Right Tool for Mowing Bumpy Ground - SCUT, Small CUT or ZTR

[paulfun9]

I have had the pleasure of running one of the bigger Ferris ZTR,s with suspension and the cat engine a few years back. One of the neighbors has one. Very smooth ride on his property but I didn't really get to test it out on anything really bumpy.

If memory serves he had it delivered as a demo and after cutting with it he decided to save them the trip to pick it up and bought it. Having a demo at your property is probably the best way to test it.

 

[RKJeepXJ]

I have a similar situation, but I have 7ac to keep mowed. I just bushhog it 2 or 3 times a year to keep it knocked down. I'll worry about making it pretty and mowing more often once the house it built and I live there. Then it'll be 7' finish mower time and use the riding mower for close to the house.

 

[Tractor Tom]

I think you'll find that a regular type Zero turn will ride about the same as your BX or your JD lawn tractor. A larger tractor like your DK with a larger wheelbase and width will give you a better ride. My CK35 gives a much better mowing ride than my old CK20, because it's just that much larger...

 

[LD1]

I second a ferris ZTR. At least a demo perhaps.

No matter how big the tractor is, it still lacks suspension, and the larger you get, the better the ride but the more damage you will do.

While I have not driven a ferris, IF I was wanting to mow bumpy terrain, That would be my first look to see if they live up to the hype.

 

[mowin]

As a lawn care co owner, I have used just about every mower out there. I had Ferris mowers, and while the suspension is nice, its not going to help on very bumpy lawns. I gave up on ferris after a few yrs for a few reasons, and now run toro 6000 series ZTR's with suspension seats.

One clients lawn was potholed by the neighbors horses that got loose. What a mess, had to be hundreds of 4-6" deep hoof prints all throughout the lawn. I used a very heavy lawn roller to smooth things out. It took a few times, but I would roll it after a heavy rain, and most holes were barely noticeable. Have no experience with crawdad mounds tho.

A regular garden tractor will ride just a bad as a ZTR, but a Z with a suspension seat is hard to beat.
If your going to build there, your going to like the Z even more. Cuts mowing time in half.

 

[Xfaxman]

Well since nobody has mentioned them, I will post my preference. In my lifetime I have mowed with every type made, including Ferris IS ZTR.

Starting with these.


And this.


But for my needs now, the front deck with a suspension seat is the best. :thumbsup:

4WD, Hydrostat, 28 hp Kubota diesel, 6' recycle deck.

 

[nybirdman]

Simplicity makes a mower with rear suspension.They are high quality for sure.A heavy roller after a rain is good advice.

 

[mowin]

Simplicity makes a mower with rear suspension.They are high quality for sure.A heavy roller after a rain is good advice.

Simplicity owns Ferris. Basically same machine. Ferris has larger wheel motors and pumps than the comparable simplicity.

 

[coobie]

I have a 2.5 acre lot that I own, where I intend to eventually build a home. I've been mowing it with a John Deere GT235 garden tractor. But the ground has crawdad mounds and holes where my neighbor's cows clomped around when it was wet, and it's a rough ride on my GT.

The property is a mix of about 20% bermuda and 80% johnson grass and weeds.

I'm trying to decide whether the right tool for mowing it is a BX, a B or a ZTR. I'd really like to have a ZTR, but I'm afraid the rough ground will beat it to death. I'm not sure a BX will ride any better, though, since they have small wheels also.

Also, does a front-mount ZTR ride any better than a mid-mount on rough ground?

Footnote: I have a Kioti DK50 and a BX23 at my 30 acre property, but this 2.5 acres is not close enough to my 30 acres to trailer one of those tractors to the 2.5 acres every couple of weeks.

Ferris ZTR,hands down.I have owned a ferris ZTR with its independent ride system and Kubota 326 pro ZTR.The ferris is the cats arse when its comes ride bar none.

 

[mowin]

Ferris ZTR,hands down.I have owned a ferris ZTR with its independent ride system and Kubota 326 pro ZTR.The ferris is the cats arse when its comes ride bar none.

The suspension does help on semi smooth lawns. For ruff or very bumpy lawns, they are no different than any other Z with a suspension seat. I would let my worker take the IS 3000, and I'd use the Exmark or Toro. Haven't run Ferris for 3 yrs, not because the suspension wasn't nice, but for other issues.