Comparing 3 Zero Turn Mowers

[om21braz]

IMO, a used (sub 1000 hour) Exmark, Skag, Wright or other COMMERCIAL zeroturn with a 60-72" deck will probbaly outlast most of the residential units and need less maintainance.
I would avoid Huskvarna zeroturns if possible because (in my experience) they aren't as good as Exmark ones.
Look for a welded deck (not formed), separate pumps and wheelmotors, a liquid cooled engine (if possible, they are quieter and will last longer) and a good local dealer.

Aaron Z

+1 Unless you are not prepared to buy from an individual, there are many "bargains" on the used commercial ztr market today. A good used commercial ztr will outlast and require fewer repair dollars than a couple of the lower end units.

 

[MoKelly]

I think your thought process is very good and you are on the right track. There are as many opinions on the best machine as there are machines.

One thing I look for is how easy/simple the periodic maintenance is on the machine ... oil/filter changes, hydro changes, belts replacement, blade access for sharpening ... etc. Easy to access areas make sthe maintenance so much more fun and enjoyable.

Also, a dealer is more useful if you ever have issues. Home Depot will not be much help in this regard.

Good luck.

MoKelly

 

[Brokermike]

after much research I just bought a Toro Titan ZX4820. You might check out the ZX line, same welded deck upgraded hydro units (but not the 3100s in the MX) and no rubber seat suspension. However, 1k less and a great warranty

 

[probolpher]

I am going through the exact same process this week. I started out trying to get a mower that will mow my lawn. I just bought a Kubota B2920 with belly mower and backhoe.

The problem is that I have lots of backhoeing to do and do not want to keep taking the backhoe off to mow the lawn. So I decided to start looking at cheap zero turns to mow the 2 acre lawn and use the tractor to backhoe. When I am done with the backhoeing, I will mow the remaining 10 acres with the tractor. However, after the Toro guy told me how crappy the low end zero turns are he now has me convinced to spend up into the 4-5k range because I can see myself using it more than just mowing the lawn. In addition, I want my 9 year old to help me mow this year and he is too little to use the tractor on the many hills that we have. Our lawn with many shrubs would be perfect for a zero turn.

After reading a bunch of posts, now it looks like most of the stuff is junk unless you end up getting into the 6500 range which is more than I want to spend considering I just spent 27K on a tractor in February. Plus I'm pretty sure my wife will think I am insane.

 

[dan daly]

I went price shopping for the MX5480 today. Ended up getting an agreement form a dealer to sell for $5740 which is about $600 less than MSRP. Of course, I also need the bagging system, the finishing deck kit (required for the bag), weights (required for the hills I'll be doing and recommended for use with the bag anyway), and bumper (required for the weights). All those accessories add up to $800. So that puts me back around $6500 for the whole kit and kaboodle. I've got some stuff to do early in the morning, if I get things done in a timely manner, I'll be able to get over to the dealer and close the deal. If not tomorrow, then Monday, but hopefully tomorrow.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I'm also looking for a zero turn at the moment. We've got a Kubota ZD326 at the farm and I'll probably get another for around the house but today I stopped in by a Country Clipper dealer and took a test drive on the Jazee Pro with 60" deck. It had a Kohler 27 hp Courage Pro engine although it also comes with 22 hp Kawasaki. The thing that I liked about it was that it didn't come with 2 handles, it came with joystick steering on the right hand side. I found that joystick pretty easy to handle and it left your other hand free to fend off low branches, hold your cold drink and the like. It was pretty novel and I was quite impressed with it.

The asking price was $6500 but when we had finished talking he'd come down to $6000. As I said, I'll probably still go with a diesel but if I was in the market for a gas ZTR, the Jazee Pro would be on my list.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My friend has been looking at Dixie Chopper, Bad Boy and now Gravely. He liked the Dixie Chopper but not the price. Now he says that the Gravely seems to have all the wanted features at a much lower price. Check those out before you buy. I dont have any recommendation on any particular brand, just an observation.

 

[om21braz]

My friend has been looking at Dixie Chopper, Bad Boy and now Gravely. He liked the Dixie Chopper but not the price. Now he says that the Gravely seems to have all the wanted features at a much lower price. Check those out before you buy. I dont have any recommendation on any particular brand, just an observation.

IMHO the Gravely looks to be the better engineered and finished machine.

 

[Gizmo2]

I would look at ex mark before you buy they are very good tractors and very little problems. One thing about zero turns if you have never used one they are very dangerous going down hills more so if wet.
I cut about 5 ac. the only thing I don't like is they can bounce some, you can cut so fast that I want to just get it done, I guess I should just go a little slower.

I don't know about dangerous but you will definitely have an experience you won't forget. We mow about 6 acres and some of which is very hilly, change the tires. See post #4 http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/general-lawn-garden/206133-better-tires-zero-turn.html

 

[Redneck in training]

Not all ZTRs are created equal. We have Grasshopper with front mounted 62" deck. It is very stable on any hill you can walk on. We move dam of our pond that is about 40 - 45 deg steep. I can go only downhill because of lack of traction going up. I usually mow diagonally to have less number of runarounds.
We bought it used for $7000 in 2004. We mow about 8 ac and put about 250 hours on the mower per year. The machine itself was quite reliable except the Kohler engine. I had to change the generator that was badly corroded, one valve seat got lose and required head repair, it had oil leak requiring to reseal the engine halves and the last engine issue was faulty ignition module. I also replaced the electric clutch few years back. All repairs together cost about $1000 over past 7 years. The mower has about 2000 hours now.