Zero turn vs. 4X4 tractor for mowing

[ETD66SS]

For the past ~10 years I have been using my Ford 1620 HST 4x4 with 60" 914 deck to mow about 7 acres. I'm at the point now where I don't look forward to mowing due to many mower deck breakdowns (tractor is great) along with the the time required to mow all 7 acres. It basically kills one whole day of my weekend. I think the top speed of the 1620 in MED gear (fastest I can go due to blade speed and cutting) is something like 1.5 mph.

I have been hesitant to get a zero turn due to the fact I have a decent strech of mowing along ditches & pond banks (~1200ft of pond banks, ~ 1000ft of ditches), where sometimes it can be a bit wet. I have never gotten my 1620 stuck to the point I needed another piece of equipment to pull it out. The rest of the mowing is very flat.

I have been looking at thie Ferris mower: Ferris 5902073

I assume my cutting time will decrease, but it also seems like I am going to not be able to cut some areas, especially on the steep ditches?

 

[2manyrocks]

Depends on how steep and how the wetness affects traction.

Cub Cadet makes a line of zero turns with front wheel steering for slopes as well as another line that have decent slope mowing capacity. Not sure if you'd want to change out the turf tires for higher traction ones....

I suppose someone will ask why you don't buy a new rear PTO finish mowing cutter if everything else is working for you except for mower breakdowns? 7 acres is a lot of mowing any way you look at it. In most instances, cutting width determines mowing speed because you can only travel so fast on slopes without increasing the risk of rollover.

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

www.landscapecalculator.com

Another potential option to consider is one of the Power Tracs like the PT 425. T8 Class But it will take a lot of time to cut 7 acres with only a 4' cutter.

A zero turn can save time because it is easier to mow around obstacles, but if you are mowing open areas, cutting width is still going to be the primary factor in reducing your mowing time.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I had a Gravely front mount zero turn in the past that did a good job on slopes (Grasshopper example below). It did much better on slopes than a traditional mid-mount like that Ferris. It felt more planted than my 1025R on the slopes and had decent traction with the bar tires. Unless I actually got almost IN the pond I was usually ok. It probably would not do as good as a 4x4 tractor with ag tires though. You can get them with from I think a 48" deck up to a 72". It will save you lots of time. I would absolutely have another one if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Don't forget about the zero turn JD F1445 series 4x4 if needed too that is what I have after getting stuck a few times with the 2wd model. I cut our approx 7 ish acres in about 4.5 hrs when I am in a hurry (usually always). I like having the mower deck in front of me to get around trees bushes etc.

 

[scootr]

I would consider a new PTO flail mower for the tractor before a ride on mower just for the ride comfort.

 

[WinterDeere]

With your sort of acreage and conditions, I'd be looking at a 72" zero turn for more quickly banging out the less-soggy areas, and reserving the 1420 for the few areas where the ZTR will get itself stuck.

Yeah... two machines, but your mowable area is large and varied. Maybe the nasty areas can be left for every 2nd or 3rd weekend, meaning you're just using the ZTR every weekend.

 

[newkiotiguy]

It felt more planted than my 1025R on the slopes and had decent traction with the bar tires.

View attachment 3480181

Bar tires are the only reason we can mow our property with a zero turn. Was going to sell it before changing to them. Now we never lose traction

 

[sklunk]

Don't forget about the zero turn JD F1445 series 4x4 if needed too that is what I have after getting stuck a few times with the 2wd model. I cut our approx 7 ish acres in about 4.5 hrs when I am in a hurry (usually always). I like having the mower deck in front of me to get around trees bushes etc.

This. The 4x4 Deeres are pretty strong ....

Or you can look at an Altoz. This is the ride-on but they make a stand-on too (standing might be good for along the pond banks):

Altoz TRX Series | The World's First Tracked Zero Turn Mower

The Altoz TRX has big features and even bigger benefits. Get the most from your tracked, all terrain zero turn mower. Explore the lineup!

altoz.com

Or if you have a big checkbook look into a Ventrac or Steiner (also branded as the Bobcat AT450 since they now own them). You can get them with dual wheels and can even add remote control so you don't need to ride it on the banks!

 

[WinterDeere]

Two comments:

1. I'm not sure I'd want to pursue a ZTR that is specially configured to handle steep and wet conditions, if it means it's going to be much more expensive or any slower over the rest of the property. I'd rather have maximum speed over 90% of the property from a regular ZTR, and just use the tractor for the few areas that can't handle.

2. I honestly don't understand any concerns with "steep". I get "soggy", ZTR's can get stuck easily. But I use my ZTR every week on hills I wouldn't even consider with my tractor. The center of mass on a ZTR must be no more than 18" above the ground, with a stance not much narrower than a CUT, they're way more stable on a hill than any CUT I've ever owned.

 

[2manyrocks]

Worth mentioning is many small gas engines are rated for no more than 15 degree slopes, some 20, before oil lubrication is an issue.

ZTR that use swivel caster front wheels can loose steering control if the ground is steep enough.

 

[Chewwy]

The OP indicated his current mowing speed is limited to 1.5 mph due to blade speed and cutting. That does not sound like he is mowing manicured golf fairways. Unlikely the referenced Ferris zero turn machine rated at 24 hp is going to cut significantly faster than his Ford rated at 26 hp, assuming the 30 year old Ford is still capable of that rating.

