Cub Cadet Steering Wheel Zero-Turn

[TractorGuy]

Long before the zero turn was conceived they had front mount mowers with steering wheels. They still make them but the cost is beyond most home owner uses.

I bought a John Deere F725 project a few years back. I got two of them with one being a parts mower and the running one needing a deck. One is a 93 and the other was a 96. Both had 54" decks. The guy told me he had a like new deck to go with it that I didn't see until I went to pick them up and it turned out to be a deep deck from a zero turn or some other model that didn't use a gearbox. I adapted it anyway and have been very disappointed with the cut quality but I love the way the mower drives. It's as close to a zero turn as you can get without being one. It will easily spin around to make a connected pass without having to back up and doesn't tear up the grass doing it. I like how the deck protrudes out the left side and forward. Makes it easy to get under trees and brush. It also has a differential lock if you get into a low traction situation you can lock that and make both drive wheels pull. These are powered by 20 HP liquid cooled Kawasaki engines. If I don't find something better I plan to fabricate a deck for it some day.

I had a Craftsman zero turn before and I hated every minute of it. It blew dirt out the front which blew back and covered me up. The wife attempted to drive it and couldn't get the hang of the lap sticks. Her first try on the JD she wasn't impressed but after getting back on a regular lawn tractor then back to the JD she too fell in love with the power steering and agility of the mower.

 

[Mat4644]

I've had such a bad experience with upscale MTD equipment that I avoid any of the new lines.

 

[zuren]

Long before the zero turn was conceived they had front mount mowers with steering wheels. They still make them but the cost is beyond most home owner uses.

I bought a John Deere F725 project a few years back. I got two of them with one being a parts mower and the running one needing a deck. One is a 93 and the other was a 96. Both had 54" decks. The guy told me he had a like new deck to go with it that I didn't see until I went to pick them up and it turned out to be a deep deck from a zero turn or some other model that didn't use a gearbox. I adapted it anyway and have been very disappointed with the cut quality but I love the way the mower drives. It's as close to a zero turn as you can get without being one. It will easily spin around to make a connected pass without having to back up and doesn't tear up the grass doing it. I like how the deck protrudes out the left side and forward. Makes it easy to get under trees and brush. It also has a differential lock if you get into a low traction situation you can lock that and make both drive wheels pull. These are powered by 20 HP liquid cooled Kawasaki engines. If I don't find something better I plan to fabricate a deck for it some day.


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I had a Craftsman zero turn before and I hated every minute of it. It blew dirt out the front which blew back and covered me up. The wife attempted to drive it and couldn't get the hang of the lap sticks. Her first try on the JD she wasn't impressed but after getting back on a regular lawn tractor then back to the JD she too fell in love with the power steering and agility of the mower.

I have been lightly looking at the front mower options. My friend has one...some Kubota diesel commercial unit he fell into and seems to like it. My problem with them is the length. A ZT or lawn tractor with a mower deck underneath is a small footprint in my smallish pole building. I hate having to decide on priorities!

 

[TractorGuy]

I have been lightly looking at the front mower options. My friend has one...some Kubota diesel commercial unit he fell into and seems to like it. My problem with them is the length. A ZT or lawn tractor with a mower deck underneath is a small footprint in my smallish pole building. I hate having to decide on priorities!

Maybe you need a Grillo Climber?

 

[zuren]

Maybe you need a Grillo Climber?

I like the idea/design, but I don't see any US dealers.

 

[cpayne5]

I know this is an older thread, but I was hoping to get long-term feedback on those who have been using the Cub Cadet ZTs with a steering wheel (Syncro-Steer)?

I have a larger garden tractor with loader (Power King 1618) that is my one and only tractor and mower. A more modern ZT would probably reduce my mowing time by 40%, and the wife would feel comfortable using it but she is intimidated by the lap bar zero turns. A ZT with a steering wheel would be a happy compromise. This won't be an immediate purchase, but I'm researching the Cub Cadet Pro Z 100 and 500 series units with a 54" deck.

I'm wondering if the Syncho-Steer mechanism has proven to be reliable?

