What's it like owning a zero turn?

[OutbackL130]

I currently have been mowing with my John Deere L130 since 2004. I get worn out with no power steering mowing my 3.5 acres full of trees and obstacles. I'd be content with a new riding mower that has power steering, but they cant be bought for $2500 which is why I'm considering a zero turn. I've always had a traditional tractor style riding mower and never gave a thought to owning a zero turn until now. I'm thinking about buying a new John Deere Zero turn mower from Lowes. I dont want to spend more than $2500.


Based on my experience with the L130 riding mower the additional benefits of a zero turn are:

Zero turn pro's:
- Faster top speed
- Effortless turning
- No front spindles to wear out
- No steering gears to break
- No tie rods to break
- Exhaust is directed out the rear and away from you, no breathing fumes


Cons:
- Ugly, IMHO

What its like owning a zero turn mower? They seem like a simpler machine. Any common problems with them or other pros and cons?

 

[RG1]

I currently have been mowing with my John Deere L130 since 2004. I get worn out with no power steering mowing my 3.5 acres full of trees and obstacles. I'd be content with a new riding mower that has power steering, but they cant be bought for $2500 which is why I'm considering a zero turn. I've always had a traditional tractor style riding mower and never gave a thought to owning a zero turn until now. I'm thinking about buying a new John Deere Zero turn mower from Lowes. I dont want to spend more than $2500.


Based on my experience with the L130 riding mower the additional benefits of a zero turn are:

Zero turn pro's:
- Faster top speed
- Effortless turning
- No front spindles to wear out
- No steering gears to break
- No tie rods to break
- Exhaust is directed out the rear and away from you, no breathing fumes


Cons:
- Ugly, IMHO

What its like owning a zero turn mower? They seem like a simpler machine. Any common problems with them or other pros and cons?

The ones they sell at Lowe's are a joke. I'd pass. Go to some of the lawn forums like Lawn Site and read. I run a Z950A. It's a serious mower, but then, it's way out of the price range you mentioned. You'd be better off with another tractor IMO. You have to remember, you get what you pay for, and those little units at the big box stores are pretty lightly built, and a lot more money to repair that the same priced tractor if they go down. On top of that, you can buy the exact same units at your local dealer for the same price. Then, if you do, they will be a lot more willing and happy to service it for you should you need it.

 

[OutbackL130]

Yeah I'll definitely check out the dealer. I bought from a john deere dealer in 2003 when they sold me on the L130 for $3500, before the L100 line was carried at big box stores. A few months later all the home depots started carrying that same model for around $2500.

I agree lower end mowers like this can be expensive to repair if they break frequently. The parts are expensive even though they are cheaper mowers.

I have a john deere 420 garden tractor which is a heavy duty mower and has power steering, but there are a few quirks with this tractor that I dont like. I plan on selling it to get a ZTR.

 

[RG1]

Take a good look at the Z720A or the newer 915B. I know they are a bit more money, but they are well worth it.

I owned a Z720 and it was a fine mower, and true commercial, in every way. You can get some good deals on them since they are basically models that are out of production, replaced by the 915, yet many dealer still have them or can get them until the NOS inventory dries up.

The problem with the lower end units is the frame and hydro's are not designed for very much use. Having to repair or replace the hydro's will quickly make buying a better model well worth the up front cost, especially since the break downs tend to happen during mowing season which is when you need them the most.

 

[lhfarm]

If you enjoy all that mowing time, don't get a ZTR - it will cut your mowing time in half. At least it did for me on my 3 acres. My first ZTR was a Snapper and I had a number of problems with it. My nephew runs a landscape business and he sent me to his eXmark dealer and I traded for their small residential model. It has been a dream machine.

I'd stay away from low-end/box store machines. ZTR's take a lot of beating and need to be will made. Do some reading here (search for ZTR threads) and look for local outdoor equipment dealers in your area.

Good luck,

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't think you'll find a zero turn for that amount that you will be happy with. If you are set on that budget, I'd consider a good quality riding mower. They are more comfortable then a zero turn and the end results are just as good. The advantage to the zero turn is how fast it cuts and how quickly you can turn. Once you go up in price, they also become easier to maintain and change the blades. Everything becomes heavy duty as well, but it's a huge price jump. Other advantages to the zero turn is how nice it hugs the ground on steep angles.

