Need help picking a zero turn

[gostovp]

Hi, Newbie here...in the market for a new zero turn mower. Have just under 2 acres to mow. Right now takes over 2 hours w/ my POS Cub Cadet 1554.

Doing my fall closeout shopping, One of my local dealers has a Gravely ZT HD 52 for $4500 and a Toro Titan MX w/ the 54 inch deck for $5300.

I also found Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2750 at a dealer about 40 miles away for $7400.

I've also read great things about the Hustler FasTrack and Scag Freedom Z's....but I think they run close to $6K

The Gravely is a good deal, and I seem to find good feeback on it online...or should I wait a little bit and spend a little more for the Toro, the freedom z, the hustler or even the Dixie Chopper..

any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[Monster5601]

Hi, Newbie here...in the market for a new zero turn mower. Have just under 2 acres to mow. Right now takes over 2 hours w/ my POS Cub Cadet 1554.

Doing my fall closeout shopping, One of my local dealers has a Gravely ZT HD 52 for $4500 and a Toro Titan MX w/ the 54 inch deck for $5300.

I also found Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2750 at a dealer about 40 miles away for $7400.

I've also read great things about the Hustler FasTrack and Scag Freedom Z's....but I think they run close to $6K

The Gravely is a good deal, and I seem to find good feeback on it online...or should I wait a little bit and spend a little more for the Toro, the freedom z, the hustler or even the Dixie Chopper..

any feedback is greatly appreciated!

If you want to minimize the chance you will ever have to buy a lawn mower again, well at least in your life time, then you may want to consider a high end commercial ZT like the Kubota ZD3xx series. If these are too big, they also offer the 200 series. Kubota offers both product lines either gasoline or diesel powered.

When it came time to make a decision about replacing our current lawn mower this is the route I took. It only hurt once (when I wrote the check) but the ZT will last well past my life time. I know this isn't the best option for everyone but with 0% financing along with the piece of mid KTAC insurance provides, makes this route temping.

 

[tlbuser]

I got a Hustler superz and couldn't be happier. The new model is even more impressive (15mph) and they too are offfering 0%. An acre of lawn almost takes more time getting on and off the trailer than it does to cut.

 

[check 6]

over the years I have had the Sears riding mowers then I went ot the Scag zero turn which was not bad except the manual deck raising system was hard on my bad back. I traded for a Kubota "ZD" zero turn and have never looked back. Mine is the ZD 1800 (no longer in the line) with a 54 in deck and I could not be happier. I like the front end lift system for ease of cleaning and blade changing as well as the great economy and power of the small diesel engine. Comfortable to use for extended periods. I have an acre to cut on a weekly basis and about once a month I share in cutting an additional 17 acres. Bottom line a great mower built to last and that is why inmy area so many yard companies use Kubotas.

 

[Oliver1655]

I have a Gravely HD with a 25 hp engine & a 60" deck. I have over 300 HARD hours on it and I can't complain. Since I purchased mine they have upgraded from bushings to sealed bearings for the front pivot wheels & have use a heavier metal for the belt covers on the deck. My brother liked it enough he recently purchased one with the upgrades for himself. My sister has a 34" home owners model and my mother has the home owners version with a 52" deck. They are very happy with theirs. A home owner's model would not have held up to the use I put mine to. I pull a wood splitter with a log lift attached and a 4' x 8' trailer that holds 1/2 cord of wood with it. I have tractor styled lugged tires. (I went straight from the mower dealer to the tire store wher they took the brand new turf tires in on trade.) I wouldn't be without them. They have allowed me to mow & pull trailers is weather conditions I would not have had a chance of without them. I receive great service from my dealer. I have used Grasshoppers, Skags, Ferris, Hustler, & Huskys, for the money I have no problem with recommending a Gravely HD series ZTR. :thumbsup:

 

[creekbend]

I have never used one. I haven't even sat in the seat on one, but one of my brothers has 2 of them. I don't know the model numbers but both of them are commercial grade. One is made by Kubota and the other is made by Husqvarna. He swears by both of them.

 

[eagle107]

gostovp,

What is your budget? If it is below $5k, then the Gravely ZT HD 52 is a very good mower. It is a heavy duty consumer model (not quite commercial duty). Also how many hours do you put on your mower and is it a standard lawn (no big bumps or wooded trails or very steep hills)? If it is 50 hours or less a year and a standard lawn, then all you need is the Gravely. The Gravely has a decent 10 gauge welded mowing deck with ZT-3100 transaxles and a Kawasaki engine. As long as you keep the oil changed and keep up with the maintenance intervals, that mower will last you for many years. I had a the same mower for a while before I moved to a Scag Tiger Cat. While I had this mower, it was very good! I only moved to the Scag because I cut more than 5 acres, I cut trails in the woods and I tend to be more tough on my mowers.

