Z930R - Zero Turn Purchase - Comments and Rules of Thumb?

[tradosaurus]

I just purchased a Z930R for my property. I don't have much in the ways of heavy grass/hills so this should be sufficient.
Any gotchas on driving/handling/management that you can share or point me to?

Thanks!

Nice mower. Hope you didn't pay anywhere close to MSRP at $17,659.

If you have any low hanging limbs you are mowing around I would recommend keeping the roll bar down.

 

[workinonit]

6 quarts of motor oil? In a Vanguard engine? And you can change that for 15 bucks? Does it have an oil sump? Never heard of a small engine holding 6 quarts of oil.

 

[FPGT72]

Wow... 6 quarts?!? For decades, the standard engine on all commercial 60" zero-turns was the Kawasaki 25 hp V-twin, and that takes something like 1.6 or 1.8 quarts, depending on specific configuration. My $15 comment was based on that, and honestly probably a little dated for inflation, but I don't really think the cost matters much against the cost of the machine.

I love the suspension. I negotiated my then-nearly-new Deere ZTrak in with the purchase of my house, the prior owner had bought it just two years prior, and didn't really need it where he was going. It's a great mower, but would not have been my first choice, since the Deere ZTraks are well-known for being way stiffer than nearly any other commercial zero-turn. It mows great, but literally beats the hell out of me.

I just pulled up the maintenance spreadsheet I keep on all my OPE, and see I marked the greasing interval as "50 hours or yearly, whichever comes first". So, I guess I should also be doing a mid-season greasing. I probably do only 75 hours of actual mowing per year, but put more hours on the engine and hydro by using that machine to tow walnut harvesters around the yard for a few weeks each fall.

My oil change interval also has an "or yearly" clause, meaning it should never be left more than a year, no matter what the hours are. Again, manufacturer recommendation, YMMV.

I just think with all the rolling, turning running and in real dusty dirty conditions what can it hurt. The only reason I don't change the oil at the end of the season is the cost of that stupid filter. I keep a good eye on it, and the oil still looks new. I guess that is what a dry sump gives you along with keeping it much cooler in that big tank.

 

[FPGT72]

6 quarts of motor oil? In a Vanguard engine? And you can change that for 15 bucks? Does it have an oil sump? Never heard of a small engine holding 6 quarts of oil.

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[workinonit]

So it does have a sump. You don't see that every day. If I had that and ran synthetic oil I may not change it but every couple of years.

 

[tradosaurus]

I bought the kit vs. the mulching deck as the components are not removable on the deck. I had figured I would use it in the fall when I have leaves to mulch.... but I guess that depends on how things progress.

I'm just surprised by how fast these things go. wow.

On my Toro Titan I just add 3 mulching blades and a door to the exit chute that takes 3 bolts. I install about November and remove in March. I used to rake and burn leaves but with mulching I don't have to worry about that.
Total set up including the mulching blades was about $300.00

 

[tradosaurus]

I also never sharpen my blades. I replace with new ones. Probably 2 sets per year.

 

[WinterDeere]

Damn. I'm not sure what you guys are hitting. I've installed new blades on my machine twice in the last 13 years, just trying different mulch and lift styles, and both times they were still nearly as sharp and fresh looking as the day I installed them, after a 75-hour season. I sharpen them "just because", or maybe out of habit, but could honestly probably do a few seasons before they dull sufficiently to actually affect quality of cut.

Bent blades? Dings? You know you guys are supposed to remove the rocks from your lawns, right?

Hey @tradosaurus, what are you doing with your discarded blades, at the rate of 6 per year? How many hours are you mowing?!?

 

[BigBlue1]

I also never sharpen my blades. I replace with new ones. Probably 2 sets per year.

That's an interesting method to follow. What keeps you from sharpening blades? The blades for my old JD 345 lawn tractor with 54" mower lasted 20 years with 1 or 2 sharpenings a year.

 

[tradosaurus]

That's an interesting method to follow. What keeps you from sharpening blades? The blades for my old JD 345 lawn tractor with 54" mower lasted 20 years with 1 or 2 sharpenings a year.

Because after I mow 4 acres my blades get nicked and pitted after about 4 mows. Not worth sharpening and trying to get it balanced properly with material missing from the blade.

 

[tradosaurus]

Damn. I'm not sure what you guys are hitting. I've installed new blades on my machine twice in the last 13 years, just trying different mulch and lift styles, and both times they were still nearly as sharp and fresh looking as the day I installed them, after a 75-hour season. I sharpen them "just because", or maybe out of habit, but could honestly probably do a few seasons before they dull sufficiently to actually affect quality of cut.