Disadvantages are that it's a rough ride. You can only go as fast as how much bouncing around your body can handle. Mine has the best seat I came across when shopping around and that makes it more bearable, but you still feel the bumps and after awhile, they add up. Another disadvantage is from being so low to the ground, you get dirt, dust and even grass clipping flying out the front of them sometimes, which creates a nasty cloud you have to hold your breath and close your eyes while going through. If you never have to drive over bare dirt, it wont be so bad. Maybe. They also use more gas to do the same job as a riding mower. All that speed and power requires more fuel.

Sometimes I miss my riding mower, but for me, cutting close to the waters edge on my dam, along the road in front of my land where it's steep and being able to get done with my mowing in half the time all add up to making it worthwhile. With that much land to mow, I might also consider a good quality finish mower and doing it with the tractor. I have several pastures that I mow with my finish mower behind my tractor. It's just more fun and relaxing, especially when I'm mostly going in straight lines.

Eddie

 

[bandaidmd]

Once you get past your prejudice of whats ugly (lol) you will quickly fall in love with that ugly ztr. Don't write off the $3000 machines if that's all the budget you have they will work fine for years. Sure the high end ones are tougher but more than double the price, i have a Cub Cadet that's 7 years old and a Toro that's 2(there at separate properties) both are the consumer models and have served me well. You can usually buy for the same price at a local servicing dealer that the box stores charge.

 

[yelbike]

If you want the "cheaper" JD models, I'd suggest at least go to the z400 series JD ztrs. I have the z465 and love it. Its not the most heavy duty unit out there but it works great on my 7 acres of grass. Slopes aren't ztr strong points though.
Good luck.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had used tractor type mowers all my life but when I move to my country home with a very large yard (about 6 acres)I went out and bought a Craftsman ZTR with 26 HP engine. It has done well for 2 seasons (well actually 3 seasons but due to drought one year only mowed twice) but it is as rough as riding a bucking goat. Just like a tractor, it has no suspension and the only cushioning you get is from the seat which isn't much even though I consider it to have as good a seat as any other mower (not including the super expensive ones with air ride suspension seat that cost $1000 just for the seat).
Any way last summer my back had finally had enough of the rough ride and I started looking for something a bit smoother. My neighbor runs a lawn service and uses Exmark mowers. They have much larger tires thus a bit better ride, but still no suspension. I found a Ferris mower that does have a coil and shock suspension. I stood on the back bumper and bounced it up and down just like a car does. I bought the IS700Z model with a 23 HP Kawasaki engine. I absolutely love it. It rides super smooth, has large tires to go along with the suspension system so it really handles the bumps well and I have a lot of them. The deck is thick fabricated steel with flat surfaces unlike the Craftman with pockets that hold debris and water at each spindle. The HST pumps and transmission have drain plugs and do require servicing, but this is not a bad thing as just like an engine, changing the oil will make them last longer. It also has cooling fans to blow air over the drive motors to keep them cool. They can be rebuilt if they ever go bad, unlike the Craftman (and other low end mowers) that if the HST goes bad, it is thrown away and replaced at a cost of $1500 per wheel (this according to the serviceman who cam out a couple times to repair some micro switches and replace a bracket that broke off on the mower deck adjustment. I can step on the deck on my Ferris and it is solid, absolutely no movement, while the Craftsman tilts down to rest on the gauge wheels if I step on it.
With the heavy duty transmission and extra weight, the Ferris will hold straight on a 15 degree slope mowing horizontal to it where as the craftsman wont hold on a side slope more than 8 degrees. The big difference is in the machines weight, the Ferris weighs 850 pounds whereas the Craftsman weighs maybe half that (two boys picked it up and put it on my trailer when I bought it).

