another situation where RWD is better than FWD

self-propelled push mowers
i do landscaping, and alot of what i do during the day is mowing lawns. anyways we use self-propelled push mowers because we can do up to 15 or 20 lawns in a day. we were using john deer RWD mowers and they were working great, then i broke one and the other was having trouble starting, both on the same day. my boss just bought two new ones but these ones are front wheel drive, and let me tell you, they aren't nearly as good. they're much newer mowers so they do cut better but you can definitely tell that fwd isn't as good as rwd.

first of all they understeer. now you might find it funny that i'm talking about understeer in a push mower but it is a factor. the drive system adds a considerable ammount of weight and turning isn't nearly as easy because the weight's on the front. you go to lift it up to turn so you don't rip the grass and it's heavier. also, with rwd you can actually use the motor to help you turn, not so with fwd.

also they move around alot. when you hit little bumps and the frontmoves a bit, it veers off to that side. with the rwd ones you couldkeep them in a straight line more easily.

and now the big problem: they're baggers, meaning they have a bag on the back to hold the clippings. this is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE, as the bag fills up, it takes weight off the front wheels. i found that once the bag got about 1/4 - 1/3 full it was considerably slower because the front wheels were slipping, and by the time it was 3/4 full you were pretty much pushing the damn thing but now you had the extra weight from the drive system and you had the grass clippings.

on a side note, the bag was also poorly designed, it's got a small hole where the clippings enter and that's where you pour the contents out. my 30 year old lawn boy has a bag that has a zipper at the back which allows for much easier removal because it's a much bigger hole.

anyways if you're buying a self-propelled push mower and you have the money for RWD, BUY IT. take this from someone who uses them every day, they're worth the extra money.

Hmmm....... Bitching about a poor design in every way possible.

You're starting to sound like an engineer. :lol:

lol, actually the entire time i was mowing lawns i was thinking "whever the hell came up with the idea to put front wheel drive on something that get's really heavy in the back should be fired" and "whatever engineer designed this is a disgrace to the profession"

In my day we had to cut the grass with a fork and knife and by the time you finished the grass was long again




...whippersnapper

Tis true, I mowed my lawn today. but no rain in Fla means no tall grass so be self propelled wasn't a big deal. Aside from old man tucket above me, remember whne we had to push lawnmowers?

RWD > FWD no matter what the engine and wheels are on. :)

lol, actually the entire time i was mowing lawns i was thinking "whever the hell came up with the idea to put front wheel drive on something that get's really heavy in the back should be fired" and "whatever engineer designed this is a disgrace to the profession"
Probably some engineers that were laid off by GM or Chrysler since they are introducing new cars that go back to RWD, and there's no longer a need for as many FWD engineers there:lol:.

or some civic fanboy with an engineering degree who thinks that FWD is better because he's totally got a 5 second civic

my grandpas lawn mower is the same way. but our honda lawnmower is rwd and does wheelies lol.

RWD > FWD no matter what the engine and wheels are on. :)

Cept snow

Lol, if 2strokebloke finds this thread he's going to rape you all.



I on the other hand have sleep to get.

Beef is just pissed because he couldn't do his m@d mower drifting today..

i still can but i have to use the handbrake lawlzzzzzz!!!!!11111oneoneone

i still have the push mower, just upgraded to the ones where the rear wheels are bigger than the front :D

before, i had and electric mower that you would just flip the handle around to go the opposite direction.

i still can but i have to use the handbrake

Ricer. :rolleyes:

before, i had and electric mower that you would just flip the handle around to go the opposite direction.
:grinyes: I loved that mower!!!

my old electric push mower caught fire. i guess the grass was too long..

i just stood and watched as it burned.

petrol weed whackers are fun.

i've got a 30 year old lawnboy that works perfectly.

i also use petrol weed whackers, they're awesome. i feel like i'm driving a gokart, then the herbal thought enhancers loose their effect and i realise i'm using a weedwhacker, mowing lawns, and picking up dog shit, and i get depressed.

i always wear my steel toe-capped work boot when using a weed whacker. once saw a picture of what happens when you go over your foot wearing boots without toe caps. not a pretty sight.

i wear steel capped boots because they're about the most comfortable things that will still protect me from having a 100+lbs patio stone droped on my foot

yeah, i have DeWalt ones. so damn comfy, but pretty heavy. steel toe-cap, 2 steel plates in the sole. i've stepped on beards with nails sticking up and the nails just bend.

we had some weeds in the garden up till recently that were literally 6'5" tall. the stalks were about 3" diameter. they were some serious weeds.

i've had to deal with some of those, you can hear the weed whacker trying hard, but that's the most fun, nobody likes getting rid of small pussy weeds that you don't even need half throttle for

http://www.safetyshoes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10106&productId=17999

I wear these for work, I have a few different styles but they're all comfortable. Met guard protects the Metatarsal bone too which is something I wouldn't want to break. Kinda expensive for some ($150) but work pays for mine.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/chrismca/PICT2739-1.jpg

those are my work boots. heavy but worth it.

cost $140 or something. worth every penny. when my friend and i were dismantling a Rolls-Royce Eagle diesel engine we sat the ~1,500lb short block on the toes of my boots (engine stood vertically, one side on a wood block, the other on my boots' toes) and it didn't even mark them.

i always wear my steel toe-capped work boot when using a weed whacker. once saw a picture of what happens when you go over your foot wearing boots without toe caps. not a pretty sight.
Long pants are a good idea too... I don't know how these landscaping guys can weed whack all day wearing shorts. It's like getting hit with thousands of tiny needles in your legs...sadists:biggrin:

i wear pants made for manual work. they're pretty rugged. made of something like nylon or polyester.

Anybody old enough to remember hearing or seeing a "Flymo" brand lawnmower?They actually were used hovercraft type technology in their lawnmowers. I haven't seen one in the US in many years, but they did have a following about 25 to 30+ years ago. http://www.flymo.com/node2003.aspx (check out some of the pics of the mower.)A place I worked at about 17 years ago sold and serviced small engines as well as general car repair. I remember talking to one of our regular customers who had a business selling and repairing lawnmowers. he was an actual dealer for our area, and said he sold a ton of them, they were good for slopes and hard to mow areas. He said one year he sold so many mowers the company that makes them gave him an all expense paid trip to England for him and his family.Not a bad sales incentive.

i have a flymo.

they're still going strong over here.

i'm a landscaper and i only wear shorts. it's too damn hot to wear pants. mosquitos and grass clippings are worth the reduction in heat. and i'm wasted.

Cept snow

Let me check.


Nope, that's only true if you don't know how to drive:biggrin:

Let me check.


Nope, that's only true if you don't know how to drive:biggrin:

Depends on the car, my trans am couldn't move through 2 inches of snow but when I had a crown vic that thing could plow through anything with some studless snows out back and a little weight in the trunk. I live in a valley though and sometimes we get two feet at a time so its necessary to park any car fwd or rear and keep your ass inside. :uhoh:

All I had to was read the thread title for my anus to get sore. Ef you guys, my Evo countdown is near the 2 week mark.

4WD > Your Souls.