Which Zero Turn Mower?

[CJ4]

Just saw a "Badboy" at the Tractor Supply in Salisaw. It's even much heavy built than the Swisher. Has electric deck lift which i've only seen on one other....the Craftsman......but it's $5,000.

 

[don716]

I would go for it all.Get a Kubota ZD21 Diesel ZTR and you would not ever have to worry about a mowing machine again.With the financing available you can get into one right and mow from now on.I know they are a little pricey but they are worth the money.My Nephew works at Home Depot and he said the lawn mowers they sell are not any better than the ones from Wal-Mart.Look at the Resale value of a Kubota ZD21 and then compare to the Resale value of another brand.I bought a "Real" Cub cadett heavy duty riding mower for 3000.00 and it was too little for my needs and called the dealer back and asked about trading it in and he said it was worth about 700-900 dollar range.It only had 32hrs on it and looked better than new.This was less than a year later.Go to E-bay and look at Kubota ZTR mowers and see what they are going for.They hold the re-sale value very well.Just my .02 cents worth.
Donny

 

[TrippleT]

Bad Boy is made here in Batesville Arkansas. It is one tough machine and you can get the big ones with a Cat engine. Just as tough as they come. And, the pros that mow for a living here for the most part use them.
If all I needed was a mower that is what I would get. But I bought a tractor with a 72 inch mower for the ten acres I have to mow. And, I can do other things with it such as garden and clearing brush. And other things.

 

[slowrev]

Just saw a "Badboy" at the Tractor Supply in Salisaw. It's even much heavy built than the Swisher. Has electric deck lift which i've only seen on one other....the Craftsman......but it's $5,000.

And the deck is 1/4 inch thick. Heavier than my rotary cutter deck....t wo spin on hydraulic filters , suspension, fuel tanks swing out for service, etc. I like em and will get one if I ever go the ZTR route.
yes you can get them with cat diesels on them too.

check out the video and parts lists, etc at badboymowers.com.
Sort of a cool video.

 

[CJ4]

Looking down the road...does anyone know how the deck is put together?? Pulley's, bearings, changing and acessing the blades???

 

[LetsRoll]

CJ4...since you own a TC55DA, have you considered a finish mower for your tractor? 5 acres is allot of mowing. Rhino came out with a 100" turbo series finish mower last year (TM100). Just a thought.

Rhino : News

 

[slowrev]

Looking down the road...does anyone know how the deck is put together?? Pulley's, bearings, changing and acessing the blades???

Not sure you might hit their site. The deck is welded, but beyond that I can't really say. they also have online manuals and parts listings.

 

[gsdavis1]

I have a Exmark Lazer Z. It is an awesome machine! It has the Kawasaki engine which is very powerful, dependable and easy to maintain. The mower is built like a tank. I cut about 5 acres with it and it is a breeze. I also bought the muching kit for it (blades and baffles) and with that 27hp Kawasaki motor, it shreds everything to bits. I leave the mulcher on all year round too.

Greg

 

[Nasty135]

CJ4, A few of the others have mentioned as to whether or not you really want a Z, And I would advise you to get someone to loan you one to try on your property because even the best riding Z is not going to be smooth on rocky bumpy ground, which is why I mentioned the weight adjustable seat in my first post... I think you might really want to try before you buy...

 

[RickO]

Hustler makes a super ZTR better than the Exmarks IMHO and about a grand cheaper for the comparable model I just bought. I did a lot of checking them out and for the money you can't hardly beat the huslter. I got the Mini Z with the 19hp kaw and 52'' deck. It is the smallest unit they have with the 23" tires. Get the front "Flex Fork" to smooth out the ride. I got mine for $6700 w/ tax and flex forks.

I haven't heard of the Badboy... Might be worth considering.

5 acres of rough ground will tear up anything from lowes or TSC.

