What's it like owning a zero turn?

[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.