Suggestions for zero turn mower.

[Paf]

Plan on buying a new mower for my parents yard. Looking at zero turn mowers. Would like something around a 50" cut. Already looked at Toro's, Ariens, and Gravely's. Tried to look at Simplicity but the local dealer had none in stock all season (company was having a hard time getting parts). Would like to hear others with their suggestions and opinions. Thanks in advance for your replies. Paf

[Plate plinker]

Get something with a Kawasaki engine. Those were solid engines. Maybe there are better options now I don't know.

[farmbif]

needing a new mower ive done a whole bunch of looking and leaning towards bad boy maverick 54" with Kawasaki fs730 or if i can raise the funds an altoz trx or a scag turf tiger or a kubota, might just be that much tougher and last much longer. all of the residential models ive seen at the big box stores for sale $3000-$4000 seem like way overpriced junk that probably won't last long. my commercial walk behind 24" sarlo mower blew up while using it day before yesterday and they no longer make replacement motor that will fit. $1,200 down the drain but it was about 15 years old.

[HWooldridge]

I mow about 1.5 acre and used a 42” Toro ZRT Timecutter for almost ten years with no problems. My son bought a new 2022 60” John Deere ZRT early this year and left it here at our place on the understanding I could use it when I wanted but he asked that I do the maintenance (which was fine with me).

I have also used a Scat 60” ZRT at our church - of the three, I like the Toro the best. It’s the most comfortable and agile, and it’s been used the hardest. The deck was pretty beat up when I bought it (used) and I had to replace the spindles but that’s been the only maintenance issue.

I was planning to buy a new Toro 54” but having the JD already parked here is good enough.

[quilbilly]

Having just had a knee replacement, I have had a landscaper mow my very hilly yard recently. He uses a Kubota zero turn commercial mower. It has been amazing to watch him. The hills he goes over and banks he mows across are ones I would never try with my rider and he mows fast (!!). The areas I have has to "push-mow" instead of my rider he has no problem ding with his zero-turn. It has a lot to do with the center-of-gravity being lower. He has been using that mower for a couple years at my neighbors so I suspect the quality is great but I also suspect it was quite expensive.

[BLAHUT]

Dr.feilds has a nice batery power one clame cutting 5 acers on one charge

[BLAHUT]

Check mounting holes and shaft size you can find one that fits just takes time to look

[almar]

also look at big dog and scag mowers.

[cabezaverde]

Ferris is very popular around here with the commercial outfits.

[Farmall-130]

My son recently bought a Bad Boy mower, 24 HP. I looked at it & the manuals very closely. As a retired hydraulics engineer, I’m impressed at their design. Each wheel has it’s own hydrostatic transmission, boost pump, cross port reliefs, charge oil filter & relatively large oil reservoir. Maintenance was thought out to make it easier. Appears to be Sauer Danfoss components; they’re well know in the ag industry for hydrostatic drives.

[buckwheatpaul]

Plan on buying a new mower for my parents yard. Looking at zero turn mowers. Would like something around a 50" cut. Already looked at Toro's, Ariens, and Gravely's. Tried to look at Simplicity but the local dealer had none in stock all season (company was having a hard time getting parts). Would like to hear others with their suggestions and opinions. Thanks in advance for your replies. Paf

I bought a Kubota ZD1211 several years ago. I move 8 acres with the machine. It is a 52" diesel job and man does it cut. It was expensive but with zero interest my payment was $357/MO and should last me the rest of my life. It is heavy made commercial model but it replaced another zero and boy is it a great machine. I would highly recommend it!

[Nobade]

I have been mowing some incredibly rough terrain for the last year using a Hustler Super Z. 25hp Kawasaki engine, 72" cut, I am extremely impressed with it. There's no way a homeowner type mower would hold up to what this machine is getting put through.

[Finster101]

I have had good luck with Hustler mowers. Stay away from kohler motors. The Kawasaki's have proven to be much better.

[sparky45]

Plan on buying a new mower for my parents yard. Looking at zero turn mowers. Would like something around a 50" cut. Already looked at Toro's, Ariens, and Gravely's. Tried to look at Simplicity but the local dealer had none in stock all season (company was having a hard time getting parts). Would like to hear others with their suggestions and opinions. Thanks in advance for your replies. Paf

Gravely with the Kawasaki engine. I have their 50" cut and love it.

[dverna]

Not enough info...

How many acres
Layout of land
How many cuts per year
How long do you want the mower to last.

Stupid to buy an $8000 mower to cut 2 acres of level fairly open ground 25 times a year. With a 54” deck that will take 25 hours a year. A $4000 unit will last over 800 hours...so 32 years.

