Should I consider a diesel for residential?

[rerod]

This is a question I faced years ago when I bought a cummins.. I was told if I didn't tow allot, don't buy a cummins, but I bought it anyway only because it was a clean 97..

So back to the kubota diesel.. Ive seen a few, but figured any diesel after around 2000 had a bunch of emissions equipment on it like the trucks.. Is this the case? Sorry for a open ended question, but I don't even know if kubota used a turbo..

Thanks!

ZD1011 diesel Zero Turn 80 hours - $8,950​

 

[Hay Dude]

This is a question I faced years ago when I bought a cummins.. I was told if I didn't tow allot, don't buy a cummins, but I bought it anyway only because it was a clean 97..

So back to the kubota diesel.. Ive seen a few, but figured any diesel after around 2000 had a bunch of emissions equipment on it like the trucks.. Is this the case? Sorry for a open ended question, but I don't even know if kubota used a turbo..

Thanks!

ZD1011 diesel Zero Turn 80 hours - $8,950​

If it’s under 26 HP, it won’t have emissions equipment on it.
I purposely buy diesels, just feel like they run longer & stronger.

Your 97 Cummins won’t suffer the issues to the same extent the newer ones have because it has no emissions that need the extreme heat of hard towing to keep the emissions system clean

 

[CaptPat]

I've had many diesels over the years, with and without emissions equipment, experiencing trouble-free service. Just bought a new tractor with emissions equipment, I'm not worried about the technology as it has been around for a while and most of the early bugs have been worked out.

In terms of a zero-turn mower, any modern appropriate-sized engine will work just fine. A diesel will cost more the purchase and for residential use, it's benefits may not be realized. A matter of personal preference regarding what engine type to buy.

 

[WM75Guy]

I like my diesel mowers, but they have their place. Residential has a lot of variables. My residential mowing is 2 acres, some of it a little rough. I just bought my second diesel mower, a used F2560 72" front-mount, to go with my 60" ZD1211. Others might be mowing a 7000 square foot lot covered mostly by the house and driveway. For that an electric mower would work. I have an Oregan 16" 40-V battery powered mower for some finish work where neither the ZD nor the F will fit. It is faster than a weed-eater.

 

[Richard]

When I replaced my riding mower, I purposely looked for a diesel version. Don't have a particularly large yard.... but the real reason I wanted diesel was to simplify fuel. I wanted to get away from storing gas for mower and then diesel for tractor. By getting a diesel mower, I've gotten rid of any/all gasoline here except for the 2 1/2 jug that I use for the chainsaw & string trimmer.

 

[RjCorazza]

I bought a diesel zero turn years ago for my 6 acres, and considered it overkill at the time. I have since evolved to (2) diesel zeros and cut around 30 acres per week.
I could never go back to gasoline. Diesel fuel handling and storage is much easier, and the diesel engines will last a very long time.

 

[4570Man]

The zero turns don’t have emissions equipment. They didn’t start with that until maybe 2012 give or take and then they reduced the zero turns to 24.5 hp to make them exempt from having it. You don’t NEED a diesel zero turn but if you can afford it it’s nice. You’ll probably won’t use it enough for the longevity to matter but the diesel stores easier than gas. The diesel is a lot safer to transport and store and doesn’t have the shelf life problems gasoline does.

 

[rerod]

Thanks guys..

My lot is 1.2 rough acres and we mow it with a 48" craftsman.. The LT1000 is on it's last leg, so Ive been watching craigslist and fb and the kubota popped up.. Whats it worth?
My problem is when I find a mower I like, I have no idea what used value is, but prices seem so high, makes me think buying new is the way to go..

Really the only negative I can find with my diesel truck and probably a diesel ZT is the weight.. I almost buried the ram the other day and I know I wouldn't have had as much trouble if I was driving a 1/2 ton.

 

[WM75Guy]

My dealer just offered me $10,000 for my ZD1211 to trade for an F series, if that helps. Not bad for a mower I paid $14,000 for in 2015.

 

[Paystar]

I have 2 acres of finished lawn around my house. For years I used an MTD 824 Classic and 2 newer Craftsman lawn tractors to mow. For the same gallons of gas those 3 used to mow my lawn once, my Kubota B2620 diesel mows it 13 times.

 

[workinonit]

Any ZD above a ZD1211 will have DPF. My 1211 doesn't. A member on here, Browndog has 2 ZD1511s that do and I don't think he has had any issues with them. I too am in the camp that these add ons don't scare me. I have a JD 5090 with it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Kubota is coming out with a new ZD diesel zero turn next year.
You may want to consider waiting. They are supposed to have improved emissions systems.

Maybe the current/older versions will be going on sale.

 

[5030]

When I replaced my riding mower, I purposely looked for a diesel version. Don't have a particularly large yard.... but the real reason I wanted diesel was to simplify fuel. I wanted to get away from storing gas for mower and then diesel for tractor. By getting a diesel mower, I've gotten rid of any/all gasoline here except for the 2 1/2 jug that I use for the chainsaw & string trimmer.

