Time to mow an acre. Zero-turn vs Tractor

[WranglerX]

My wife or myself mow about 3 acres with JD LS120 riding mower.... I still do it even since I bought my tractor and even contemplated getting 60 inch rear rotary, which after a lot of though seem very impractical..... Much will depend on terrain you will be mowing.... Cow pasture, sure get rear rotary (brush hog) for meadow land maybe riding mower might be appropriate, manicured lawn, Zero turn.... My opinion which probable matters little is a riding mower for my particular use.... ITs fita all my needs cah cut heavy stuff with some care, worket well in meadow area, and super on lawn areas.... One secret is horse power and another secret is "blades" (quality and sharp)...

Dale

 

[Fuddy1952]

I have 3 mowers and 2 tractors (+ bunch of trimmers, walk behind mowers, etc). Two zero turn Cub Cadets (RZT & Z-Force).
Everything has it's purpose. I like mowing.
If I just had grass to cut, one mower, for the money I'd just have the RZT. The Z-Force does a nicer looking job, throws grass farther (no piles of grass)...but it's slower than the Z. One tractor I just put the belly mower on towing a Trak Vac 880 for the loads of leaves we have...works well.
If you have lots of other tasks to do, a small tractor makes more sense. Just mowing grass I'd get a zero turn.

 

[dodge man]

It sounds like you could use a tractor. If you get a tractor you can start out with just the mower and end loader and something for ballast. Then add implements later. For reference my tractor, a John Deere 2025r, FEL, pallet forks, loaded rear tires(ballast), and 60” mid mount mower was $21k out the door. That money will but a very high end commercial grade zero turn. Half that money will get a really nice zero turn. As already pointed out, they only mow.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A zero turn mower is a one trick pony, and does that trick very well.

Well, my "one trick pony" has more than one trick, that it does "very well".

I have a snow blower for my zero turn and it really does that very well too!

There are several other attachments for my zero turn too, and they are quite easy to put on and take off, so I wouldn't call zero turn mowers one trick ponys at all, you just have to choose the right zero turn in the first place!

SR

 

[Fuddy1952]

Well, my "one trick pony" has more than one trick, that it does "very well".

I have a snow blower for my zero turn and it really does that very well too!

There are several other attachments for my zero turn too, and they are quite easy to put on and take off, so I wouldn't call zero turn mowers one trick ponys at all, you just have to choose the right zero turn in the first place!

SR

Very nice! I bet it wasn't cheap!
My Cub RZT50 I got on sale for $2K...but I'm cheap .

 

[KennK]

Another thing to consider is tractor HEIGHT. If the property has trees, a larger tractor may be too tall to get under tree branches.