throttle setting for mowing??

[Radec Aksarben]

I run 2nd highest notch in 1st gear. That big single blade I have takes some power to keep it turning. 2nd gear only works for me if the lawn is thin and in wide open flat spaces. I have lots of obstacles, hills, ditches, holes, bumps, and turns so 1st gear is definitely appropriate. It does take quite a while to mow, but I like my cub so why rush? 3rd gear would be totally insane!

[outdoors4evr]

There is no harm in running a cub (or a numbered series) at full throttle.
At full throttle, the RPM's are low enough to not harm the engine.

[ad356]

my friend told me that running the engine at slightly below full throttle will make it last longer, not the full throttle "hurts" it but that 3/4 throttle will give you more hours out of the engine since the engine is turning at a lower RPM. he also said that 3/4 throttle will burn a little less gas. i wonder about all of this. will slightly slower RPM give you improved fuel economy, after all gas is $$$$$$$

[offrink]

Of course. Just like driving a car faster will burn more fuel because the rpm's are higher.

[Matt Kirsch]

Personally I think you're splitting hairs on a Cub with regards to any difference in engine wear and fuel consumption.

The engine is going to lug down to some RPM below wide-open when mowing with a 60" deck anyway.

It will "seek its own level" in a manner of speaking: As the engine lugs down from top speed, RPMs drop. As RPMs drop the ground speed drops. As ground speed drops, the amount of power required to move the tractor also drops. Meanwhile, torque output from the engine is rising. So long as there is a happy medium where the torque output from the engine is enough to move it and run the mower, it will settle at that RPM.

When torque requirements are more than the engine can output, it will keep lugging down until it stalls. When torque requirements are less than the engine can output, RPMs will rise toward top speed.