Stiga ride on mower

[ukminch]

All very valid comments, but the problem lay in the choice of machine for the task.

 

Mulching simply does not work on 2 week cutting cycles in normal grass growth. The Stiga deck is the best mulching deck out there for leaving a good finish, but is designed around regular cutting of fairly short grass.

 

It works by holding the grass in the deck and recirculating it until its cut into tiny pieces. This it does extremely well, but going too fast, or cutting too long overloads the deck and strains the drives. (hence the machine is not designed to be fast)

 

The shearbolts on the old 'timed' deck do not break until the blades hit something solid. The mower was not intended for rough terrain or objects in the grass.

 

Because of its front deck and its manoevrability it is often used in situations it should not be in because the operators like to use it, and its not fair to blame the machine for failing through.

 

I wouldn't disagree with the above comments. What annoyed me was that a stiga rep came and met me on site to demo the machine and I fully examined what it would be doing. It ended up being completely unsuitable for my use, and I would have thought the majority of contractors would have said the same. The Diesel engine was good, and the flail deck worked well, but again quite slow. I feel that there are a lot better machines out there for the

Job, but again personal opinion will be influenced by past experience.

 

R

[GardenKit]

I wouldn't disagree with the above comments. What annoyed me was that a stiga rep came and met me on site to demo the machine and I fully examined what it would be doing. It ended up being completely unsuitable for my use, and I would have thought the majority of contractors would have said the same. The Diesel engine was good, and the flail deck worked well, but again quite slow. I feel that there are a lot better machines out there for the

Job, but again personal opinion will be influenced by past experience.

 

R

It is a problem that many dealer staff are so focused on getting a deal that they ignore the real needs of the customer and the suitability of a particular machine for the job it is required to do.

 

I often get people coming in with the idea of buying a mulcher, not only Stiga, but JD too.

 

They are sometimes dissapointed when I point out not only the 'pro's' of mulching but also the 'cons'

 

Mulching is exactly right for many people, especially those willing to 'work with' the machine to get the best result.

 

Equally well it is totally unsuitable for some, especially those who want to cut the grass infrequently, yet want to achieve a perfect finish with no effort.

[ukminch]

Indeedy, unfortunately on the demo, conditions were obviously perfect for it! IMO if using rotary mowers you can't beat a side discharge deck if you're leaving the arisings. I was in a rush to replace another mower, as it had a fire so was out of action for a month or two, and it got sold shortly after I got it back!

[jimbobb]

Hi all, i have a Stiga Park Pro 16 which just arrived today, a second hand one in real nice condition and well maintained.

Getting it off the pallet on the truck was a nightmare, and i am worried it may have had a bump underneath which bent something, but I don't know what it should look like so I dont know if it's bent!!

 

Basically I noticed a spring hanging off when I got it into my barn and i took a pic as it looked then....

 

 

 

I spent two hours underneath trying to see where that spring should go. I didn't even know if it should be attached to where it is in that first pic! I found an exploded diagram online, loads of them in fact, and none of them make enough sense to show me where it goes. I eventually stuck it onto the mower deck tensioner pulley, like this.....

 

 

But it just doesn't seem right there. I tried starting her up and engaging the deck and it did engage, but i could smell burning rubber so instantly shut her off. The belt doesn't seem to be sitting nicely against the side of the tensioner pulley, it is kind of offset, as shown below....

 

 

 

I had another look underneath and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe it did take a whack underneath and maybe the steel arm which the pulley tensioner sits on got pushed up and bent? See next pic below.....

 

 

Does anyone know if this should be horizontal to the ground or should it be up at an angle like it is? I have marked with arrows the part I mean, and the bigger of the two arrows shows the direction I suspect it might have been pushed. Should it sit at that angle or should the wheel be exactly parallel with the other pulleys? The final picture shows it a bit better, how the tensioner pulley wheel is not at same angle as the pulleys which hold the belt......

 

 

 

I am really hoping somebody on here either has one so can compare, or has worked on one and knows the answer! Its awful seeing something for the first time in your life, and not being sure if its had a bang or not!! Thanks to anyone who can help

Edited July 9, 2015 by jimbobb

[GardenKit]

Hi Jimbob

 

You are absolutely right, the tensioner arm has had a whack. The arm and pulley should be in line with the other pulleys and the belt run.

 

The flat idler sits on the flat back of the belt to the left side of the mower and applies tension to the belt pushing it inwards. The spring attaches almost as you have it but will be below the steering chain when the arm is bent back down.

The photos should show it, but this model has a steering cable rather than chain

 

 

[RichieR]

I had a little stigma for doing the banking it could go across just about anything until it died. If your looking at the diesel then look at the husky its a lot more reliable than the bigger stigma so I been told

[Stubby]

I had a little stigma for doing the banking it could go across just about anything until it died. If your looking at the diesel then look at the husky its a lot more reliable than the bigger stigma so I been told

 

Hope your " little stigma " gets better

[Stubby]

Just to throw another one in the mix ....I have used a Cadet Cud Zero turn mower with a 25hp Kawasaki engine . About a 48 or 50 inch deck . The thing I liked about it was the fact that it is zero turn but with a steering wheel rather than sticks . As you turn the steering wheel the inside drive wheel slows and the outer speeds up and if you make 90 degrees with te steering wheel the inside drive wheel goes backward and the outer forwards making it highly maneuverable and ...dare I say it ... a pleasure to use . I only had a side discharge but a mulching deck is available for it .

[RichieR]

Cheers stubby

[stumanuk42]

We use park pro 16's on our campsite, to do the fiddly bits. its excellent if the grass is maintained and for doing precise work (under caravans, odd shaped areas, etc,) and the 4wd system on them is excellent, however they do kind of encourage you to take the piss (45 degree banks, putting the deck under bushes where there's crap) which there not built for.

 

The engines are good and the deck is fairly easy to work on, my only complaint is that parts for fairly regular things, like hydraulic oil and rear deck wheels seem to be mental money.

 

we've had 2 over the last 15 years, with the last one being traded in due to a gearbox problem, it was about 8 years old, and we don't look after our machines as well as we ought too....

 

So that's my take, that doing a 10 acre site hilly site once a week. Also if you've got the option the power steering is worth it, you can drive the thing with you finger.