Thanks!

I have a Pro Z 154S. Bought it in March 2017 and have about 100 hours on it. No issues.

CC calls the 100 series commercial, but I would consider it light commercial. It's very well built, but when you go look at the 500, 700, or 900 series you realize just how heavy duty those machines are. Anyone who calls all Cub Cadet machines big-box-quality has obviously never set foot in a Cub Cadet showroom and laid eyes on those machines. It's a foolish statement.

As for the steering wheel, it attracted me because of the hills I have on my property. It's a billy goat with the steering wheel. I've had Scags before and the hills created some white-knuckle situations. The Cub with the steering wheel is smooth sailing across/up/down the hills. No problem.

If I didn't have hills, I wouldn't have got the S model. It's just not worth the premium. I had ideas of it being easier for my wife to drive, too, but after 100 hours, she probably has about 30 minutes of seat time on it. Ha!

In summary, no issues with my 100 series steering wheel model, and if it suits your needs, I'd recommend it. I'd buy mine again.

 

[Mat4644]

Cub calls these commercial mowers but I've yet to see a commercial mowing service ever use a Cub pro series. Strange as there are many commercial cutters in the towns and cities around me. Occasionally you'll see a home owner with one.

 

[cpayne5]

Cub calls these commercial mowers but I've yet to see a commercial mowing service ever use a Cub pro series. Strange as there are many commercial cutters in the towns and cities around me. Occasionally you'll see a home owner with one.

Market share does not determine quality. In our area, Kubota and Scag rule the landscaping market. They've had a stronghold for 20 years. Deservedly so, they both make great equipment. Ironically, I did see a landscapers trailer loaded with CC equipment today. I noticed it because it was different.

I'd recommend you go take a look at the 700 and 900 series at a Cub dealer. Check out some Youtube videos, if you don't want to make the drive.

I understand the negativity surrounding Cub. I had a bad experience myself with a past mower, but I've been pleasantly surprised with my 154S and with what I've seen with the other machines in the showroom.

 

[nh15201]

I won't repeat my post on another CC mower thread here. But I bought my wife a 2021 Cub Cadet 560 KW S (the baby of the PRO commercial Cubs). Several landscapers run these ZT Cub with the steering wheels in our area - see them almost everyday in the mowing season. When I was looking to pull the trigger on a new mower for her - I spoke to some of these guys and their universal opinion was that with the hills and slopes that they mow - they would keep mowing with them, since they were much better on side cutting slopes than any of their standard ZT mowers. They felt that they had their place in the lineup but most ran at least 2 mowers, with one being the standard ZT for non sloped or flat land mowing. These guys mow grass whenever it's not raining and mow wet or dry - time is money. I deal with two different Cub Cadet / Stihl dealers and talked to both of them and more importantly - went back and talked to the mechanics. I get the dealer up sale talk on the features and durability of the PRO series mowers - but even the mechanics had nothing negative to say about what they had seen in maintenance or warranty with any of the PRO mowers - that says a lot in my book. Stock on the 2021 models in our area is patchy - suffering from supply chain issues with new production - but we found the last PRO 560 w/ 60" deck and had it delivered the same day. My wife buzzes our 2 1/2 acre yard in no time, even though she is still learning. She mows the back of our PA sand mound that is +25% grade wet or dry without a wheel slip - comfortably and safely and that is good enough for me. I do all my own maintenance and have already added the new Cub parts (like belts, blades, and oil filters) to my **** retentive maintenance parts. I was most impressed with the build quality on the PRO series, the Kawasaki twin engine and the Parker hydro pumps. One of our friends locally has had a 560 KW S for several years now and has had zero problems. Good maintenance and mowing practice will extend the life of any lawn equipment in my book. Now that my wife (now happily retired I might add) is taking over the mowing on our "good" yard - I have more time to spend on my 1969 and 1972 John Deere H3 140 garden tractors and getting a few more buildings built lol.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
I recently purchased a 2021 Cub Cadet Pro Z 560 S after extensive research and demo’s on my property.

I’m extremely happy with this mower.

Mike