So I got my SuTech Stealth yesterday and had it delivered with the rear wheels/deck at 4" so I wouldn't have to deal with that adjustment. The front is at 3", I measured it and the cut with a tape measure at it was exactly on at 3".

I made one pass with it, turned to go back up my hill and the gears didn't grab. I pushed all 350 lbs up the driveway and they came back to adjust it today, at which point I wasn't able to move it in reverse.

Reading the manual it says you have to fine tune the gear drive engagement when you change the deck height so I figured it out myself (this is not your standard home mower where you don't have to know anything about anything to get it to work).

I made the adjustments myself and had it perfect just as the dealer showed up to fix it himself. I finished up with the Honda (and just ran it dry and powerwashed it so I can store it in the basement until I figure out what to do with it). In the one pass I did it felt nice, although it is definitely not as nimble as the Honda HRX that it replaces. The mulching is great, the grass turns into a really fine green dust, like talcum powder. The Honda mulched pretty well but it was still in little pieces.

I even figured out how to get it into a good spot in the garage, if the handles folded it would be ideal, but at 350 lbs I don't think anyone could engineer a bar that could handle the abuse these would get in a commercial application. It sticks out past the garage door entrance, but if I pull my car in all the way there is plenty of room to get by.

Here are photos, I mow again on Monday (although I'll be tempted to go out there on father's day - but its quite loud).

Is the cut quality good? Do the wheels leave much of an imprint? One thing I don't like about your typical 21" walk behind mower is the matted down wheel striping.

eriocaulon wrote:Is the cut quality good? Do the wheels leave much of an imprint? One thing I don't like about your typical 21" walk behind mower is the matted down wheel striping.

The one pass I did looked very good; those wide tires don't seem to leave any mark at all. Its nice that the blades are about 4" beyond the tires on each side; that will make mowing along the edges/beds/block much easier.

Looks like you just remove the cotter pins in the front to adjust the blade height in front?
What size engine on that beast??looks cool

kingofgreen wrote:Looks like you just remove the cotter pins in the front to adjust the blade height in front?
What size engine on that beast??looks cool

Yes, the front is relatively easy, put a cinderblock under the front, remove the cotter pins and re-arrange.

12.5 HP Briggs & Stratton InTek.

So I did my first real cut today, I raised the front wheels to 3.5 inches. It was easier to handle than I thought, although heavy it is very smooth and turns easily. The mulching is outstanding, the grass was well over 5.5 inches; with my honda I would have seen clippings all over the place, I didn't see any with the SuTech.

It took longer than I had thought because by instinct I was going in the same grooves that I would have with the 21" mower. In a week or two I expect it will cut the mowing time down by about 35%-40%. It was pretty easy to move around the swingset since the backyard is flat. There is one area with a 45 degree slope running into a stone wall that I won't be able to cut with it; I'll have to leave that to the once a week line trimming.

The slow speed is a bit too slow on flat ground, but the middle is a hair too fast. The high speed would require a slight jog. The only thing I miss is the hydrostatic honda transmission, but you can feather the handles to bleed and restore power. I'll get the hang of it soon. The fact the blade reaches past the wheels makes mowing along the beds/block/patio much easier and gives a nicer cut.

Here are the pictures, color is looking good (iphone is pretty accurate here). Backyard got trampled yesterday and we had 3 inches of rain Friday, so its still a bit matted down even after the mow.



Front:

Looking good!

Man, those backyard pics leave me in awe. Even compared to the spring, it's amazing amazing amazing how it looks now. Just beautiful!

eriocaulon wrote:Man, those backyard pics leave me in awe. Even compared to the spring, it's amazing amazing amazing how it looks now. Just beautiful!

Thanks. I found two small poa patches that got hit this weekend with Tenacity.

BTW, in the front there is definitely some rye that is starting to dye now. Temps are perfect for Corsair right now.

Lookin' great, JG!

Gotta love how these elite KGB lawns look when the sun goes down a bit and/or it's out of the direct sunlight.

How are you liking the new mower? I contemplated getting a wider walk behind, but settled on a rider last year. At times, I sometimes wish that I would have gone the wide walk behind route.

eriocaulon wrote:Man, those backyard pics leave me in awe. Even compared to the spring, it's amazing amazing amazing how it looks now. Just beautiful!

I agree 100% !!!!

Jon .... your wife was giving you the business about that area. What is she saying now? Please tell.

(I think the next time you tell her "trust me" ... she'll take it to heart now! Great job!!!!)

Drinyth wrote:Lookin' great, JG!

Gotta love how these elite KGB lawns look when the sun goes down a bit and/or it's out of the direct sunlight.

How are you liking the new mower? I contemplated getting a wider walk behind, but settled on a rider last year. At times, I sometimes wish that I would have gone the wide walk behind route.

Today was my first time using it so it was a bit tricky, but within a week or so I'm sure I won't be missing the Honda. Would have loved to have it about a month ago with the spring flush (although it was very thick today after 3 inches of rain). I'm really excited for it this fall as it seems to mulch much better, hopefully I won't need as many passes to turn them into powder). You have to be more mechanically inclined with something like this.

One cool thing is the way you change oil - there is a little hose with a cap to drain it; will take about 5 minutes to do.

GaryCinChicago wrote:

eriocaulon wrote:Man, those backyard pics leave me in awe. Even compared to the spring, it's amazing amazing amazing how it looks now. Just beautiful!

I agree 100% !!!!

Jon .... your wife was giving you the business about that area. What is she saying now? Please tell.

(I think the next time you tell her "trust me" ... she'll take it to heart now! Great job!!!!)

Mild compliments, but she can't get herself to say how nice it is (out of fear of encouraging the obsession).;

I can't get the green light to renovate a lousy 500 sq. ft. to the right of the front door. I've been told a hot tub, convertible or a dog might convince her.

Gorgeous. Nice work!

Jg, how many sq. ft. of lawn are you cutting, and about how long does it take?

Looks great!

And that mower really fits the stealth name, too. Awesome looking machine!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Michael Wise wrote:Jg, how many sq. ft. of lawn are you cutting, and about how long does it take?

Looks great!

And that mower really fits the stealth name, too. Awesome looking machine!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

About 6,000 sq. ft, used to take about 45-55 minutes with the Honda (not counting trim/blow).

jglongisland wrote:
I can't get the green light to renovate a lousy 500 sq. ft. to the right of the front door. I've been told a hot tub, convertible or a dog might convince her.

Well you can get a hot tub for free off of craigslist, I will cut the roof off her car if you let me lay in that lawn for five mins and give me a tour of the gardens, and adopt a old dog that just lays around and watches you. If you got her all three just think of what she will say yes to.

simpson wrote:

jglongisland wrote:
I can't get the green light to renovate a lousy 500 sq. ft. to the right of the front door. I've been told a hot tub, convertible or a dog might convince her.

Well you can get a hot tub for free off of craigslist, I will cut the roof off her car if you let me lay in that lawn for five mins and give me a tour of the gardens, and adopt a old dog that just lays around and watches you. If you got her all three just think of what she will say yes to.

Very good

Looks great! Mind if I ask what blend you used?

syates wrote:Looks great! Mind if I ask what blend you used?

Look at my signature.