Advice on zero turns

[bigdogmax1]

hey guys, Currently I am cutting five acres with my Mitsubishi D2350 tractor pulling a caroni 59 inch finishing mower. It takes me about 3 to 4 hours to mow, plus trimming and cleanup 5 to 6 hours!. I have a good bit of trees, a big driveway, and an 1.5 acre pond to maneuver around. One of the biggest pains in the neck is having to stop and change gears so many times and reversing. I don't have a live pto so I have to come to a complete stop when I move to different areas of the yard. My tractor is murder on my back, not to mention the constant breakdowns and repairs to an aging piece of equipment. My yard is mostly flat but rough in certain spots, and a pretty decent slope around the pond. I'm curious if a commercial zero turn would be faster and easier. Hustler, exmark, dixie chopper, bad boy, and scag are all sold here, and they all offer a commercial 60 inch mower for around 8000 to 10,000. They all have Kawasaki options, which I like. I'm sure I could get the hang of operating the mower, but is it my best option? Any opinions are welcome. My little tractor is a work horse, but I only use it for mowing. I have a 4x4 truck and a four wheeler for other yard projects. The thing that takes me the longest is cutting in first gear around the trees and driveways.

 

[Coyote machine]

I have a pond, slopes, hilly rough patches, and a number of acres to cut, lawn, fields, around trees, etc.
I have a Scag wildcat with bagger system and Kawa 26HP.
All I can say is NEVER cut wet grass on a slope of any magnitude. The front wheels will let go and you'll loose control in an instant.
Any flat areas or rough areas no problem.
You could look into a ride behind sulky type too, to possibly lower the risk factor around the pond, etc. I don't know if those are better, but you don't have to get caught on the mower if it decides to flip!? Scag and others sell them, last I looked.
Zero turns are not for all situations for sure, but don't get me wrong I like mine, but it is a potentially dangerous piece of equipment.
I'd get your place looked at by a couple of dealers to recommend the best tool for your specific job.

 

[Tompet]

After reading your post, yes you will enjoy mowing with a z turn.

You mentioned tractor killing your back. If possible, I suggest checking out the Ferris and Simplicity shock absorber framed z turns. Both have Kawasaki engine options. The Ferris has more commercial models while the Simplicity is limited to their top two models Citation and Cobalt which are clones of two Ferris models. I have a Simplicity Citation with a Kawasaki FX790v that is very comfortable. I would also recommend the mulch kit...will keep dust and clippings from blowing all over you.

I have mowed slopes with my z turn and felt comfortable, but if your slopes are that steep, maybe a Kubota 4wheel drive f series? But really, once you get some experience, I think you will be fine.

You will be surprised at the time savings and less trimming with the z turn. It will be a night and day difference compared to your current setup.

 

[bigdogmax1]

Thanks for the quick reply guys. I really do appreciate it.

 

[Clay45]

I went with a Scag Tiger Cat 52" with Kawasaki engine for my 6+ acres with some hilly spots. It was actually more mower than I wished to purchase but did so to get the larger wheels. Takes on the hills just great as long as it is dry. I sometimes go between trees just barely so a wider blade would be in the way. But when cutting the open areas I wish for the 61" option. Love the mower but it is only a mower.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

You will save lots of mowing time with a ZTR. And, I guess that the back trouble is caused by having to look back on your tractor. That won't happen with the zero turn. However, as was mentioned, one of the mowers with a suspension will help. And, you can get a suspension seat as an option on most commercial mowers. That helps a good bit to make the ride more comfortable.

As far as which brand to get, I suggest buying from the dealer you feel most comfortable with. I've owned many different brands of commercial mowers, and all are generally good mowers. Currently, I have 5 Scag commercial 'stand on' mowers, but, my wife works at the Scag dealer. I do like the Scags.

 

[Streetcar]

I second the advise about mowing wet grass on slope. You can lose traction in a second.
When looking at mowers my Exemark dealer strongly advised against sulky mower. He said they are less stabile for hills

 

[MESSMAKER]

I second the advise about mowing wet grass on slope. You can lose traction in a second.
When looking at mowers my Exemark dealer strongly advised against sulky mower. He said they are less stabile for hills

I don't know about that. A walk behind with a sulky is what most use on steep areas, I have seen some on slopes that would be tough to walk on.

 

[bigdogmax1]

I have never even heard of Ferris before today...but they seem pretty awesome ride wise with the suspension. Considering my yard, I think that would be great IF they are decent mowers. There is dealer somewhat close to me, maybe I'll make a trip there tomorrow. Are there any other commercial mowers with a suspension? I see some complaints with the quality of cut with the Ferris mowers. Maybe a good suspension seat model would do the trick. Getting into these mower comparisons is like buying peanut butter at super Wal Mart...too many options!!!! What I need is a 60 inch welded deck, a reliable 25-27 hp motor, and something that wont beat me to death. I want a mower that I can work on and maintain myself, and that will last. Of course cut quality is important also. Not too mention EACH manufacturer makes 10 plus models of mowers to choose from lol.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I went with a Ferris mower for the suspension which smooths out the ride considerably. It doesn't take out all the bumps but is 100% better than a mower without it. I suppose that if one got a Ferris WITH a suspension seat then he would be in hog heaven on rough ground. As for mowing quality, I don't think one commercial grade has anything on any other, they all turn a series of blades that cut the grass and discharge to the side and underneath the deck, they all look the same. Look for one with a fabricated deck and chain hung deck rather than a series of levers. I like the foot powered mower deck raise/lower system on the Ferris, leg power is better than arm power and would never buy another mower with an electric powered raising system. Just another thing to wear out.

As for mowing on slopes, unless you have a very radical slope on your pond, it will mow it up, down or sideways. I mow my pond levee mostly horizontal to the levee all except one short section that is 45 degree slope or more and there I have to go up and down. I don't think these mowers would flip prior to sliding sideways unless you were going fast on a sideslope and hit a hole. As long as you work moderately sensible, the tires will slide sideways first so don't worry about flipping and the Ferris has a ROPS system if you are inclined to use it. After mowing all my property a few times with it up, I don't even raise it now as there is no danger of turning over with it, but low hanging tree limbs will hang it and flip you up in the front.

If you mowed it with your tractor, a Ferris will mow it also. I have the IS700Z 52" model with 23 HP Kawasaki engine and it is very powerful and easy on the fuel consumption. Top speed is 9.8 MPH but I rarely run it that fast on my rough crawfish mound infested yard. It takes me 2.5 hours to mow my 6 acres yard which has a ton of bushes, trees, shop, chicken pens & 2 ponds to mow around. The area around my house has two slopes to mow with trees and shrubs on and at the bottom of the slope and this acre or so takes 30-40 minutes to do.

I gave up weed eating around the trees when mowing after the first year and just mow it close with the ZTR . About once or twice a year, I weed eat around them, a little grass doesn't hurt them and from my patios, they look well enough to suit me. When I do weed eat my yard, it takes me about 3 hours to do all of it so it is a spring and late fall job for me, no heat strokes in the middle of summer for me. For the larger pine, sweet gum and sycamore trees, Roundup around them works much better than a weedeater but wife's flowering plants don't tolerate it very well so those still get a little cleanup