Zero Turn for 4 acres?

[Automobilist]

Ok, I know there have been a bunch of zero-turn mower posts. In my case, I'm paying $600+/month to have the four acres of lawn mowed / trimmed.

I tried to do it myself with our Husqvarna 48" riding mower, but it couldn't really keep up with the rapid spring growth here in the great Pacific North Wet. Probably because I don't like mowing four hours at a time, twice a week...

Hired a decent little crew to do it, for the aforementioned $600+/month. I'm typically more of a do-it-myself type, but eight hours a week mowing & trimming is not really my bag.

The mow crew uses a combination of a Toro Timecutter 42" Zero-turn, a couple push mowers, and a couple Stihl weed whackers. If it was just mowing, no trimming / edging, I would probably not mind it. But swinging a weed whacker around the 30 trees lining our driveway, plus a few dozen other trees on the property is a bit much.

So, before I resign myself to paying at least $7500/year for the yard work, I thought I would get opinions on what to do.
Premise: we know that having a gardener will cost at least $7500/year to maintain the yard. They assume all responsibility for equipment purchase, fuel, maintenance, etc. Plus, their labor is included in the fee.

If I buy a comparable Toro Zero Turn machine, that's about $3900. Plus a small $450 power mower for trimmer, and I already have a nice Stihl weed wacker. So, I could invest about $4400 now, and do it myself. I then carry the expenses of fuel, maintenance, repairs, etc. Plus, it would probably take about 6 hours total, if the zero-turn claims are correct.

Fortunately, in the wintry months here, the grass slows it's growth to a crawl until spring. Fortunately, NO real snow here...

We went to a local tractor type dealer today, who tried to get us into a Grasshopper or Walker mower. But at $9,000-12,000, I would simply keep the gardener service than pay that much. The dealer kept saying that the Walker is the "Rolls Royce" of mowers. Maybe, but I've owned a Bentley, and I think a good solid Chevy is more what I want in a mower...

Spend the $4400 and do it all myself? Spend $600/month and let the "pro's" do it?
Other good alternatives to a Toro, if I decide to buy one?

 

[dragoneggs]

Good post... dilemma for sure. Figure your time. Some like me enjoy mowing with my z-turn and propelled pusher. Keeps me moving. But I don't have the acreage to mow. Boils down to how you want to 'spend' your time? What is an hour of your time worth... if you enjoy the task? or if you don't? Looking forward to reading replies on this one. Will say, Z-turns are more fun than garden tractors when it comes to mowing.

 

[stuckmotor]

My son is interested in a zero turn mower so I copied the link below to show him. The bottom half of comment #4 concerns the cost of a new hydraulic drive motor for the introductory model zero turns. I don't know whether the mower you're considering has repairable hydraulic drive motors or not. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/cub-cadet-l-g/381100-does-anyone-have-zero-turn.html#post4792389

 

[vidio1]

It would be a no brainer for me, I'd buy a big mower and a trimmer and be done with it. I have a 61" Scag and mow about 3 1/2 acres. It takes about 2 hours, and then 30-45 mins to weedeat. In less than 18 months you have the same money spent, but the equity of a new mower. I understand time is money, but to me that's a lot of money for something I can do myself.

 

[Automobilist]

While we're at it: Any views on the Cub Cadet steering wheel units, versus the typical handle bar types?

 

[dragoneggs]

While we're at it: Any views on the Cub Cadet steering wheel units, versus the typical handle bar types?

I vote for handle bars! I feel I have more control.

 

[whitexc]

Handle bars and don't buy junk (box store units are generally entry level machines). Step up to a decent size deck for your acreage (54"-61") and get a machine with serviceable hydraulics as mentioned. Try to find something with a commercial canister type air cleaner as well. The more filter media the less it has to work. Cutting grass is part of the upkeep that I am into. The dishes and laundry on the other hand....I would farm that out!!! Good luck in your decision.

 

[radioman]

like everyone is saying - get the largest deck you can - it cuts down the amount a "trips" and time to mow. i would say 42 is too small. i went from 38 riding mower almost 3.5 hours of mowing to 60 inch bx kubota to 1 hour. plus the bx does many other things - just a like a real farm tractor does. plowing snow, moving wood, front loader work, tilling, etc.
a zero turn just... mows. some like a real manicured look so a zero turn works.

 

[LD1]

61" mower deck is about right for 4 acres.

Use mulch and/or roundup around your trees, fences, etc and never worry about running a string trimmer again. I havent ran one in probably 8 years. If my 61" mower cant mow it....I spray it

 

[Tjdux]

61" mower deck is about right for 4 acres.

Use mulch and/or roundup around your trees, fences, etc and never worry about running a string trimmer again. I havent ran one in probably 8 years. If my 61" mower cant mow it....I spray it

I agree with your concept of reducing trimming but roundup an most herbicides are not recomended under trees. It can kill them.

I would recomend concrete edgers that can be mowed up to with no need to trim around. An L shaped design that the mower deck can ride over. Sure thats a while lot of work and expense once but better than all that trimming.

Also agree with zero turn with a 5ft deck will cut down that mowing time 40-60%. Another thing to consider to reduce mowing time is to reduce yard space with low maintenance flower/rock gardens with that same trimmer free edging. Use good thick plastic and river rocks the planters with some low maintenance spillover vines and boom, landscape thats no weeding or mowing or trimming.

Good luck.

 

[knukey]

Get one of these:

 

[davesl708]

Hustler is a brand to look at for long life, Grasshopper has made some great machines.
Figure what you spend on hired mowing for two years and spend that. It should get you very good mower for six acres.

