Comparison 50" used Zero Turn vs Tractor with 60" finish observations

[cphilip]

I tried cutting my larger yard with both. Just once so far. It actually wasnt worth it. The paths I had to then follow with the ZTR after mowing what I could with the grooming mower and tractor took up more time than I though they would. I have too many trees to really use the grooming/finish mower on that area. It has its places. But in that role, of dual cutting, the Toro really is best. The Toro is 54" and the Finish is 60". No real advantage all things considered.

 

[TractorGuy]

Got rid of my 50" zt last year and replaced it with a 72" rear discharge finish mower. Already had the tractor. Don't miss the zt at all.

 

[Will_C]

They both have their place. First tractor I bought was a BX. I used it for everything on my 2.5 acres and my mother's 2 acres. I used it for 8 years and bought a 52" zero. Cut mowing time dramatically-from 1.5 hours at my mothers to 1 hour.
I bought 9 acres and then bought a B2620. I mow 6 acres of that with the zero and 3 acres with an old 60" mower behind the tractor-that 4 acres is too rough for a zero. Each takes me about 2 hours.

Bottom line is a tractor is the choice if you can only have 1 machine. If you have lots of relatively smooth mowing, the zero is a worthwhile addition to save time, and I suspect wear on the tractor-my zero cost $7200 and the my tractor and FEL was $15,500.

Will

 

[Texasmark]

My lawn is moderately hilly, about 5 acres, trees here and there.

Tractor is a Mahindra 25horse diesel new with a very used Italian 60" side discharge finish mower.

Zero Turn is a Toro 725 cc Zero Turn that is very used.

Advantages of Tractor.
Nice seat, hydrostatic foot control, straight line speed, 4 wheel drive option, quieter than the zt, less bumpy ride, diesel doesn't go bad like ethanol does, tractors are very handy for a lot of jobs, the tractor feels less stressed than the zt while mowing, In a straight line in 2wd the tractor feels like it would win a race. I have not verified speed though, you're further away from the grass clippings, seems to use less diesel than the zt does gas.

Disadvantages of Tractor
Tree limbs that you can run into because you're up high, not as tight of a turn, you sometimes twist your head to see where the mower is, a new tractor does cost more $.

My Toro ZT is used and I just got it. The maintenance was not kept up on it. It struggles to go up hill and it has difficulty turning right. I'll take it to a dealer and have a tune up done on it when time allows. It beats on you when the ground turns rough. It feels like only the right tire pulls hard while the left tire doesn't pull very hard.

I can see that if you have a properly running zt that it would be great on a lawn that has obstacles.

I would take a tractor with a finish mower in a second if there's not many obstacles.

Won't bore you with what I have gone through in the past 40 years but my current, favorite mower, out of the 10ish active mowing devices of tractor driven shredder; tractor driven 3 blade, 4 wheeled finish mower; conventional riding mower; and 3 ZTS on the place, is a 61" Ferris ZT with a 52" sun shade attached to the ROPS bar with my add ons: soft springs and soft riding tires.

On width, 61 vs 52 is noticeable, as is ground speed. The Ferris is fast and wide. I do have a variety of terrains and do use other mowers for specific mowing like my yard, mowing around my pond at the water line, mowing grown up pasture.

I no longer have the tractor mounted finish mower. I bought it years ago for my yard and the problem I had with it was in turns. Sticking out the rear, any turns around any kind of an obstacle, meant that rear.....where the mower is located, would swing wide and bump into things. On mowing anything other than the lawn, it just bounced over the ground if you were going any speed at al......useless.

My Ferris mows better running fast than slow. Compare it to an automobile on a bumpy road. Go slow and you feel every bump. Go fast and the suspension system absorbs the shocks. Add to that the fact that turns are a no brainer and you don't waste time making loops and all in getting the tractor lined back up or having to come back and X the field to pickup the missed grass in corners and all. On slopes you are low to the ground so you don't worry about roll-overs.

 

[jhasafety1]

I have both, use zero turn for speed and ease of use. Considering going back to tractor for open field use while wife mows trees and house areas with zero turn. I agree with the others if only getting one go for the tractor. That's how I started.

 

[varmint]

If your yard is sort of rough, like ours, a finish mower doesn't leave a good cut, and with various buildings, trees, shrubs, wood piles and other obstacles, takes forever. I settled on a commercial grade Cub Cadet ZT, but only a 48" deck, so it handles bumps and dips pretty well, without scalping or leaving high areas, and sure is quick to zip around the obstacles. (I found a super clean used one, with only 155 hours, for $3250, so the choice was simple.)
If you have a large, open and smooth lawn, then maybe the RFM is great. On the other hand, can't imagine getting along without a tractor for heavy work and hauling stuff. Tough choice, if that's what it boils down to!