Ball Hitch for Zero Turn?

[Ashful]

What was the build?

Converted the wagon from fixed bed to hydraulic dump, which also required adding rear hydraulic output to the tractor. Deere used to sell a kit to do this, but it’s NLA from Deere, so I had to custom fab some of the parts. Wagon was already set up to take a cylinder, so there were already mounting points for that, but the mfg assumed one would use an SCV on the tractor. I wanted the SCV on the wagon (so I could see what I’m dumping), so I did custom lines and found my own place to mount the SCV under the bed. Pretty simple execution, after days of figuring and measuring.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Converted the wagon from fixed bed to hydraulic dump, which also required adding rear hydraulic output to the tractor. Deere used to sell a kit to do this, but it’s NLA from Deere, so I had to custom fab some of the parts. Wagon was already set up to take a cylinder, so there were already mounting points for that, but the mfg assumed one would use an SCV on the tractor. I wanted the SCV on the wagon (so I could see what I’m dumping), so I did custom lines and found my own place to mount the SCV under the bed. Pretty simple execution, after days of figuring and measuring.

That's real nice. You've got a lot of energy and skilz. Should make that 100 yard mulch job more manageable. Any other plans for the new dumper?

 

[Ashful]

It's been fun for picking up the two dozen cubic yards of twigs that came down in that little mini-blizzard we had four Fridays back. ;-)

I'm sure other things will come up, but that wagon spends October until April filled with firewood, and parked on my basement patio. It's my main means of hauling firewood up to the house from the wood lot in the back yard, and storing it at the house.

 

[brenndatomu]

Anyone ever actually blow out a hydro drive, having used the mower for nothing but mowing?

Well, yes and no. I blew one out on a Toro TimeCutterZ 1752...pretty much a residential mower, although it was better built than the residential grade ones now are. But it had all-in-one HydroGear brand hydros, sealed drive units, no drain, no filter. Wouldn't have bought it if I had know this little fact, shame on me for not doing my homework.
To be fair, I pulled a pretty big lawn roller with it at least once a year...and my yard is not flat, I ran it pretty hard for 7 years. Should have known better, but the dealer told me when I bought it that it should be fine for pulling a roller.
The first time I rebuilt it, it had pretty much grenaded itself due to the oil being full of metal shavings, it took a new pump, new motor, new bearings and seals. It talked to the mechanic at the dealership, he told me to put full synthetic oil in it. I pulled the other side out and did a drain/flush/refill with synthetic too...the oil was clean in that one (right side)
7 years later, and no more lawn rolling, I'm sidehilling mowing the ditch out front, all of a sudden it quits driving on the downhill side (left side) I look back and see a trail of oil. The axle shaft carrier bearing went out, took the seal out, puked the oil all over. The pump and motor were OK this time, so I installed a new bearing and seal, then went to shopping for something a little beefier.
After finding a nice low hour Hustler Mini-Z (smaller, but just as beefy version of the SuperZ) with heavy duty White brand hydros, the Toro went down the road to a new happy homeowner with a pretty flat yard...he was warned to not tow lawn rollers with it. Oh, and the second time I drilled and tapped the cases for oil drain plugs too.
When I looked at the Hustler it had a small oil leak on the left hydro motor, the owner said the guy at his shop said to pop the brake drum off and pop a new seal in it...so after I bought it, I did. Before I was done with the first mowing...POP, new seal was out! Turns out, this outer seal was not meant to hold any hydraulic pressure, and the inner high pressure seal was actually the culprit. So long story short, I got to see the inside of the White brand drive motors the Hustler has...MUCH heavier duty than what was in the Toro!
Bottom line is this...its all about what the hydros are built for. There are lots of super heavy duty hydro drives out their in millions of pieces of large ag and construction equipment that will take years and years, thousands of hours of utter abuse just fine.
On lawn mowers, if they are cheap drives like my Toro had, better baby them. If you have a more expensive unit with HD hydros, they will take a lot more abuse. I would say if you have a sealed drive system, be careful, if you can change the oil and filter, you have a better drive system and it would probably take pulling a small trailer, lawn roller, or something like that no problem (using some common sense of course)
But even with my Toro I would not have hesitated to move the log splitter around once in a while...heck I move my splitter by hand usually, they push pretty easy. The lawn roller on the other hand...can barely budge it by hand.
BTW, I built a nice HD receiver hitch for the Hustler...it will pull a pretty impressive load as long as there is not too much down pressure on the hitch...wheelies pretty easily if there is...

 

[Sprinter]

Bottom line is this...its all about what the hydros are built for. There are lots of super heavy duty hydro drives out their in millions of pieces of large ag and construction equipment that will take years and years, thousands of hours of utter abuse just fine.
On lawn mowers, if they are cheap drives like my Toro had, better baby them. If you have a more expensive unit with HD hydros, they will take a lot more abuse.

