Buying Advice Buying a Zero-Turn Mower

[ShowroomShine]

OK, dangerous idea, but let's forget money for a moment. I tell you I want to cut 6-7 acres of decent (not perfect) lawn around the house on my 25 acres. What are the specs that I should look for. I'm now thinking speed, steel grade, and mower width. Do weight and HP mean anything?

I have a number in mind that I'd like to stay under, but the main concern here is getting something that will cut the grass well. So try to set aside price and give me pointers, while keeping it to things that I need.

52/54" or 60", at least ZT3400 Hydros, No less than 25hp, roll bar. In my opinion, mowers today are overpowered. You dont need 35hp to run a 60" deck. I had a 52" deck commercial toro with a 19hp and it did the job just fine.

Seriosuly, 6-7 acres more than a few times a year you are needing commercial level. Ferris 600/700 are great machines. Also look for Deere 757's with the 7-Iron deck.

If you want good cut quality, but arent worried about striping or ruts in the grass a RFM would be best.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Heck, I'm SOLD on front mount decks for ride alone, let alone how much better you can see what the deck is going and get under bushes/branches ect...

Then there's accessories you can mount on the front too...

SR

 

[4570Man]

OK, dangerous idea, but let's forget money for a moment. I tell you I want to cut 6-7 acres of decent (not perfect) lawn around the house on my 25 acres. What are the specs that I should look for. I'm now thinking speed, steel grade, and mower width. Do weight and HP mean anything? I have a number in mind that I'd like to stay under, but the main concern here is getting something that will cut the grass well. So try to set aside price and give me pointers, while keeping it to things that I need.

I don't think HP is very important. Any good quality machine will have pretty suitable motor. Weight is good. A heavy mower is obviously heavier duty than a 400 pound mower. I really like my F-series Kubota which is front desk, but is too big for some of the small yards I cut. Although I have never used one a think a Grasshopper would offer the best of both worlds.

 

[4570Man]

Heck, I'm SOLD on front mount decks for ride alone, let alone how much better you can see what the deck is going and get under bushes/branches ect... Then there's accessories you can mount on the front too... SR

No kidding. Let's have have a contest to mow up under a bunch of trees with limbs touching the ground. SR and I will use our front decks, and you guys can use a ZTR. Next, let's blow snow, blow leafs, use a power sweep, and plow snow.

 

[DK35vince]

OK, dangerous idea, but let's forget money for a moment. I tell you I want to cut 6-7 acres of decent (not perfect) lawn around the house on my 25 acres. What are the specs that I should look for. I'm now thinking speed, steel grade, and mower width. Do weight and HP mean anything? .

My opinion, ZT 3400 or bigger transmissions
At least a 54", 60" deck. (I'm running a 35 HP with 72" deck for my 7 acres lawn)
At least 23-30 HP for the 54"-60" deck. 30-37 HP for a 72" deck.

I also mow with my Kioti DK 35 with an 84" rear finish mower, and it works well too.
But my zero turn ( 35 HP Hustler Super Z w/72" deck) will out mow it by a good bit.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have been in the lawn care business for 13 years now, and here is my advise for your 7 acres.

First of all, brand name is not that important. A good dealer that you are comfortable dealing with is more important than what brand you buy. You won't get any service and probably won't be able to get any parts from a big box store, so I suggest you stay away from that.

Speed is not that important either. In my experience, you just can't go full speed in very many cases. Your lawn would have to be extremely level, and have wide open spaces to go full speed. We very rarely have the chance to run a mower at full speed.

For 7 acres, I would suggest a 60" deck. I would also suggest a 'mid-grade' commercial mower from a local dealer. If you go with something used, try to find something with less than 1000 hours. I changed 2 engines in 2015 that had about 1200 hours on them.

Most major brands of mowers offer 'homeowner' models, some 'mid-grade' models, and some heavy duty 'commercial' models. I think the 'mid-grade' would fit your needs, but may be on the upper end of your budget.

