Time to mow an acre. Zero-turn vs Tractor

[John0829]

First of all I HATE mowing! My SIL has a commercial zero turn and loves to mow, so guess who gets to mow the lions share of my property. He is much faster than I could ever be on the JD 1025 or with the rfm, what took me all day to cut he can do in a couple of hours. Well with it to me to pay him to do it but for all that speed the 1025 makes a much nicer looking cut and does not tear up the ground as bad. My place is on a hill and if you stub your toe you pick yourself up at the bottom of it and the zero turn, no matter how careful he is, tends to dig out places where he cuts around posts of the fence line. There is just going to be a bit of wheel slippage no matter how careful that does not happen with the tractor and it is not just him, several zt mowers have been used here for various reasons and they all do it regardless of the operator. So I guess my point is that zero turn do a great job but not perfect, they might be on perfectly flat ground, there is a trade off using either type of machine. I feel it just depends on how valuable your time is verses how good a quality of cut you want. Just my $0.02.

 

[TheMan419]

Just replaced my lawn mower w a zrt. I also have a 5 foot rear mower for my scut. The zrt runs circles around the scut for mowing. Not only in the tight part of the yard but in an open field.

However the zrt sucks and moving dirt, spraying for weeds, helping move hay.... and so on.

 

[stevem5215]

And I'll add to this. If you have a bumpy 4 acres to cut like we do get one with suspension. I've had both and with suspension you can cut full speed at 11mph. It makes a difference.

Steve

 

[chim]

Tried a ZT and didn't like it. Below is personal experience with tractors:

60" MMM w/ 14 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Cub 154 LoBoy, factory MMM)
60" RFM w/ 16 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Ford 1210, Caroni RFM)
60" RFM w/ 21 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Kubota B7500, Landpride side discharge RFM)
72" RFM w/ 32 HP tractor = 25 mins. (Kubota L3200, Landpride rear discharge RFM)
90" RFM w/ 42 HP tractor = 16 mins. (Kubota L4240, Caroni rear discharge RFM)

After mowing I can trim with less than one full charge on the DeWalt 20V string trimmer.

Here's a thread with more info:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/428991-60-inch-vs-72-mmm-3.html

 

[DK35vince]

Tried a ZT and didn't like it. Below is personal experience with tractors:

60" MMM w/ 14 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Cub 154 LoBoy, factory MMM)
60" RFM w/ 16 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Ford 1210, Caroni RFM)
60" RFM w/ 21 HP tractor = 40 mins. (Kubota B7500, Landpride side discharge RFM)
72" RFM w/ 32 HP tractor = 25 mins. (Kubota L3200, Landpride rear discharge RFM)
90" RFM w/ 42 HP tractor = 16 mins. (Kubota L4240, Caroni rear discharge RFM)

After mowing I can trim with less than one full charge on the DeWalt 20V string trimmer.

Here's a thread with more info:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/428991-60-inch-vs-72-mmm-3.html

My personal experience mowing our 8 acre lawn.
35 HP tractor with 84" rear discharge RFM = 3 hours 15 min.
35 HP 72" commercial zero turn = 2 hours.

 

[i7win7]

Depends on the mower
Riding The CBR1RR-Powered Honda Mean Mower - Motorcycle.com

 

[Texasmark]

ZT hands down!

 

[tallguy104]

Wow thanks for all the responses folks, much appreciated!

The reason I started this thread was this-

I have been seriously considering a zero-turn for our ~4 acre property, and was going to get a commercial one so it would last. Then when I realised I was spending nearly as much as what it cost for a subcompact tractor, it got me to thinking maybe I should just get one of those and have the flexibility to do a lot of other tasks (occasional earth moving, maybe a using a wood chipper attachment, rotary hoe attachment..) in addition to the main task- regular mowing.

It sounds like some of you are warning against such thinking though...that I need to be clear about what tasks I want to accomplish, and then picking the most appropriate tool(s). And most people have indicated that the ZRT it likely to cut our large open paddock quicker than the same sized tractor. Not to mention once you start buying the various attachments it gets substantially more expensive than just buying the bare tractor anyway, so perhaps it's not fair to think they are both similar money to purchase...

Sound about right?

 

[DK35vince]

Wow thanks for all the responses folks, much appreciated!

