Would you buy a 54" or 60" deck?

[Deere Dude]

Having 60" regular garden tractor decks I could cut quite fast. I bought a brand new 54" model JD with cab, and other attachments because I got a good deal on it. I had about 2.5 acres to cut and quite a few big trees spread around.

After cutting for a month or two I sold the whole thing because I felt I was cutting with the brakes on. Nothing like looking back and seeing a nice wide swath of cut grass. Even though a trip across the lawn was fairly equal in time, the work being done was painfully obvious if you are used to 60-62" at a crack.

 

[3gunr]

With only 2 acres the difference in mow time will be negligible but for that little money go bigger. My son last yr had the same issue , went bigger and is happy. Besides you might end up mowing more in the future so think ahead.

 

[RSKY]

It depends entirely on the type/brand of mower you are purchasing. When I bought my Bad Boy mower several years ago I told the dealer I wanted the 60" deck and the Kohler engine. Before I left the shop the owner's daughter (late 20's, blond, smoking hot, graduated with my youngest daughter and had spent nights at our house with her) came up to me and said that I didn't want the 60" deck. When I asked why she said that it stuck too far out from the front wheels and unless my yard was perfectly flat it would scalp the grass every time I mowed. She also told me to get the Kawasaki instead of the Kohler because, "We never work on Kawasakis"! So I found her dad and changed my order. It was the same money for the narrower deck and the better engine.

She was right. A friend of mine bought the same mower as I have from a different place and only kept it a year. He got rid of it because his 60" deck scalped his yard every time he mowed. Granted he had a hilly yard with many tree roots, etc., that made it hard to mow.

Just my two pennys.

RSKY

 

[BoylermanCT]

I started with a 54" deck and moved up to a 60" when I upgraded my ZT. The 60" scalped areas at first but I learned how to mow the problem areas and now can zip around without scalping anything. My ZT will mow 6 acres an hour if you can move at full speed. That's a big if!

If the width of the mower is the same with the 2 decks, check to see how far the decks stick out beyond the rear wheels. The longer the distance, the greater potential for side to side scalping. But if the overhang is too small, the rear tires can rub going around certain trees or walls.

See if the dealer will let you demo a 60" deck. My dealer sent me home with a 60" loaner when I dropped off my 54" for service. I kept the loaner and traded in the 54".

 

[Grumpycat]

I bought a used 54" because it was a bargain. I'm on an acre with several smaller lawn areas and would be better served with a smaller machine. It was my first rider and I had no experience. The reason I haven't is that most smaller machines come with weaker transaxles and It's harder to repair a pressed deck if it rusts out.

The general problem with stamped decks is that thinner gauge metal was used. Often fail before rusting. The spindle bearing gives out.

A pro I talked to had a definite preference for a smaller deck. Post above reminded me he probably was concerned about scalping. Mowing many lawns per day not all were smooth and customers get grumpy if he scalps places.

 

[4570Man]

I mow everything even stuff I shouldn’t with a 72”. I assume if you had any obvious obstacles this thread wouldn’t exist so get the 60”.

 

[shooterdon]

I will check if the dealer has a loaner and try out the 60" deck. There are a couple of places I scalp with the 48" rider if I am not careful if I have it set too low. But it is looking like the 54" deck may be a better compromise.

I looked at my situation and the widest areas I cut are about 30 yards. If I assume a 6" overlap, I need 20 passes with the 60" deck and 23 passes with the 54" deck. The time savings of the wider deck will be about 15%. With the 48" rider I need 26 passes.

But the wider deck only comes into play if the swath is wide. Cutting around tress/obstacles 6-8' apart requires two passes with either 54" or 60" decks. Less than 2/3 of my area is obstacle free.

It takes me 1 hr and 40 minutes to mow with the 48" rider. From what I have read, a 48" ZT should get me to about 60 minutes due to faster speed and increased maneuverability. The 54" deck should easily get me to 60 minutes and the 60" deck would save me about another 5-7 minutes.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm a bit OCD and never mow the same direction as last time. I have four different ways I mow. There's considerable difference in time required depending on the direction chosen. In those conditions a Z turn might not notice as much difference because of quicker turn around times.

 

[TimP]

I've currently got a 60" belly mower.

I would have like to get the 72", but room in the garage would be a problem.

I agree... bigger is better, but only if you have the storage room.

 

[RjCorazza]

I cut a wide variety of rural properties with a 72" deck and rarely have scalping issues. The tricky areas are getting into and out of culvert and ditch areas, but I have to use care with smaller mowers there also.
The 12" difference for me in 60" to 72" saves me over 60 hours of seat time per year, which is significant. With a 6" difference on a couple acres, the time saved would be unlikely to add up to much, but I would still recommend a 60" deck.