Semi - Commercial Zeroturn Comparison

[JMER817]

Well, brought home an Exmark pioneer on demo. Very nice machine. Nice cut and did great on the couple of hills that I have. I only cut 10 mins off my mowing time for my 1.5 acre lawn. I'm sure as I found a better pattern and got used to the machine that I would reduce my time even more, but I do have a pretty efficient method when using my lawn tractor. I've decided that I will only add a small section of what I brush hog into lawn. So I should be around 1.75 acres. Can't justify the zero turn. I did sit on a simplicity broadmoor 25/52 lawn tractor at the dealer. Seems like a very robust machine. Liked it better than the John Deere X300 /500 series and seems to fall in between the two in specs and pricing. It now comes with a fabricated deck which is supposed to cut very well. Kinda leaning towards the Simplicity now.

 

[gogojuice]

I have a SIMPLICITY . Love the cut. Best cut I have ever had and I have had a few others..
HOWEVER... I opted for the lower regent model. I have over 2+ acres and some of it is rough and the frame / wear and tear on it was too much.
I purchased a Kubota BX 2670 and use it with the MMM / FEL and blade for winter. I really like this setup, but it is not the best cut.

So... I'm thinking about leaning towards a zero turn now lol.

Try the simplicity cut.... and let me know what you think and how it compares..

Cheers

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I have the predecessor to the Husquvarna MZT61. It was a Dixon Ultra 61 before Dixon was bought be Husquvarna. There are a few differences but they are basically the same. I am very happy with mine and you can't beat the price point.

 

[Wakey]

Thanks for the spreadsheet, very helpful. I'm looking at the JD Z915B, Gravley Pro Turn 52 ( I think?) and Hustler FastTrack SD 54". How is your search going?

 

[JMER817]

Thanks for the spreadsheet, very helpful. I'm looking at the JD Z915B, Gravley Pro Turn 52 ( I think?) and Hustler FastTrack SD 54". How is your search going?

I'm a Deere fan but I found that the other brands use common components where as the Deere was an oddball. Could mean that you will be forced to get parts from Deere and pay more? I read online that the 915 had a rough ride. Both dealers where I looked at the 915 tried talking me into the optional better seat. I added a couple columns to the spreadsheet comparing wheelbase, rear tire width, and engine location. These features will tell you how good of a ride you will get and stability on hills. I actually ended up bringing an Exmark pioneer home on demo. The rear tires were 3.5" wider and the motor sat lower than the gravely that I was leaning towards. Very nice machine, hug the hills.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I have no personal experience with the Deere, but I've read that two things will really help the ride on the Deere:

1. Put pneumatic front tires on to replace the flat free ones; and
2. Keep the standard seat but add the suspension mount (insert) to it. Apparently, the standard seat has more cushion than the suspension seat, and the combination of the standard seat and suspension insert really cushions the ride.

 

[PLanger]

I would be interested to hear if anyone has considered the new Bad Boy Maverick with other models here. I was thinking of that model with the Kawasaki engine in a 54" and adding a full suspension seat to complement their unique 4 wheel suspension system.

 

[JMER817]

Well, My craftsman has been limping along just fine so I haven't pulled the trigger yet on anything. I've been waiting for end of year clearance specials. I decided to cut back a little on the amount of grass that I will be mowing so going to go with something like the Craftsman I have. Husqvarna makes the Craftsman tractors and I've been looking at the Husqvarna GT52XLS model with the FR730 Kaw engine, 7.8 mph forward speed, Hydro gear G7 transmission, and fabricated deck. When comparing to the Simplicity and JD the features and price look favorable right at $2999.(reg price 3499) Anyone have one?? The travel speed seems high and am wondering if the blade speed is faster then the typical mower to be able to mow at this higher speed. I cannot find any data on blade speed for this tractor. My craftsman is rated at 5.5mph and cuts ok at that speed. I know the zero turns run in the 18,000 fpm range.

 

[PLanger]

I would be interested to hear if anyone has considered the new Bad Boy Maverick with other models here. I was thinking of that model with the Kawasaki engine in a 54" and adding a full suspension seat to complement their unique 4 wheel suspension system.

Still would be interested in hearing about this machine if anyone has had seat time or know someone that has.

 

[zzvyb6]

Once you've cut with a 72" deck and/or a diesel motor, no gas 54" job will do.