I have 2 acres with lots of trees and other stuff and my 54” ZT does it in an hour. I put 20 hours on it last year. I have the Bad Boy Elite. More machine than I needed but it has a front suspension so it rides a bit better. I expect to get 1000 hours out of it. I bought last year when I was 70. I will not live long enough to wear it out.

I could have bought a $3500 bargain model that will last 400 hours, and still likely be dead before replacing it.

Lots of folks justify toys they do not need. If you are cutting 5 acres, just run the numbers and see what fits your needs.

[BMW Rider]

We recently went with the entry level Kubota Z231 with the Kawasaki engine. 12 hrs on it so far and it is doing great for our 3/4 acre lawn.

[ulav8r]

Have been using Mom's Hustler to mow her lawn for about 8 years. The dealer said the Kawasaki engines gave no problems, had not had any major engine problems on any of them. He is an independent shop that sells lots of saws to loggers and mowers to lawn services. The Hustler seems to be heavy duty.

[Randy Bohannon]

Hustler, hands down since they invented zero turn mowers. Size your mower so you can be done in one hour or thereabouts.

[Thundarstick]

Not enough info...

How many acres
Layout of land
How many cuts per year
How long do you want the mower to last.

Stupid to buy an $8000 mower to cut 2 acres of level fairly open ground 25 times a year. With a 54” deck that will take 25 hours a year. A $4000 unit will last over 800 hours...so 32 years.

I have 2 acres with lots of trees and other stuff and my 54” ZT does it in an hour. I put 20 hours on it last year. I have the Bad Boy Elite. More machine than I needed but it has a front suspension so it rides a bit better. I expect to get 1000 hours out of it. I bought last year when I was 70. I will not live long enough to wear it out.

I could have bought a $3500 bargain model that will last 400 hours, and still likely be dead before replacing it.

Lots of folks justify toys they do not need. If you are cutting 5 acres, just run the numbers and see what fits your needs.

The best reply yet! I have a Woods FZ25D with a 25hp Kubota diesel engine, but Woods are out of business now. I mow 6 acres and sometimes others as well. When I lived in town I mowed about 1/4 acre and others occasionally with a Snapper residential level zero turn mower. I went through two engines and a few parts in 10 years! Most manufacturers make residential and commercial equipment, most gasoline-powered engines are ready to lay down after 500 hours, so as Don says, run the numbers. Only thing I'll add is buy from a business in YOUR area that services the brand you buy!

[jd9770]

The best reply yet! I have a Woods FZ25D with a 25hp Kubota diesel engine, but Woods are out of business now. I mow 6 acres and sometimes others as well. When I lived in town I mowed about 1/4 acre and others occasionally with a Snapper residential level zero turn mower. I went through two engines and a few parts in 10 years! Most manufacturers make residential and commercial equipment, most gasoline-powered engines are ready to lay down after 500 hours, so as Don says, run the numbers. Only thing I'll add is buy from a business in YOUR area that services the brand you buy!

The last line in the quote is key.
If there isn’t a dealer close to you, parts can be a challenge at times and turn into weeks down time.
I bought a grasshopper 725 with a 52” deck 22yrs ago. It mows about 15ac a week. With regular maintenance only thing that has been replace is the seat last year and the shaft carrier bearing and blade hoops on the deck about 5yrs ago. There is a dealer about 12 miles from me, so parts have been easy to get when needed. It wasn’t cheap to buy back then, but the old 725 don’t owe me a thing and still runs great. Not saying a grasshopper is your answer, just illustrating that I went with it due to local dealer support.

[Handloader109]

The main thing on any mower is avoid the cheap decks. Residential under 4k mowers have mainly stamped steel, i.e. thin sheet metal decks that deteriorate rapidly. 5,000 hour engine is worthless is the deck rusts out in you in 5 years.
Most good models have good welded deck. The main issue now is supply and fast increasing prices. That good 4 or 5k mower is now 5 or 6k or more. I want a new one also, but most probably put off till next year.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Paf]

Thanks to all with your replies! Good information given. In response to dverna questions: lawn is roughly an acre and a half, mostly flat terrain with half in trees. Would like a mower to last for 20 years or better. Budget is around $4500 or so. I agree with buying a mower with service nearby. That is why I first looked at Toro and Ariens/Gravely (dealerships in area). Still need to look at another dealership that carries Bad Boy. I am surprised with all the choices out there! I agree with thin metal decks. Bought a DR brush cutter three years ago. Bought the 42" finish mower attachment. Works good, but the finish deck is 14 gauge or so. Will not last in the long run.

