Would a zero turn be faster than a B2601?

[Bob 123]

I have 3 acres to mow, i use a 60" mid mount mower on my B2601 it takes me about a hour 20 min to mow the yard. I have been told a zero turn could cut that time in half is that true?

When i mow i do not back up i mow at a angle to reduce the wasted time backing up.

Thoughts?

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have 3 acres to mow, i use a 60" mid mount mower on my B2601 it takes me about a hour 20 min to mow the yard. I have been told a zero turn could cut that time in half is that true?

When i mow i do not back up i mow at a angle to reduce the wasted time backing up.

Thoughts?

That's pretty quick for mowing with a B2601. I don't know how much faster the ZTR will be but I'm pretty sure it'll be a LOT faster than with a tractor. And the cut will be 10x better.

 

[SDT]

I have 3 acres to mow, i use a 60" mid mount mower on my B2601 it takes me about a hour 20 min to mow the yard. I have been told a zero turn could cut that time in half is that true?

When i mow i do not back up i mow at a angle to reduce the wasted time backing up.

Thoughts?

ZTRs are specifically designed to mow lawn type terrain and will nearly always do so in considerably less time than will CUTs/SCUTs with MMMs.

They will also beat you to death if the terrain is rough.

SDT

 

[DK35vince]

And the cut will be 10x better.

Can't say I agree with that. Depends on the deck.
I've owned zero turns, 3 point side and rear discharge mowers. My opinion the MMM I had on my old JD 850 ranked right up there with as good as if not better cut than any of them

 

[Smokeydog]

We like our 3pt mower. The reach under bushes, near the creek and some banks hard to do with other mowers. Also a smoother ride.

 

[seville009]

I do about three acres with my zero turn in about an hour. If the land was smoother, could do it in about 45 minutes. Have a Ferris diesel with suspension.

used to take me close to 3 hours with a 3 pt finish mower on the tractor.

both have (had) six foot mower decks.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

You can't lump all zero turn mowers together!

Some are faster, ride better and cut better.

My front deck Grasshopper rides good over rough ground and is pretty fast... I much prefer it over the other mowers I've owned or used.

You just can't buy a cheapo zero turn and expect the same results.

SR

 

[Monster5601]

I have 3 acres to mow, i use a 60" mid mount mower on my B2601 it takes me about a hour 20 min to mow the yard. I have been told a zero turn could cut that time in half is that true?

When i mow i do not back up i mow at a angle to reduce the wasted time backing up.

Thoughts?

According to the productivity charts, you would be mowing at around 6.5 MPH to cover 3 acres in 80 minutes figuring a 10% overlap. That's fairly aggressive. A zero-turn shines at its ability to navigate, for example, around trees. A zero-turn can also make a 180-degree turn. If what you mow lends itself to what a zero-turn provides then the simple answer is yes.

I mow just over 4 acres and it takes me about 2 1/2 hours on a good day. Obstacles such as trees, the number of 180 turns that need to be made, and how fast the ground lets me travel all play into this.

 

[RoyJackson]

IMHO, it depends on the size of the tractor and MMM (or RFM).
I mowed with a Deere 4400 and 72" RFM when we first bought the place in 2013. The lawn is 2½ acres ±. Although relatively flat and even though the RFM was a foot wider than the ZT deck, the ZT does the job a lot faster with minimal scalping

The 4400 is a CUT, but a pretty big CUT...a smaller tractor with a lower CoG would probably been faster

 

[Bob 123]

My yard is rough so you can't go but so fast.

I've been looking at the Kubota Z400 models since they come with 60" decks.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Decent zero turns cut 9 acres
In an hour. Tractors can't hang with that.

 

[DK35vince]

Decent zero turns cut 9 acres
In an hour. Tractors can't hang with that.

What ones can do that for under 30K + in less than perfect conditions

 

[2manyrocks]

There are various charts that compute how many acres per hour can be mowed given a specific cutting width and ground speed. This is one example.

Calculate Time Savings using Residential Commercial Grade Zero-Turn Mowers

www.countryclipper.com

The difficulty in calculating the efficiency of a ZTR vs a normal mower is in determining the effective ground speed of the ZTR because the ZTR is much more efficient at navigating obstacles.

If you put a ZTR and a normal mower in an open field, the mowing time should be relatively the same if they both have the same cutting width and ground speed.

But if you have a rough yard and can't go fast, and on top of that have a bunch of obstacles, then a ZTR is going to be faster.

 

[JWR]

Decent zero turns cut 9 acres
In an hour. Tractors can't hang with that.

Balloney. Unless that ZT has a 12 ft deck or greater...

 

[JWR]

My yard is rough so you can't go but so fast.

I've been looking at the Kubota Z400 models since they come with 60" decks.

Yes a ZT with the same size 60" deck will mow your lawn a little faster. Also get stuck much easier. Also rotten on rough or steep ground. Mowing yours in 1.5 hrs is quite good really. Unlikely worth a big investment to improve on it.

 

[DK35vince]

The problem with those mow charts is that is under perfect/ideal conditions.
Example, my Huster Super Z zero turn is 35HP with 72" deck.
Top mow speed is 14 mph. They claim that mower with a similar chart can mow 8.14 acres per hour.
If you can mow 14 mph without ever slowing for any turns, without ever slowing for trees, buildings or bumps. Full speed 14 mph flat out for 1 hours/ perfect conditions I suppose its possible.
Now throw in trees to mow around, bumpy areas, driveways, buildings, Etc. the best I've been able to do with that mower mowing as fast as I can on our property is 4 acres per hour or a bit under.
My average on the same property with the tractor and an 84" rear finish mower is around 2 1/2 acres per hour.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Balloney. Unless that ZT has a 12 ft deck or greater...

No, I'm fine with a 6' deck and a 34 hp kawasaki and you can bring a 15' bat wing and learn something.

 

[2manyrocks]

In a normal residential yard say of .5 to 1 acre with trees, flower beds, sidewalks, odd spaces, a ZTR will have better mowing efficiency than a riding mower of the same cutting deck size and ground speed. There's just less overlap and backing and turning to cut all the grass.

On 3 acres, one has to ask what terrain is involved. If it's essentially an open field, the efficiency differences are much less if we are talking about the same cutting deck size and ground speed.

 

[Hay Dude]

What ones can do that for under 30K + in less than perfect conditions

Maybe a soccer field in perfect weather 72” deck with new blades and the wind at your back lol

 

[Rdrcr]

It took me roughly 2 1/2 hours to mow around 3 acres on my property on my B2601 w/ 60” MMM.

With my Cub Cadet PRO Z 560S KW ZTR, I mow the same area in 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

The ZTR is faster, safer and more comfortable on my hilly property.

Mike