I agree. When I was shopping for a ZTR, the first thing I researched on any model was the build of the hydro's, which are more important IMO than engine make, as well as general ruggedness. I could have gotten away with a less expensive one, but knowing my needs, I spent more to be sure and really think my ZTR will outlast me. Hydro transmissions are great, but know what you need from them.

The only problem I've had after 6 years of pounding is a chunk of bailing wire that managed to make it's way into one the front tires. Maybe a case for solid tires...

 

[OhioBurner©]

At work we pull a 1200 pound air compressor around with a toro z master zero turn. Been about 5 years now with no issues. We use it fairly frequently to. Just bolted on one of those 2 inch receivers to it with a drop hitch in upside down to keep it level.
Just my 2 cents

I have a Z Master also, I don't recall there being a mount for a hitch did you have to fabricate it?

Old style cubs are on C/L for $3-500 all day. The old IH cubs were bullet proof and would drag a 3/4 ton truck with no problem.

I got a couple old cubs for $200-300. They'd pull way more than what was safe... make sure brakes are adjusted and be mindful of it. That being said all mine have issues right now, one with clutch problems and the other with engine problems, and no time to work on lately but I'll get em running again someday. Pulled around my 6x10 road trailer (1400 lbs empty) with a load of wood ok as long as wasn't on a hill. Need some ballast weight out front to keep the steer wheels on the ground.

 

[rox3406]

Yeah we just welded a bar to the back of it then a receiver tube to that. Nothing fancy. Just scrap metal and weld snot.

 

[yinpin]

I have a guy selling 2 old John Deere 111’s. He’s a local guy and his day purchases old John Deere’s and reconditioned then. His dad is not doing well and he has sold about 6 tractors. These are the two he has left. Worth $250 if I buy a battery and get t to start?

Not looking for it for mowing but just pulling carts, small trailers and the splitter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jags]

If its not a gear or hydro drive transmission I would keep looking. The friction wheel on a plate type drives are light duty. If it was an old 110 I would tell you to jump on it.

 

[Ashful]

Weird. The 11 is listed as a hydrostatic tractor in tractordata, but my eyes spy a gear selector.

http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/0/6/67-john-deere-l111.html

 

[Jags]

You might be on to something, Ashful. It does state that it is a hydro drive. Its a little weird to me, but it looks like they decided to put the hydro speed adjustment to the side on this tractor.

Another way to get an idea if this unit is designed to pull stuff (anything of size or weight) is to look at the hitch in the rear. Is it made out of real steel or is it a hole punched into the stamped body.

Hmmm..looking deeper at the tractor data site...the ONLY attachment for this unit is a mower deck. Sounds like the design was strictly as a mower.

 

[yinpin]

You might be on to something, Ashful. It does state that it is a hydro drive. Its a little weird to me, but it looks like they decided to put the hydro speed adjustment to the side on this tractor.

Another way to get an idea if this unit is designed to pull stuff (anything of size or weight) is to look at the hitch in the rear. Is it made out of real steel or is it a hole punched into the stamped body.

Hmmm..looking deeper at the tractor data site...the ONLY attachment for this unit is a mower deck. Sounds like the design was strictly as a mower.

I am trying to get some additional info from the guy selling them. From what I have found, they did offer a 111H which was Hydro.

 

[greg13]

I am trying to get some additional info from the guy selling them. From what I have found, they did offer a 111H which was Hydro.

111 was a gear drive, 111H was hydro. If I remember right the transmissions were not all that heavy duty. But they should be fine for dragging a splitter

 

[OhioBurner©]

I'm not too familiar with JD's but that engine is mounted like a belt drive lawn mower not a heavy duty garden tractor (horizontal, inline) or where all JDs engine mounted verticle that way?

 

[greg13]

I'm not too familiar with JD's but that engine is mounted like a belt drive lawn mower not a heavy duty garden tractor (horizontal, inline) or where all JDs engine mounted verticle that way?

I think all of the JD tractors were belt drive to the transmission. That was why I prefered the Cubs over them, they were 100% shaft drive.

Greg

 

[Ashful]

I think all of the JD tractors were belt drive to the transmission.

Well, not all of them.

 

[greg13]

Ok Garden tractors.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I think all of the JD tractors were belt drive to the transmission. That was why I prefered the Cubs over them, they were 100% shaft drive.

Greg

I know many of the heavier duty JDs (I think the 300 and 400s) used the same Sundstrand hydrostatic transmission that the IH Cub Cadets did so I'd be surprised that they were not driveshaft driven unless they incorporated some kind of drivebelt and angled gearbox attachment to the input shaft of the hydro. Either way if I was looking for something to do some work other than running a mower deck I'd make sure it had a driveshaft in it, just IMHO. I kind of like the gear drives myself, but hydro is nice too if the controls aren't worn which is common on the Cubs.

Here is when I upgraded the clutch/driveshaft/driver of my ol Cub 1000.