Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2 54" zero turn brief review.

[N80]

I bought this mower about 3 years ago and it was my first Z turn and really my first riding mower purchase of any sort. I think it was about $4000.

I got this particular model for the specs, price and availability at a local dealer/repair shop.

It is one step above their base homeowner lineup which is the ZT1 line.

You can see the specs on the Cub Cadet web site.

The standout specs for me are the 24 hp Kawasaki engine and the fabricated (not stamped) mower deck. That fabricated deck meant nothing to me when I bought it but it has proved to be very beefy, very durable and has good discharge.

I also like the 'exo-skeleton' design and the general lack of extraneous plastic crap all over the mower. It makes maintenance and cleaning very easy.

This unit gets pretty rough treatment. I have a 'lawn' area of less than an acre but then about 2-3 acres of not-quite-lawn but not-quite-field. The only care these areas get is mowing. Combination of 50% fescue and 50% weeds. These areas are rough. They also tend to have fire ant mounds. Mostly flat but some hills.

Cut quality is excellent in the 'lawn' areas even if the grass is deep. In the fields the cut quality is not as good especially with tall or wispy weeds as it leaves the stalks standing. Also, if the fescue has gone to seed stalks the cut is very poor and generally requires two passes to get all the missed stalks. I have heard this is true with most mowers so it may not be unique to this unit.

Power and handling have been fine for my needs. Seat is adjustable, has arms and is comfortable.

There have been three problems. One was my fault and one was someone else's (probably the dealer) and the third one is on Cub Cadet.

1. When I first got it the traction was terrible, slipping and sliding when turning even on flat dry ground. Just spinning tires on slopes. The problem was the tire pressure in the rear tires. It was at 35 pounds. It was supposed to he 10. At 10 traction is fine.

2. The blade belt kept coming off. I really thought I'd bought a dud. Took it back to the dealer and it never came off for him. The problem was that I was engaging the belt at mid throttle which just seemed like the right way. The manual says to engage at full throttle. Doing that, it has not been a problem since. I actually videoed belt engagement at half and full throttle. At full throttle it is violent but it snaps into place. At half throttle the belt flops all over the place.

3. The OEM blades that came on it were garbage. They cut just fine initially but they wore out fast. Chipped, scalloped and dished and they did not hit much other than grass. A few sticks and a few pine cones. I replaced them with a set of Cub Cadet 'sand blades' which have held up just fine. They have hit quite a few ant hills too. They need sharpening but otherwise have worn as expected.

Another related issue is that the hub on the spindles only accepts Cub Cadet brand blades which is pretty crappy of them. Fortunately the sand blades are good. If I ever need to replace a spindle I will replace all three with a standard blade mount spindle.

One thing I don't like is that it is hard to see how much fuel is left or when it is full when filling it.

Other than these minor issues there have been no mechanical or quality issues after 3 summers of mowing and it has been used hard and probably above its intended purpose. As a brand I am fairly impressed with Cub Cadet.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. This is for several reasons. The first is that I had no experience with zero turn mowers and just wasn't ready to spend a bunch on a commercial unit. Now that I know how useful they are and perfect for my purposes I would get a bigger unit with a bigger deck. That is no fault of this current unit. Second, the fields are bumpy. I would probably buy a unit that at least had suspension on the front caster wheels.

If I had a very large lawn and no fields to mow I would buy this unit again in a heartbeat. Even as is it is getting the job done just fine and nothing has broken.

Would I buy a commercial grade Cub Cadet? I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen a pro using Cub Cadet but based on my experience with this model I certainly might. Maybe this 60" model:

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Sounds about right. I have the ZTS 1, and love it. No issues with belt though.
I do like the front wheels not being caster style on mine. Kudos on the lack of plastic. I love that part as well. I did just order a pair of 3" seat springs ( fits an older Harley) to aid in ride. Cheap enough guess to a better ride.
If I had to buy again, like if mine was stolen, I'd go for a ZTS 2

 

[N80]

I noticed two appealing things in the ZTS video: Being able to drink while moving. Mine has a cup holder but it is hard to drink on the go because of the control bars. Also in the video the girl reaches up and moves a branch out of the way with one hand which would be nice.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I noticed two appealing things in the ZTS video: Being able to drink while moving. Mine has a cup holder but it is hard to drink on the go because of the control bars. Also in the video the girl reaches up and moves a branch out of the way with one hand which would be nice.

Agreed, especially lifting apple limbs out of the way.

 

[Runner]

N80, how is your seat switch? The one on my ZTXS5 is oversensitive to the point of annoyance.

