Finally bought a ZTR mower

[Librarian]

I went to a huge equipment auction in Indiana on August 3. There were many types and brands of ztr mowers to choose from at a wide range of prices and conditions. I had made up my mind that I would try to buy a decent commercial mower with reasonable hours on it for under $2500.00 or I would visit Tractor Supply and buy a new one. Well, I bought a Lesco Z52 front mount with a 25hp Kohler engine on it. It shows 476 hours on the meter. Accordimg to the copyright date on the operator's manual the earliest it would have been built is 1997. I spent less than half of my budget for this auction including sales tax.

The engine runs great. The mower deck works fine, and the pumps and motors show no leaks or weakness. It did, however, need one part. One of the pivot pins that holds the back of the deck of the deck to the front of the mower frame had the welded tab that holds it in place break off. The pin came out and the back of the deck dropped down. I contacted Lesco in Cleveland and talked to a support technician who emailed me pdf files of the operator's manual and the complete parts list for the mower. I was able to locate the number for the needed part very quickly. I ordered the part this evening and hope to have it by friday.

I don't expect this mower to be perfect, but it is built very heavy and I think it will give me good service. Only time will tell for sure whether I have made a wise decision or not. Right now, I am feeling very good about it. Before the pin fell out, it mowed very well and seemed to shorten my mowing time immensely.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[VABlue]

Sounds like a great deal! 476 hrs on a commercial Kohler is pretty young, so long as it has been maintained decently. It should last you a good long time. Good job on realizing the deal you saw at the auction!

 

[Oleozz]

I've never owned one but from what I've read Lesco makes good mowers. I think you will really like the front mount deck, does it tilt up for maintenance?
Glad you got one in the price range that you wanted to pay and hope it works well for you. Now you can buy another toy with the money that you saved!

 

[Librarian]

I've never owned one but from what I've read Lesco makes good mowers. I think you will really like the front mount deck, does it tilt up for maintenance?
Glad you got one in the price range that you wanted to pay and hope it works well for you. Now you can buy another toy with the money that you saved!

Thanks for the replies. My wife had plans for extra money. We bought her a new car.

Don Williams a.k.a. librarian

 

[Fordlords]

But.... does it run QUIET??

have fun with your new mower!

-Fordlords-

 

[Librarian]

I would say it is as quiet as any other ztr of similar size. The muffler works fine. The noise from the spinning blades on the deck when at full power is louder by far than the engine. There is no rattling or other unfriendly noise. It sound like a very large fan running.

To answer Oleozz's question, yes, you can raise up the front of the deck to remove the blades. The manual says to jack it up about a foot to remove them. As for belt and spindle maintenance, the entire steel deck cover that rests on the deck carrier frame can be raised up and removed for full access to the belts and spindles. The only belts on the mower are the belts on the deck and the double belts that transfer power from the engine to a drive shaft that operates the deck. Those belts are also easily accessible as is the electric blade clutch that engages and disengages the mower deck. BTW, the spindles use tapered roller bearings and are completely rebuildable. The operator manual describes the remove and rebuild process.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[bdeboer]

I also purchased a Z52 about a month ago, except the one I purchased has a Kubota engine. Is there a part number on the manual?

Thanks

 

[Librarian]

I also purchased a Z52 about a month ago, except the one I purchased has a Kubota engine. Is there a part number on the manual?

Thanks

I couldn't find a part number for the manual, but one of the parts books covers the diesel version. If you like, I can email the file to you or you can contact Lesco and ask for Brian Kelley in the tech support dept. If a manual is available, he will know about it.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[bdeboer]

Thanks, for the response. I will try to call Lesco. How's the cut with the Lesco? This one cut well, until I tried some 8" long grass around the garden that hadn't been cut for awhile.

 

[Librarian]

I havent had much opportunity to try tall grass yet. It is so dry here, hardly any grass is available to cut. When I get the chance to mow some, I will post about it.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian