What's it like owning a zero turn?

[greg_g]

This discussion of commercial/professional ZTRs is not helping the OP. And I'll 'fess up to being one of the perps when I brought up riding mowers. It would be in his best interest to return to the original enquiry. Specifically, what may be reasonably obtainable for the $2500 he's willing to spend.

//greg//

 

[JMER817]

I have a craftsman 54 inch deck for mowing 2 acres. Was thinking about buying a zero turn so I rented one to try. Exmark 60" knocked my time down from 1.5 hrs to 45 min which included learning time

 

[OutbackL130]

So if I were to sell my JD 420 garden tractor to get a zero turn I'd be giving up nostalgia, having a 3 point hitch, power deck lift, and 60" deck. Toro has a decent 50" zero turn with a kawasaki engine for $3000. It is pushing my budget, but for a cheaper mower I'm sure it would last just fine for my use.

I'm wondering is it an unreasonable prejudice against my 420 to want to trade it for a zero turn mainly because I dont like how the exhaust exits out the front right fender in close proximity to the operators face? The old onans smell bad. The main reason I am considering a zero turn over my 420 with power steering is that the exhaust will be behind me.

 

[yelbike]

So if I were to sell my JD 420 garden tractor to get a zero turn I'd be giving up nostalgia, having a 3 point hitch, power deck lift, and 60" deck. Toro has a decent 50" zero turn with a kawasaki engine for $3000. It is pushing my budget, but for a cheaper mower I'm sure it would last just fine for my use.

I'm wondering is it an unreasonable prejudice against my 420 to want to trade it for a zero turn mainly because I dont like how the exhaust exits out the front right fender in close proximity to the operators face? The old onans smell bad. The main reason I am considering a zero turn over my 420 with power steering is that the exhaust will be behind me.

Can you reroute or extend the exhaust pipe?
One draw back already mentioned previously is the driver is exposed to a lot more dust and grass clippings on a ztr.
Grass clippings and dust are healthier than exhaust fumes but are annoying just the same. I'm sure the problem varies in severity from model to model. My JD isn't too bad but still worth mentioning.

 

[RG1]

If that's your main reason for wanting to switch- DON'T. Just re-route or extend the exhaust. Trust me, having the exhaust exit just behind you is not much, if any better. How much you smell it all depends on which way the wind blows more than where it comes out at.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Can you reroute or extend the exhaust pipe?
One draw back already mentioned previously is the driver is exposed to a lot more dust and grass clippings on a ztr.
Grass clippings and dust are healthier than exhaust fumes but are annoying just the same. I'm sure the problem varies in severity from model to model. My JD isn't too bad but still worth mentioning.

While true one is exposed to a lot of grass clippings when mowing, I don't find it more so with a ZTR than with a tractor type mower. The discharge chute is approximately the same location to the side of the operator on both machines. As long as the discharge deflector is in place, I don't get a lot of chaff in the face except when a really strong wind is blowing against the discharge direction just like I would get with a tractor type.
Now back to the OP's quest. I am afraid that he wont get anywhere near a 1st tier residential ZTR mower for $2500, if fact I haven't seen any new ZTR mowers for less than $2999+tax. These would be the ones with a pressed steel deck, throw away HST transmissions that may last 3-4 year on a large lot, small tires that ride really rough and have very little traction. These would be the ones like my Craftsman 6000 (my first ZTR mower) that cut grass good, but not any faster than a tractor type. I have mowed beside my brother in law with his Craftsman tractor and they are the exact same top end speed. The ZTR is a bit faster to mow the same acreage due to faster turning and ease of mowing around bushes and trees. In order for the ZTR 6000 to be able to hold a straight line on even a small slope, I had to but bar lug tires on it. It held on slopes and even turns uphill now but at the expensive of digging a few holes in the yard if I push it too hard. My Ferris will hold straight on the same slope with turf tires, turn uphill, climb 18 degree slopes easily and smooth out the roughest bumps with the suspension system. It has much larger diameter tires and about twice as wide so that helps also to smooth out the ride. Entry level ztr mowers will work for a while and cut just about as good as a commercial grade but expect to buy a new one about every 5 years if you mow 3 or more acres with it weekly.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I would not give up this for a ZTR unless I absolutely had too..

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would not give up this for a ZTR unless I absolutely had too..

View attachment 360637

I would never give up my tractors either, nor would I give up my zero turn mower. Each has its place and while a tractor with a mower attachment will mow grass it isn't the best thing for that task especially with lots of obstacles ( I have about 100 trees and shrubs to mow around). I prefer to use the right tool for the job if at all possible which is why I have 2 tractors and 2 zero turn mowers. Sold my JD 332 tractor with 54" mower deck last summer to clear up some garage area and after all, who needs 3 lawnmowers but the JD was handy to pull the fertilizer spreader and lawn sweeper but the ZTRs work good for this also.

 

[vrmnthntr]

I had a Toro zero turn commercial mower for almost 10 years. I loved it, no problems with it.

I always wanted a tractor type mower so I bought a scut.

Boy do I miss the zero turn. I miss the speed and quality of cut. It was also comfortable to me. It depends on your terrain, they are not for every yard.

As far as price goes, like others have said. You get what you pay for. Though with a small yard there is not much wear and tear.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I would never give up my tractors either, nor would I give up my zero turn mower. Each has its place and while a tractor with a mower attachment will mow grass it isn't the best thing for that task especially with lots of obstacles ( I have about 100 trees and shrubs to mow around). I prefer to use the right tool for the job if at all possible which is why I have 2 tractors and 2 zero turn mowers. Sold my JD 332 tractor with 54" mower deck last summer to clear up some garage area and after all, who needs 3 lawnmowers but the JD was handy to pull the fertilizer spreader and lawn sweeper but the ZTRs work good for this also.

Agreed.. Get BOTH! :thumbsup: