ZT or Lawn Tractor?

jcmseven · Apr 15, 2006

There is no question to me Gravely makes the top machine in the homeowner ZTR line, still. It is worth the extra few hundred to get one, as it is nearly a commercial mower in a tiny package. The local Gravely dealer says they sell them and they do not see them come back except for blade changes, etc. They also say most homeowners do not maintain them the way most commercial users do (hours notwithstanding). I also have had a Gravely P260Z commercial mower which I really liked. I have mostly John Deere equipment now and I am picking up a 757 Z trak JD Monday that I can use for my mowing and share with my father. I am looking forward to using it to mow, but if I were to buy a residential mower, a Gravely would definitely be the one. I saw in our local paper they are running a spring promotion. I do not know if this is local only or nationwide but probably worth checking out.

John M

Buster57 · Apr 16, 2006

All my mowers are commercial so I have really no comment on home owner applications. I stay away from even thinking in that space.
I do know that Gravley is very well respected-to say the very least! Top shelf.
I was going to go Exmark, but the Deere dealer got hold of me. I am a 99% Kubota and Stihl guy, but as usual JD had the right product at the right inflection point...bla bla bla, and I think I made the right choice with JD riding mowers for the 3d time.
It seems that no matter how hard I try to get away from John Deere, they end up with the right product at exactly my purchase price max. This is incredible market knowledge. Coming form my perspective, that should mean something to some one some where…

jjj0923 · Apr 24, 2006

( I’ve been looking into the same thing and found that the Cub RZT is rated for 1.5 acres or less. The Cub Z Force is the next step up in quality with a better transmission, frame and front end for 4k with a 50” deck. That mower would be the one Cub would recommend for your amount of mowing. The ZRT’s are not designed for towing anything so if you use your garden tractor for things other than mowing you’d be best off looking at that type of mower.

MarkV
)

I was told by a Cub Cadet dealer this morning that they won't carry the Cub Cadet ZTR's. He said they're too new to the market and have been having lots of problems. The promote Scag and Grasshopper.

beenthere · Apr 24, 2006

That sounds like the usual salesman 'gibberish' (BS) given out to steer you to the equipment they have available to sell. Believe it if you want, as it may even be true /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. They have their loyalties too, and controlled by commissions, etc.

fastpat · Apr 27, 2006

I picked up my Deere 757 w/60 in. deck last Tuesday, and am really impressed with its' abilities.

I'm mowing about 4 acres now, with the potential for 1-2 more in a short while. I mow two orchards and around the perimeter of a pasture, vegtable patch which means a lot of turning to avoid damage to valuable trees, or obstacles.

This ZTR mower is the deal for this type mowing, and is probably what someone needs if mowing more than 1/2 acre, just varying the mower size and power.

The negatives, so far, are a pretty rough ride which I should at least partially solve with a seat suspension system, and fuel consumption which is supposed to be 1 gallon per hour. With 9 gallons of fuel onboard, that's still a lot of mowing.

For three acres, I's seriously look at at least a 48-54 inch deck and 19 horsepower, which means the Deere 717 or 727 or equivalent in another brand such as Ferris or Scag. Toro has some nice machines too.

jcmseven · Apr 28, 2006

I have really liked my 757 so far. I thought about the 797, but it was so wide, I thought transporting it would be tough. The JD I have does not ride too bad. My dealer let a little air from the tires and that did help. Unfortunately so far, I think the engine in this machine is going the direction of the other Kawasaki's I have had, a fuel hog. I only got three hours mowing on five gallons gasoline this past time. I did this to see if the fuel consumption was as advertised. The JD booklet says 1.1 gallons/hour at WOT when mowing. No way this machine does that, but boy it runs so good I can handle the increased consumption, as on flat ground, I can mow about eight/nine acres or more in that timeframe, v. my father who can mow about three-four with his 335.

John M

fastpat · Apr 29, 2006

( I have really liked my 757 so far. I thought about the 797, but it was so wide, I thought transporting it would be tough. The JD I have does not ride too bad. My dealer let a little air from the tires and that did help. Unfortunately so far, I think the engine in this machine is going the direction of the other Kawasaki's I have had, a fuel hog. I only got three hours mowing on five gallons gasoline this past time. I did this to see if the fuel consumption was as advertised. The JD booklet says 1.1 gallons/hour at WOT when mowing. No way this machine does that, but boy it runs so good I can handle the increased consumption, as on flat ground, I can mow about eight/nine acres or more in that timeframe, v. my father who can mow about three-four with his 335.

John M )

I thought about the 777 with the same deck as my 757, because it's watercooled which might mean more longevity. It has a higher fuel consumption according to Deere than the 757, and being 10 inches longer was just too large. It would have been an additional $850.00 also.

I did call my dealer today to order a seat suspension system, the mower does ride pretty hard, which slows you down to avoid kidney bruises. I have several places with 300 ft. runs one way, and a little more speed would be nice, hopefull the seat suspension will enable that.