know why Dixie still uses a ribbed tread, when traction with the front casters is not wanted, or desired, or needed. If there is a benifit to ribbed casters, I would like to hear it!

[HOWARD JONES]

1grnlwn, I'm assuming your engine question is genuine, not tongue-in-cheek; I do not own a DC but I believe their claims to long life. Look at all their filters, oil cooler and Donaldson air cleaner; I'm sure there is some extra expense involved with their filter maintenance and initial purchase of the mower, but this is why they get approximately double the normal life on a Kohler engine.

[Richard Martin]

Actually Howard there is no additional expense involved over the lifespan of the Dixie. The Turbo air precleaner removes so much dirt that the factory filter looks like it is brand new. I image at some point I will have to change the Donaldson filter but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

You are supposed to change the Amsoil bypass filter once a year but the Dixie rep told that as long as the entire filter gets hot when you run the machine then the filter doesn't need replacing.

Over the long run it could actually be cheaper to buy a Dixie than most other mowers. On a typical Exmark 60" mower by the time you replace the dampeners every 400 hours, electric clutches every once in a while and all of the air filters it will probably cost as much as the difference in price between a Exmark and a Dixie.

[Eric ELM]

Richard, I changed my Donaldson filter on the old Chopper at 2,000 hours and I will probably change it in another 300 hours when it hits 4,000 hours. The diesel needs to be changed more often though, since it sucks a lot more air and it was changed at 500 hours.

[Flex-Deck]

I seem to read a lot of posts that have to do with engines, how they run etc. "Nothing runs like a deere" But guess what? They don't make the engines. Yanmar makes the diesels, kawasaki - kohler etc make the gas. I have owned ford, chevy, dodge trucks and cars, and it seems that the engines perform quite well if the oil is clean, the air filter lets air thru etc.

[Flex-Deck]

captdevo - in our emails we talked about the flex-deck, and about it being an original prototype, and since you have an inkling about likeing dixie chopper, when they introduce the flex-deck in your area, try one, and give me your opinion.

[captdevo]

Does T.H.E. inc. have one? I'd like to look at it.

Or if my schedule works out right i will be at the BBQ.

Heck, as close as you are, i might just run up to your place. i pass their all the time.


I'll bring a Walker Mower and see if we can retrofit!!!

[Richard Martin]

Flex-Deck wrote:
...............................
I seem to read a lot of posts that have to do with engines, how they run etc. "Nothing runs like a deere" But guess what? They don't make the engines. Yanmar makes the diesels, kawasaki - kohler etc make the gas.
...............................

Actually engines are one of the things that Dixie has built their reputation on. While the engine itself is the same the oil filters (2), engine oil coolers (2) and 3 air cleaners set the Dixie Kohlers apart from the rest. Dixies are the only Kohlers that are permitted by the factory to run at 3750 rpm. They also have a large fuel/water separator for the gas, a oil cooler for the hydro oil and 2 hydro oil filters.

Add to that: Quad loop hydro system (only found on 100 hp and up usually), 19,000+- BTS, 500 hour hydro oil changes, Chevrolet wheels bearing in the front caster yolk and the easiest to use hydro steering in the industry thanks to VTC.

[PRO-LAWN INC.]

thats your lack of poor judgmentOriginally posted by TLS
PRO-LAWN,

Are you any relation to Tony Marks (awm)? You got his spelling and lack of punctuation beat by a mile! :D

[PRO-LAWN INC.]

Originally posted by PRO-LAWN INC.
i have a chopper and can tell you all kinds of stuff i ve put it threw
in fact the day after i bought the mower i got a roofing nail in the back tire2-99- still there today9-01 it has fallen off my farther inlaws trailor hit rebar hit man hole coversetc.i like to comment on
hills try going up and down a hill-slope etc i under stand time is money so put it on the hill or maybe push mow weed eating looks
like crap in my opion chopperis one of the strongest mower i had pleasure using :cry: looks like another classic cant
find a bussiness name wait i ll call it tommys spell every flipping word corect be a bussiness man i see your kind everyday man your the guy who will go back after i m gone and talk to my custermers

[odin]

I just got one monday and used it first time on tuesday
all i can say is thank god for dixie chopper mowers, it is by far best mower i have ever owned

[HOWARD JONES]

What is VTC?

[Flex-Deck]

Captdev0 - That would be great, let me know sometime. I take off wed. and sat. is good too. Thanks

[Eric ELM]

Originally posted by HOWARD JONES
What is VTC?

VTC stands for Velvet Touch Control. This is what Dixie Chopper calls their latest hydro system.

[Flex-Deck]

Richard Martin - I agree, I guess I was unclear, and the doubling up of filters is a great idea they do, but my point was that clean air, fuel and oil seem to have a very large effect upon engine life no matter what engine is run. I think dixie chopper realizes that a lot of us get a little lax once in a while, and they are going to allow that to happen once in a while without ruining what we are running.