ztr's

[Moon]

ztr\'s

I've been searching high and low for a site with loads of ztr mower info. Nothing available for ztr's like we have here on TBN. I'm hoping some folks here might know where I can find the info I need.
I've looked at a husqavarna commercial ztr. 61" cut with a 25 hp Kawasaki engine. It looked great. 10mph speed, rated at 3.8 acres an hour. Looks awesome. But I can't find a fourm where someone has experience with them.
I have found a site which mentions exmark and scag ztr's. I've looked at both vendors web site. Both look impressive, but I'm spoiled by TBN. I'd like to find another consumer who has used these products and can give an unbiased evaluation.
I'm looking to mow 4 acres around our house and an additional acre which is about 3/4 mile away at the river end of our property. I'd have to travel over a hilly dirt road to get to the river lot. Not sure how a ztr would handle this kind of travel.
Does anyone have any first hand experience with any brand of ztr that you could share? Or can you point me to other ztr resources on the web?

Thanks Guys!

 

[Richard]

Re: ztr\'s

My guess is you went Here and found what you found. If so, then I know of nothing else.

Hope it helps.

Richard

 

[skippy]

Re: ztr\'s

I can't help you out with forum info but I tell you my experience. I won an Exmark Lazer Z, 72 inch cut with a 27 HP Kawasaki Engine. The info they give you on speed and amount of cutting is not completely accurate. Don't get me wron they cut like great...but you will probable have trouble cutting (good) so fast. I would buy mine over again in a secound. I cut about 10 acres of my own yard and my previous mower was a 38 inch cutting deck...doesn't even compare. The ZTRs are far superior, IMHO, to any other lawn cutting machine. My cost was about 10k...I upgraded the seat. Any other Qs PM me.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Re: ztr\'s

I will be launching one in about three weeks.

 

[keeney]

Re: ztr\'s

The only negative thing I have ever heard about ZTR mowers is that they can be a little tricky on side hills on wet grass. If the wheels start slipping, an inexperienced operator can lose control pretty quickly.

- Rick

 

[pgk]

Re: ztr\'s

Iv'e owned a Toro Z150 series 20hp 54" deck with vac. system for a couple of years, cuts fantastic, but as mentioned in one of the other posts unless your yard is very smooth you will not be cutting at 10mph. We have a fairly steep hill we cut and it does take a little getting used to going down the incline without locking a tire and tearing up the turf. If you have hills and lots of trees to go around they can be a very effective.
Pete

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Re: ztr\'s

We sell and deal with a few different lines of ZTR's. I would highly recomend looking at a Kubota ZD28.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: ztr\'s

Is anyone familiar with the Cub Cadet ZTR units?

I am looking at buying one for one of my employees as his annual bonus, he has 1.5 acres of almost flat yard with very few trees and has been mowing it with a very small 20 year old Deere lawn tractor that is in need of being taken to the scrap yard (deck rusted through, engine barely running).

Cub makes a unit that has a 22hp engine and a 48" cut. The list price is supposed to be $4499, but my local dealer told me he is putting them on sale at the end of the month for $3995. I have a Cub lawn tractor that is built like a tank, but I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about their ZTR units. Any help or insight would be appreciated.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Re: ztr\'s

That Cub Cadet is a Z-force 48. List price is 4499 and sale price should be around $4000.

They also have a cheaper model called the RTZ22 that has a 50" deck and retails for $3000

 

[Dozernut]

Re: ztr\'s

I have a Kubota ZD21 diesel. This is an excellent mower and has cut my mowing time greatly. This machine will out mow any tractor mounted mower I have had in the past and leaves a lot less trimming. The wife has claimed the ZD21 as her mower and I get to operate it very little. This is the same gal who won't climb on a tractor, so this should give you an indication how easy and fun these are to operate.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: ztr\'s

Neil, are the Z-Force units any good? I am looking for a good unit that will last this guy at least a dozen years or more.

