Finish mower or zero turn

[Lineman North Florida]

I would like some advice or opinions if you would please, I have been mowing around my yard and barn with my tractor and bush hog and while it does a fair job it doesn't leave as good a finish as I would like and with the front end loader on it can be somewhat of a pain around the house, so I've been thinking lately about either a finish mower or a new Gravely zero turn, what are your opinions.

[gilbertmsg]

If you like your yard to look nice and have more time to do things you like to do, then buy the zero turn. It's all about the blade tip speed on the zero turn vs the finish mower. I have both and like the cut of the zero turn. I really like to mow and see the results. I have a 60" finish mower and 52" zero turn and it cuts the time in half with the zero turn. Much easier around the house and trees which cuts down the trimming time.

Eddie

[ustmd]

I would like some advice or opinions if you would please, I have been mowing around my yard and barn with my tractor and bush hog and while it does a fair job it doesn't leave as good a finish as I would like and with the front end loader on it can be somewhat of a pain around the house, so I've been thinking lately about either a finish mower or a new Gravely zero turn, what are your opinions.

Get the zero turn. We just bought one this year and it made a huge difference in the time required and the quality of the cut. I have a finish mower for the tractor. Waste of my money.

[smstonypoint]

Another endorsement of a ZTR. It will likely be more expensive to obtain than a finish mower and it means maintaining another machine, but it is the cat's meow when it comes to mowing. The time-saving aspect will be significant, especially if you have to mow around a lot of obstacles; e.g., trees, buildings, flower beds, etc.

Steve

[phiferpharm]

I got to agree on the ZTR. I use my Bush Hog for the first cut of summer and the back areas, then the ZTR around the house and for most of the front entrance. Big difference in the quality and time required with the ZTR.

[easygo]

I went from a commercial walk-behind to a rear finish mower. The walk-behind gave a far nicer cut, but I don't really care and a 6' rear mower makes quick work of a couple acres.

[remington270]

We have a 34 Hp husqvarna zero turn with a 60" deck to cut about 2 acres around the house. It is incredible and you can really cover some ground quick!

[TO_Bud]

Another vote for the ZTR. I have a 72 " Hustler and cut 2 acres of lawn in less than 45 minutes. My property has a tendency to be too soft after rains especially in the spring and the tractor just leaves too many indentations from the tires. My yard would be a mess if I maintained it with the tractor over the long run.

[JerryK]

Add another vote for the ZTR. Only bad thing about them is they are not much good if your yard is real hilly. They tend to do quick unexpected down hill zooms if one wheel looses traction for a bit. But they can flat out mow.....

[kf4uda]

I will vote for the ZTR as well. We have had a commercial grade ZTR for over 2 years now and mow about 4 acres per week with it. I can't imagine having to do that with anything else. They get a little deep in your pocket to buy but in my opinion are worth it. I debated for a good while before buying ours. I won't be debating when buying the next one (hopefully many years from now).