Zero-Turn or Riding Mower for hilly property?

[AlanB]

If all your hills have runout like what you show on the bottom you will be OK with a ZTR.

I would strongly suggest that you demo a unit, ON YOUR YARD, prior to purchasing one.

Even if you have to hire a lawn service to come in and ask if you can ride thier mower. (yes, we have done that with people)

I normally steer homeowners with hills away from ZTR's. My best freind wanted one, so I gave him one of mine for a month or so to do his yard, said whatever you do, move the cars before you mow that hill beside your parking area..... He now has a fair sized dent in the side of his van that matches the front of a cub cudet M48 tank. He said as he was sliding down the hill with both wheels spinning backwards that he was thinking "Alan warned me about this"

Go slow, start in the middle of an open area, and get the feel for it before you start trying to trim against a mailbox or a tree or such.

Different brands handle hills quite differently.

Low, wide, and especially wide tires are very helpfull on hills.

 

[jcmseven]

I personally have had both a Gravely and John Deere ZTR. The commercial Gravely is quite good, but I did not think it cut quite as well as the JD. It was, however, more stable on hills, some of which are quite steep here. The problem with ZTR's and sliding is that they often do not give much warning. They can seem fine, then the sliding starts. I never slid on the Gravely but did on the JD. I was never in a situation were control was in question. I will say that on all but the steepest of hills, the ZTR's actually are more stable than a standard tractor style mower. The key is finding where the limits are. The other key to me is chassis size. Be leery of those that have smaller cuts, as frequently they are smaller chassis machines. For example the 757 JD I bought my dad and use some is a lot more stable than the 717 which is a smaller machine. The wider the cut the wider the machine is and generally the better it handles uneven terrain.

John M

 

[Hard]

Back when I was shopping for a new machine to cut my yard a couple of years ago I tried out a Grasshopper ZTR. The Grasshopper I tried out was a very sturdy machine, fast and cut my grass well. My front yard is sloped and I was mowing straight up and down the slope at a careful speed. This was my first try using a ZTR so I was being extra careful. On one pass going downhill I reached the bottom and turned to go back up, I lost traction and the machine spun around at least 2 1/2 times and ended up at the very bottom in a multiflora rose bush...ouch! I got out of the multiflora rose and that was the last time I used a ZTR. I'm glad it happened at the bottom of that slope. I have another slope with a ditch at least 4' deep at the bottom of that one, with no ROPS that could have been bad if I where to have lost traction on that slope.

I bought a SUB-CUT and have since moved up to a CUT. I can mow and do a whole lot more with a CUT/SUB-CUT than with a ZTR.

 

[Bob999]

I had a Toro Commercial 62" ZTR. Like most ZTRs the literature said not to use it on a slope greater than 15 DEGREES (not percent of slope). I found that I could push that rating a bit but if the grass was even slightly damp on a 15 degree or greater slope it would turn into a sled going down hill because the weight tends to go to the down hill wheels. Going uphill traction is much better because the powered wheels get more weight. The concern going uphill is that as the slope increases and you apply more power there is a risk of flipping the unit over backward. Most commercial units sold today have roll bars to provide some protection.

If you have a slope of 20 degrees or more I personnally wouldn't take a ZTR on it under any circumstances.

Measure your slope--you can use a digital level or a simple incline meter to do it. In my experience most lawns aren't perfectly smooth--they have some local variation in slope. If you use a 4 or 8 foot board with the measuring device it will tend to average the slope so if the average reads 18 degrees there will likely be small local areas with a slope of greater than 20 degrees. Even with a "large" commercial ZTR the local variations can result in an upset if you are moving quickly, turning, or just loose concentration.

In the long run safety has to be the paramount concern. If you have steep slopes--much greater than 15 degrees you should give serious consideration to equipment specifically marketed for steep slopes.

I ultimately purchased a Power Trac slope mower because I have quite a bit of area with slopes of 20 to 25 degrees and a small area that I mow that has a slope of 30 degrees.

Another consideration is what is at the bottom of the slopes you are mowing. If there is water or some other hazard you should look for a mower that has a safety stop system so that if the engine quits while you are on the slope you won't end up in the hazard at the bottom of the slope.

