[Derwood]

So now you have the choice of sitting or standing, right? It will indeed be interesting to see what you choose when you could choose either (and after getting good at the ZK controls). I saw a ZK on the floor at my local shop a little over a week ago when I stopped in to ask about a small oil leak I have on my Scag. I thought it looked really solid.

Make sure you report back after some "stand" time.

 

[Derwood]

Hopefully other ZK owners will chime in regarding the hills. Your ztr with 101's is probably pretty good on hills, already. The people I know with 101s have a lot of good things to say about their hill holding abilities. I have no idea if the ZK will be better or not, but if it is, that's really saying something. If I had some pretty steep hills on a regular basis, I probably would NOT run my standers on them.

 

[Derwood]

Standers typically do better than ZTR on hills.

Interesting. I did not know that. My gen 1 52 holds better than my Gen 2 61. My Cheetah held better than both (thinking about the same few areas on all of them). But that is just a very small sample obviously.

 

[Derwood]

Your cheetah held better than Gen 1 and gen 2 what?

Welcome to the world of standers, holding hills is just one perk.

vrides

 

[Derwood]

Could be me the operator too as I’m relatively new on the standers

 

[Derwood]

Like I mentioned before in another thread, my ztr was better on hills and slopes than the same brand Standers (and I love and prefer the standers). Some have said standers are better at holding hills. I’d disagree from my own experience (whatever that’s good for).

 

[Derwood]

61 Cheetahs were both better than my 61 Vride. 52 gen 1 holds better than the 61 gen 2 - super small sample, I know. Not sure how much better or worse a ZK is at holding hills than a Vride. I think they’re both fantastic machines.

Could be your ZK tires were worn too???

Glad you’re gonna stick with the ZK and give it a fair trial. I’m a huge fan of standing compared to sitting. I think you have a few years on me so I’m anxious to hear what you think 20-30 hours from now

 

[Derwood]

I’m just more comfortable on one. And at the end of a long day, my body feels much better in terms of aches and pains, and overall fatigue (and I rode a Ferris 3100 for a while). I think sitters and standers both kinda suck on hills. So the difference is negligible for me personally. Slight inclines and slopes non factors for both imo. I do like the visibility I get standing, and I also like when the wind is blowing, I’m usually cleaner after. Definitely gotta duck more on a stander!

Other than that, it would probably take some sort of injury to get me back in a seat. My reasons for changing are purely based on comfort and fatigue. I’m pretty sure whatever I could do on my 61 cheetah, I can do on my 61 Vride (except for matching the sog of the Cheetah)

I think it’s great we have different options. I would never try to talk a guy into one though. I might suggest it in much the same way I’d suggest good whiskey over rail whiskey. But other than that, do what one likes right?

 

[Derwood]

Well you arent supposed to put the tires in the drink!

Are ya thinking about selling the stander now? If so I'd be interested. I need another good stander for some of my retention areas.

FYI - just came across a 2015 ZK with a Kawasaki 850 on it. 61” deck with 405 hours. 10k obo. Fresh bath and clean looking as best I could see from a few pics

want me to pass along the details in a pm?

 

[Derwood]

Just for perspective:

I have a Candy Shop (candy, ice cream, chocolate, etc) and they have outdoor seating for guests who buy ice cream. My son will grab 30 individual napkins all over the property, many of which are wet and soggy and gross (that's why I make him do it lol , literally every single time we cut. I have jacked their price almost 45% for this year, and they're thinking about it. PLUS, the nearby business can't seem to get anything in their own dumpster that sort of sits between the candy shop and their business, and half their garbage blows onto this property. If I'm buy myself, I mow as long as I can before I have to get off for ONE napkin, and then I just walk around and do the rest of them at that time. I'm guessing this one will no longer be on my route, but we'll see.

J. Baker posted his before I could get mine up here - otherwise I might have just said "ditto."

 

[Derwood]

P1 -

I see the "before" pictures! But where are the "after" pictures ?!?! lololol - sorry I couldn't resist lol!!!!!

Well done.