Bent blades? Dings? You know you guys are supposed to remove the rocks from your lawns, right?

Hey @tradosaurus, what are you doing with your discarded blades, at the rate of 6 per year? How many hours are you mowing?!?

Come mow my 4 acres and let see how long your blades last.

Blades are cheap off of Amazon and are sharp when I get them. I have a metal pile that gets removed about every 4 years.

 

[BigBlue1]

Because after I mow 4 acres my blades get nicked and pitted after about 4 mows. Not worth sharpening and trying to get it balanced properly with material missing from the blade.

What can you be hitting and why aren't you removing it from the lawn?

Anyway, different philosophies. You do you if it works for you.

 

[WinterDeere]

Come mow my 4 acres and let see how long your blades last.

I am mowing 4 acres as well, every 3-4 days this time of year. But I obviously don't see the kind of blade wear you do. Are you mowing rocks?

 

[FPGT72]

Damn. I'm not sure what you guys are hitting. I've installed new blades on my machine twice in the last 13 years, just trying different mulch and lift styles, and both times they were still nearly as sharp and fresh looking as the day I installed them, after a 75-hour season. I sharpen them "just because", or maybe out of habit, but could honestly probably do a few seasons before they dull sufficiently to actually affect quality of cut.

Bent blades? Dings? You know you guys are supposed to remove the rocks from your lawns, right?

Hey @tradosaurus, what are you doing with your discarded blades, at the rate of 6 per year? How many hours are you mowing?!?

Mine are mounds of dirt left from the moles and voles. The wife would just bulldoze them at full speed....I think, I have never at least seen her slow down, she is a wild woman on that thing. I really need to take some pictures of this, it is really insane.

As to sharpen/replace, I will sharpen them till they are too far gone. I usually keep two sets for each mower, one on the shelf sharp and ready to go, so I can do a quick swap. Same deal with the 5' woods finish mower.

I only sharpen a couple times a year, and I mow I would guess about 12ac of mine, most with one machine, but I would guess about 3ac with smaller machines due to the tight spaces.

 

[FPGT72]

I am mowing 4 acres as well, every 3-4 days this time of year. But I obviously don't see the kind of blade wear you do. Are you mowing rocks?

I just flat refuse to mow that often, gas is too darn expensive and one thing that big machine likes is gas.

 

[WinterDeere]

I just flat refuse to mow that often, gas is too darn expensive and one thing that big machine likes is gas.

Yeah, but you're doing 12 acres, so I can understand that.

For me, the part I'm mowing every 3-4 days in May is just the pretty lawn, which is kept nice enough I've actually had turf pros compliment me on it, and ask about my regimen. It's really not that difficult, with a yearly soil test and careful fertilization... when the weather cooperates.

I have other areas that get mowed less often, such as firewood processing area and trails thru the woods. It also slows down by mid-June, and I mow very little (sometimes not at all in the sunny areas) July 4 to mid-August.

It gets hot and dry here July 4 - Aug 15'ish, and the only thing growing most year is weeds, while the grass goes dormant. I don't have weeds, so I sit in the pool and watch neighbors choke on dust while they mow theirs.

 

[tradosaurus]

I am mowing 4 acres as well, every 3-4 days this time of year. But I obviously don't see the kind of blade wear you do. Are you mowing rocks?

Small limbs and sometimes tree roots that are above ground.

 

[tradosaurus]

I just flat refuse to mow that often, gas is too darn expensive and one thing that big machine likes is gas.

I mow every 2 weeks in the peak of summer. After that once mulching starts I will mulch every time the leaves drop to keep ahead of it but I'm only mulching a small section around the house.

If I mowed twice as often I would go through more blades and obviously use more gas. Out in the country I'm not too worried about having a manicured lawn. If I lived in a neighborhood it would be different.

 

[tradosaurus]

What can you be hitting and why aren't you removing it from the lawn?

Anyway, different philosophies. You do you if it works for you.

Small limbs, roots from the trees. Can't pick up every small branch in a 4-5 acre area. I try to remember where the roots are to avoid but sometimes I forget.

 

[WinterDeere]

Can't pick up every small branch in a 4-5 acre area.

This is currently the bane of my existence. By last rough count, I have about 200 trees either in my yard or overhanging the perimeter. Black walnuts are the most prevalent, and anyone who owns walnut trees can tell you they shed a lot of branches, maybe more than any other tree I've ever owned.

If anyone ever makes a good 3-point or tow-behind implement for picking branches off the lawn, I'd be the first in line. I lose an enormous amount of time every year to picking up branches, and while I don't bother with every little one anymore, the big'uns and little'uns are often laying together in a way that makes the impossible to ignore.