Two Questions in Regards to Mid Mount mower.

[cdaigle430]

Soooo, went shopping for ZT yesterday and not only did I not buy one but came out of the shopping experience depressed. Seems like no one wants to sell to me because I have some sloped area that leads to a pond at the bottom.
I didnt know this but apparently ZT are very dangerous on sloped grass. Mostly because all the eight is at the back. Im going to have to revisit this and post in the Lawn and garden tractor forum threads. Questions like-what if I put weights on the front of the ZT and how much would make them safe-ish?
Otherwise I will just have to make my YTH2448 work longer.

 

[cdaigle430]

Free opinion: buy the mid-mount mower. Shop around too as $2700 sounds high (I'm not in the market though.) You probably won't have to take it on and off very often and even when you do it is fairly easy. About your wet terrain: zero turns are fine on the golf course and very maneuverable but they have notoriously poor traction on adverse surfaces, plus steep ground is NOT good for them.

I suppose this is nit picking but you are not taking any tractor over a 45 degree slope other than to slide down it once if you are lucky. A 45 % slope, sure, but NOT 45 degree. A 45% slope is roughly 24 degrees. A 40% slope is "healthy steep" for a good low profile 4WD tractor and 50% is a sensible upper limit. A 45 degree slope is a 100% slope. See chart below.

View attachment 603478

Thanks for the chart-I think its more like a 25 degree slope based on the chart attached.

 

[dieselscout80]

I have a couple of 23 to 25 degree slopes that I have to mow and I don’t think I would sidehill on anything steeper.

One of them ends at the deepest end of our pond.

 

[dalola]

I didnt know this but apparently ZT are very dangerous on sloped grass. Mostly because all the eight is at the back. Questions like-what if I put weights on the front of the ZT and how much would make them safe-ish?

Be very careful with such generalizations. A small residential ZTR with turf tires, you will be limited. A bigger commercial ZTR with chevron style tires will destroy any SCUT/CUT mowing slopes. You WANT the weight over the rear tires, as the fronts are only along for the ride. Commercial units are properly balanced, and don't need additional weight.

ZTR's are dedicated mowing machines, and will out-perform any tractor based mower with a similar sized deck. Spend your $3K on a properly equipped used commercial unit, and don't look back. My $.02.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a small hill around the house. A friend had picked up a large Diesel ZT that was on Demo to a Golf Course. He brought it by, insisting it would cut my hill. It slid down the hill. leaving a skid mark on the lawn and in his shorts. He loaded it back on the trailer and we never spoke of it again.

 

[4570Man]

I’ll run against a tractor anytime with my ZTR. Without adding wheel spacers to the point of sticking past the deck you’ll be on your side first. It takes the right machine, the right tires and a good operator. Loose any one of the 3 and you can forget about it.

 

[lennyzx11]

Here’s my opinion.

I would get a 48-50” ZTR for what you describe. Yes a MMM is more Swiss Army knife but tractor mowing a lawn is the most cumbersome to all the ways mentioned. Especially under tree limbs.

I have two Dixie chopper ZTRs (bought used with low hours), a jd gt240 rider(came with the place), and my Kubota l3301 with a finish mower or a Mott flail with finish blades on the back. And an old 22” self propelled push mower (that refuses to die).
We mow about 8 of the 10 acres every two weeks in season. It is overkill I know but it’s became a kinda adult family get together for which we all enjoy.

So to the point(s).

The Dixie with the 50” cut does the best job and is hands down the fastest. The Dixie with the 60” cut will scalp on uneven ground and has to be ran slightly slower to get the same quality of cut.
They both will tear up the ground during sharp turns without a little finesse used during turning.

The tractor is more relaxing and good for one handed driving and by playing with the 3 point to offset the mower behind, it gets into and under the brush borders around the place. I like it for the wide open area drive around in a rectangle thing. It isn’t allowed on the lawn area due to compacting ground ruts as I have ag tires.

The two swales I cut with the push mower on a 25-30 degree or so side slope.
The John Deere rider will do it if conditions are perfect but it is a white knuckle edge of the uphill side of the seat event. It isn’t hydrostatic so shifting, clutch, and brakes are involved on that one like the old days.
The ztrs will try to kill you on them. Either run off side hill or flip a wheelie uphill. Even with weight on the front.
The tractor will try to lift a wheel.

And somehow, I always seem to end up doing the weed eating and push mowing while everyone else is riding!

 

[jeepcj7]

They are 2 different beasts. If your primary concern is mowing go with the zero turn.

 

[LouNY]

I would throw another mower into the equation, check out and try out one of the front deck mowers.
They are expensive. But they are a very manuverable and stable mower especially with 4wd.
I knowthat many people are quite proud of the ZT's I have never owned one, I had had them out and demo'ed them.
I had a lawn contractor come out with his a couple of times. For my steep and rough lawn I will not get a zero turn.
I will go with a 3 point or trailing mower behind my tractors, or a lawn/garden tractor with chains if needed.
The other option would be the Stiener or Ventrac lawn tractors.

 

[M J S]

I had/have the cub cadet with the 54" deck and it was great until I purchased the MF gc1720 with the 54" deck and then I didn't use the cub again once I raised the tree limbs. I now have purchased the MF 1526 with the 60" deck, only have 10 hrs of cutting time on it, love it, cut is smooth. I have the turf tires, loaded, so not sure if it will damage the grass over time. A few more turns when it comes to cutting around tress, but quicker on total time