Also, a 60" ZTR will cover as much or more ground per hour as a larger tractor, because of the reduced turning time. Especially when you have lots of obstacles, such as trees, driveways, buildings, etc.

 

[lutt]

I'm gonna chime in here, I'm on my second Kubota zero turn, ZG 222. First was the earlier version. It's a little small for your yard. But, I have helped mowed ten acres of cemeteries, my own family's three acre cemetery. Before I pastured my yard at home, 5 acres. One acre at my moms. It's a 48 inch cut commercial unit. Kubota cut is pretty good quality. Not the best, but I would put there unit against anyone's on durability and reliability. It's has a hydraulic lift foot pedal deck. A jack under the front chassis to raise the mower up to change blades. A wide serpentine automotive drive belt on the blades, pto shaft to connect motor to gearbox. Only one belt on the whole unit. The mower weighs 1168 pounds. Good canister style air filter. I guess what I am getting at is that I have mowed a lot of hours with these units for my own use. I have also run some residential z mowers. There is no comparison, I understand trying to save money, bout when it comes to something like a mower, they will nickel and dime you to death after the first few years if your lucky on the acerage you have. I am not pushing Kubota either. There is several good units at a better price point. I have had super good luck with them. Mowing harder than a lot of people that do it for a living. They are easy to service. Kubota has good financing also if needed. LUTT

 

[Blaneypark]

I don't know where you live in MI. But, I own a Lawn service business with my son. We have had Farris, Grasshopper and he found a Wright Stander. I fought it till I used one We have a 52 and a 61 Wright Stander. We mow 70 lawns a week. I wouldn'ttrade any mower for one of these. The closest dealer to us is in Fort Wayne In. That is over 500 miles away.. I need a part and I can call and have it in two days. We put over 200 hours a year on these mowers and have yet had to load one on the trailer because of a brake down. WE buy them used or a demo. Best mower I have found. Not all of our mowing are pretty lawns. Some are fields and there is no trouble getting the job done.

 

[Tompet]

48~50" fabricated deck. 10mph travel speed. 25 to 28 HP.

If you go bigger on the deck you need a dead flat lawn.

That points to the Ferris 600 or 700, or Simplicity Citation. I have the latter.

I agree with most of the advice about commercial vs the box store ztr's. AN rfm would be an option like the op stated. I have two Simplicity Citations, one with a Briggs and one with a Kawasaki commercial FX engine, both with mulching kits which I really like.

I see the new Citations are Briggs only.

Anyway, prior to the Citations I had a Simplicity Champion and I would suggest the op look at this model for price point. They now make two models of Champions both are upgraded from one I had. My dealer had them around $4200 and $4800 last year.

I'm just relating to brands I am familiar with and not claiming other brands don't have similar price point models that would also be of a similar capability / quality. The shocks on the Ferris and Simplicity z turns are nice.

Seven finished acres for the op is a lot of lawn and money spent now for time savings and durability would be worth a quality machine if budget allows. I know the op is not talking about the real low cost z turns, but I'll relate the following:

I have had people ask me about z turns and I tell them the prices and they might say that's too much or Lowes's has z turns for $2,200. I'll explain a little and then usually say if their budget is $1,500 to $2,500 they are better off buying the regular riding mower at Lowes or preferably I recommend the local dealer.

I said it to my neighbor this way. He had an old Cub Cadet (that he wound up nicely restoring) that belonged to his dad. He could not believe a z turn was $4,000-$5,000 or more for a decent grade. So I asked him what his dad paid for that Cub new in 1970-71. And he said it was around $1,000-1,100. Since my dad bought a similar one (I now use to pull trac vac). I had used an inflation calculator and told him that would be the same as you spending $5,000 or more now.

He went out and bought a decent JD from a dealer for around $4,200., that has and will serve him well. The point is at the time those old Cubs were the premium lawn tractor of the era and correlates in a way to these z turn costs now. And correlates that I must be older than I think I am!

But, IMO nothing beats the z turn. Although like Sawyer Rob and 4570man stated a front mount z turn could be the best...now those are expensive

 

[TSO]

I agree that brand names don't really matter on these machines.

Consider that most components are shared between the entire industry. Engines, pumps and hydro transmissions, belts, blades, rims and tires, seats... In reality you're buying each companies deck and frame design, and their ability to put all the common, shared parts together on their own frame.

I have a Hustler Super Z diesel 66". These run $12k-14k. I had been in the market and was finding alot of "entry commercial" options in 60" from all the major brands. Then I found this as a very low hour unit, got a great price, and jumped on it.

I like my Hustler, it cuts great and is very dependable. I cut about 5 acres of my own property, but I use it mainly commercially.

Several of my friends also have landscape companies. One friends cuts with a Scag Cheetah and it's nice also. Another friend cuts with eXmark and those, too, are nice. Yet another cuts with Gravely, and another with Bobcat (Ransomes) and those are nice also.

Honestly, any entry level commercial unit will be good. My neighbor burned up a new Husqvarna box-store ZTR in 2 years. If you sit on them and compare, you'll see the obvious differences between these box-store models and the commercial units.

When I was shopping, I found that for about $6k you could get a good entry level commercial 60" mower. And, most of them were offering 0% for 48 months, or low financing to 60 months.

 

[Kimber1911]

I have a John Deere z655 I bought about 4 years ago. It has been a very reliable machine. It has a 54" deck but I believe they make one with a 60". I paid about $5700 new if I remember correctly. It is something of a mix between homeowner and commercial, that is the level of machine I would be looking at.

 

[TJP89]

Thanks guys, this is more of what I'm looking for. As you might see, I'm not a name brand guy, I have a Kioti tractor. In addition, I don't even know what name brand is in ZTRNs (what is the "official" abbreviation for them anyway?). You guys have given me a lot of info to digest. I agree that lower level commercial is the way to go, or high level mid-grade. I will stay away from box store models. I want to stay new, but used may have to be an option.

If I'm right, the big thing with zero turns is the maneuverability, the speed and width are good, but the tight turns are what really speed up the mowing. So getting the fastest mower out there isn't necessarily a must, correct? I have another question. Do I need a 60" deck, or can I go down to 54"? I don't want to go any bigger than 60". The reason is my trailer is 5ft, with plywood sides on the inside, so to haul this I need a deck less than 60", or the deck will have to come off. Not a big deal, I'm not going to cause problems just so I can maybe haul the thing. But will a 54" significantly increase mowing time?

 

[4570Man]

Thanks guys, this is more of what I'm looking for. As you might see, I'm not a name brand guy, I have a Kioti tractor. In addition, I don't even know what name brand is in ZTRNs (what is the "official" abbreviation for them anyway?). You guys have given me a lot of info to digest. I agree that lower level commercial is the way to go, or high level mid-grade. I will stay away from box store models. I want to stay new, but used may have to be an option. If I'm right, the big thing with zero turns is the maneuverability, the speed and width are good, but the tight turns are what really speed up the mowing. So getting the fastest mower out there isn't necessarily a must, correct? I have another question. Do I need a 60" deck, or can I go down to 54"? I don't want to go any bigger than 60". The reason is my trailer is 5ft, with plywood sides on the inside, so to haul this I need a deck less than 60", or the deck will have to come off. Not a big deal, I'm not going to cause problems just so I can maybe haul the thing. But will a 54" significantly increase mowing time?

You better make sure that a 60" deck will fit on a 60" trailer. I honestly don't think there would be much difference in mowing time with a 54" vs 60" deck.

 

[TSO]

Thanks guys, this is more of what I'm looking for. As you might see, I'm not a name brand guy, I have a Kioti tractor. In addition, I don't even know what name brand is in ZTRNs (what is the "official" abbreviation for them anyway?). You guys have given me a lot of info to digest. I agree that lower level commercial is the way to go, or high level mid-grade. I will stay away from box store models. I want to stay new, but used may have to be an option.

If I'm right, the big thing with zero turns is the maneuverability, the speed and width are good, but the tight turns are what really speed up the mowing. So getting the fastest mower out there isn't necessarily a must, correct? I have another question. Do I need a 60" deck, or can I go down to 54"? I don't want to go any bigger than 60". The reason is my trailer is 5ft, with plywood sides on the inside, so to haul this I need a deck less than 60", or the deck will have to come off. Not a big deal, I'm not going to cause problems just so I can maybe haul the thing. But will a 54" significantly increase mowing time?

You likely won't be able to fit a 60" on a 60" wide trailer... Make sure you measure first.
Regarding speed, in order to go full speed, you'll need smooth ground. I think my ZTR will cut at up to 11 mph, but in reality there's only about 20% of my own yard where I can do full speed. There is a long, narrow spot of grass about 500' long X 60' wide (probably just under an acre) that I can cut at full speed. It takes me about 10 mins to cut. It's really a treat to mow that spot! The rest of the yard I'm probably averaging 7 mph. If I cut all of my grass at once (including around the house, by the street, around the trail, around the crop patches, etc... Totals about 6 acres) I can do it in about 2.5 hrs.

 

[TJP89]

You likely won't be able to fit a 60" on a 60" wide trailer... Make sure you measure first.
Regarding speed, in order to go full speed, you'll need smooth ground. I think my ZTR will cut at up to 11 mph, but in reality there's only about 20% of my own yard where I can do full speed. There is a long, narrow spot of grass about 500' long X 60' wide (probably just under an acre) that I can cut at full speed. It takes me about 10 mins to cut. It's really a treat to mow that spot! The rest of the yard I'm probably averaging 7 mph. If I cut all of my grass at once (including around the house, by the street, around the trail, around the crop patches, etc... Totals about 6 acres) I can do it in about 2.5 hrs.

I know for a fact that the inside of the trailer is less than 60' now. That's partly why I want to look into a 54" deck (the other reason in better maneuverability) Not a big deal, just another piece of info.

 

[davesl708]

I know for a fact that the inside of the trailer is less than 60' now. That's partly why I want to look into a 54" deck (the other reason in better maneuverability) Not a big deal, just another piece of info.

Most manufacturer spec sheets will give the overall dimensions of the deck and length of the mower.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'd MUCH rather have a wider deck and go slower than a narrower deck and go fast...

I do not find my 61" decks to be too wide for "some what" rough ground, my lawn sure isn't perfect, and I mow my lanes and around my orchard tree's with mine.

I LOVE my Grasshopper 61" front deck, the Kubota diesel, uses less fuel and will easily out last any gas motor...

SR

 

[4570Man]

I'd MUCH rather have a wider deck and go slower than a narrower deck and go fast... I do not find my 61" decks to be too wide for "some what" rough ground, my lawn sure isn't perfect, and I mow my lanes and around my orchard tree's with mine. I LOVE my Grasshopper 61" front deck, the Kubota diesel, uses less fuel and will easily out last any gas motor... SR

And those little diesels aren't very thirsty. My F-series will mow forever on a tank of fuel. These gassers are pretty thirsty. My F-series has a 60" deck and unless your yard looks like the side of the mountain it will be fine.

 

[ch1ch2]

I own and use a Troy Bilt, 52" deck, 22HP Kohler engine. I bought it a Lowes for $1700, 8 years ago.
I mow 2.5 acres around 40 times a year. It takes 4 hours to mow the full 2.5 acres, sometimes I just do about half of it.
The cut is great with new blades. As the lift on the blades wears down it does not throw the clipping as good and I have to mow slower.

It cuts as good or better than my NH33D with 6ft belly mower, and the blades are a lot cheaper.
I went through 4 other riding mowers before the ZTR.
In 8 years I have gone through 1 battery and 3 sets of blades. NO other issues!
I love it! I think a commercial unit would drive faster, and cut wider. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ShowroomShine]

At the end of the day, a 60" deck vs a 52/54" deck would only save you less than a dozen extra passes off your time. I did the math on my 3 acres, a 54" deck vs a 60" deck I'd have to do 8 extra passes at an average of 45seconds a pass.

52/54" wont scalp as bad.