Need advise on Grasshopper 225.

I bought a used 03 GH-225 in 06. It had 1100hrs on it and now has 1400. I was born without my legs from the knees down and were both prosthetics. A ZTR is GREAT for guys like me, no more riging up hand controls on tractor mowers. I am mowing my yard which is about 5 acres as needed and a wooded 5 acres behind my home 5-7 times a year(to many trees to grow much). The mower has been doing a great job. I change the engine oil every 50hrs and the hydro oil every other year. I average about 100hrs a year. At 50hrs the engine has used about 5 oz of oil. The hydros weap just enough oil to collect dust around them. Is that normal? The Dealer in Bowling Green told me to use Kholer engine oil and Chevron hydro oil. How long do hydros last? Should you have them rebuilt before you have a problem, at what time? Should I sell the mower and buy another? I could not afford a new GH. I thought about a Bad Boys. I have also thought about just repair the GH as needed. The hydro part is what I am concerned about the most. ANY advise would be great!

 

Kohler oil is good, though you could run synthetic, but with 1400 hours on the clock now I don't think switching to synthetic now would benifit you any.

As for the hydros. You are changing the fluid WAY too much! They are rated to go 1,000 hours between changes, using the grasshopper fluid. Yes it's a lot more expensive per quart, but considering it only needs changed every 1,000 hours, it's not a big deal. That's maybe 2 changes in the life of the machine (gas powered). Your leaking on the hydros is probably somewhat normal, but could also be attributed to using a lighter viscosity oil in the system. Hydros on mowers USUALLY use motor oil, not hydraulic fluid, Hydraulic fluid is very thin. I believe the Grasshopper fluid is equivelent to Mobil DTE18M.

Quote from Mowingman (former grasshopper dealer)

 

As mentioned, you are changing the hydro oil way too often. Also, I do not know what Chevron Hydro oil is, but what you should be using is Mobil Synthetic 15w-50, or the original Grasshopper Hydro oil. Is the Chevron is not a synthetic oil, get it drained out quick, replace the hydro filter, and put in one of the two oils I just mentioned. If that Chevron is synthetic, you probably have not hurt your machine. If it is not synthetic, then you will shorten the life of, and possibly ruin your hydro drive system over a period of time.

 

The Chevron oil is not Synthetic, but it is what my GH dealer(Faxon) sold me to put in it. How long will the hydros last? Do the wheel motors last longer? Thanks for your help!!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I used to be a Grasshopper dealer and attended many factory service schools. They never recommended that type of oil. You need to get it out of that machine and get the correct oil in the system. That type of nonsynthetic oil will cause the hydros to run too hot and lower their life. I do not know why your dealer told you to use that oil. Those Grasshopper hydros you have are designed to run on synthetic oil only.
With the proper oil and proper service, the hydro.components could last
3000 -5000 hours. The Kohler engine is rated for 2000hrs. However, I have seen those kohlers go as much as 4000hrs.
Good luck with your machine. Take care of it, and it may last you a lifetime.

 

Thanks! I will change it. Should I use the mobil 1 or Grasshopper oil?

 

Grasshopper oil has some extra additives that Grasshopper says will help increase the life of your hydro components. The Mobil synthetic will work fine, but does not have the additives. While the Grasshopper hydro. fluid is more expensive, I highly recommend using it. Then, just change it, and the hydro filter every 1000hrs, and you should be good to go for a long time.
By the way. If you ever want to get a second opinion about what your dealer tells you, as to service or repairs, you can call Grasshopper yourself. They have a customer service rep. who will answer questions for Grasshopper owners. Of course, you need to consult your local dealer first, then call Grasshopper if they can not answer your questions to your satisfaction.

 

Thanks!
Should you have the hydros rebuilt at some point or gust wait for a problem? Does the wheel motors have problems very often? The engine does not concern me. I have rebuilt a lot of small engine and ATV engines. Someone told me a few years ago that the hydros could be rebuilt.

 

Do not tear in to any of the hydro components unless a problem shows up. Then change out just the bad component, flush the hydro system really good with clean oil, replace the hydro filter and hydro oil and you are good to go again. I would not expect you to have any problems for many years.

 

I am going to change the hydro oil this week. I will get a case of Mobil 1 synthetic. I will drain the oil and filter and replace the oil. I will run it 30 min or so and change it again with a new filter. That should get most of that chevron out. THANKS!