Looking for zero turn mower for 5-8 acres

[shouchen]

We are looking for the best deal for the money on a zero turn mower to keep up with our mowing. We have 34 acres and mow 5-8 acres of it weekly. I have a wonderful Kubota tractor with a 72 inch finish mower but it takes several hours to mow all of the grass wwe mow. Am I wasting my money to even look? I just wantto free up the time i spend mowing:-( I guess I am asking for everyone's opinion that have bought a commercial type zero turn mower and their advice or experiences. Thank you all!

 

[smstonypoint]

My ZTR purchase was money well spent. I went from a 42" RER to a 61" ZTR and cut my mowing time in half.

IMO, you might save some time, especially if you have many trees and other obstacles in the area that you mow. However, I don't think you would make a substantial dent in your mowing time when switching from a 72" finish mower.

Why mow such a large area? Can you transition to a more natural landscape (e.g., a meadow) on part of the area?

Steve

 

[PSUTundra]

I really like our ZTR. We purchased in the fall/winter when we purchased our property. We have 3-4 acres of mowing and cannot imagine doing it without the ZTR. To find the best deal I went to all the local dealers to see what they carried but also if they had any leftover equipment. I got real lucky that one of them had the Hustler Fastrak SD 60" sitting in their barn. They stored it for the winter with a small deposit and made the actual purchase in late March so the warranty would start then vs. loose a few months over the winter. This time of year is hard to find great deals but the dealer is important. Also, buy the largest mower you think you afford, originally I thought a 54" deck would be more maneuverable but the extra size adds to my speed. Also check the mowing speed of the mowers you are looking at and know your land conditions. A mower like the Ferris with full suspension will handle rougher ground faster than a non-suspended machine and cut down your time.

Bottom line for a lawn I cannot imagine mowing with anything other than ZTR. Speed, quality, and maneuverability!:thumbsup:

 

[Grandad4]

If your ground is at all rough, your mowing speed will be limited so you can't take advantage of the ZTR's capabilities. We mow our front field every few weeks with the tractors; next door is a neighbor who mows his front lawn with a ZTR. He can zip along faster than I can but has to do it 3-4 times for every once that I mow. If he brought his ZTR over to my field, his fillings would fall out trying to mow it that fast.

 

[Sockwell]

This sounds exactly like our situation 3 years ago. We bought a Hustler Fastrac SD. Easily cut the time in half versus a standard rider or finishing mower.

 

[aczlan]

Also, buy the largest mower you think you afford, originally I thought a 54" deck would be more maneuverable but the extra size adds to my speed.

Having run 60" and 72" Exmarks side by side with an 84" multideck Deere, I would say that once you hit 60" on a single deck, you WILL scalp on bumpy ground. Not a big deal if mowing high a "Field" area, but it is if you are mowing a "Lawn" area

Aaron Z

 

[kdm0811]

I have a 27hp, Toro 60" ZTR and a BX24 (without a mower). I disagree with Grandad4. My BX would bounce my teeth out if I tried to keep up with my Toro mower. I mow 7 acres. 5 in a horse pasture, and 2 in the yard (including slopes that I would never think of traversing with my BX24. Myybe Gradad4's neighbor's mower is underpowered. My advice is to make sure to get commercial grade machine.

 

[vrmnthntr]

I had a Toro 60 inch commercial zero turn for 9 years. This year I traded it on a 60 inch BX2360.

For just mowing I really miss my Toro. It cut great, for the most part I could mow as fast as it would go. There were some places I had to take it slow. But overall I would own one again in a heartbeat.

In my opinion my BX beats me more than the Toro. I mow roughly 4 acres a week. It takes me about 45 mins longer now.

A friend has 5 acres of yard. Very few things to mow around. It is very smooth. With a 72 inch John Deere zero turn it takes around 1.5 hrs to cut. He bought a gang finishing mower set up that is huge to pull behind his tractor. Takes him 20 mins now.

It comes down to how many obstacles you have to mow around and the roughness or smoothness of your yard. Commercial grade is definitely worth the money. They are made to last.

 

[Grandad4]

I have a 27hp, Toro 60" ZTR and a BX24 (without a mower). I disagree with Grandad4. My BX would bounce my teeth out if I tried to keep up with my Toro mower. I mow 7 acres. 5 in a horse pasture, and 2 in the yard (including slopes that I would never think of traversing with my BX24. Myybe Gradad4's neighbor's mower is underpowered. My advice is to make sure to get commercial grade machine.

Sorry if what I said was unclear. There's plenty of advice here about ZTR's even though the OP never said anything about what kind of property he will be mowing. We don't know if it's flat or hilly, rough or smooth, manicured lawn or overgrown corn stubble. I thought it might be helpful to say, "Well, doesn't it depend somewhat on just what the guy will be mowing?", before the ZTR stampede got completely out of hand.

The neighbor, by the way, has a very nice commercial ZTR, and it's definitely not underpowered. :thumbsup:

 

[Midniteoyl]

Need.. More.... Input....

 

[Complete Turf Care]

We are looking for the best deal for the money on a zero turn mower to keep up with our mowing. We have 34 acres and mow 5-8 acres of it weekly. I have a wonderful Kubota tractor with a 72 inch finish mower but it takes several hours to mow all of the grass wwe mow. Am I wasting my money to even look? I just wantto free up the time i spend mowing:-( I guess I am asking for everyone's opinion that have bought a commercial type zero turn mower and their advice or experiences. Thank you all!

