Why zero-turn mowers?

[Will_C]

i have a BX 2200 with a 60" deck. I mow my Mother's lawn with it. It takes me 20 minutes with a trim mower, 80 minutes with the Kubota, and 12 minutes weedeating. When my Kubota was being serviced, I borrowed my brother's ZTR. It is a Toro 52" machine, heavy duty homeowners model. I mowed the lawn in 80 minutes with the ZTR, no trim mowing, and the same 12 minutes of weedeating. That was with a ZTR mower with an 8" narrower deck, and a novice operator. My brother could have done it 15-20 minutes faster. That's why I am considering one.
Will

 

[bobmisi]

No clutch, no brakes, great manuverability, great comfort, speed, and they are built to do one thing, cut grass. They require very little maintenance, are easy to work on, and if you get a commercial one like my Exmark, they will last for many years. Down side, a good one is at least 6000 dollars. I've had mine for 5 years and mow three acres a week and I will not ever by any thing else.

 

[Kendrick]

on my lawn you couldn't get a cut to mow it safely( will be posting pics soon about that). the 60" toro I got to use took me 2.5 hours to mow it all and 80% no pucker in wet 3' grass! I have no idea how many acres but over 2.5 and that was the first time i used it. I also spent some time getting used to it first. i would gues 4 or so acres all hilly and partially obsticle ridden. this unit was i think a 30hp unit. I was able to bog that down with the grass i had. I was also slipin and slidin in a fiew places. I had a fiew areas i could not do with it and several i had to do at an angle or straight down. with the cut i puckered at the straight away just to get to the other side of the house and that is the safest/only way to get my cut to the far pasture. unless i want to try driving over my septic tank but then have a pucker factor hill to go down...

If i stuck a riding on it I would spend a whole day and probably wouldent have been able to mow a couple areas. the trany and deck were heavy enough to keep a low center. a lawn boy would not have made several areas that i could take slowly with the z.

 

[wolc123]

Some people get by mowing with a CUT with R4 tires. Those who have a zero-turn with turf tires and a tractor with R1's are way ahead of the game. They don't compromise any traction on the tractor (R4's are terrible in mud, tilled ground, and snow), and cut the lawn in half the time. I don't own a zero-turn but have used my neighbor's and can verify that they really do cut the time in half. There is no wasted motion and you can cut right up to trees, etc. with no need for trimming. The zero-turn is here to stay but don't be suprised if conventional riding mowers are not.

 

[txdon]

The ZRTs are great for NOT using certain parts of the body that are worn out. Shoulders: since there is no turning of the steering wheel the rotator cuffs can take a holiday. Knees and legs: There are no gas pedals, clutches, or brakes so those leg and knee injuries are not aggravated.

I need to get a Handicap sticker for My ZRT.

FUN: It's really a blast to come to a fast stop and do a 180 in .02 seconds.

 

[reasley]

Like many have said already, the speed and convenience of a ZTR is phenomenal. When we bought our property 3 years ago, a commercial ZTR came as part of the deal. It is a 31 HP Bunton (division of Jacobson) with a 72" (not a typo: 6 feet) deck. It will mow a field at 8 mph (5 acres per hour) and using it is like driving a go-kart to do your lawn.

In fact, I mow the grass and/or fields for fun when I take a break from real work.

A couple of others have alluded to the differences b/t a commercial and a homeowner ZTR.

The main mowing benefit not discussed thus far is *blade* speed. Homeowner unit blades are merely crawling compared to commercial blades. If you have never seen the blades and pulleys spinning on a commercial ZTR, you would not believe the difference -- this accounts for the superior cut of a commercial ZTR.

The build quality difference is quite significant, too. For example, my mowing deck alone weighs 700 lbs, which translates to not only longevity and durability, but my ZTR has an extremely low center of gravity. I can go up quite steep grades and it is solid as a rock.

Richard

 

[garth466]

I almost bought a ZTR last May. I didn't because of 3 things. 1, I just didn't feel very masculine on the thing. 2, for the same money I got bigger axles, transmission and a Kawasaki which I'd like to believe that my next mower won't need to be bought until later down the road. Last but not least, 3, how do I hold my beverage when both hands are needed to drive the thing?

 

[JoeinTX]

Zero-turn mowers are wonderful machines.

I don't own one and can't afford the cost for myself, but, watching them work is a sight to see. ZTRs are generally overpowered for their deck-size and overbuilt for their horsepower.

How many broke down zero-turn threads do you see on here?

Credit where credit is do. Do all property owners need one? No, would just be serious overkill.

Do people cutting multiple acres with time as an issue need one? They are to be seriously looked at because they are proven pieces of equipment.

 

[GaryCrowell]

Last but not least, 3, how do I hold my beverage when both hands are needed to drive the thing?

Dang, you've got me there. This may just be a show stopper.

 

[unit40]

Many zero-turn machines are actually designed so that you can operate them with one hand. You get a much smoother steering when using just one hand. We have several different brands of commercial machines and operate them with one hand. That being said, zero-turns are fast but that comes with a price. Unless the ground is very smooth, driving fast over rough ground will give your body and the machine quite a beating. Secondly, watch someone make a turn with one. Even some 'professionals'. See if they pivot on a drive tire while turning. You will be surprised how many do it. Pivoting on that tire tears the grass and even creates a little divot. Do that over and over and you will see damage. Also check out an uncut circle from a zero-turn - withut pivoting on a tire or damaging the turf. You will find that my X-744 will do better.