Greetings from East Texas
I just joined the forum and I have a couple of questions. I just bought a new 2007 Grasshopper 322D with the 22hp Kubota engine and a 61" deck. I will be mowing for a couple of neighbors plus my own place - about 5 acres total with some hills. Mostly fertilized bahia, maintained at 3" and no collection system. I will be mulching leaves in the fall - bought the mulching kit with the mower.
I have operated diesel engines all my life, in marine, automotive and tractor applications and I always been taught to run minimum rpm needed without lugging the engine. My dealer insists that I should ALWAYS run this 22hp engine wide open, all the time. But the mower has plenty of power at 3/4 throttle and the mowing is light duty - simply shaving an inch or two off thin bahia once a week - and the deck is 61, not 72. There's no tachometer - which I really miss - but I don't sense any lugging by ear, even at half throttle. Is there a reason for running it that fast? Wouldn't it just shorten engine life, burn more fuel and make more noise? Obviously if the bahia gets real high, or thick and/or I mow wet, then I'll punch it to max rpm.
Secondly, I will be mulching dry oak/hickory leaves in the fall. Do I need to install those extra baffle plates that came with the kit, or is it enough to just install the plug on the discharge? Another set of blades came with it - I guess I should use those when mulching leaves? I will not be mulching grass clippings.
Finally, there are protective "cones" over the bearings under the deck. If I wash the deck with the hose, water gets inside the cones - bad deal. That's the only thing I don't like - and the cones complicate blade changing too. The book says nothing about washing and recommends scraping the deck manually. Guess that's what I have to do, huh?
Thanks. I appreciate your time
Jack
I just joined the forum and I have a couple of questions. I just bought a new 2007 Grasshopper 322D with the 22hp Kubota engine and a 61" deck. I will be mowing for a couple of neighbors plus my own place - about 5 acres total with some hills. Mostly fertilized bahia, maintained at 3" and no collection system. I will be mulching leaves in the fall - bought the mulching kit with the mower.
I have operated diesel engines all my life, in marine, automotive and tractor applications and I always been taught to run minimum rpm needed without lugging the engine. My dealer insists that I should ALWAYS run this 22hp engine wide open, all the time. But the mower has plenty of power at 3/4 throttle and the mowing is light duty - simply shaving an inch or two off thin bahia once a week - and the deck is 61, not 72. There's no tachometer - which I really miss - but I don't sense any lugging by ear, even at half throttle. Is there a reason for running it that fast? Wouldn't it just shorten engine life, burn more fuel and make more noise? Obviously if the bahia gets real high, or thick and/or I mow wet, then I'll punch it to max rpm.
Secondly, I will be mulching dry oak/hickory leaves in the fall. Do I need to install those extra baffle plates that came with the kit, or is it enough to just install the plug on the discharge? Another set of blades came with it - I guess I should use those when mulching leaves? I will not be mulching grass clippings.
Finally, there are protective "cones" over the bearings under the deck. If I wash the deck with the hose, water gets inside the cones - bad deal. That's the only thing I don't like - and the cones complicate blade changing too. The book says nothing about washing and recommends scraping the deck manually. Guess that's what I have to do, huh?
Thanks. I appreciate your time
Jack
That's what the dealer says too. I guess it has to do with mowing quality, though, and not necessarily the engine life.