 

[milkman]

Re: ztr\'s

Moon, you can't go wrong with the Kubota ZD mower, diesel engine,uses less fuel than the gas models, longer engine life, hydraulic lift deck, spring mounted seat, driveshaft to the deck, lift system incorporated into the front to raise the deck for cleaning and blade sharpening. If you'll compare them with other ztr's you'll see that it is all commercial grade with a lot better seat than a board with a pad on it.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Re: ztr\'s

Bob, if I were going to buy a ZTR, it would be a Woods mowing machine. They are built with great quality and have a few different models. They seem to be as well built as the hitch mowers so it should last a long time. MseriesWoodsZTR
Mod.6170WoodsZTR John

 

[sweettractors]

Re: ztr\'s

We sell the "Dixon" Line--Call my son, Greg at our Munfordville, Ky location and he will glad to help you any way he can--Thanks--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *Authorized Dixon ZTR Dealer*

 

[AlanB]

Re: ztr\'s

My wife runs a lawncare and landscaping business.

We run a Dixon 60"

An Exmark, Lazer Z 60"

A Cub Cadet Commercial M48 Tank

They are all good mowers.

I bought the Dixon, then the Exmark, then the Cub. Previous to these I had a Gravely Promaster 100 and a Dixon residential 36".

If I had to buy another mower for commercial use tomorrow, I would want another Exmark, but as I do not like my local dealer I would look at the Scag and the Hustler as they both have dealers that I get along well with.

For residential use, they are all good. Price would be more of a concern than the speed / quality. All these mowers have more than enough quality for most any homeowner.

Also consider looking at a Lesco if you have a dealer in your area. Same as the Cub Tank, little less cost, generally good dealer service.

E-mail me direct if you have more pointed questions.

Our equipment mows about 50 to 75 lawns a week during the summer and we have been in business since about 92.

 

[Moon]

Re: ztr\'s

Thanks, lots of good info.
I'm partial to Kubota and would like to get one of their ZTR's, but I'm not planning on spending that much. Last I priced them they were 8k and up.
I'm looking in the 6k range. I'll be visiting some more dealers around here and see what I can find out. I'm hoping to find an Exmark dealer here, but so far no luck. I've also heard JD makes a good ztr, but it is priced around 7k. I'll post more once I have more info.
Still hoping someone that has owned a husqvarna will post here. Their unit is priced at 5700 for a 21 hp 61" deck or 6400 for a 25hp w/ 61" deck. 2 year parts and labor warrenty. They said they do the repairs right there, at the True Value store ....(not a strong selling point, ehh).
Thanks for the info guys!

 

[rugs]

Re: ztr\'s

Moon--

I've been looking at ZTRs on & off for a year. My budget was ~$6k. I decided to eliminate the very low end Zs now appearing in big box stores (like the low end Dixon, Snapper, etc). I've looked at models from eXmark, Ferris, JD, Hustler, Toro, Gravely, Dixie Chopper, and Scag (Kubotas were too pricey). Lawncare guys have *very* strong opinions (not like this board!). Big favorites in my area among commercial cutters are eXmark and JD, but most of the mfgs above will have some strong advocates.
I liked Hustler's Mini Z a lot, but couldn't get the price below about $6,500. I looked at their FasTrak (the price was right), but I didn't like the fact that the hydraulic system is factory sealed. Scag has had an ongoing promotion for their Tiger Cub (17hp Kawasaki, 48" deck) for $5999 (see: http://www.scag.com/tigercub.html). After looking at the brands noted and demoing several, I decided on Scag a week ago. One local dealer had a new '03 for $5,700. I bought from the other local dealer: a new Tiger Cub '03 w/ 21hp Kawasaki & 52" deck for $6k. I liked these machines, they seem well sorted out and are very heavily built. Best of luck....

 

[Bird]

Re: ztr\'s

I don't know anything about them personally, but I've noticed a number of commercial operators on Scag Tigers in this area.

 

[leaddog]

Re: ztr\'s

Has any one looked at and owned the grasshopper. The dealer here has a 03 model and They look very well build. I would like any feed back on one.
leaddog

 

[depratt_equip]

Re: ztr\'s

Im good friends with some ppl who work for the city i live in, they use husqavarna commercial mowers for mowing the parks. They are always complaining about how the mowers are in the shop more than they are being used. I drove on of there units that was only 2 years old and i did not like it at all. The deck seamed weak as well as some of the frame work. You might also check out Bush Hog ZT mowers. They do make some heavy duty units. Bush Hog