If for any reason your budget is above $9k or $10k, then I would look at a commercial duty mower which there are many good ones. Some to consider in this price range would be: Scag, ExMark, Kubota, John Deere, Ferris, Hustler, Bob Cat (turf), Gravely Commercial, Toro, Bad Boy (Pup Series and above) and etc.).

 

[bucktaker]

in a word Grasshopper.
With only 2 acres to mow dont think you need an 50, or 60 inch deck
A ZTR with a 48 inch deck will work just fine. Reduce your mowing/trimming time and be enjoyable too.

I have 4.5 acres to mow I have a Woods 6215 61 " deck with a Kubota DT722 diesel. (Grasshopper made it for Woods)

 

[dbear]

Just wanted to interate what Oliver said about the Gravely. Had these machines been around when I was last looking, I would most likely have one. However, at that time, there was a huge gap between full commercial and homeowner models.

I have a DC Silver Eagle 2700-60D and it is commercial quality. Not the large frame you see most of the time like an Exmark Lazer or Scag Turf Tiger, but certainly in the same category as the Scag Tiger Cub was back then. If your budget can afford it, I don't think you'd be disappointed with the DC, but it will be overkill.

Another machine that I think is worthy of checking out would be a Husqvarna MZ5225ZT. Very similar to the Gravely/Ariens in construction, components, and price.
HUSQVARNA MZ5225ZT - Zero turn mowers

 

[gostovp]

Thanks so much for all the quick and informative responses. Here is some more info on my situation:

My lawn is relatively smooth, biggest hill is my mound system for the septic. For the most part the lawn is pretty smooth, not golf course fairway smooth, but not rough like pasture or field road.

Our mowing season is from May to mid Oct (depending on weather). My wife likes to mow every 4 to 5 days depending on how fast the lawn is growing...so lets say at the 'most', 40 mowings per year...and right now it takes about 2.5 hours to mow w/ the 'piece of crap' Cub 1554 lawn tractor, so I'm thinking the zero turn will cut it to 1.25 hours...therefore I'm looking at 50 hours of mowing per year on average. I'm not going to use this to mow any other property or do any 'commercial' side jobs or anything.

The wife likes to mow, but the mower has to be easy to drive and manuever, easy to mainting and she is insisting on a quality machine after all the problems we have w/ the Cub. I sold my 17 foot Lund fishing boat to finance this, so I do have the $$ to put toward a more expensive machine if I want, but I'm debating on whether buying 'true' commercial vs heavy duty homeowner is money well spent, as we have 3 kids and one will be driving in two years, and we are getting to point of needing a vehicle w/ 3 rows of seats to haul 3 teens and pre-teens, thier friends, and a black lab...

So you can see my dilemma

 

[KYDan]

Echoing what others have already posted, get one that suits your needs. The commercial models will last a lifetime if you take care of them and they are built to take some abuse. I have had a JD 757 since 2005 (pre-China model) and it has been a joy. If you are really picky about your turf be aware that you can do some damage with a zero turn unless you are very careful making your turns and you will still "scuff" your lawn until you figure it out. If you enjoy seat time while mowing then maybe a good tractor mower would suit you better and you can do other chores with it. I mow 10+ acres of lawn and it still takes me two days with finish work to complete it. Ask a dealer to demonstrate one of the mowers with you at your place. That will tell you a little about the dealer and the service you can expect from him/her as well.

Good luck, and having fun shopping!

 

[IXLR8]

I went from a Husqvarna 48" walk behind to a John Deere Z727 54" zero turn. On my 1.5 acre lawn it cut the mowing time in half. I couldn't afford a new commercial grade mower, found a used one with 300 hrs on it for 1/2 the price of new. I have had it 4 years and the only thing I have had to do to it is change the blades after hitting a survey pin, that and yearly oil changes. To add to your confusion, you might want to consider a quality used commercial machine.

 

[Inspector507]

Hopefully I'll be able to pick up my new ZD323-60 on Saturday

My wife works for a Kubota dealer and they've had this ZD sitting outside every morning when I take her to work. I got to joking around with the owner and told him to write up a sales order for it. Next thing I know, I was out driving it around while he put some figures on paper. With Kubota's 0% for 60 Months along with a $300 Instant Rebate, I had to buy it.

