Zero Turn Mower Advice

[labsrus]

We purchased a compact tractor with the advice and help of the members on here, now we need some advice on zero turn mowers.
The JD 2720 we have will mow most of our yard but we need something that will get under the trees and closer to our fences. We do have a JD 425 but are ready to trade it in.
Can some people help us out before we go look at some zero turns? There are not many big hills here but I would like one that has some good manners going up and down hills. Are front mounts better?
My wife and I would like to stick with JD but I think there may be some better ones out there? The Scag I tried was great but it spun the wheels up the hills. I really like the Exmark and Kubota but just wanted some other advice.
Thanks

 

[scuvnut]

We purchased an Exmark Lazer Z and its an absolute beast. Hills are no problem and the cut is great. Nothing but cudo's for it.

 

[MarkV]

How much are you mowing and how rough is the ground?

MarkV

 

[labsrus]

Mark - It is not rough but by all means, it is not the smoothest. I would think it is about 3 acres we would mow with it.

 

[dbear]

Labs, as someone who has gone from an out-front, 3-wheeled mower to a center-mount, true z-turn, I can honestly say you will not be able to get under trees as well with a ZTR, nor will it be as stable on hills.

Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about buying the Z. I simply instituted a rather aggressive pruning program to be able to trim around my trees better, and fortunately, the only slopes I have are really short in length (8'-10'), and I went with a Dixie Chopper with Turf Boss tires.

As far as front-mount Z's, I see that JD no longer offers one. Here's a few that do:
Grasshopper Mower
Commercial Outfront Mower Series, Gravely Rapid XZ Series
Woods Equipment Company - Mowers
FrontRunner front mount riding mower for the landscape professional from Exmark.

I'm not sure about pricing, but I think the 3-wheeler designs might be a little cheaper, and from personal experience are quite stable on hills:
Commercial Outfront Mower Series, Gravely PM 320HD Lawn Mower
SCAG POWER EQUIPMENT - STHM Three-Wheel Riding Mower
ProCut?S, Ferris® Industries, Three Wheel Riders, 3 Wheel Rider, Riding Mowers, Ferris Mowers, Mowers, Mower, Commercial Mowers, Lawn Mowers, Lawnmowers, Suspension, Independent Suspension, Munsville New York, Syracuse, New York, Central New Yor

Good luck...

 

[Ron D.]

I went through what you're going through for the past month. I just purchased a Gravely commercial Z44 and love it. It's built like a tank and fits my needs perfectly. I've been mowimg about 1.3 acs. with a Craftsman 48" hydro with a 26hp Kohler. It does a fine job and has a good cut, but cutting around landscaping and getting into tighter areas, it's not the best. I looked at several "close-out" deals on 2008 models, mainly Scag, Toro, and Gravely. In my area, north Texas/Dallas area, I found the following close-out prices on commercial units that may help you when you're shopping:

Toro 48"/21hp - $6,499
Scag Tiger Cat 48"/19hp - $6,799
Scag Turf Tiger 61"/35hp - $9,499
Gravely 266H 66"/31hp - $8,799
Gravely 272H 72"/31hp - $9,199
Gravely 44Z 44"/19hp - $4,799
Gravely 48Z 48"/19hp - $4,999

As mentioned, the above are commercial units as opposed to the homeowner units. Commercial unit will have stronger blade clutches, better/heavier cutting decks, stronger hydro pumps with better cooling, stronger gears, beefer frames, etc. My decision on the Gravely 44" was based on size, price and value. I wanted something either slightly less than 48", or 48", and couldn't justify the jump in price for the others. You'll get varying answers on the typical questions about which is the best unit, but I certainly couldn't see the Scag being worth 50% more than the similar sized Gravely.

Based on my research of many posts over the past month on lawn care sites about ZT mowers, most commercial lawn care individuals really like Scag. Other names that get good reviews are Exmark, Toro, Grasshopper. There are many good machines and I don't think you will make a mistake as long as you stay with the good brands. I strongly recommend getting a commercial over the homeowner version, from a good, competent dealer. Dealers are just as important in lawn mowers as they are in tractors, particularly when it comes to warranty or service issues.

Also, the Kawasaki engines seem to be preferred by the pro's, followed by the Kohler. The Briggs has good horsepower but significantly lower torque than the Kawa's and Kohlers.

Hope this helps some. Let us know what you decide.