 

[Derwood]

Im not sure if my pto clutch likes it.

I’m sure your PTO clutch hates it. That’s why others want to disable it. To each his own.

 

[Derwood]

I have to have that work done for me. No way I could do that myself

 

[Derwood]

Yeah I don’t feel bad throwing biz to my local guys who I feel deserve it. They’ve been super good about getting me in and out asap. Most repairs are delayed by shipping more than anything. I figure that I’m only saving a few bucks by doing it myself instead of with them, and more than likely I will still have issues when it comes to that kind of stuff.

I am a huge fan of a good local mom and pop type store. Diners too!!!!!

 

[Derwood]

And, I was told to throttle down before disengaging it, to save the brake.

 

[Derwood]

What manufacturer recommends engaging pto at idle? Maybe i have wimpy motors but theyll die if i send it at idle

I will read my new manual in a couple weeks and report back what it says. The fella who sells me my machines always says to engage as slow as you can. Another fella on here says as slow as possible without getting a ton of belt slap, and I trust his judgement as he's never steered me wrong.

When I got my PTO fixed last fall on my 61 V-ride (FX801) the gentleman at the local shop said to engage no faster than half throttle, and disengage even slower. He sells Wrights, but used to work for Scag.

Again, I'll report back after I get my new one. I'll look at my 2019 brochure tonight after work, too.

All of my mowers have engaged at idle (61 Cheetahs w/ fx921's, 52 Vride fx730, and 61 vride w/ fx801).

 

[Derwood]

It wouldn’t matter to me what that manual has to say.

Yeah I agree when it comes to the pto. I was going to check and tell Ripp what it said. I wasn't clear about that. Sometimes I talk like a baby; I know what I'm saying, but nobody else does

Like I said above, I was told how to do it the way I described, by people I trust. So that's what I'll continue to do. The PTO that wore out is on a machine that had 650 hours on it when I bought it, and it has 900 now. I'm guessing the guy before me didn't do it the way I do.

 

[Derwood]

I think the person who instructed me used the word “lug” when talking about the engine when you engage the pto. I don’t believe that happens when I engage at idle, and I have yet to stall an engine. But maybe mine lugs and I don’t realize it.

I did just lose a PTO clutch this fall. It was a huge pain in the butt, and expensive for me. So if there’s something I can do to prolong the life of my clutch, I will do it.

 

[Derwood]

Welp - I reached out to my Scag Rep. I'll report back when I hear something.

 

[Derwood]

Talked to the Scag rep today. Also checked my manual.

Rep said the manual is not a mower “bible.” He used the word “generic” when he described it to me. Said there are many different engine sizes and models and brands of engines, as well as different deck sizes. He also mentioned that while one fx801 should operate the same as the next. The reality is that they don’t. “So figure out what works, and stick with it.” I did explain what I personally do; that I engage my mowers at idle, and disengage at idle as well. He said, “if that’s working for you, then keep doing it that way.” I asked if I could do any damage and he remarked (paraphrasing) “no” but that if the engine lugged, it could be stressful on the idler springs and arms, and possible the belt, causing it to snap. But if mine isn’t lugging, and it’s working, to stick with it. He also mentioned that he throttles down to disengage his exactly as I do, and that he engages at the slowest speed he can (I forgot to ask what he runs - sorry!). I mentioned the 3/4 throttle note in the manual and he explained again that the manual is a generic guide for operating my mower, and that 3/4 throttle would cover every scenario. So, he left it with me to not change a thing that I was doing. Engage at idle and disengage at idle.

Also, it was interesting to me that in my manual, there is nothing about disengaging the pto. It just says to push the button in to shut it off. The manual also says when putting the parking brake on, throttle the engine all the way down to idle before applying. Interesting.

Here’s why I believe manuals are good, but not the “end all” for discussions like this. MY manuals both say to wash my mower after every use. Anyone else’s manuals say that? Anyone else actually do that? Blow it off is one thing. Mine says “wash” it after every use.
There are several other things about it that would not apply but I’ll stop here.