Simplicity is the same mower as the Ferris as they are both owned by the same company. I highly recommend these mowers for comfort and durability. It also burns less fuel mowing the same area than the craftsman maybe due to the higher speed that it will run (9.8MPH vs 6 for the craftsman)

The con is that it was more than twice the price of the $3000 Craftsman with the same size deck but I expect it to last me a lifetime compared to a few years at most for the Craftsman.
A good indication of how well to expect the reliability of the Craftsman is the extended warranty, $800 for a year after the first 3 years expired. I bought the extended warranty on it when I bought it which I think was $600 for 2 additional years. The Ferris has a 3 year warranty from the factory.

 

[Gary Fowler]

What's is like owning a Zero Turn? Well when I first got mine, it took me several days to get the hang of it. I did mow down a few of the wife's flowers before I got the hang of it AND figured out that turning up hill wasn't going to happen with the box store mower, it just didn't have the traction to do that. It would drift downhill with full reverse on the uphill side tire (tire spinning like crazy in reverse). I finally fixed that by putting on bar lug (tractor type)tires. The tires were same size as a golf cart tire so I found them at BuggiesUnlimited.com. None of this is applicable to my Ferris, if I want to go sideway up a hill it turns and goes up.

Setting out front with no visual reference, it is hard to judge where the tires are so you do a lot of overlap mowing until you get used to it. Also gripping the steering bars is quite different from holding a steering wheel and you will find yourself tensing up which is very tiring on the arms till you get the hang of driving them. After a few hours or days of use, you get more relaxed and thus more comfortable in the seat. You will however always have to stop to scratch your nose or wipe sweat off as it always take both hands on the bar to keep it going, they are spring loaded and return to neutral when you aren't holding them tightly.

 

[greg_g]

The "name brand" mowers at big box stores are knock-offs. Under license, yes. But knockoffs nonetheless. Consider them as Murray's with trademark paint and decals. My JD dealer says they only permit this if/when the big box store store agrees to use John Deere trained assemblers. Otherwise, JD won't honor the warranty. I don't doubt other legitimate mower manufacturers have similar stipulations

If you only have $2500 to spend, save the extra money charged for the green and yellow paint job - and just buy a a Murray or equivalent 2nd or 3rd tier mower

But to your ZTR question: I spent $5500 on a first tier zero turn, and returned it for a refund after two hours. Without optional tires AND diff lock, it was useless for hillside work. Couldn't hold a straight line downhill, and reversing uphill was absolutely impossible. If you're just mowing flat ground though, a ZTR should be just fine (once you learn to actually make it go where you want it to)

//greg//

 

[kcflhrc]

I have a Toro SS 5060. Great mower, but it was $3,300 from Wise Sales. Don't think you will find a decent ZTR for $2,500. Great mower with a Kawasaki engine.

 

[speedbump]

I have to mow about 1.5 acres at home and several rentals with smaller yards. I bought a Dixie Chopper. It was used and about 8 years old. I paid $4000.00 for it and I love it. The engine started smoking on one bank last year so I put a 30 hp briggs in it and it's still like new otherwise. I have owned it for 8 years now.

It's fast, cuts like crazy and takes 5' swaths. It's a beast!

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Yep, bought a used Toro last year. Increased the amount of yard I mow, mow the pond banks, lane to the pond, mom and dad's yard, our yard, drive way, roadside and still spend less time mowing than I did when mowing our yard with a tractor type mower. Knees down do get dirtier have thought about a plexiglass shield for next year. Best move I ever made. I love the design of the gas tank off to the side, been a great machine and yard looks wonderful. Never mowed grass at such a high speed and get a fabulous cut. I'd never go back.

 

[aczlan]

But to your ZTR question: I spent $5500 on a first tier zero turn, and returned it for a refund after two hours. Without optional tires AND diff lock, it was useless for hillside work. Couldn't hold a straight line downhill, and reversing uphill was absolutely impossible. If you're just mowing flat ground though, a ZTR should be just fine (once you learn to actually make it go where you want it to)

Diff lock on a ZTR? What make/model was it? I have never seen a ZTR with a diff lock as the wheels each have their own motors, so there is no need for a difflock.
I have spent many hours on Exmark and Huskvarna Commercial ZTRs with 60" or 72" decks and they are awesome machines.

