Four Wheel Steering on Tractor

[Freeheel]

I'm contemplating buying a J.Deere with four wheel steering. Does anyone have anything good or bad to say? My obvious concern is maintenance, but it looks pretty slick and well built in the showroom. Any thoughts?

[Speedbump]

I know it didn't catch on with the GM pickups. I'de love to have it on my 2001, maybe I could get it into a parking spot.

Is this a lawn mower your referring to or a real tractor for farming? I have a John Deere 4520 four wheel drive and it turns on a dime and gives change, with four wheel steering, it would really turn quick.

[Freeheel]

Thanks Speedbump - just a lawnmower. The non-4ws model has a pretty tight radius on its own, and with the 4ws the radius is only marginally improved, but I understand it's much better and backing up and getting around things. I have about a dozen trees in my yard I need to avoid on a weekly basis...

[Speedbump]

If you like that, you would love a Dixie Chopper. It is Zero Turn and you can go right around a tree, pole or anything else. No shifting. Just two levers that you pull together after you sit down. Push them forward it goes forward, pull them back to center it stops, pull them further it goes backwards and each lever is for each rear wheel. You can sit in one spot going around in circles if you like.
I love mine.

Practically every lawn maintenance guy in the state of Florida has at least one. There are other brands that come close, but Dixie Chopper is top dog.

[Freeheel]

I've seen those and they look sweet. My problem is I have to haul a trailer in the fall to deal with all the maple leaves (too many to bag) and have been told you can't put a trailer on a zero turn. Is that not true? Also, my yard is sloped a little and I've heard they don't do great going across slopes. Am I being fed a line???

[Speedbump]

I just happen to have a 2" ball on the back of my Dixie Chopper. When I take the mower somewhere on my trailer, I bring it back home, drive the truck under the car port, unload the mower, bring it around next to the trailer, unhook it from the truck then pull the trailer to the barn with the mower. works great. I don't know what kind of trailer you need to pull or how much of it you would be doing, but I wouldn't be worried about this thing having the gumption to pull one. I think the horsepower is 38. That's more than my John Deere.

I don't think the Dixie Chopper would have any more problem with hills than any other type of rider. I have a very steep ditch out front, but it's so narrrow at the bottom the mower deck drags on both sides, otherwise, I'de be mowing that and it's 3.5 foot deep.

[Freeheel]

Holy Cow! Thanks for the great info. I'll definitely look into one of those zero turn rigs.