I own a commercial lawn service and here are my thoughts. If the ground conditions are smooth, and you can mow at a good speed, the ZTR will reduce your mowing time.

I often get asked which is the best brand of commercial mower. My reply is always - Whichever dealer you are most comfortable with...... Most commercial mowers are high quality and have similar features.

For 5-8 acres, I would suggest at least a 60" and possibly a 72" if you can. Be prepared to pay $10-$15,000 for any of the good commercial brands.

 

[check 6]

For what it is worth. I mow one acre at least once a week if not more and occasionally I mow roughly 15 more all with my 54 in Kubota zero turn diesel mower. I have used a BX series small tractor with a belly mower on these same areas before and find the zero turn does a better job, faster, and with less wear and tear on my body. I tried a 60 in cut but for the small undulations in my property the 54" is better as I don't high center on slight uneven place around the yard. Bottom line is the zero turn is a dedicated mowing machine, all others are compromises unless you go to a tractor and a rear mounted mower. The zero turn will still give a better cut and diesel is the answer.

 

[phiferpharm]

Sorry if what I said was unclear. There's plenty of advice here about ZTR's even though the OP never said anything about what kind of property he will be mowing. We don't know if it's flat or hilly, rough or smooth, manicured lawn or overgrown corn stubble. I thought it might be helpful to say, "Well, doesn't it depend somewhat on just what the guy will be mowing?", before the ZTR stampede got completely out of hand.

The neighbor, by the way, has a very nice commercial ZTR, and it's definitely not underpowered. :thumbsup:

Having both a tractor and a ZTR, I'm with ya Grandad. Even when I had my Ferris, it is still better, in terms of getting the job done faster, to use my Kioti with my Bush Hog for the main majority of the mowing and the ZTR around the areas with trees.

 

[sweettractors]

We sell the Dixon ZTR. They invented the ZTR about 40 yrs ago. Shipping to IN is $100-$150. No sales tax. Call 270-524-0385 Mon-Fri-8-5 CST. Ken Sweet

 

[mowin]

I own a commercial lawn service and here are my thoughts. If the ground conditions are smooth, and you can mow at a good speed, the ZTR will reduce your mowing time.

I often get asked which is the best brand of commercial mower. My reply is always - Whichever dealer you are most comfortable with...... Most commercial mowers are high quality and have similar features.

For 5-8 acres, I would suggest at least a 60" and possibly a 72" if you can. Be prepared to pay $10-$15,000 for any of the good commercial brands.

I also own a Lawn care Co, and I agree with Completelawncare. Shop for the dealer first, then the mower.
I have a client with a weekend home that has a CUT with a 72" finish mower hanging of the back. It was taking him 3.2 hrs to mow his lawn. He got tired of spending his Saturday doing lawn care. It takes me 2.0 hrs to do his lawn with my 60" toro Zmaster.

 

[Grandad4]

Having both a tractor and a ZTR, I'm with ya Grandad. Even when I had my Ferris, it is still better, in terms of getting the job done faster, to use my Kioti with my Bush Hog for the main majority of the mowing and the ZTR around the areas with trees.

Thank you. Glad someone sees that point. Talk about leaping to conclusions, most everyone seems to be talking as if a ZTR is the only solution, and we don't have a clue what the property is like. ZTR is unbeatable on reasonably smooth surfaces, but some of us mow places with 6-12" ruts, humps and holes. Personally I'll take the tractor with the big R4's and a 6 ft cutter on rough ground like that.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

I have a Kubota ZD221. Wouldn't trade it for anything (except for a larger one). I mow the fields
for our farmer's market, the parking lot and the market field. Altogether about 8 acres every
week. It's much faster than using my B3030 with a 7 foot 3 point mower. It is, however, a little bumpy
ride.:confused2:

Bill

 

[mowin]

Thank you. Glad someone sees that point. Talk about leaping to conclusions, most everyone seems to be talking as if a ZTR is the only solution, and we don't have a clue what the property is like. ZTR is unbeatable on reasonably smooth surfaces, but some of us mow places with 6-12" ruts, humps and holes. Personally I'll take the tractor with the big R4's and a 6 ft cutter on rough ground like that.

Wait a minuet, Sounds like your leaping to conclusions by thinking he mows areas with 6-12" ruts. OP stated he has a 72" finish mower, so its far less of a leap to assume he's not mowing a field with 6-12" ruts with a finish mower.

I use my 60" Toro Z over my JD3320 with 60" bush hog for 2-3 acre fields as long as there not to brushy or full or ruts.

I also mow several 4+ acre lawn areas that are wide open. I guaranty I can mow those with my Z quicker than a CUT with a 72" deck.

 

[dbear]

I also own a Lawn care Co, and I agree with Completelawncare. Shop for the dealer first, then the mower.
...

I couldn't agree more. When I was looking at buying a ZTR, I looked online for what brands/models were out there, narrowed the list by local dealer availability, and then again by specific machine specs. After visiting the dealers on that list, some more than once, I was again able to pare that list down to only two dealers and two Zs. My final decision was based upon the dealer.

 

[Grandad4]

Wait a minuet, Sounds like your leaping to conclusions by thinking he mows areas with 6-12" ruts.

Not my words. I guess I've committed the unpardonable sin of pointing out that when you mow with a ZTR, you have to slow down on rough ground, and if it's too rough, maybe the ZTR isn't the best tool for the job. Since the OP hasn't gotten back with more about his property, I'll stick with that. Cheers.