If it were me I would ditch the troublesome mid mount mower and get a 60 inch rotary cutter. They are much less $$s than the MSRP for the zero turn machine referenced.

 

[ning]

I can't help but ask: Do you really need to mow 7 acres every weekend?
Mow 1-2 ac around the house as often as you need for appearances, and hog the rest of it occasionally.

 

[WinterDeere]

ZTR that use swivel caster front wheels can loose steering control if the ground is steep enough.

This is definitely a problem when facing downhill on wet or damp grass, as all the weight transfers off the rear drive tires and onto the front swivels. But anyone who's used a ZTR more than a few times learns to plan their downhills accordingly.

In other words, don't go racing forward down a hill into a spot where you're going to need to make a sharp turn half way down. Either plan your path to make a mostly-straight pass, or back down the hill if sharp maneuvers are really required.

 

[WinterDeere]

The OP indicated his current mowing speed is limited to 1.5 mph due to blade speed and cutting. That does not sound like he is mowing manicured golf fairways.

I was wondering about this number as well, and suspect 1.5 is an underestimation. Perhaps he has a loader or backhoe mounted?

I can do 10 - 11 mph while mowing my lawn all day long on the ZTR, and it does bounce me around a bit, but nothing too terrible. I slow to round trees, and when crossing the driveway or any surface roots, but otherwise run flat out in the straight areas.

But when riding my tractor around the yard with the FEL and ballast mounted, I really can't do much over 3-4 mph without the whole rig bouncing around so bad that I'm convinced I'm going to break something. If I strip the FEL off the machine, I'm sure I could go a bit faster, but it's still a big, stiff, and heavy machine to be sporting around at 10+ mph on turf.

 

[ETD66SS]

The 1.5 MPH was a guess. I used to drive the tractor from my house to this lot when switching from snow plowing to mowing and sometimes had my Dad follow me. In high gear, he would say I was not even going 3-4 MPH. I don't see any published speeds for a 1620 HST. I mow in MED gear because any faster and the blade speed isn't fast enough to get a good cut without just folding the grass over. It's possible MED is 3-4 MPH, really can't remember.

And yes, this time of year I really do need to cut all 7 acres every weekend or it gets out of hand quickly. Later in the summer I can cut once every two weeks, sometimes I let it go three weeks. Though the first few weeks I can't cut everything as some areas are still too wet.

I'm building a house on this lot I mow right now: Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

I don't have the time to spend on mowing like I used to.

 

[tacticalturnip]

What about a SCUT like the Deere 1 series, Kubota BX, Kioti CS, or New Holland 25S?

I always enjoyed mowing with my 1025R.

 

[bigtiller]

I have a Deere ZTR 545R with a 60" deck. I use it for trimming on my 3~ acres. I wouldn't even consider using it to mow 7 acres.

Deere makes several front mount mowers to choose from. Duel wheels is an potion for bumpy, steep and slick areas, along with 4x4.

Another choice for the front mount mowers is the wide area mower (WAM) with up to a 10.5' wide folding deck...but that is very expensive.

 

[4570Man]

Two comments:

1. I'm not sure I'd want to pursue a ZTR that is specially configured to handle steep and wet conditions, if it means it's going to be much more expensive or any slower over the rest of the property. I'd rather have maximum speed over 90% of the property from a regular ZTR, and just use the tractor for the few areas that can't handle.

2. I honestly don't understand any concerns with "steep". I get "soggy", ZTR's can get stuck easily. But I use my ZTR every week on hills I wouldn't even consider with my tractor. The center of mass on a ZTR must be no more than 18" above the ground, with a stance not much narrower than a CUT, they're way more stable on a hill than any CUT I've ever owned.

With bar tires my Grasshopper zero turn would have easily mowed this hill. It was broke down and I borrowed my brother’s zero turn with worthless turf tires and it was sliding worse than a snow board. I have no idea why worthless turf tires are always the default option from the factory.

 

[WinterDeere]

Turf tires are default because they cause the least soil compaction and displacement in turf. It's a lawn machine, and those are the tires that are least damaging to lawn. That said, if most of my mowing were on extreme slopes, I'd go bar tires like you, still way better than mowing on a tractor.

I'm sure your bar tires have much better traction than my turf tires, but I'd also guess that different types of grass and weeds can be more or less slippery than others. That yard looks like it has a lot of weeds, and it's possible that broadleaf weeds are more slippery under a turf tires than 100% pure weedless tall fescue?

Slopes can be hard to judge in photos, but my entire back yard is one big hill, and then I have some really steep slopes leading up to one corner of the house, just like you do around that building. I have to watch it going down the hill toward trees when the grass is wet, choosing my track to not have to turn sharp at a tree, but never have issues when it's not wet.

Another factor is learning to always turn to face up the hill when making your k-turns at the end of each pass, when mowing side-slope. That's not always the direction of favorable exhaust chute, maybe blasting clippings across a nicely mulched garden, but you learn ways to compromise on that after a few mowings. I basically have to do that across my whole back yard every 2nd cutting, as I change the direction I'm striping with each mowing.

 

[Richard001]

Why mow 7 acers of land ? Rent out the land for a farmer to make hay on it. Problem solved.