 

[rcmike]

I second Hustler. I got a Super Z with 60" deck yesterday and mowed with it this morning. Keep in mind we got a long, hard rain yesterday right before dark and I think some more during the night. The grass was tall and wet and I mowed my 5 acres in less than half the time it takes me with my 4010 and 60" finish mower. My yard is pretty bumpy but with the suspension seat the ride was much better than my tractor. I plan on getting the flex forks to smooth it out even more. I have some pretty good slopes that scare me with the tractor and I actually felt pretty comfortable mowing on them. It is a little scary at first until you figure out how the mower reacts when you get some wheel slippage. The lawn never looked smoother either.

 

[CJ4]

Let's Roll, I did consider the finish mower route but I have alot of trees and some quite close. I'm not surprise that the Z turn are rough riding....hum, maybe I should go the conventional type??? All you other guys, i'm listening to you all and thanks so much....keep it up....

 

[MadDogDriver]

Bad Boy's suspension system looks intriguing.

 

[RickO]

Let's Roll, I did consider the finish mower route but I have alot of trees and some quite . I'm not surprise that the Z turn are rough riding....hum, maybe I should go the conventional type??? All you other guys, i'm listening to you all and thanks so much....keep it up....

Maybe you didn't read the posts about the Hustler. We both said the ZTR did not ride as rough as a garden tractor/tractor because of suspension seat and flex forks. Some ZTR have full suspension like Simplicity and Ferris (Ferris makes them both I believe).

Personally, after mowing on multiple tractors/garden tractors for the past 28 years and having a ZTR now. I will never go back to only a GT for mowing. I still have a GT but it is not the primary mower anymore.

 

[Nasty135]

One other tought that helps the ride quality of a Z in addition to suspension seat & flex forks or springs etc...is to run low air pressure in the tires, In mine I run about 9lbs. rear and 12-15lbs front... In my manual it was noted that the tires are delivered with 25-35lbs. for seating the beads and reccommed dropping tire pressures to help soften the ride which helps to use the Z's speed advantage...

 

[vrman]

I've got 5 acres with a lot of trees and it is pretty bumpy. I started out with a Kubota ZG20 last season, but it's cut just wasn't up to par, and frankly, it didn't really speed up the cutting at all. I ended up trading up to the ZD326p this season and wow! Night and day difference. This model has a suspension seat on it, and the hydraulic lift for the deck and the easy access maintenance are what really sold me on it. Much quieter, more efficient, and it is basically commercial grade. I threw some gator blades on it, and I cut my whole yard last weekend in less than 3 hours. Used to take about 8 hours with the old MTD garden tractor.

When you are deciding on one, try to get the heaviest duty one you can afford, and make sure it has a reliable engine in it. FYI, my payments are about $180/mo on the ZD326p.

 

[HuskerInVA]

I just picked up a Promaster 148Z Gravely. 3 years old with 260 hours for $4k. Cost the same as the residential 48" mowers, but its a true commercial unit and built like a tank. Keep an eye out for 'slightly used' commercial units and you can get a good quality mower and save some bucks.

Let's Roll, I did consider the finish mower route but I have alot of trees and some quite close. I'm not surprise that the Z turn are rough riding....hum, maybe I should go the conventional type??? All you other guys, i'm listening to you all and thanks so much....keep it up....

 

[klm]

I have a M6125K (61" 25HP Kaw) Bush Hog, had a Grasshopper before it, both ZTR's, both real fine machines and the only way to mow grass if you have much to mow.
You don't here much about Bush Hog ZTR's but I think they are about as good as you can get. Built like a tank, independent front supension, quality components and a very good seat. These guys that say a ZTR rides rough don't mention that they are mowing about twice as fast as the ever did on a tractor.

 

[grnspot110]

I'll second the Bush Hog, I've had my #M2554 for 5 years now and really like it! I looked at every brand available in my area (except Grasshopper) before I bought, I liked the features better on the Bush Hog. The only reason I didn't look at Grasshopper was the dealer, he didn't seem to want to sell me one, didn't like a cash sale I guess. He's no longer in business!!

Whatever you decide, the dealer makes a big difference!

 

[TrippleT]

Here is the latest link to Bad Boy mowers. They are made locally here in Batesville Arkanasas.

Bad Boy Mowers | Home | Zero-Turn ZTR Commercial Lawn Mower