 

[wushaw]

My 322d 61" deck grasshopper does great on my hills/pond dam, I have a littel 36" Hustler that is terrible on hills or any kind of slope, I feel weight and tires are key factors, big tires and weight.

 

[Alan L.]

My Scag Wildcat seems OK on the particular slopes I have, which is not alot. It does seem to be attracted to water however, as in my pond. When you have a mid deck ZTR like this you have to figure on moving your body in under the trees, so get you chainsaw out and trim them accordingly.

Love the mower.

 

[LBrown59]

*Labs, as someone who has gone from an out-front, 3-wheeled mower to a center-mount, true z-turn, I can honestly say you will not be able to get under trees as well with a ZTR, nor will it be as stable on hills.Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about buying the Z. I simply instituted a rather aggressive pruning program to be able to trim around my trees better, and fortunately, the only slopes I have are really short in length (8'-10'), and I went with a Dixie Chopper with Turf Boss tires.Good luck...

*You can mow out over ditches and banks or under things with the out front mower.
Can't do that with a Belley Mower.

 

[kiotidk45SE]

We bought a Hustler SuperZ 23 HP 60" cut about 8 years ago and have done nothing to it but oil/air filters and blades/belts. In the summer it mows commerically 3 or 4 days out of the week. This machine is extremely stable on hills.

 

[lizardman]

I just recently bought a JD 810A with the 54" deck. If you wan tto get close to objects, you better get a bigger deck as the left side of the deck is nearly flush with the rear wheels. Also, despite weighin 1300+ lbs, traction sucks.

Rod

 

[labsrus]

Well, we tried an Exmark and a Ferris. After 6 hours of mowing, my wife and I just think they are not for us. The traction is very bad on both of them. I did find out very quickly that when the grass is damp, do not go down hill with them! They also ride a lot worse then our garden tractor. So we decided on getting a garden tractor to replace our 425 JD.
Thanks again for all the opinions. I am just glad we could demo them before we just went out and bought one.

 

[JohnDeereFan8899]

I have had the same problem with my john deere zero turn. I love john deere but this was a bad design or something. For traction, i just put chains on. that helped me. And for the deck, I just kinda went around the tree as best I could, and got it with the trimmer after. I wish john deere would even out the deck so that there is an equal amount of deck on each side of the mower.

 

[JohnDeereFan8899]

I would go with a scag, hustler, or exmark. They are all great machines. I have a hustler, and its the best zero turn ive used. Ive done no repairs, except change oil, but overall, runs great

 

[WH401]

Since you already have JD products, I would take a look at the new 900 series ZTR's. There basically the 800 series on the outside, with a few external modifications, but completely retooled on the inside with a more reliable hydraulic system from a different manufacturer. Not to mention all the cool features that the 900 series has over the competition, such as the mower deck on/off switch right on the handles by your thumbs, the new mulch on demand 7 iron deck, and the easy dial-in cut height gauge right by the user, as well as other things.

I know the 800 series was plagued with problems, but if I was look for a new ZTR I wouldn't hesitate on the new 900 series.

 

[bjr]

With the kind of money you'll layout for those mowers. Why not just hire it done, and you just sit in the shade drinking lemonade. Seriously, Almost Ten Grand for a lawn mower??? bjr

 

[WH401]

With the kind of money you'll layout for those mowers. Why not just hire it done, and you just sit in the shade drinking lemonade. Seriously, Almost Ten Grand for a lawn mower??? bjr

You could, but wheres the fun in that? That's the whole point of having your own machine and doing it yourself.

 

[J_J]

I used Dixie Choppers for about 20 years. Very fast, easy to maintain. Any knowledgeable person should be able to fix anything on them. Used Mobile ONE for the hydraulics. They are not cheap, approaching $12,000 for some models.

 

[coobie]

With the kind of money you'll layout for those mowers. Why not just hire it done, and you just sit in the shade drinking lemonade. Seriously, Almost Ten Grand for a lawn mower??? bjr

To each his own I guess.Personally I like mowing my own grass,and yes I am one of those bad people that paid over $10,000 for a ZTR.coobie

 

[ahoude]

I bought a Hustler 60" a couple of years ago. I mow about 4 acres at my house, my moms 1 acre and my BIL's about 3. Didn't even put 100 hours on the machine this year. May be overkill for what you need, but its a solid machine.

Andy