Buying Advice Is it worth the upgrade from EZT's to ZT-2800 transmissions?

[MattWH]

Hello. First-time poster here. I am in the market for a good ZTR mower since I recently bought a small place out in the country and will have about 2.25 acres to mow. I have a budget of $3,000-4,000, but wanted to keep the cost to the lower side of that range.

I致e been doing a bunch of research and trolling the forums (thanks for all the people who post good advice here!). I am very interested in the Toro TimeCutter SS5060, which has a bunch of great features: 50 cut, Kawasaki engine, foot-assisted deck lift, and dual speed ranges. Like most ZT痴 in this price range, the drive transmissions are HydroGear EZT痴. Toro does offer a MX5060 which is identical except for a fabricated deck and ZT-2800 drives for about $600 more.

I know the fab decks are more durable, but with the yard I will be mowing I think a stamped deck will hold up just fine. The real selling point for me would be the larger hydros. I知 just wondering if it痴 worth the extra $$. It seems like any of the residential units that come with the ZT-2800痴 will start around $4k (JD Z425, Dixon Ram 48ZT).

The yard is relatively flat, and there will be a low-moderate amount of maneuvering around obstacles. One concern I do have is that I知 a pretty big guy (260 lbs.) so I need plenty of torque to spin my fat @$$ around I just don稚 want get into the big bills of replacing hydros after 5 years.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Sockwell]

This is just my opinion, so FWIW. EZT stands for "Economical Zero Turn". My experience is when a manufacturer puts an "Economical" transmission on a mower, it is usually also reflected in the rest of the mower. You probably won't notice a difference for 2 to 3 years. After that you'll probably start to get into the "get what you pay for" mode.

For instance, we bought a Gravely ZT about 4 years ago at work. Mowing about 1.5 acres that is rough in a few spots, we've worn the mower out. The transmissions are sluggish and feel tight. It has the EZT's.

Two years ago, I bought a Hustler with the ZT-2800's. We mow about an acre of yard and about 3 acres of pasture converted to orchards. It feels as good as it did when new. There is a reason it has a 5 year warranty and the Gravely has a one year. (Both mowers are fully serviced per the maker's recommendations.)

So, IMO, it depends on how long you expect the mower to last.