Shaft driven vs belt driven mower decks - Worth extra cash? And Kubota transmission vs Hyrdo-drive 3600. SG222 v Z412

[rba901]

G'Day All,
After some pros and cons of the two Kubota zero turn options I am looking at. Thinking about the Z412KW-48 or the ZG222-48, the ZG is roughly 25% more dollars in Australia compared to the z400 series.

The three major differences I am being told about the machines shaft driven mower deck, the transmission and the engine type.

Shaft driven, what sort of longevity are people getting. Belts wear and break, but are cheap to replace. Shafts and little gearboxes are not so cheap. With proper maintenance should I get 1000 plus hours?

The Kubota transmission, equal or better than the Hydro-drive 3600 units in peoples view?

Kawasaki's are well know for small capacity petrol engines, and Kubota for diesel engines, not sure about petrol. With the ZG222 having the Kubota petrol engine, are these a match for the Kawasaki units.

Appreciate the input

 

[2manyrocks]

Most of the flail mowers I've seen for tractors use belts for final drive of the mower shaft even though there is a PTO shaft from the tractor and a gearbox on the flail. Ventracs and Steiners, both expensive slope mowers in the USA, use belt drives for their mowers.

I am also curious how a PTO drive on a mower is that much of an improvement?

I see that some Ventrac mowers have Kubota gas engines.

 

[RjCorazza]

I have about 5000 hours across 3 Kubota commercial mowers, and have never had a single problem with the deck drive shaft or the transmission. There is a belt that drives the spindles, but I have also never had to replace one over those hours.

 

[rba901]

Thanks for the re-assurance, I have now signed on the dotted line to try one, hopefully have it delivered late next.

 

[workinonit]

I've always run JD ZTs but I bought a ZD1211 this last time. There is no comparison of a shaft drive vs a belt drive deck. The shaft decks are so much smoother and no vibration. They also have a mechanical clutch. I also really like the trans vs the hydraulic drive pumps and motors. The 1211 is a tad low in power but it doesn't have any emissions junk on it.

 

[mikester]

2010 ZD326 here 13+ years zero problems with shaft drive zero problems with HST. You get what you pay for IMHO. Do your research on the brand and model reliability.

The older ZD323 was a basket case for tranny problems in comparison the ZD326 seems to have ironed them out.

My personal preference is to avoid belt drives if you can have gear drive. Gear drives have been around forever and are proven technology for reliability.

I wasn't always a fan of HST but I've had a little luck so far and they've worked well for me. I tend to believe HST is more reliable than belt drive but less reliable than gear drive.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

I would go back to belt driven in a heartbeat. Always thought shaft driven was better, UNTIL I bought a Kubota GR2120. I had to replace the shaft last spring. Like $480 or thereabout. Got destroyed when the gear case blew, twisting the splines. Has always been a real pain to put back on after taking the deck off the machine to sharpen blades, or whatever. Shaft drive off the back of a real tractor is fine. For the GR2120, it's a disaster. I long for the old Wheelhorse, 2 minutes to take deck off and about 5 to put it back on. On top of that, the Wheelhorse deck ran on wheels on the ground, and you can't match the quality of that cut with a deck hanging off the bottom of a tractor.
Replacing the gear case is like $1600. Rebuilding it is about $300 IF all the gears are undamaged. It's not a simple task, and it's a real bear to get back together, and parts cleaned enough to get RTV to seal the thing. Belt drive loses a little power but is much easier and cheaper to maintain and repair.
There is so much to hate on the GR2120, cursing Kubota engineers is one of my favorite pastimes.
With all the higher end lawn and garden tractors using Hydro transmissions, the biggest problem I had was that they are all too high to get under our apple trees in a semi-dwarf orchard. The Deeres were even higher so I was stuck with the GR2120 and I still bang my skull pretty regularly when mowing under the trees. The hydro transmission raises the seat in the tractor 3 or 4 inches, and the only ones with low seats are the very low end ones with gear trannies. Very frustrating for me. Can't use a zero-turn here, because it's too steep in too many places.

 

[arto98607]

This type of mower can reach under fruit trees and will have pretty good traction with bar tires.
Our hopper was 10 years old when I bought it back in 2003 and as I recall now has around 2000 hours of use.

 

[DK35vince]

2010 ZD326 here 13+ years zero problems with shaft drive zero problems with HST. You get what you pay for IMHO. Do your research on the brand and model reliability.

The older ZD323 was a basket case for tranny problems in comparison the ZD326 seems to have ironed them out.

My personal preference is to avoid belt drives if you can have gear drive. Gear drives have been around forever and are proven technology for reliability.

I wasn't always a fan of HST but I've had a little luck so far and they've worked well for me. I tend to believe HST is more reliable than belt drive but less reliable than gear drive.

I bought a 1978 Wheel Horse garden tractor used in 1986. Never an issue with the belt drive on it. (In the 37 years I've owned it I think I changed the belt once a decade or 2 ago due to dry rotting)
10 years with zero issues on my belt driven Hustler Super Z zero turn. Belt looks like new to me.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

I bought a 1978 Wheel Horse garden tractor used in 1986. Never an issue with the belt drive on it. (In the 37 years I've owned it I think I changed the belt once a decade or 2 ago due to dry rotting)
10 years with zero issues on my belt driven Hustler Super Z zero turn. Belt looks like new to me.

The Wheel Horses were great machines, built like tanks. I surely wish they were still making them today, with 4 wheel drive added. I have my father's C125 8 speed still, but it's no longer usable. Tried to sell it for less than the parts are worth a while back, but no luck. It was restorable then and probably still now. Came within an inch of buying another C125 in working order and using the old one for parts a couple years ago, but then chickened out.
Such a shame that Toro bought them and then killed 'em off.