New 2016 Kubota ZD Mowers

[xring100]

First improvement. I dont really like metal to metal contact when it clangs around. I added adding a piece of industrial shrink tubing on the deck lift crank where it sits in the holder. I'm surprised they didn't already have something like this on the machine already.

 

[LPSteinmetz]

I've been slow to get back to this forum due to a steel building being built and a pool going in on our property, grandkids baseball, work, etc. etc. etc. At any rate, I love the rear discharge ZD1211...what little I have gotten to use it as my wife does the majority of the mowing while I am at work. I just bought her a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones so she plays here iPod while mowing. I'm sure it will get old for her after awhile, especially with the summer heat coming on, but right now she seems to enjoy getting out on the mower.

 

[Boris1]

I've been slow to get back to this forum due to a steel building being built and a pool going in on our property, grandkids baseball, work, etc. etc. etc. At any rate, I love the rear discharge ZD1211...what little I have gotten to use it as my wife does the majority of the mowing while I am at work. I just bought her a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones so she plays here iPod while mowing. I'm sure it will get old for her after awhile, especially with the summer heat coming on, but right now she seems to enjoy getting out on the mower.

How do you like the rear discharge mower a year later, I was considering one when I upgrade to a diesel eventually but the dealers I spoke with were not high on them.

Thanks

 

[LPSteinmetz]

How do you like the rear discharge mower a year later, I was considering one when I upgrade to a diesel eventually but the dealers I spoke with were not high on them.

Thanks

After using it for a year I'm not real certain what the issue is that people (including the dealer I bought my tractor from but not the zero turn) have with rear discharge. I guess some things may not work as well for some as it does for others or their situations are different. We love our rear discharge and haven't one time wished that we would have gotten side discharge...it just is not an issue! My guess is that if I had bought a side discharge I might very well be saying the same thing. We are very happy we bought a Kubota and, as it turns out, have zero complaints with the rear discharge.

If I was to do anything different I "might" buy the 72" deck rather than the 60". Living in East Texas we have relatively flat land so I'm not real certain we would have that much, if any, more scalping than we do now which is very minor. You can get the 60" deck into smaller areas but we don't really have those types of areas we have to navigate so that isn't a real issue for us.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

How do you like the rear discharge mower a year later, I was considering one when I upgrade to a diesel eventually but the dealers I spoke with were not high on them.

Thanks

My dealer (who has never owned a rear discharge for personal use like me) is also "not rear discharge" but I've owned many, many, many side discharge decks and hate them. I've owned rear discharge decks (four of them) for over 11 years and love them. For me the complaint that they windrow is not an issue because the side discharge windrows worse. The only complaint with the rear discharge is they blow the cut grass under the F Kubota which I use a leaf blower to remove it after mowing.
Again, I've had actual years of experience with both and it's a no brainer of which to choose. REAR DISCHARGE.:thumbsup::cool2:

 

[dragoneggs]

REAR, SIDE... neither... I'm a mulcher! I love my mulching kit on my little Z turn (42in cut).

 

[Boris1]

Thanks for the replies, one reason they use is how narrow the rear discharge is because it has to fit between the wheels. And there are fine if you cut every week.

My main gripe with a side discharge is when it's windy I end up wearing half the yard which is counter productive to my allergies.

I have a 3pt 84 woods FM rear discharge for my larger tractor. The only time I really see any significant windrows is when I've let it go more than a week or two (which happens often) For the most part I've been happy with it. Maybe I'm trusting the "experts" too much.

Thanks

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

REAR, SIDE... neither... I'm a mulcher! I love my mulching kit on my little Z turn (42in cut).

I to added the mulching kit on my small SIDE DISCHARGE Z since tthay didn't come with a rear discharge.

 

[LPSteinmetz]

REAR, SIDE... neither... I'm a mulcher! I love my mulching kit on my little Z turn (42in cut).

I almost bought the mulching kit but they came out with a new blade design in 2016 and the dealer convinced me to try it out first. So far we are happy with the cut but wouldn't necessarily rule out the mulching kit at a later date.

 

[dragoneggs]

I almost bought the mulching kit but they came out with a new blade design in 2016 and the dealer convinced me to try it out first. So far we are happy with the cut but wouldn't necessarily rule out the mulching kit at a later date.

I was very surprised at how well the mulching blades work even in very tall (12in or more) grass as long as it is dry. Just have to slow down and it will do the job.