 SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to 49528867
Re: Garden Tractors: Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, John Deere.. Others? said by 49528867:I have worked with a lot of air cooled engines and there was a time in the past where a Kohler would deliver a decent amount of hoursepower for about twice as long as a Briggs, literally 3000 hours versus 1500 for a Briggs.
However times are a changing and in my opinion Kohler has lost that edge due to improvements made by Briggs primarily in their Intek line of engines.
For a number of years Briggs lagged even Generac in quality, way back Generac went with pressurized lubrication for the mains while Briggs added an oil pump which only circulated oil through the filter sticking with a slinger to distribute oil around the crankcase, stupid stuff but they where stuck in an engineering rut which they finally got out of.
Then there’s Hondas…
Wayne
While interesting information, it doesn't help answer the question of Kawasaki vs Briggs... specifically Kawasaki FR series vs Briggs Endurance series. |
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Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| reply to SwedishRider
said by SwedishRider:said by SwedishRider:The Briggs seems to be a solid option too, but my research and word of mouth from others points to the Kawasaki as the better engine for a bit more than the Briggs. Anyone have opinions or perspective on the Kawasaki FR series engines vs. the Briggs & Stratton Endurance series engines for garden tractor applications? The GTH with the Kawasaki and 52" deck is $200 more than the GTH with the Briggs and 48" deck. Otherwise, they are the same exact tractor. Is the Kawasaki worth the $200 premium? The GTH with the Kawasaki is backordered for 3-4 weeks where the Briggs is available right off the showroom today. I would think that speaks volumes about what consumers have decided but was hoping someone could shed some light on that in this thread. Is the Briggs just about the same quality as the Kawasaki or is this a night and day difference? Tks. My local dealer only carries Kawasaki mowers if that's an option for the model. They will special order a B&S model if requested but don't stock them. |
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 Subaru1-3-2-4Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT | reply to Fronkman
I had a riding mower flip on me once.. I was in my early teens and I took it up a slight incline and with the motor being in the rear (can't remember the brand) it flipped... Lucky for me I jumped out of the seat just before I felt the balance get crazy.
scary how it happened so fast. |
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 DaarkenRara AvisesPremium
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA
kudos:3 | A friend of mine lost his sister due to the riding mower flipping and pinning her underwater while she was mowing near a ditch.
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Getting it Done. |
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Subaru1-3-2-4Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT | Wow that's very sad  a ditch was near by but maybe like 50 ft or so away but it was never full of water.. I think it was more for run-off. |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| reply to SwedishRider
You have to know how to operate the riding mower properly on hills so that it won't flip. You would mow a hill side to side with a walk-behind or wide-area mower but with a rider you do straight up and down. You also need to know the slope pitch to know if your mower can handle it. Tons of people flip mowers each year because they don't know any better. |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | said by Critsmcgee:You have to know how to operate the riding mower properly on hills so that it won't flip. You would mow a hill side to side with a walk-behind or wide-area mower but with a rider you do straight up and down. You also need to know the slope pitch to know if your mower can handle it. Tons of people flip mowers each year because they don't know any better.
That is true. Riders can easily tip if not handled properly. I'm looking into wheel weights to lower the center of gravity and improve traction. I also know you can fill the tires with beet juice (Rim Guard- »www.rimguard.biz/) for added weight and a lower center of gravity.
But cardinal rules still apply- only mow straight up and down, and use reasonable judgement with respect to steepness of slope vs tractor capabilities. |
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DrD
join:2008-03-03
Harrisonville, MO | reply to jsme304
My Dixie Chopper is the bomb! It's never had any problems in the 5 years I've had it, and I mow just over 2 acres with it. |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to SwedishRider
Rim Guard In case anyone is interested, there is a pretty cool product that replaces about 75% of air in a tractor's tire with basically modified beet juice that adds really heavy weight that lowers the center of gravity and makes the tractor safer and gives it more traction. It's called Rim Guard:
»www.rimguard.biz/
It's pretty cheap actually... cheaper and more effective than wheel weights alone. You can call them and they'll give you the closest dealers to you and how many gallons you'll need based on your tire sizes.
They told me to make sure you swap out any plastic stems for metal ones for best effectiveness of the product. Plastic stems can degrade over time but metal will not. Check it out! |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1
1 edit | Thanks for the info on Rim Guard. I was planning on adding water when I put new tires on my Cub Cadet. I use my tractor on fairly rugged terrain with slopes and ballast in the tires should help. I am also going to replace the turf tires with ribbed lug tread tractor type tires. Between the new tires and Rim Guard I hope to eliminate most of my wheel slippage. Due to the small size of my tires, the added weight of the Rim Guard should be an advantage over water. Unfortunately they do not have any dealers this far south since most just use plain water in this area. I'll pick some up next time I'm in Oklahoma City as they have a dealer there. |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| said by robbin:I am also going to replace the turf tires with ribbed tractor type of tires. Are you taking about AG aka Agricultural tires? |
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robbinPremium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
kudos:1 | They are sometimes called that. Actually I used the wrong word -- I should have said Lug treads. |
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SwedishRiderRider on the StormPremium
join:2006-01-11
Connecticut
kudos:1 | reply to robbin
said by robbin:Thanks for the info on Rim Guard. I was planning on adding water when I put new tires on my Cub Cadet. I use my tractor on fairly rugged terrain with slopes and ballast in the tires should help. I am also going to replace the turf tires with ribbed lug tread tractor type tires. Between the new tires and Rim Guard I hope to eliminate most of my wheel slippage. Due to the small size of my tires, the added weight of the Rim Guard should be an advantage over water. Unfortunately they do not have any dealers this far south since most just use plain water in this area. I'll pick some up next time I'm in Oklahoma City as they have a dealer there.
Glad I could help. The Husqvarna dealer I do business with does not install Rim Guard, but recommended a local shop that does and offered to take the tires off the tractor before delivery so I can have them filled. He said he fills his personal tractors and loves Rim Guard- it adds the maximum amount of weight to lower the center of gravity, drastically improves traction, adds no strain to the tractor's axles and has none of the adverse effects of calcium chloride (rim rot).
I can't speak first hand about it yet, but from all my research, it seems like a truly great product that does one thing extremely well. |
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