ZTR or Garden Tractor?

[Sirius]

I have around 2 acres to mow out of the 7. Hardly any off it is flat mostly rolling ground. I have gone back and forth on if I shoud get a ZTR or a garden Tractor? I can get a Husky 27hp/54" cut for 3K. All the ZTR's I have looked at (hustler, gravely, exmark, ferris ect...) start around $4,200. Would it be worth the extra money for the ZTR mower? I don't have a lot of things to mow around. Are the ZRT's built better or what?
Thanks.

 

[kf4uda]

I have had a ZTR for about two years. I bought a SnapperPro. They are expensive but they will mow grass like nothing else. It cut our mowing time way down. It will pretty much run circles around a "traditional" lawn mower/tractor or tractor and finish mower. I wouldn't want to go back to the old way.

If you get one I would recommend a suspension seat. It sure makes for a smoother ride.

 

[2manyrocks]

ZTR covers ground more efficiently where there are obstacles or you would otherwise have to stop and back up to cut something. If you have open terrain where you're just going in circles, a garden tractor has the advantage in cost/simplicity and maybe, groundspeed depending on which units you are comparing and if the terrain will let you mow that fast or not.

 

[big bubba]

ZT's are hard to beat esp. if your place justifies the extra expense and you plan to stay there for some time. if you go the ZT route, would be wary of consumer grade (ie troy built, grasshopper, light duty etc) units. they will wear out & fail just like any other machine. get something with substantial hydros, & welded beefy deck construction rather than stamped out steel. it's all about the deck.
quality does cost though, you're smart in researching the market. of course, dealer support is the next big consideration. i could never go back, have 2 ZT's (one for farm, other for mowing business) good luck!

 

[smstonypoint]

Hardly any off it is flat mostly rolling ground. I have gone back and forth on if I shoud get a ZTR or a garden Tractor?

if you go the ZT route, would be wary of consumer grade (ie troy built, grasshopper, light duty etc) units.

I mow about 3 acres at my farm. The lawn is relatively flat but is far from smooth and has numerous trees. I replaced a 42" rear-engine riding mower (without a suspension seat) with a 61" ZTR (with suspension seat) and reduced my mowing time by about 50%. Mowing with the riding mower left me feeling like I had been riding a mechanical bull -- mowing with the ZTR is no longer a painful chore. The extra money I spent on my ZTR was worth it to me in terms of the time saved and the reduced wear and tear on my aged back.

I have read here and elsewhere that ZTRs can suffer traction problems on slopes. Depending on how you define "rolling," you may want to ask for a dealer demo on your property if you go the ZTR route.

I don't understand the comment about Grasshopper mowers. Although I ended up with another brand, I looked at Grasshopper ZTRs while shopping. The ones I looked at did not appear to be light duty.

Steve

 

[tcartwri]

I would be careful comparing consumer grade Zturns to a good lawn tractor. There won't be that much difference in cutting time, unless you have a lot of obstacles. When you step up to a commercial Z then there is a huge difference because their ground speed can be twice that of the consumer model. My neighbours commercial Z will run circles around my tractor, but it was over $9K new.

 

[Bird]

I would be careful comparing consumer grade Zturns to a good lawn tractor. There won't be that much difference in cutting time, unless you have a lot of obstacles. When you step up to a commercial Z then there is a huge difference because their ground speed can be twice that of the consumer model. My neighbours commercial Z will run circles around my tractor, but it was over $9K new.

I've had two (still have one of the two) of the bottom of the line Toro ZTRs. In years past I've also had a Craftsman and a Cub Cadet lawn tractor. My experience has been that the ZTRs are much faster than the lawn tractors, but of course I don't know which machines you are comparing to say there won't be that much difference in cutting time.

 

[jpm1]

ZTR! I would never go back to a garden tractor. IMO a ZTR's quality of cut and speed are not comparitable with a garden tractor. . . . John

 

[phiferpharm]

I have both a Ferris ZTR and a Craftsmen. While I love the Ferris for most of the mowing I do, it does get a little squirrely on the slope that goes down to my Lake. I feel like the standard mower is more stable on that one area.