Replacing my old Scag -- another ZTR or a Tractor?

[carrerascott]

I'm ready to replace my old Scag 3-wheeler. We have about 5 acres of lawn to mow, mostly wide open, some trees and paths to mow near. I was thinking of getting a used or Demo Turf Tiger or Wildcat, but then the thought came to me to maybe get a tractor with a pull-behind finish mower.

I did a search here and found some info but still wanted more opinions. I could certainly use a bucket and other tractor features (plow), but its not necessary (yea, right...).

Question is, would it make sense to get a tractor with the pull-behind mower? Would we be happy with the mowing job it does? We arent looking for beauty, just a nice neat lawn mow -- we dont fertilize or anything so its more like a lush field of weeds and grass. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I don't mind if the tractor is slower than a ZTR -- not sure how fast my current 61" scag is but I can't imagine top speed is over 7-8mph... so I don't mind being slower than the fast ZTRs if I'm gaining a machine I can use year-round.

Anyway, just looking for opinions and advice as to whether I should just get another Scag (or similar) and maybe get a seperate tractor down the road, or get a tractor/pto mower to replace my scag.

Thanks in advance!
Scott

 

[Henro]

carrerascott,

I don't have a ZTR but the impression I get is that they are super for fast cutting and great cutting.

But not much more...

If you can learn to live with the somewhat slower speed of a tractor, I think you will find the grass cutting ability satisfactory if you have less than a show lawn, and the utility of the tractor will more than make up for the loss of cutting speed.

Frankly, a rear finish mower on my B2910 Kubota did a better job at cutting my lawn than my little 46" cut yardman did.

If you can live without the speed and superior cut of a ZTR, you will probaby be real happy you got a tractor, especialy if you get a loader with it.

If grass cutting were your main interest, and you needed to maintian a show lawn, this might not hold true. But that does not sound like it is your situation... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[carrerascott]

Thanks Henro, my thoughts exactly. I don't mind the extra mowing time and the lawn is nowhere near show, as we like it. So maybe it's time I do the hard part and decide what tractor to get....!!

 

[KiotiJohn]

I'll start by saying that I have used a riding mower for my yard for years. Today I bought a Hustler ZTR residential class 42" mower for the house. I don't use a finish mower on my Kioti CK20 HST. I would, but I have too much in the yard to use one comfortably as I don't like removing my loader, and it's quite a long package for mowing my yard!
Now, all that said, I've seen how nicely rear finish mowers (RFM) cut grass. They generally do a fine job, and without a lot of obstacles, can do it quite quickly in the larger sizes.
Now, for some more money, you can own a small frame tractor that will have a 3pt. hitch that will handle LOTS of other implements, and more money, a loader that will astound you when you discover all the things you'll use it for. I've even loaded mine up with water for distant plantings that are too far for my hoses (didn't want to buy more hose!), mixed concrete in it and delivered it, and various other non-loader functions.
Buy another ZTR and at most, you can pull a small trailer around to collect leaves and stuff, and cut your grass quickly.
Buy a tractor and the world is your oyster. You'll find many things to do with it that you never imagined before the purchase. I've pulled trees, leveled dirt, tilled gardens, dug stumps (backhoe, more money!), hauled all manner of goods, cut tree limbs up high while in the bucket (not safe!), and even lifted the riding mower to work underneath. In other words, dollar for dollar, I'm getting a heck of a lot more out of my tractor for the money than I am the ZTR, but since I could, I have both, and because of the nearness of things in my yard, it's a blessing that I can own both.
John

 

[carrerascott]

What ground mowing speed am I looking at with a tractor? I know the higher end ZTR's go 10-12mph, and my current old Scag 2-wheeler goes mayb 6-7mph, just wondering how much slower a tractor mower will be. Say something like a Kubota b3030.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Well, the fastest I can brush cut is probably about 5 mph, but that's because I'm usually in heavy brush and often have to go quite slow. Maybe someone who actually uses a finish mower can tell you.
Unless you're on really soft soil, I would imagine that you can go pretty fast on the stretches, up to the full tractor transport speed. In the case of my CK20, that would be around 10 mpg, but it would be rough going at that speed in most fields. If your lawn is pretty smooth, you can go pretty fast. A lot of turns will of course slow you down.
John

 

[aloha]

You mention a B3030. I would not consider using my B7800, the economy model of the same size, for mowing except for wide open spaces. I know lots of people do use these and are happy, but would suggest you look at something smaller, like a B2230, if mowing would be the primary use. Keep in mind that you will probably want to remove the FEL for mowing, so get one easy to dismount.

You do not indicate whether slopes are an issue. A ZTR may handle side slopes much better than a tractor.

Does your old ZTR still function? If so, consider keeping it for close-in mowing and get a tractor for outlying mowing and everything else they do.

 

[Soundguy]

Well.. if you get a ZTR.. then all you have is a lawnmower basically... I'd get a scut tractor with a MMM or a RFM. Even an economy chineese model.. or one of the 2nd brands.. like farmtrac, kioti.. etc.

Way more versatile.. etc. Lots of implements to hook up to ont he 3pt.. optional loader.. etc

Soundguy