I know I could have gone with a less expensive brand such as Cub Cadet or even as high as an Exmark. But this just happened to be what I wanted, Kubota quality and endurance, diesel and a 60" Fabricated deck instead of stamped. Oh and the financing. I liked the service jack built into the front of it and pneumatic front tires. The filters and grease zerks look to be readily accessible. I'll be to tell more once I pick it up.

It appears to come in about 200lbs less than my tractor and belly mower combination, so hopefully less ruts in the wet front yard.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Ferris. Enough said.

Chris

 

[hyperrust]

I chose a Scag Tiger Cat 52" deck. Something I read when I was agonizing over my choice is that one couldn't really go wrong with any of the top few brands. I'm very happy I got a suspension seat, and sometimes I wish I'd looked for a machine with a suspension frame too. However, I cut some pastures with mine at times, so if you stayed on a lawn you'd be fine.

My Scag has been great, and I anticipate it outlasting me. I only have about 100 hours on it in one year.

 

[gostovp]

thanks for the feedback..the more and more I look at the Gravely ZT HD 52 the more I like it, especially for the price ($4500 before tax)...all the mowers listed look great, but in all the research I've been doing online, the feedback on the Gravely ZT HD series has been outstanding.

 

[pete-mi]

Going with a heavy duty mower is the best choice. It will cost a little more but will last longer with less break downs. I would also go with one that has a good warranty. The more confient the manufacturer is with the product the longer the warranty is. I purchased a new zero turn last year and went with a Bob-Cat. I have been very happy with it and it does a great job. I would also take the top 2 picks for a test drive even if it is just in the dealers parking lot. This will give you a better feel of how it handles. Look for one that has a heavy duty deck and blade spindles.

 

[tlbuser]

thanks for the feedback..the more and more I look at the Gravely ZT HD 52 the more I like it, especially for the price ($4500 before tax)...all the mowers listed look great, but in all the research I've been doing online, the feedback on the Gravely ZT HD series has been outstanding.

Perfect, as others have said, ask for a demo at your place. And, for what you're cutting, stepping down to a 48" deck and saving a little more probably wouldn't hurt a thing. With a zero turn bigger isn't necessarily better. The real time savings are cutting speed and maneuverability. Did you happen to look at http://www.lawnsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=41?

 

[EagleTDL]

I've had a couple of Toro's for the past 4 years, ranging from a 50" to 72" deck. Cut anywhere from an acre to three, depending upon where I was at. Never had a lick of trouble out of either of them, other than normal maintenance stuff. There was that Blade Engage relay I had to replace ($9) but it wouldn't have had anything to do with me spilling Mt Dew on it?!?! :ashamed:

Suggestions:

- Get the most solid deck you can, preferably welded, thicker the better. In your case and your acreage, anything 48-54" will suffice
- Speed is irrevelant if you're not mowing the golf course. It will either be too bumpy to mow at full speed or the mower will mow faster than you care to drive it! :laughing:
- Make sure the seat is adjustable, especially if Momma is going to be using it
- Suggest a ROPS and Seatbelt, **** happens
- The less agressive tread you can get on the tires the better off you are, you can read multiple threads around here about a ZTR tearing up your grass
- The wider the wheelbase, the better... More stable and less chance of a roll-over (see ROPS and Seatbelt above, they're there for a reason)

After that, it's all a matter of opinion about manufacturers and pocketbook size... The more demos you can arrange, at your property, the better you will feel about the purchase in the end.

Luck!

 

[kiotiken]

...and right now it takes about 2.5 hours to mow w/ the 'piece of crap' Cub 1554 lawn tractor, so I'm thinking the zero turn will cut it to 1.25 hours...

The wife likes to mow, but the mower has to be easy to drive and manoeuvre, easy to mainting and she is insisting on a quality machine after all the problems we have w/ the Cub.

I have a 60" Ferris, can't remember the model right now, but it's commercial, built like a tank and has been %100 trouble free for the first 1200 hrs.

I have 3 acres to mow. With my JD riding mower it took almost 3 hrs, now it's just over an hours so I think you'll easily hit your 1.25 hr goal.

My wife likes mowing the lawn too, mostly to get a break from the kids! She's fine with it now, but all of these zero turn mowers have a learning curve and take a little time to get comfortable with.

Any of these commercial grade mowers will more than meet your needs. Try some out and see which one you prefer and which dealer makes you the most comfortable. These mowers save most of their time not by the width of the cut, but by the speed they are able to travel while mowing and how fast they can turn at the end of a row and get back to mowing the next row. Good luck.