Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Tractor for maintaining small places

Mark,
You can ask for non child proof prescription bottles.

Hey Sprkplug,
Why don't ZTR mowers have the reverse-blade interlock feature? Are they exempt?

I hope no one here has to make that trip to the hospital. I also hope that if they do, they find comfort in the fact that by disabling that horrific infringement upon their rights, a safety device on a lawnmower, that they showed their government that they will not stand for such meddling.

And no, it's not about principle. It's about protecting the innocent.

But most of all, I hope I can be man enough to offer my condolences, rather than an "I told you so".

Yes, commercial mowers are usually exempt. The overwhelming majority of lawnmower amputations are committed by a relative, mowing in reverse, on homeowner class machines. All it takes is a momentary lapse.

None of the ZTR mowers have the reverse to blade interlock, not even the cheaper ones at Lowes.

Yet.

Think about it...a rio switch requires a hand to operate. Where are your hands on a twin-stick, ZTR mower? With a steering wheel, you can remove one hand to activate the switch, while maintaining control with the other hand. But both hands are busy on a twin-stick.

But, it's coming. I am proud to say I was able to provide input on one such new device. I know they are a pain, but they do offer protection for the innocent from other individuals. I believe that is the purpose of such governmental intervention?

Full-on commercial mowers also do not have to comply with blade tip speeds. However, all ZTR's are not commercial units, not by a long shot.

Then the next mower I buy will be a commercial model.

I prefer commercial units for their durability. I can't see buying one just to escape a rio switch, especially since their immunity is likely coming to an end. From the info I have been exposed to, mowing in reverse may be deemed as unnecessary on zero-turns in the near future...no need to back up when you can spot-spin and travel forwards.

I love my Scag commercial mower, and would recommend the brand.

Interesting...When you spot spin you would have to be careful not to pull one lever back too much or you would reverse that wheel. I really think the rio switch is unworkable for ZTR mowers as a practical matter. Some of the rio switches on tractor style mowers had to be held in the whole time when reversing, but Cub Cadet has a new way. Turn the key to the center position, press the rio switch, and the pto will stay in while reversing until the key or PTO is either turned off or the key to another position.

I think I will get a commercial for my next mower due to the blade tip speed, better utilization of HP, and ability to cut heavier grass more cleanly. Might even be a diesel, since my present mowers seem to burn more gas than my F-150.

I bought a used tractor and just recently learned it has a RIO switch (Thanks Sparkie!). It was a real PITA not being able to mow in reverse until I learned of the RIO switch. Now, I think I will really like it. It makes you actually perform a task when you are going to mow in reverse which I think will make me more aware of what's behind me when I engage that function.

I know one manufacturer is exploring foot operated switch, and another is tinkering a switch on the handgrip/stick. I have my doubts that either will get much play. Spot spinning a zero turn takes a little practice, but once you get used to it you can do it without rubbing a bald spot. Commercial cutters are pros at it...they have to be.

I know the system you speak of on the Cub. Cub's parent company, MTD, introduced it a few years ago. I can speak of bitter experience of
the need to use resistor spark plugs in whatever engine is used on these units. They wont mow in reverse with non-resistor plugs, or at least they didn't when I worked for an entire week just to discover the fact. Got a nice, MTD jacket once I figured it out. Didn't help my ego much, though.

that's the whole point.

With the Cub, I engage the rio switch when I start mowing, and leave it on until I stop the PTO.
What does resistor plugs have to do with it? (it's a twin) Is the rio switch operated by RF signal?

Just a thought on tip speed....I would think higher tip speed is an asset for a commercial mower mowing a nice lawn to get a nice clean cut but, if you want to use the mower to occasionally mow some tall thick stuff, I would sacrifice the tip speed and go with higher shaft torque (slower tip speed). I don't want a mower pulling the motor down when the going gets tuff.

i am near elderly and hate those caps!


Will do...thanks Brian and Bill

ps: i also disable my seat belt buzzer, but wear my seatbelt 100% of the time....just dont want big brother reminding me to put it on in the alley before I get my newspaper out of the front yard every morning at 6:30AM.

I might get a fine cut flail mower for the compact tractor if I can find a good enough used one and only use the finish mowers for the yard. Using the finish mowers for the field edges and paths to and around the ponds make me have to mow them at least every week or they get too high and tough to get a good finish cut with one pass, then it becomes drudgery, and it's hard on the mowers to be nearly bogged down a bunch.

Seat belt buzzers: Wish I knew how to disable the one on my F150. Its a pain when driving in a field and have to get in and out to move something, or open and close a gate, etc.

That's what Cub, and the engine manufacturer wanted to know. Both alternated between blaming each other, and claiming that what I was describing was impossible, and I must have overlooked something else. I finally pulled an identical tractor off the showroom, and fabricated a wire harness to allow me to operate the engine of one tractor with the electronics of the other's chassis. The problem followed the engine, so that narrowed it down.

Turns out the non suppression plugs interfered with the ecm that controlled the reverse switching. They asked me to call when I figured it out, and when I told the tech what it was, there was dead silence followed by him exclaiming that "this one's going up on the wall!"

A few weeks later MTD issued a service bulletin advising the need to use resistor spark plugs. The jacket was nice, but not worth an entire week's worth of head scratching.

The manual I have calls for a RC12YC spark plug, not the regular C12YC. Mine's a 2015 model.

That's correct, R = resistor. The original design would run just fine on non resistor plugs, and mow all day long so long as you never tried to mow in reverse. I don't know if they modified the shielding on the module for later models, or stuck with advising owners only use resistor plugs.

I'm on my third Honda, self propelled, commercial lawn mower. The first two lasted 15 to 17 years each before things started falling off of them. Just change the oil, sharpen the blade and clean the filters. About $900 for the last one.

Got the new tractor back after having the rear tires filled with rim guard. I haven't weighed it, but using their figures it should've added around 1100 lbs. Time to put it through its paces.

Dose not the resistor plug just effect the length of the time the spark shoots? A non resistor plug will blow all the spark all at once but the resistor plug will hold it back until it is all released at once in a dense shot. As it heats up the resistance gos away do to the heat in the plug. Resistor plugs help with cold starts on choke with a dense air fuel mix.

Beats me. Resistor plugs came into being for radio noise suppression, so electronic interference doesn't seem that far of a stretch. I can verify that the mower would not mow in reverse with non-resistor resistor plugs.

That will sure add to the stability and performance.

LOL......Well put.