 

[BigBoyToys]

I have a Bad Boy 48" ZT Elite for the main yard which the wife likes to use, and a 72" RFM (Agmate 6') on the back of the tractor for field work. 4 acres I would go with a minimum 60" or 72" deck! The handles on the ZT are the best and take no time to get use to.

At $600/Month for me it would be a no brainer!
1 Year of mowing expenses will get you one of theses...http://www.kubota.com/product/Z400/Z400.aspx
2 Years...one of these...http://www.kubota.com/product/ZD1500/ZD1500.aspx

The ZD1500 would be a real time saver too!!!

 

[LD1]

I agree with your concept of reducing trimming but roundup an most herbicides are not recomended under trees. It can kill them.

I would recomend concrete edgers that can be mowed up to with no need to trim around. An L shaped design that the mower deck can ride over. Sure thats a while lot of work and expense once but better than all that trimming.

Also agree with zero turn with a 5ft deck will cut down that mowing time 40-60%. Another thing to consider to reduce mowing time is to reduce yard space with low maintenance flower/rock gardens with that same trimmer free edging. Use good thick plastic and river rocks the planters with some low maintenance spillover vines and boom, landscape thats no weeding or mowing or trimming.

Good luck.

I spray around all my trees, from mature 30" trees to 1' high trees that are no bigger around than a pencil. Probably spray 4 or 5 times a year. Never killed any of them.

Roundup has to get on foliage (something green). Or it simply wont work. So as long as you arent spraying the leaves, the chances of killing a tree are nil.

In fact, even if the leaves are soaked in roundup, the chances of permanently killing the tree are slim. I have tried to kill ash and maple trees that start growing in flower beds and the garden with roundup. Leaves wilt, turn brown, then come back with a vengeance.

 

[deanocraft]

I would try to minimize the acreage that needs mowing on a weekly basis. Have you thought about letting some of it return to a wilder state? I am not sure what would grow naturally in your area... It would have a benefit of providing wildlife habitat and free up a lot of your time. At our place in NC, I have a field that I let grow up and only clip it maybe twice per year, and I also let part of another field grow up as well. We have plans to plant fruit trees on that section and I only want to mow a single path through that area which will wind through the trees we plant... Hopefully that will happen soon.

 

[Ford850]

61" mower deck is about right for 4 acres.

Use mulch and/or roundup around your trees, fences, etc and never worry about running a string trimmer again. I havent ran one in probably 8 years. If my 61" mower cant mow it....I spray it

I use a 61" deck, and this is how I avoid trimming too. I mow somewhere around 7 acres weekly, consisting of a large lawn, trails, camp site, etc. Well, to be honest my son usually mows at the same time I mow, and we're done with it all in less than 1 1/2 hours. I have hundreds of trees, many mulched beds, and obstacles galore, and our landscaping around the house and barn is curved mulched beds for appearance. But I trim nothing. Everything can be mowed by overhanging the deck or around sprayed trees, and I don't have to trim a thing. I enjoy mowing, and relax while I mow and listen to the radio or music.

 

[Tjdux]

I spray around all my trees, from mature 30" trees to 1' high trees that are no bigger around than a pencil. Probably spray 4 or 5 times a year. Never killed any of them.

Roundup has to get on foliage (something green). Or it simply wont work. So as long as you arent spraying the leaves, the chances of killing a tree are nil.

In fact, even if the leaves are soaked in roundup, the chances of permanently killing the tree are slim. I have tried to kill ash and maple trees that start growing in flower beds and the garden with roundup. Leaves wilt, turn brown, then come back with a vengeance.

Agree with ash and maple saplings. I have killed them with multiple roundup sprays but i did serious damage spraying near a blue spruce once. Not all trees are equally resistant to roundup and there are much more potent herbicides out there that can easily kill trees by accident

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I priced a 60" gravely HD zt for $5k fwiw

 

[Gary Fowler]

I mow 6+ acres yard with my 52" Ferris IS700Z, which has a top speed of 10 MPH, in about 2 1/2 hours and I have well over 100 trees and shrubs to mow around. I can mow my back "pasture" which is about 3 acres, mostly flat and only a few trees in a bit over an hour.Even with the 52" mower, I still scalp the yard sometimes on the hills. Any wider mower would be a real problem for my Arkansas hillside yard.
My weed eating is done about 2 times a year around the trees just to keep the thick grass turf controlled. Every fall I pile the pine needles up around the pines and that controls the grass most of the summer. I don't mind a bit of blade grass around the trees. I do the sidewalks about twice a month. I can get within 2" of my trees with my zero turn so any grass left is not a problem for me. I don't have a putting green for a yard anyway. The amount of time you put into a yard is just dependent on how **** you are about the appearance. This has been a wet year for us and many low lying areas got overgrown with pond grass and weeds. My 21" push mower got used once this year (first time in 2 years it has been cranked) and that was to mow some of the wet area that I was not able to get to with my zero turn all year and was growing up bad.

Personally it's a no brainer, no way would I pay someone $7500 per year to mow. I really like mowing with my zero turn mower and for 4 acres, about 1.5 hours per week would be a good stress relief exercise. I paid less than that amount for all my mowing equipment. My commercial grade Ferris mower was around $6200 3 years ago. I put about 100 hours per year on it mowing my 6+ acres of yard. It holds 4.5 gallons of gas and less than a tank of gass will mow all of my yard plus my 3+ acre back pasture.

 

[4570Man]

If I was buying another ZTR it would be hands down a ferris IS2100. I was sold the first test drive. Just couldn't turn loose if the $$$ when my F-2560 was still going strong.