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mowing in what gear


landlord2110

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I used to mow in 3rd gear all the time but it seems to look like the grass has been rolled over and high spots are left after mowing. Ive changed blades, all new belts(p.t.o., cross drive, mower spindle drive belts) new 5/8" shaft for the rollers and nothing helps. Should I mow in second gear?
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I mow in 2nd most of the time and 1st for close in work :) If you check the pattern on the tractor 2nd and reverse are across from each other and the ground speed is about the same because the gear is almost the same :) Easy to switch between them to change direction quickly8D Try 2nd I think you will see a big change
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I go full speed on my Simplicity 4211-H with no problems. I only slow down if the grass is taller than 8". It seems to me that the blade spins faster on a hydro tractor rather than a gear tractor. That might be because the deck runs off the engine's shaft, rather than a mule drive?
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in the late summer fall here crabgrass is a b**** to cut,it dosent cut clean, you really have to have a 2nd go at it from a diff. direction,etc. and it taxes tracs power a lot.
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I usually mow in 2nd, but can mow in 3rd if conditions are right, usually damp, not wet grass that is 6" or less high. I cut to around 3" high with a Landlord 42" that has been repowered with a 16 HP Briggs. I did cut some grass this past weekend that was about as tall as me in 1st gear. The only problem was that the deck continually clogged and the chute had to be cleaned out almost constantly. 2nd gear is the best down here in north Alabama, where the bermuda is THICK!
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I've repowered my B-207 with a 12hp Briggs, and I run it wide open throttle in 1st gear. I've tried to reduce throttle speed and mow in 2nd gear, but I don't get as good a cut that way. I mow my grass at ~3".
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My "Megmo" Quad Blades cut fine in 3rd on my Broadmoor II 6011, 42" deck, wide open throtle. I used to always have to mow in 2nd, but for the last 3 summers, I have been fine in 3rd. The cuttings are smaller with the Megmo's, also. I think the Owners' Manual calls for wide open throttle for mowing. The gear is determined by ground/grass conditions. Tacey
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Funny how all my yuppie neighbors run their box store tractors at full speed. I guess their in a rush to finish their 1/4 acre lawn.
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I can't imagine mowing the whole yard in 1st gear, It take 4-6hrs to mow my yard (3 acres) using 2nd in areas with obstacles, and 3rd out in the field. This is with a 3410, B110, or 700 series. These tractors drive faster in 3rd than the older broadmoors do so I'm really mowing around 5-6 mph in 3rd. I always cut with the deck adjusted as high as it will go. It sounds more like there is a problem with the deck, maybe the cross drive belt twist is backwards? I don't get quite as good of a cut in 3rd as in 2nd but its hardly noticeable unless you get on the ground and look at the grass closely.
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I use second gear on the Vari-Drive 3112, full throttle when mowing, and vary the ground speed with the variable speed selector. I do something similar with the hydro... If I'm not running the tractor under load (mower deck, snowblower, tiller) then I usually operate it at about 75-80% throttle (estimate) and vary the ground speed to whatever I'm doing. IMO, the key to keep an air-cooled engine cool is to not lug it... if the engine is slowing down, you need more throttle, up to full throttle with the governor kicking in (snowblowing and tilling mostly for me, but occasionally climbing a hill running the mower deck with the vac hooked up and a heavy trailer behind it). Otherwise, use whatever throttle setting and gear combination that makes sense... just don't EVER let the load on the tractor slow the engine down, IF you can prevent it. That's my two cents, based on watching air-cooled VW engines closely for several years, where I had both oil temp and head temp gauges...
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The ground speed has a definite effect on the quality of your cut. Nearly everyone I know mows in 2nd unless the grass clippings are very light. Here is an excerpt from the owners manual.


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