The reason I started this thread was this-

I have been seriously considering a zero-turn for our ~4 acre property, and was going to get a commercial one so it would last. Then when I realised I was spending nearly as much as what it cost for a subcompact tractor, it got me to thinking maybe I should just get one of those and have the flexibility to do a lot of other tasks (occasional earth moving, maybe a using a wood chipper attachment, rotary hoe attachment..) in addition to the main task- regular mowing.

It sounds like some of you are warning against such thinking though...that I need to be clear about what tasks I want to accomplish, and then picking the most appropriate tool(s). And most people have indicated that the ZRT it likely to cut our large open paddock quicker than the same sized tractor. Not to mention once you start buying the various attachments it gets substantially more expensive than just buying the bare tractor anyway, so perhaps it's not fair to think they are both similar money to purchase...

Sound about right?

I posted earlier about my commercial zero turn will out mow my tractor by a good bit. True it does.
That being said a zero turn only does one thing = mow.
If I could only have one machine it would have to be the tractor. I use the tractor for to many other things to be without it (snow removal, tilling, disking, loader work, backhoe work, lawn mowing, brush mowing, Etc. Etc. )
The tractor mows fine (did all my lawn mowing with it for years before I got a Z turn)

 

[jonsstihl]

do you enjoy mowing??

for me having a tractor that is more useful and spending 50% more time mowing for 20 weeks of the year in our climate is a fair trade but 50% of 1hr is a bit different than 50% of 4 hrs 52 weeks a year depending how many weeks of growing season you have.

I enjoy mowing and appreciate the time I get to spend on the tractor. but I only mow about an acre around the house.

 

[WranglerX]

My wife or myself mow about 3 acres with JD LS120 riding mower.... I still do it even since I bought my tractor and even contemplated getting 60 inch rear rotary, which after a lot of though seem very impractical..... Much will depend on terrain you will be mowing.... Cow pasture, sure get rear rotary (brush hog) for meadow land maybe riding mower might be appropriate, manicured lawn, Zero turn.... My opinion which probable matters little is a riding mower for my particular use.... ITs fita all my needs cah cut heavy stuff with some care, worket well in meadow area, and super on lawn areas.... One secret is horse power and another secret is "blades" (quality and sharp)...

Dale

 

[Fuddy1952]

I have 3 mowers and 2 tractors (+ bunch of trimmers, walk behind mowers, etc). Two zero turn Cub Cadets (RZT & Z-Force).
Everything has it's purpose. I like mowing.
If I just had grass to cut, one mower, for the money I'd just have the RZT. The Z-Force does a nicer looking job, throws grass farther (no piles of grass)...but it's slower than the Z. One tractor I just put the belly mower on towing a Trak Vac 880 for the loads of leaves we have...works well.
If you have lots of other tasks to do, a small tractor makes more sense. Just mowing grass I'd get a zero turn.

 

[dodge man]

It sounds like you could use a tractor. If you get a tractor you can start out with just the mower and end loader and something for ballast. Then add implements later. For reference my tractor, a John Deere 2025r, FEL, pallet forks, loaded rear tires(ballast), and 60” mid mount mower was $21k out the door. That money will but a very high end commercial grade zero turn. Half that money will get a really nice zero turn. As already pointed out, they only mow.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A zero turn mower is a one trick pony, and does that trick very well.

Well, my "one trick pony" has more than one trick, that it does "very well".

I have a snow blower for my zero turn and it really does that very well too!

There are several other attachments for my zero turn too, and they are quite easy to put on and take off, so I wouldn't call zero turn mowers one trick ponys at all, you just have to choose the right zero turn in the first place!

SR

 

[Fuddy1952]

Well, my "one trick pony" has more than one trick, that it does "very well".

I have a snow blower for my zero turn and it really does that very well too!

There are several other attachments for my zero turn too, and they are quite easy to put on and take off, so I wouldn't call zero turn mowers one trick ponys at all, you just have to choose the right zero turn in the first place!

SR

Very nice! I bet it wasn't cheap!
My Cub RZT50 I got on sale for $2K...but I'm cheap .

 

[KennK]

Another thing to consider is tractor HEIGHT. If the property has trees, a larger tractor may be too tall to get under tree branches.