Zero turn vs hst tractor reliability

[espacef1fan]

I have a reasonably smooth 10 acre pecan orchard I mow once every couple weeks or so.

I’m thinking of replacing my old John Deere 1120/6 ft finish mower with either a 72” zero turn or a hst tractor with 6ft finish mower and loader.


The main role would be mowing but I do have lots of landscaping chore that a loader would be nice to have.



My question is:

Does long term mowing with an HST tractor affect its reliability over more typical uses?

 

[dstig1]

Mowing is a *typical use*. And one of the things an HST is great for. A ZT will be faster but as you note there are other things you can do with a tractor that you can't with a ZT. The best would be both. Faster mowing with a ZT and a tractor for all the other stuff.

 

[arto98607]

Not sure what you mean by reasonably smooth?
What are you mowing it with now, and how does the wheel size compare to what you are considering to buy?

Most tractors will have way bigger diameter wheels and will ride lot smoother on not so smooth ground than zero turn mower would.

I would take very close look at commercial front deck mowers since you are talking about mowing 10 acre orchard.

 

[bdog]

If your 10 acre orchard is as full of trees as I am envisioning a 6’ zero turn will mow it at least twice as fast as a tractor with a 6’ mower. I have a 6’ diesel kubota mower and a tractor with 8 & 10’ cutters. If there are obstacles in the way the zero turn is much faster.

 

[espacef1fan]

Not sure what you mean by reasonably smooth?
What are you mowing it with now, and how does the wheel size compare to what you are considering to buy?

Most tractors will have way bigger diameter wheels and will ride lot smoother on not so smooth ground than zero turn mower would.

I would take very close look at commercial front deck mowers since you are talking about mowing 10 acre orchard.

It’s an older mature orchard with some space.

I’m mowing with a 6 foot finish mower currently

 

[Diggin It]

Mowing is a *typical use*. And one of the things an HST is great for. A ZT will be faster but as you note there are other things you can do with a tractor that you can't with a ZT. The best would be both. Faster mowing with a ZT and a tractor for all the other stuff.

If you have the resources (aka $$$$$$$), that's the way to go. As you already know, mowing on a tractor ain't a whole lotta fun. The ten or so acres pictured every couple of weeks all growing season will work out much better on a ZT. Your back and other joints will thank you, even if your wallet groans.

 

[RalphVa]

A ZT would mow that pecan orchard A LOT faster. ZTs are all hydrostatic now; I think. Back in the 80s, I mowed with a cable steered Scag with a single drive/steering wheel underneath the seat. Think they all went hydro now. One reason why most need rather monstrous 22+ hp engines on them vs. probably an 18 hp would do otherwise. Can get one 14.5 hp 42 inch Toro.

 

[Doc G]

It’s an older mature orchard with some space.

I’m mowing with a 6 foot finish mower currently

Great Scott! That's beautiful! Care to tell us roughly where you are?

I love pecan trees -- I have about a dozen 75-100 year old natives scattered around my pastures and hayfields. They're gorgeous, but their tendency to "self-prune" makes for interesting times when mowing tall grass around them.

I'm in the camp that says you'll appreciate a z-turn with that many trunks to navigate. Even a 60" will very likely be faster than a tractor for basic grass/weed mowing. Plus you can use it in your yards etc.

 

[arto98607]

It’s an older mature orchard with some space.

I’m mowing with a 6 foot finish mower currently

Nice orchard & tractor and I agree the ground in the photo looks pretty smooth!

Here's my own experience:

We have been mowing acreage since 1992, first with gasoline powered JD 300 with mid mount mower which we still have and use regularly but now mostly in forested rough area, but I got tired of filling up the gas tank frequently so we bought a used 5' front deck commercial Diesel mower in 2003 and it made a huge difference in fuel consumption.

I have since bought another but larger used 6' front deck commercial 4x4 Diesel mower and am still in the middle of overhauling it.

I would get a large front deck mower for that size orchard based on my experience.

Gasoline engine mowers are fine but for large area mowing Diesel is hard to beat on fuel consumption, fire safety, longevity etc.