 

[N80]

N80, how is your seat switch? The one on my ZTXS5 is oversensitive to the point of annoyance.

It is a bit too sensitive. Even if I lean over a little it starts to cut the engine. But, it hasn't really caused me any problems.

 

[Thall303]

The Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2 54" Zero Turn is a powerful, durable mower designed for a smooth, efficient cutting experience. With a 23 HP Kawasaki engine and a 54-inch deck, it delivers exceptional performance for larger lawns, offering a comfortable and precise ride with a premium, user-friendly design. Just like choosing the right car in Asphalt 8 the best racing performance, selecting the right mower ensures a smooth, efficient experience, whether it's on the track or your lawn!

We already have enough advertisements on this form

 

[deezler]

I recently inherited a few-year-old ZT2 50" cub with 200 hours on it. I am very much not sold on it yet, coming from a well-used Deere GX335 riding mower.

The cub does a nice job striping the main lawn cutting grass, but if you hit one weed, it leaves it standing. Traction is pretty poor and the rear tires are so tiny (20", I think?) I am very much not confident on side slopes or steep hills where my Deere was happy to charge along (also has diff-lock). Just had one rear tire on the Cub go completely flat, had to take it off and inspect, couldn't find a puncture. Turns out the entire inner rim/tire was leaking at the bead? What the heck? Had to pry it off the rim and grease it up to re-seal.

Mine likes to not start very well, as if it can't decide if the pto, HST-levers and seat interlocks are actually in the right spots. You typically have to fiddle with everything for a few tries before it cranks.

The kawasaki twin engine seems rather thirsty for a 50" cut. Don't really need 24 hp for 50" of cut... Oh and at max height setting ("4.5" on the dial) is still a much lower cut than I liked for the side yards, fields, etc. I need to see if I can adjust the deck an inch higher or so.

In general, I guess I was quite comfortable with my 7.5mph, power-steering riding mower. Now I'm sitting lower, moving a little slower over open ground, and can't ever take one hand off the levers while trying to steer accurately. Kinda sucks, to be honest. But if you never knew the difference, these Cub zero-turns are probably pretty adequate for most flat-yard homeowners and are hopefully pretty reliable long-term.

 

[N80]

That's a shame that it hasn't worked out for you.

I don't have anything to compare it to about gas usage but I can easily mow for 2-3 hours on a tank. It would be nice if it were better but I don't see it an an issue considering how much ground I cover on a tank.

As for the deck max deck height of 4.5 inches that has never been a problem for me. I rarely cut over 3" and usually keep everything, even the fields, at 2.5"

The rear wheels will break traction but they are wider than some comparable models. However, this is an inherent issue with Z turns. You have to be subtle with your steering inputs or you will scuff the turf. There is a learning curve and there are techniques to avoid it.

I agree that it isn't great on hills, especially side hills. But there is a learning curve to this too and I'm now comfortable at the max recommended tilt angle. You definitely have to anticipate turns on side hills. I don't have a lot of hills but I do have some and at this time it isn't an issue.

I find that I appreciate the 24 hp in deep grass. Would not want less.

As for a Z turn verses a riding lawnmower? Well, I have used a very similar JD riding mower a few years back on my place. My sister-in-law let me use it. She loves it. She has a huge front yard. I thought it was great at the time. Better than push mowing and better cut than the rotary cutter on the tractor.

But when I got my Z turn I was amazed how much less time it took me to get the job done and how much closer I could cut around trees, etc. The Z turn is also way faster than using my 6' rotary cutter. Then, my sister-in-law's JD rider was out of commission for something minor and she borrowed my ZT-2. It took her a while to get the hang of it but she found that it took less than half the time that the rider did. Her JD was getting old so she bought a Z turn. It is a Bad Boy but she says she'd never go back to a rider.

 

[deezler]

Yeah, I mean I didn't mean to portray the free zt2 50" I got as a total turd or anything. It runs great and I have indeed noticed the increased mowing speed in open areas by being able to turn directly around and just fire off laps. But on yard edges and trails, etc.... not any faster than a riding mower.

I don't really get the "mow closer to trees" argument that many people make for zero-turns either. Maybe if I had the 54" deck I could notice that. But the 50" deck on my zt2 barely sticks out past the rear wheels. When I try to encircle a tree, I end up rubbing on it with this machine - like, to bend the deck tightly around the tree and get all the close grass, the rear tires end up on the tree before I get around it. My Deere GX335 could more nimbly circle trees, perhaps due to the 54" deck on it sticking out a nice ways past the tires, and a nice tight turning radius.