Update on the Altoz mower

[DIYDAVE]

Can't find the original post, but here's the latest update on the saga...



Tackled a job I has been putting off. Waranteed set of tracks have been on the shop floor fer about 2 months or more, just wanted to get the last inch of wear outta the old ones, cause I'm cheap! Anyway, for those not familiar with the story, bought a new tracked mower, feb 2019, everything worked fine, till I followed the instructions on track tensioning, long story short, I made it too loose. Later I tightened it up, but the damage was done. So Sunday, started about 10 AM, pulled the half sprockets off, and loosened the 8 bolts holding the torsion axle on, and replaced the tracks. Got it all buttoned back up, and the national anthem was playin on the radidio, so's I know I had most of 2 hrs in it. This time I put the tightening shims in, before mounting the tracks. its kinda like a shot in the dark, to guess shim thickness, without havin the tracks mounted, but it worked perfect, this time! Anyway, went out fer a test mow, mowed from 1PM-3:50, and it run like a striped ass ape! guess I finally got her licked!

 

[Tinkerer]

Post #24 Is when you took delivery !
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/i-think-i-found-my-new-lawnmower.74654/page-2

 

[DIYDAVE]

Thanks, Tinkerer, no wonder I couldn't find it, I was looking in this category, not TGIF! Had it out to a customer's lawn, today, still feels like its flyin, compared to crawlin, with those wore out tracks! For the record, it now has about 425 hrs on it. Runnin the tracks loose wore'em out in about 150 hours or less. I re-tightened, but the damage was already done!

 

[petepilot]

Thanks, Tinkerer, no wonder I couldn't find it, I was looking in this category, not TGIF! Had it out to a customer's lawn, today, still feels like its flyin, compared to crawlin, with those wore out tracks! For the record, it now has about 425 hrs on it. Runnin the tracks loose wore'em out in about 150 hours or less. I re-tightened, but the damage was already done!

dave . did you ever post any pics. of that machine

 

[DIYDAVE]

here's the video, from the OP...

 

[Tinkerer]

How is the ride on rough lawns and ditches ? Can you go very fast without beating your lower back into misery ?
I have a John Deere 950R with a $425.00 suspension seat option. I also put spring loaded (ZGlide) front wheel suspension on it. It was a huge ride improvement but still hard on my back.
Here is link to the ZGlides for those that may be interested. https://zglidesuspension.com/collections/john-deere

 

[DIYDAVE]

It does great in bumpy ground, and comes with a very good suspension seat. Its top speed is 11 mph, IIRR, and you can mow at top speed, unlike the Dixie Chopper it replaced, but the DC's front wheels got a death wobble at anything much over 10mph, at least on asphalt. This thing is balanced so that there is very little weight on the front wheels, which have a rubber puck suspension, to kill the wobble, before it starts...

Here's another newer video, may 'splain it better'n I can...

 

[DIYDAVE]

Tinkerer, Just had the time to look at that Zglide fork thingie. What it does looks very similar to what the Altoz rubber puck does... Shoulda been thought of, a long time ago, IMHO, coulda saved me a lotta backaches, on that ole Dixie Chopper!

 

[Tinkerer]

Would you happen to know what a set of replacement tracks cost ?
Does it cut nice and even ?
I thinking about going to a dealer for demo. Maybe.
My JD z950r with the two expensive options for a smoother ride still beats the hell outa my back.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Would you happen to know what a set of replacement tracks cost ?
Does it cut nice and even ?
I thinking about going to a dealer for demo. Maybe.
My JD z950r with the two expensive options for a smoother ride still beats the hell outa my back.

Last figure I remember was $1200. Dealer was great, though, even though it was my fault for the mal-adjustment issue, he got them waranteed, so they were gratis. I think you can probably get a couple thousand hrs out of them, if kept in proper adjustment. Also, there are 2 styles of tracks, turf and traction. Seeing as how I've had this thing on slopes of up to 38º, if you have hills, the traction type is best. Don't know where you are, but my dealer is in DE, I went there cause of savings both in MSRP, and the tax differential...

 

[Randy88]

You guys do know they make air ride seats for lawnmowers now don't you? Its like a grand option, but when the larger diesel mowers cost what they do, what's an extra grand for a nice seat and even better ride.

 

[DIYDAVE]

You guys do know they make air ride seats for lawnmowers now don't you? Its like a grand option, but when the larger diesel mowers cost what they do, what's an extra grand for a nice seat and even better ride.

As much as the Altoz smoothes out the bumps, id don't need air-ride seat!

 

[Tinkerer]

As much as the Altoz smooths out the bumps, id don't need air-ride seat!

That got my attention !
There is an Altoz dealer 10 miles from my home and doesn't even one in stock.
How in the word can he keep his dealership if he doesn't stock them ?
He sells a lot of Exmark and Kubota stuff.

 

[DIYDAVE]

That got my attention !
There is an Altoz dealer 10 miles from my home and doesn't even one in stock.
How in the word can he keep his dealership if he doesn't stock them ?
He sells a lot of Exmark and Kubota stuff.

Shop around, the dealers in my area wanted like 4 grand more, plus MD taxes. I went over to DE, and saved a bundle...