 

[jcmseven]

I would second Bob's assessment. The ZTR's can be a real handful on really steep terrain. The only problem is that the alternatives can be really expensive. For example, I owned a 595 John Deere X series. To this day, it is the best garden tractor I have ever owned. It was almost as fast mowing the same property as my father's 757 or the Gravely and was much more versatile and stable on hills. It would literally "climb a tree". The problem: it costs over 12K, almost double the cost of a ZTR. Our hospital uses Steiner mowers. My opinion of them is that they are good and very capable machines which can mow in very steep conditions. The Venntrac and Power Trac are in this class. I do not think the Steiner machines are worth their asking price. At a discount, our hospital paid over 15K for a 27 hp Steiner and mower deck and it is a gasoline engine and AIR COOLED!!!! To me, there are no machines with gasoline air cooled engines that merit that much money. To me, unless your property is really steep the ZTR is the better bet for pure mowing, but as I previously stated and has been echoed in the forum, please check your desired models out on your property before buying, as you do not want to get any surprises.

John M

 

[FOURTEEN]

We have an aging Cub Cadet (CC), bought used, needs to go. For that reason we're looking at NEW. Front and side yards have steep slopes and perhaps one day we'll get some nice groundcover going for that front slope ..... but for now I need a mower with a strong frame that can handle the bumps and the hills and last many years. (And not bounce me around too much.) 48/50 inch deck, is best.

My thoughts are:

A good ZTR can go anywhere as well or better than your old Cub Cadet.

The advantage of the ZTR is that even on a cross slope both drive wheels are driven and controllable, where as the CC or other lawn tractor with an open rear axle can apply very little drive force to the up hill wheel without it spinning.

By 'good ZTR' for your use I would mean the Hustler FasTrak 52/20. High quality, rugged welded plate construction, nice Honda engine, low center of gravity, easy to use, fast, comfortable, powerful, 4 year warranty, and priced right!! It's even FUN to ride!!

Now would be the time to reassess your property. Find the steepest locations, such as around those trees in the background, and make ‘natural’ areas out of them! Lay out a nice shape around the area with a long garden hose. Spray inside with Roundup to kill the grass. Deeply cover the area with mulch from your local landfill. Add a few shrubs or trees or rocks. You will now have upgraded nicely the looks of the yard, reduced the mowing area, and eliminated the dangerous sloped areas that now worry you!! Once or twice a year add some fresh mulch, and do a little pruning, and live happily ever after!!

 

[livincountry]

One solution I didn't see anyone mention is a walk behind equipped with a velke (a stand on sulkey). I work for a large commercial lawn maintenance company and we own over 80 Exmark Lasers (zturn riders) and an equal number of 52" walk behinds. We lost a Laser on a slope and it ended up on top of a car at the bottom of a slope where a retention wall separated the turf from a parking lot. One other thing is the bumpy terrain and a wide deck may cause some scalping issues.

Bring home the demo and take it for a spin. Just about all zturns do a decent job especially from the level of use a homeowner will put it through. We typically turn 40-50 hours per week on each mower. 2 hours per mow for your use means you'll have less than 60 hours per season. Your tires will dry rot before you fatigue any part of a decent zturn commercial mower. Buying a high end zturn for homeowner use is like buying a Peterbuilt to pull a travel trailer. It may look good but what a waste of potential.

 

[possomJ]

Total acreage is 7, but we have a farm tractor with 5-foot brushog to mow the fields and do the brute force work around the property. Basically, that leaves about 1.5 acres to mow the front and back yards near the house with a mower of some type - garden tractor or zero tur? We have an aging Cub Cadet, bought used, needs to go. For that reason we're looking at NEW. Front and side yards have steep slopes and perhaps one day we'll get some nice groundcover going for that front slope ..... but for now I need a mower with a strong frame that can handle the bumps and the hills and last many years. (And not bounce me around too much.) 48/50 inch deck, is best. Snowblower attachment is nice, but wouldn't need any other attachments really, since we have a tractor. I'm concerned about traction with the hills, but don't want to spring the $ for 4wd. The cub cadet has chains now, and it does ok.

Attached is one picture of the hill, it isn't the best pic and hill doesn't look that bad in the picture but sitting sideways on a riding mower, it is quite tippy.

Thanks,

Cub Cadet "TANK" S 60 is is claiming better control you have a steering wheel and 4-wheel steering also now, 54 months free finanacing

 

[djdicetn]

I personally have had both a Gravely and John Deere ZTR. The commercial Gravely is quite good, but I did not think it cut quite as well as the JD. It was, however, more stable on hills, some of which are quite steep here. The problem with ZTR's and sliding is that they often do not give much warning. They can seem fine, then the sliding starts. I never slid on the Gravely but did on the JD. I was never in a situation were control was in question. I will say that on all but the steepest of hills, the ZTR's actually are more stable than a standard tractor style mower. The key is finding where the limits are. The other key to me is chassis size. Be leery of those that have smaller cuts, as frequently they are smaller chassis machines. For example the 757 JD I bought my dad and use some is a lot more stable than the 717 which is a smaller machine. The wider the cut the wider the machine is and generally the better it handles uneven terrain.

John M

jcmseven,
I too have a 2012 52" Gravely Pro-Turn XDZ100 commercial ZTR and love it!!! But as pointed out by some, slopes in excess of 15 degrees and I would make sure my ROPS is "up" and my seat belt "on". Also, not mentioned, is the fact that some engines when run at more than a 20 degree angle will become oil-starved and incur damages. There was a local news story recently here in Middle TN where a professional lawn maintenance guy was killed when his "Commercial John Deere ZTR" turned over on him. The picture on the news showed a ZTR without a ROPS. I don't know whether it came with one and it was removed, but IMHO it made me wonder whether "professional lawn care maintenance companies" should be "required by law" to adhere to certain safety measures for ZTR's(at least a ROPS and seat belt). Anyone can read this post's thread and discern that "accidents" relative to the inherent design of a ZTR are in some cases just "looking for a place to happen". I know my opinion will be most likely be NEGATIVELY received by those mowing for a living......but I personally would NOT pay/allow someone to mow my yard on a ZTR(even though it has no slopes) without them having a ROPS and wearing a seat belt(my Homeowner insurance would go up significantly if I were sued by the surviving spouse of the guy in that news story, much less a lawsuit brought against me, the ZTR manufacturer, the dealer that sold the "Commercial" mower without a ROPS or the business owner that removed it). So, is there need for accountability at the manufacturer or dealership level that sells a ZTR to someone mowing for a living(for Commercial use) in regard to mandantory ROPS/seatbelts. And should a lawn care maintenance company be legally cited for not using said safety measures. And I'm certain this is not the first ZTR-flipping fatality. Sooner or later the lawsuits will happen in this "hot coffee/McDonalds Drive-Thru" society we live in!!! I know a lot of "start-up" lawn maintenance businesses cannot "afford" the cost of a true "Commercial" ZTR with ROPS, but that doesn't remove potential liability. And, knowing nothing about the "business", I assume a legitimate lawn maintenance company's owner has a license(where required) and insurance(some kind of liability policy). I know these issues I am bringing up may stir up a hornet's nest and make a lot of users "mad" at me for even going there, but I see this as the infamous counseling "elephant in the room" that nobody sees or simply ignores. This is a "personal opinion" as a Devil's Advocate for the dead guy's wife and I reserve the right to be wrong:0)

P.S.
Yep, that's me on my Gravely with the ROPS in the folded position in my Avatar. That's no longer happening as I do not want my widowed wife to weep every time she recalls letting me buy that d__n ZTR!!!

 

[copperhead1967]

One solution I didn't see anyone mention is a walk behind equipped with a velke (a stand on sulkey). I work for a large commercial lawn maintenance company and we own over 80 Exmark Lasers (zturn riders) and an equal number of 52" walk behinds. We lost a Laser on a slope and it ended up on top of a car at the bottom of a slope where a retention wall separated the turf from a parking lot. One other thing is the bumpy terrain and a wide deck may cause some scalping issues.

Bring home the demo and take it for a spin. Just about all zturns do a decent job especially from the level of use a homeowner will put it through. We typically turn 40-50 hours per week on each mower. 2 hours per mow for your use means you'll have less than 60 hours per season. Your tires will dry rot before you fatigue any part of a decent zturn commercial mower. Buying a high end zturn for homeowner use is like buying a Peterbuilt to pull a travel trailer. It may look good but what a waste of potential.

Good points here. don't want to hijack the thread but....
I'm in the same boat and have considered a used Wright stander or a similar walkbehind with a velke. Seems most of the pros use them around my area along with regular ZTMs. What opinions on the two as far as operator comfort, manuverability, speed and cut of lawn? I have 3-5 acres of mostly hillside western PA terrain that I mow at various intervals. 4-6 hours mow time now. I have all but ruled out a sit down Zero turn due to some areas where the riding mower has a hard time and I push mow the areas now.