Aaron Z

 

[chevy]

If you have never used a zero turn, I would suggest you use one on your property before buying one. As others have said, they work great on flat property. They can be a challange on sloping property. If you enjoy relaxing while you are mowing, stick with a tractor type mower.

 

[Gary Fowler]

The "name brand" mowers at big box stores are knock-offs. Under license, yes. But knockoffs nonetheless. Consider them as Murray's with trademark paint and decals. My JD dealer says they only permit this if/when the big box store store agrees to use John Deere trained assemblers. Otherwise, JD won't honor the warranty. I don't doubt other legitimate mower manufacturers have similar stipulations

If you only have $2500 to spend, save the extra money charged for the green and yellow paint job - and just buy a a Murray or equivalent 2nd or 3rd tier mower

But to your ZTR question: I spent $5500 on a first tier zero turn, and returned it for a refund after two hours. Without optional tires AND diff lock, it was useless for hillside work. Couldn't hold a straight line downhill, and reversing uphill was absolutely impossible. If you're just mowing flat ground though, a ZTR should be just fine (once you learn to actually make it go where you want it to)

//greg//

Each wheel is controlled by an independent hydraulic motor so there is no such thing as a differential lock, they don't have a common differential like tractors/cars. If your mower wouldn't hold on a hillside it was because of lack of traction or improper operator commands and nothing to do with any kind of lock.
As posted earlier, my first ZTR from Sears would do the same thing because of lack of traction and its 300-400# weight, but I have no problem holding straight on a 15 degree slope with my Ferris IS 700Z mower. MY ZTR mower will climb a hill that my JD 332 diesel would just spin out on.
Why would you want to go in reverse up hill, just spin around and go forward. You should be planning your pathways so that you aren't stopping/starting/turning on a steep slope as no ZTR or Garden tractor has much traction on wet or freshly cut grass. We had a JD 750 tractor that couldn't turn uphill on a 8 degree slope without spinning out with those turf tires.

 

[greg_g]

The one I owned for 2 hours was a Ferris also. Don't remember the model number, just that it was 60" and cost $5500. Tried trimming up to electric cross-fences in my pasture, something I had no problem with when using my John Deere 317 (or any other riding mower for that matter). The machine cut the **** outa the 4"-6" pasture grass, but traction was absolutely useless. Even at idle with the brake pedals pinned to the floor, the **** thing slid downhill at an angle and tangled itself up in the electric wire. All attempts at reversing out of the situation only made it worse. Ended up pulling the fence posts to disentangle the mower chassis. Pitiful traction on hillside. Nor was I mowing wet pasture. The greasy stuff was caused by tires sliding (downhill) and spinning (uphill), literally squishingit out of the pasture grasses. Tires were spinning on wet that was of its own creation. Then I'd burn thru the grass and start filling up the turf nubs with dirt. Tires turned into balloon slicks. Useless.

Regarding diff lock, yes - it's technically a misnomer regarding ZTRs. But there's no reason - especially for $5500 - they couldn't engineer a sync switch that could slave both drive motors to a common ground speed. Such a feature would be a diff-lock equivalent, selectable at operator discretion. Had that feature existed, I might have owned that Ferris for more than 2 hours.

In my case it was a simple matter of the wrong (but expensive) tool for the job, and the basis for my recommendation to the OP to limit his consideration of a ZTR to flatland operation.

//greg//

 

[kcflhrc]

I think most people that don't like a ZTR Mower never took the time to really figure out how to use it. I have slopes, hills and all that crap and have no issues with the Toro. It works great. Took me all of 10 minutes to figure out how to run it. Almost every lawn service around here uses ZTR Mowers and they mow all kinds of terrain.

 

[chevy]

I think most people that don't like a ZTR Mower never took the time to really figure out how to use it. I have slopes, hills and all that crap and have no issues with the Toro. It works great. Took me all of 10 minutes to figure out how to run it. Almost every lawn service around here uses ZTR Mowers and they mow all kinds of terrain.

Not everyone can play golf & not everyone can drive a zero turn mower. That is why I suggest that anyone that has never used one, to try one out on there property before buying one.