Buying Advice Need Advice On How To & What To Mow This With

[MossRoad]

The exmarks are made very well. I think their literature says something about 15 degree slope limits.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Great feedback so far. Most of you are right. not saying anything I don't know. Here's a couple points of clarification:

1) If I were to buy a SCUT, I'd still need to keep my John Deere and repair it to mow the top of the property. Too tight. Landscaped to allow 48" mower max. Too many obstacles to mow with anything much bigger than a ZTR or rider.

2) 48" deck is about as big as I'd want. Anything larger will scalp uneven parts. You can get 48" decks with SCUTs, but the turning radius is pretty poor on those machines.

3) Father-in-law lives 3 miles away. Has a SCUT that he rarely uses. I'm welcome to it. I've mowed with it. Scalps too badly. Too big. Leaves way too much trimming to be done.

SCUT will cost me $12k to $18k new. I'd use about 15% of that machines ability and still need to own a garden tractor. SCUT is out of the question. Not just because of cost, but it just won't work well with my property.

I JUST want to mow. I have no problem buying a commercial mower, but I need something that will work on that hill. Looks to me like that, maybe even, the high end residential mowers might be out. They have dual 2800 trans and ... I guess that won't handle it?

Any thoughts on the Cub Cadet PRO Z 148S? I'll go check that forum too.

I have no personal experience with the Cub Cadet Pro Z. Looking at the specs it appears to be exactly what you are looking for. 48" deck with Hydro Gear XT 3400 transmissions. I don't know how good or how bad the Kohler Confidant engine is compared to the Kawasaki. IMHO it passes the eye test as a good commercial unit that should give you years of trouble free service.

Just for your enjoyment I have attached a link to a video explaining the difference in the ZT transmissions available for consumers and commercial users. My son just purchased a really nice Bob Cat from a local dealer with a 48" deck. He is only mowing about 1/2-3/4 acres and his unit has the ZT 2800 transmission.

Hydro-Gear ZT-28 ZT-31 Product Presentation (english) - YouTube

 

[aczlan]

The exmarks are made very well. I think their literature says something about 15 degree slope limits.

True, but with good tires (something like the Carlisle AllTrail II) and dry grass, it could probably handle a fair amount more.
I know that I spent a fair amount of time mowing across a slope at a 45 degree angle with stock turf tires...

Aaron Z

 

[AxleHub]

Great feedback so far. Most of you are right. not saying anything I don't know. Here's a couple points of clarification:

1) If I were to buy a SCUT, I'd still need to keep my John Deere and repair it to mow the top of the property. Too tight. Landscaped to allow 48" mower max. Too many obstacles to mow with anything much bigger than a ZTR or rider.

2) 48" deck is about as big as I'd want. Anything larger will scalp uneven parts. You can get 48" decks with SCUTs, but the turning radius is pretty poor on those machines.

3) Father-in-law lives 3 miles away. Has a SCUT that he rarely uses. I'm welcome to it. I've mowed with it. Scalps too badly. Too big. Leaves way too much trimming to be done.

SCUT will cost me $12k to $18k new. I'd use about 15% of that machines ability and still need to own a garden tractor. SCUT is out of the question. Not just because of cost, but it just won't work well with my property.

I JUST want to mow. I have no problem buying a commercial mower, but I need something that will work on that hill. Looks to me like that, maybe even, the high end residential mowers might be out. They have dual 2800 trans and ... I guess that won't handle it?

Any thoughts on the Cub Cadet PRO Z 148S? I'll go check that forum too.

Greetings MetroHick,

If you've read any of my posts or threads either at Cub Cadet or Massey - you'll notice that I write often about slopes and cutting them safely. You'll also notice that I own two units - a 2 year old scut by Massey that has a DEDICATED mulching deck which has no side chute so at 54 inches of cut it only takes 56 inches of clearance. The other unit I have is a Cub Cadet that I had to buy used - because they stopped making them in 2012.