 

[JethroB]

If you decide on the tractor route, an HST is certainly nice. An HST makes it so much easier to back around each tree to trim up vs. clutching or swinging around for a second pass.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Zero turn vs hst tractor reliability​

I thought the question was about "reliability"?

Although I'd rather mow that with my front deck diesel powered Grasshopper, I think all out "long term" hydro "reliability" would go to a tractor...

This is one case, where bigger is better. (the hydro)

SR

 

[espacef1fan]

Great Scott! That's beautiful! Care to tell us roughly where you are?

I love pecan trees -- I have about a dozen 75-100 year old natives scattered around my pastures and hayfields. They're gorgeous, but their tendency to "self-prune" makes for interesting times when mowing tall grass around them.

I'm in the camp that says you'll appreciate a z-turn with that many trunks to navigate. Even a 60" will very likely be faster than a tractor for basic grass/weed mowing. Plus you can use it in your yards etc.

Thanks!!

I’m located in southeast Alabama.

Yeah the self pruning is annoying but the biggest game changer dealing with that has been the side by side I bought.

It used to take 2-3 hours pulling a wagon with a lawn tractor to clean sticks

Now it’s 45-60 minutes.

 

[rademamj1]

That is an incredibly beautiful orchard. Very well maintained, with none of the typical debris you find under the trees. If that was my orchard, I would not hesitate to mow that with a 72" Commercial Zeroturn mower. Three times faster mowing than a SCUT.

 

[4570Man]

A ZT would mow that pecan orchard A LOT faster. ZTs are all hydrostatic now; I think. Back in the 80s, I mowed with a cable steered Scag with a single drive/steering wheel underneath the seat. Think they all went hydro now. One reason why most need rather monstrous 22+ hp engines on them vs. probably an 18 hp would do otherwise. Can get one 14.5 hp 42 inch Toro.

Of coarse a 60” ZT traveling twice as fast is going to take more power than the old lawn tractor.

 

[JethroB]

OP, what type of grass do you have? And how smooth is the grove? Pictures can be deceiving.

I have a dozen very mature pecan trees (60-80 yo) with mostly Bahai grass underneath them. Bahai is really tough on lawnmowers including the better ZT’s. The fallen sticks and limbs too as you probably know.

 

[Darryle]

Buy the ZT and sell me the 1120 to offset the cost of the

 

[Diggin It]

Zero turn vs hst tractor reliability​

I thought the question was about "reliability"?

Although I'd rather mow that with my front deck diesel powered Grasshopper, I think all out "long term" hydro "reliability" would go to a tractor...

This is one case, where bigger is better. (the hydro)

SR

And what about maintenance and upkeep for someone who has never had one before? How different are they to service and keep running well? Returning to the notion that ZTRs are generally one trick ponies and you have another, different type of machine to maintain, is it better and more reliable for the OP to go with a wider finish mower, even if that means a bigger, newer tractor? Or even a SCUT/CUT with a belly mower which can have an FEL to pick up debris encountered while mowing?

 

[chim]

I only mow 3-1/2 acres with the L4240 and a 90" deck. Once a week is usually frequently enough. Right now every 4 or 5 days is more like it. It can take anywhere from a touch under an hour if rushing, to 1-1/2 hours when I'm out for a leisurely cruise. Plenty of things to mow around.

When I mowed on Tuesday it took me all of about 2 minutes with the string trimmer to get what the deck couldn't reach next to a post light. Note: I use the "scorched earth" policy around things like trees, sheds, the bridge etc. This is either by the occasional chemical mowing or running the string trimmer to bare earth around obstacles every few weeks to eliminate fussing with the mower.

 

[art]

Amazing as it it may sound we have a line of zero turns with full suspension which takes a lot of the bumps out. Something learned years ago large tires don't fall in small holes. With your current tractor it may seem very smooth to buying a economy zero turn with small tires.

 

[mikester]

Reliability depends on your brand and model.

10 years on my ZD326 with no problems. Neighbor bought a club cadet at half the price but it self destructed in 3 years and he bought a more expensive JD.

If your ground is rough a ZTR will shake out your kidney stones and a hydrostat tractor will make your life easier. The ZTR will cut your mow times by 60%.