Diesel gets stale as well and it costs appreciably more to boot. If I were you, I'd be using canned gas in your wacker and chainsaw as pump gas mixed with oil goes bad pretty quick as well. Canned gas like Echo Red Armor, or Stihl and Tru-fuel when unopened and in the original can sealed, will last up to 5 years and remain perfectly good. Because I use my brush trimmer and chain saws infrequently, all I run is canned gas which isn't really gas at all but an akalyate compound plus it has already added, the correct mix ration of JASO all approved 2 stroke lubricant so no guessing about mix ratio's and possibly engine damage. All 2 strokes are touchy about mix ratio's anyway. I don't take chances as my saws (I have 4) and my weed trimmer were expensive to begin with.

Running a diesel on a suburban small yard is gross overkill for a number of reasons, mainly up front cost. That and the 'status symbol that I have the funds to buy one so, what.. You won't find commercial lawn services running many diesel powered mowers because of the high initial cost. They aren't a viable tool (profit maker versus cost up front) for them.

 

[RjCorazza]

Thanks guys..

My lot is 1.2 rough acres and we mow it with a 48" craftsman.. The LT1000 is on it's last leg, so Ive been watching craigslist and fb and the kubota popped up.. Whats it worth?
My problem is when I find a mower I like, I have no idea what used value is, but prices seem so high, makes me think buying new is the way to go..

Really the only negative I can find with my diesel truck and probably a diesel ZT is the weight.. I almost buried the ram the other day and I know I wouldn't have had as much trouble if I was driving a 1/2 ton.

View attachment 822191

That zd1011 may be a (little) high, but considering the hours it's certainly in the ballpark. A well used zd1211, 326 or 331 would fetch between $7000 - $7500 with high hours.
Another plus for the zd's is that you may be able to cut your lawn all season without refueling. I get around 24 acres (conservatively) with full tanks on my zd326 and 1211.

 

[mikester]

Diesel gets stale as well and it costs appreciably more to boot. If I were you, I'd be using canned gas in your wacker and chainsaw as pump gas mixed with oil goes bad pretty quick as well. Canned gas like Echo Red Armor, or Stihl and Tru-fuel when unopened and in the original can sealed, will last up to 5 years and remain perfectly good. Because I use my brush trimmer and chain saws infrequently, all I run is canned gas which isn't really gas at all but an akalyate compound plus it has already added, the correct mix ration of JASO all approved 2 stroke lubricant so no guessing about mix ratio's and possibly engine damage. All 2 strokes are touchy about mix ratio's anyway. I don't take chances as my saws (I have 4) and my weed trimmer were expensive to begin with.

Running a diesel on a suburban small yard is gross overkill for a number of reasons, mainly up front cost. That and the 'status symbol that I have the funds to buy one so, what.. You won't find commercial lawn services running many diesel powered mowers because of the high initial cost. They aren't a viable tool (profit maker versus cost up front) for them.

Gas gets stale too, especially the ethanol crud which is the only stuff available in my area. Personally speaking I've had less issues with diesel. I would go diesel for a small yard if I had access to good diesel.

Note for the OP - the diesel machines are HEAVY and VERY FAST. Expect lawn tear up if you aren't careful.

 

[5030]

Note for the OP - the diesel machines are HEAVY and VERY FAST. Expect lawn tear up if you aren't careful.

...and cost 2 to 3 times as much as a comparable gas powered unit.

 

[oldballs]

Are gasoline powered lawn mowers louder than a comparable diesel powered lawn mower? Seems like it to me. It seems like the gas powered varieties are screaming loud to do the job. Just wondering....

Cheers,
Mike

 

[5030]

Kubota is coming out with a new ZD diesel zero turn next year.
You may want to consider waiting. They are supposed to have improved emissions systems.

Maybe the current/older versions will be going on sale.

Sale in the current inflationary economy is a very relative term. Everything is 'on sale' but the cost is higher than the pre-sale price....

 

[2manyrocks]

I would expect the diesel engine to outlast the rest of the mower. As sorry as the gasoline engines are today, it could be the higher cost of the diesel engine will be partially offset by increased reliability. I suspect retailers are pushing towards battery powered mowers because they hope to sell a lot of expensive replacement batteries, and the relative cost of gas mowers will go up in the future. I could foresee a diesel mower lasting 20 years and who knows what the options will be then?

 

[JJT]

My 25 year old diesel mower has at least another 25 years of life left. My gas mowers would last 10 - 12 year before they became money pits. I'm mowing 3 - 4 acres weekly for a 6 - 7 month mowing season. I'd never go back to gas. No repairs, just regular maintenance, new blades every 5 years and a couple of batteries. With the gas mower I was burning 5 gallons a week, with the diesel it's less than 2 gallons a week.