Now a Cub Cadet is typically a big box store product or is a dealer product when in the zero turn RIDER category. But Cub Cadet invented and patented a unique mower in 2006 that was a Zero Turn TRACTOR. It looked like a traditional lawn and garden tractor - but it was specifically designed to be a Zero Turn and to be a hill and slope cutting unit. As I mentioned - if you don't want a scut price or size - then I'd be looking for a used I1046 (46 inch deck 20 hp engine) - or an I1050 (50 inch deck and 25 hp engine). Now to start with - new an I1050 in 2011 sold for $3995.00. The unit was wonderfully designed - but poorly marketing promoted. So it was discontinued even though it was an excellent mower for hills and lawns and more flexible than either a zero turn rider or normal garden tractor could be.

My I1050 has 2 differentials (one for each rear wheel). It allows traction almost to 4wd capability (traction plus proper balance and center of gravity). As a result - you are very sure footed - but also - you don't have lots of tire spinning, slipping and tearing/wearing of the sod. If you notice in the one picture you provided - you have lawn that is being tire ripped or worn on every pass. Mine doesn't do that although an older mower I had did it. The difference is a lower profile and more continually solid traction and more grass showing/less dirt showing.

Now on occasion because of the size of yard and slope of yard, maybe you'll have a repair or two because acres of hills are hard on any drive unit - but in my two years of cutting with the I1050 - I've had absolutely no repair issues and don't expect any in the near term. I got mine with 59 hours on it.

The Massey is great for slopes and lawn cutting around gardens etc. - and the I1050 is also great for slopes and manuevering - and BOTH work well for snow removal issues too

 

[AxleHub]

True, but with good tires (something like the Carlisle AllTrail II) and dry grass, it could probably handle a fair amount more.
I know that I spent a fair amount of time mowing across a slope at a 45 degree angle with stock turf tires...

Aaron Z

Aczlan,

sidehill cutting at 45 degrees ????

 

[aczlan]

Aczlan,

sidehill cutting at 45 degrees ????

The mower was pointing upslope at a 45 degree angle compared to the direction of travel.
It was not a 45 degree slope, we used a walk behind 52" cut eXmark with extra weights on it for the slope that was that steep.


Aaron Z

 

[MetroHick]

great info Axle. Really appreciate it.

 

[AxleHub]

The mower was pointing upslope at a 45 degree angle compared to the direction of travel.
It was not a 45 degree slope, we used a walk behind 52" cut eXmark with extra weights on it for the slope that was that steep.


Aaron Z

Sounds like a healthy order of "heart attack special". Man oh man - gravity can be a tough task master I sidehill cut some 20 degree and upslope/downslope 30+ but you always wonder if the engine would stop dead as you're going up - what would you do LOL. Fortunately for me - the steepest area of up and down has a shallow open culvert at the bottom as long as you stay straight you just ride it out if you had no choice - but then in the back there is that big bunch of trees with a drop off after it - but that is a much more reasonable 15 degree slope LOL.

 

[MetroHick]

The exmarks are made very well. I think their literature says something about 15 degree slope limits.

My problem with Exmark is, they don't make a ZTR with a steering wheel. My understanding (largely by reading this incredibly informative forum) is that ZTR's are no good on slopes because there's no control of the front wheels. This is why I'm looking at a ZTR with a steering wheel. It really only gives me two options ... Cub Cadet or Toro. I belive Toro's are built by Exmark or the other way around. Still, the tranny in the Toro units are 2800's. Not sure that would last under the load of those slopes constantly.

This is what I'd really like to mow with:

The Walker Model B23i Commercial Lawn Mower

New, that thing is like $13k. Just not going to spend that on a mower.

 

[sandman2234]

My thoughts, a used diesel Steiner with duals from and rear. Additional attachments can be purchased to make it "more than a lawnmower" and yet it does extremely well on hills. I see them popping up from time to time in the midwest or northeast or around golf courses.
David from jax