New AR12 Series Rock Buckets

Gas engine

These mowers feature a 617 cc 21.0 hp* (15.7 kW) engine that is rated at 3600 rpm engine manufacturer gross power tested in accordance with SAE J1995. It has a single fuel tank with a 7..9-gal. (29.9-L) capacity for a productive day of mowing.
 
It features smooth, quiet, and efficient operation:

• Twin cylinder
• Overhead valve
• Full-pressure lubrication

* The engine horsepower and torque information are provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower and torque will be less. Refer to the engine manufacturer’s website for additional information.

Daily service checks

Access panel

Several serviceability features were incorporated into the design of the 2500B PrecisionCut™ Riding Greens Mower to make routine checks and adjustments as easy as possible.

Features include:

• Good visibility to components, with a tilt-back hood and tilt-up seat platform. With the hood and seat platform in the raised position, access and visibility to the components underneath is very good.
• All daily service checks — engine oil level, air restriction indicator, engine coolant level, and hydraulic oil level — are made from the left side of the machine.
• Quick-attatch cutting units — one pin located at the front of the lift arms removes the cutting units from the traction unit with no tools.
• Quick-attatch cutting unit motors — just loosen the two hold-down nuts, twist the motor, and pull it out away from the cutting unit.
• Remote grease fittings for the front lift arms are located on the front hydraulic fitting bulkhead. These remotely mounted fittings allow ease of lubrication for the front lift arm pivot pins.
• Electronic controller that provides service diagnostics by means of lighted circuits.
• There is also an access panel on the operator platform that can be easily removed to provide access to the backlap valve and battery.

Smooth and turf tire options shown

Balloon-rounded tire option

There are four tire options:

• 18x10.50-10 2-ply smooth tires are recommended for those who want the minimum amount of ground compaction. These tires have a large footprint to spread the weight of the vehicle over a larger area. This tire also lowers the overall height of the machine and reduces ground clearance of the cutting units. Compensation for ground clearance can be made by adjusting the cutting unit chain on the back of the cutting unit.
• 20x10-10 4-ply rated balloon-rounded smooth tires are recommended for those who want maximum ground clearance, increased ply rating and desire to use a more rounded tire. The 4-ply side wall rating has recommended operating tire pressure of 103 kPa (1.03 bar) (15 psi). Increased pressure may leave marks in softer turf conditions.
• 20x10-10 2-ply smooth tires are recommended for those who want maximum ground clearance while operating at the lower tire pressure of 83 kPa (0.83 bar) (12 psi).
• 20x10-10 4-ply rated smooth tires are recommended for those who want maximum ground clearance and increased ply rating. The 4-ply sidewall rating has recommended operating tire pressure of 103 kPa (1.03 bar) (15 psi). Increased pressure may mark in softer turf conditions.
• 20x10-10 turf tires are for those who need additional traction for mowing more difficult areas, such as elevated tees or fairways.

Each of these tire options includes a complete set of three tires and wheels that are all the same size. (This includes the turf tires, which come as a set of three treaded tires.)

Rear attaching yoke

Low weight and compaction of a riding greens mower with the mowing system of a fairway mower equals great quality of cut in fairways and surrounds.

Many golf courses want to mow their fairways and other areas with riding greens mowers as a way to decrease compaction of the turf. However, the front-attaching-point yoke system used for greens is not the ideal solution for other areas due to the mowing speed, and the terrain is not as smooth as a green.

The 55.9-cm (22-in.) cutting unit rear-attaching-point yoke kit attaches to the rear cutting unit to help keep the rear roller on the ground consistently in undulating terrain. This also substantially improves cut quality by maintaining a consistent height of cut in virtually any condition. Rather than pushing the cutting unit through the turf, the yoke system pulls the cutting unit through the turf keeping the back end of the cutting unit engaged with the turf.

14-blade reel

Using the QA5 14-blade cutting unit option on Greens Mowers will lower the FOC and also provide a clean, smooth cut. It can increase the playability of the putting surface and greens speed.

FOC is defined as the distance traveled between consecutive cuts. It is how far the machine moves from the time one blade passes across the bedknife until the next blade passes. The lower the FOC, the less distance that is traveled until the next blade passes.

There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to FOC. The less distance the mower travels between consecutive cuts, the more times the same grass blade is going to be impacted by the reel. Too low an FOC can cause bruising of the turf — especially in the overlap from pass to pass.

FOC is often used as a measurement of cut quality; however, there are other key factors that attribute to gaining superior quality of cut that are more critical than FOC. The factors that lead to good cut quality are:

• Geometry of the cutting unit
• Sharpness of reels and bedknife
• Proper cutting-unit setup (parallel and bedknife-to-reel clearance)
• Height of cut (HOC) (effective versus bench HOC)
• Bedknife selection
• Roller selection for the turf conditions
• Turf conditions

The geometry of John Deere cutting units makes the optimum range for FOC between 0.160 in. (4.064 mm) and 0.190 in. (4.824 mm) for Walk Greens Mowers and 0.044 in. (1.1176 mm) per 1 mph (1.6 km/h) for Riding Greens Mowers. Technology of the QA5 cutting units excel and provide a superior cut and after-cut appearance.

The optional direct mount front grass catchers provide the choice of systems to meet the needs on your golf course.

The grass catcher is mounted directly to the front cutting unit using a similar design as the SL Walk Greens Mowers.

This provides quick access for the removal and installation of the grass catcher as well as superior ground following and collection due to position of the catcher to the cutting unit.

It is recommended that catchers be emptied after each green during normal and heavy growth times to reduce weight on the cutting unit.

The direct mount grass catchers will fit model year 2009 to current 2500B and 2500E E-Cut Riding Greens Mowers with Quick-Adjust 5 (QA5) cutting units.

Rear grass catcher (1) and bail system (2)

The rear grass-catcher mounting system simplifies removal and installation of the rear grass catcher and reduces effort.

Rear grass catcher

The grass catcher can be easily removed without spilling the clippings by rotating the grass catcher back toward the front of the machine until the front grass catcher lip is above the cutting unit side plate. Then, simply pull it out to the side. This can be accomplished with the cutting unit in the raised or lowered position.

Adjustable top shield

Adjustable cutting-unit top shields also ensure that grass is thrown into the back of the catcher, even as the reel diameter decreases due to wear. The catchers are shaped and vented to allow the air from the reel to escape while retaining the clippings.

Top-shield extension for dry conditions

Extensions for the cutting-unit top shields are for use in dry conditions to maximize the flow of dry clippings into the grass catcher. If mowing predominantly in wet-turf conditions, remove the cutting unit shield extensions to reduce buildup and accumulation of clippings on the front of the grass catcher.

Grooved disc roller

The grooved disc roller can be used with 55.9-cm (22-in.) QA5 cutting units, in combination with the GTC and FTC, to provide additional roller options for fairway, tees, and approach areas.

The increased diameter improves the durability over smaller rollers, and it features hardened discs for improved wear which retains spring tension for reduced maintenance, making it an ideal roller for fairway, tee, and approach mowing.