I have a Hustler Super Z Hyperdrive, 72” deck, flex forks, with Grammer MSG65 Mechanical suspension seat with fore/aft isolation. I removed armrest, to me they only get in my way. Folded up they are behind elbows restricting arm movement, folded down causes you to sit with shoulders jacked up.

I also cut some rough terrain, the flex forks and fore/aft isolater makes for a much smoother ride.

If you watch some of the videos at Grammer site or YouTube, the guy you see in videos is the seat expert, I've talked to him on numerous occasions, he's very friendly and knowledgeable about the Grammer seats. He can tell you the the difference in the air suspension and mechanical suspension seats.

Hope this helps.

 

I have 2 JD mowers, a 925 and a 930. The 930 came with the ComfortGlide seat. After using it I couldn't stand to use the older 925 with the old style suspension seat so I found a Grammer MSG65 seat on Ebay for $350. At first I though it came with the fore/aft isolator but it did not. I eventually added it for a little over $200. After using the seat for awhile I felt it needed the upper backrest extension which was around $80. After all this the seat along with ZGlide front forks makes for a very comfortable ride. It would be even better if I were to go with pneumatic front tires. I should add I had to use spacers to mount the seat to the JD seat platform

I personally don't like armrests and have taken off any that came with the original mower.

While I don't have a full season with the Grammer I'm thinking it may be a little better at absorbing shock than the JD ComfortGlide but I'll give it a little more time before I make a final judgement.

This is my experience.

 

@JLH52
@ArTurf

Thank you both very much for your post. I was really wondering how much of a difference the fore/aft isolator $200 add on really makes. It sounds like you both agree it makes for a noticeably better ride.

 

This is a pic of my mower with Grammer MSG65 with fore/aft isolater with armrest removed.

This seat was standard equipment on this 2018 -2019 model, in 2020 Hustler changed to Milsco 13M seat that does not have fore/aft isolation, which I think was a big mistake.

First pic is my mower with Grammer MSG65, second pic is Milsco 13M.

 

When ordering the Grammer MSG65 seat, will I need to add the option for the operator presence switch $85 in order for my zero turn to function?

 

You can bypass the safety switch if you want, I do but I don't have employees

 

@JLH52

Is the seat in the first picture (MSG65) a vinyl material or a fabric? How is the durability of it?

 

Seat on my mower in top pic is thick vinyl material and extremely durable.

My previous 2005 Hustler Super Z also had a Grammer seat, but didn't have fore/aft isolater. It was a solid gray vinyl and looked like new at 1200 hrs.

If you'll call Grammer they can build you any configuration that you want.

BTW, my current seat does not have lumbar support, but the 2005 model did.

 

Anyone ever try a good quality boat seat?

 

I have narrowed it down to the Milsco V5400 (air), Grammer MSG65 (mechanical), and Seats Inc I3M (mechanical)

The Grammer is at the top of the budget when adding the arm rests and isolator kit. From what I gathered, air ride is a noticable difference, but without the fore/aft isolator, will it be better than mechanical Grammer with the isolator? The I3M seems to be OEM for many brands, so that seat must be doing something right if many brands choose this seat.

 

My first 2005 Hustler Super Z with Grammer seat did not have fore/aft isolater, my current Hustler with MSG65 does. The difference is day and night. From my personal experience, I would never buy any brand of seat without fore/aft isolater.

I'll try to explain why it's so critical. As you ride over rough terrain your body feels the continuous bumps and jolts. Subconsciously, without you even thinking about it, as your body anticipates the next bump it tenses up in preparation.

After 1-2 hrs. of this repeated motion, now you are physically conscious of changes in how you feel and fatigue starts to set in. Now you sit with shoulders raised because now you’re anticipating the next bump. Your shoulders and neck are where the initial fatigue will be felt.

When the front wheels hit a bump, you are going forward into it before the seat is actually over the bump. As you hit the bump going forward the isolater starts to slide fore or aft absorbing shock before the vertical movement of seat moves up and down. This fore/aft and vertical movement of seat is happening almost simultaneously.

The fore/aft isolater can be locked out so that it does not move, therefore leaving you with only vertical suspension. Last year while mowing, I noticed after a few hrs. that things felt different and the ground seemed rougher than usual. I discovered that somehow I had hit isolater lever and locked out fore/aft isolater. As soon as I unlocked lever the ride smoothed out considerably.

Try this, as you mow with your current seat, try to be more body conscious and think about the principles that I've described above. Listen to your body and see how it is reacting as you anticipate and hit bumps.

Hope this helps with your decision.

 

I wanted to provide an update.

I actually found a good deal on a used Ferris IS2100Z from a local, private owner. I purchased that and took it for a test spin on my rough property. It was a noticeable improvement in ride comfort. However, the Ferris did not come with a suspension seat. I debated with myself for a while about splurging on a suspension seat. I finally bit the bullet and purchased a suspension seat for the Ferris.

I chose the Grammer MSG65 seat with the fore/aft isolater. I have about 5 hours of mowing time with it. What a difference! My back pain after mowing is no longer an issue. As JLH as mentioned, the fore/aft isolator upgrade makes a HUGE difference. It makes me feel like I am riding on a cloud. It is worth every penny to get the isolator kit. Buy once, cry once. Enjoy mowing again.

The only "con", if I want to be picky, is the extra few inches of seat height is noticeable. I would prefer to be sitting more "in" the machine than "on" the machine, but it is something I will get used to. The tradeoff in ride comfort is worth it.

 

Glad to hear your positive experience with the MSG6.

 

I live in Canada.
Any distributor, or importing and selling in Canada?

Quinte Grass Cutting Service
Wellington, ON
www.quintegrasscutting.ca

 

Where’s the best place to purchase a suspension seat from. I’ve been looking as well. My 997 seat has a lot of hours on it and it’s not the best even when new. Also looking for one for the kubota. I have the i3m ,I believe, on my turf tiger and love it. So is the msg65 much better?

 

@Diesel Dude

I found mine on eBay for a good price brand new. I have no experience with the i3m, but it was on my list of considerations. I took the plunge on the MSG65 with the fore/aft isolater kit. The fore/aft isolater kit is well worth the money. It noticeably increases the comfort level. When I first got the seat, I would cut one pass with the fore/aft isolater on and another pass with it off. It is a very noticeable difference in my opinion. I don' think you will be disappointed with the Grammer MSG65.

 

I got my MSG65 off of Ebay for $350 a year or so ago. I did have to add the fore/aft option later, I think it was around $125