[Finster101]

I mow 3 acres with a Hustler Raptor 54" that would be considered a homeowner grade and have no problems with the mower. Not sure of the hours but I bought it used and have had it about two years now. I replaced the belts and one noisy spindle when I got it and have done nothing else but oil changes. In the summer I have to mow about every 5 days. If I wait a week it's too tall and I have to slow down too much, So I have used it quite a bit. It takes me about 2 1/2 to three hours to cut it all. I have the Kawasaki motor. My neighbor had the same mower with a Kohler motor and it toasted. Drained the oil and had plastic in it. Stay away from Kohler motors no matter what you buy.

[725]

I just bought a Ferris. Pricey. I have 21 acre farm and lots of mowing. It handles it well.

[Rich/WIS]

Bought a Ferris 54" about 5 years ago, no problems or complaints. Theadvoce about nearby dealer support is right on unless you have the skills to do full maintenance. Bought it for a 3 +/- acre yard in WI and brought it with me to KY, only mow about 2+ acres here, takes a little over an hour. Only problem here is dealer is over an hour away, versus the 15 minutes when I lived in WI. `Motor on mine is a B&S 27 hp.

[Smoke4320]

I can tell you if you have much over 2 acres stay away from John Deere Zero Turns .. way too much maintenance and parts replacements
A JD Z445 21 HP and I have spent enough in the last 5 years to buy another mower. Its an actual JD not a Home depot/Lowes MTD licensed knockoff.
Used a friends Kubota with a 21 HP Kohler.,. Massive improvement over my JD .. Better build and more cutting power

[dverna]

Thanks to all with your replies! Good information given. In response to dverna questions: lawn is roughly an acre and a half, mostly flat terrain with half in trees. Would like a mower to last for 20 years or better. Budget is around $4500 or so. I agree with buying a mower with service nearby. That is why I first looked at Toro and Ariens/Gravely (dealerships in area). Still need to look at another dealership that carries Bad Boy. I am surprised with all the choices out there! I agree with thin metal decks. Bought a DR brush cutter three years ago. Bought the 42" finish mower attachment. Works good, but the finish deck is 14 gauge or so. Will not last in the long run.

Any decent brand/model will serve you well in that price range. Test drive if you can. Agree with others who said a good dealer is worth a few bucks more.

BTW, nearly bought a Country Clipper. They have models with a joy stick you operate with one hand, leaving the other hand free to swat bugs....don’t laugh!! My fiancé LOVED that CC when she test drove it.

But in the same price range the Bad Boy gave us a front suspension and a 7 ga deck. Plus the BB dealer is our tractor dealer and he is fantastic wrt service and support. He personally came over at 9:00 one night to help me out and he lives 50 mikes away.

[Electrod47]

My son recently bought a Bad Boy mower, 24 HP. I looked at it & the manuals very closely. As a retired hydraulics engineer, I’m impressed at their design. Each wheel has it’s own hydrostatic transmission, boost pump, cross port reliefs, charge oil filter & relatively large oil reservoir. Maintenance was thought out to make it easier. Appears to be Sauer Danfoss components; they’re well know in the ag industry for hydrostatic drives.

That's good to know. I'm thinking of one for next year. They seem to be popular in this neck of Mississippi.

[pmer]

My main mower is a Toro Groundsmaster 322 D. It has almost 3000 hours and still works pretty good. It's a 3 cylinder diesel with a front mounted deck. I think they came out in the early to mid 1980s. I bought mine about 9 years ago at a auction for 2200.00 and it needed the glow plug circuit repaired. It recently had issues cutting out or losing power but tracked it to a flakey safety switch. I've been working on it more in the last few years but I don't think its that bad for what could be a 40 year old mower. It has the 88'' Tri Flex deck and it takes about 2 hours to do the yard.

I was looking at zero turns last year and was interested in Scag. They use the same spindle and bearing setup in all of their decks. But I have to admit the old Toro with a Hydro petal and power steering with an actual steering wheel is pretty nice. It has ROPS with a roof too.

IMO if you want a 20 year mower you'll probably have to spend more than 4500.00. I'd hate to guess what a new replacement for mine would cost.

[Finster101]

With only an acre a 42 to 54 inch cut will most likely get you done in an hour or less, especially once you get used to it and are comfortable with getting up closer to things. You really should be fine to stay in the residential mower category as long as you pick something with a welded deck. That should easily fit in to your price range mentioned. A lot of good mowers mentioned on here but, way overkill for your needs.

[dg31872]

We have 2 zero turns.
Our first is a Deere and the other a Scag Turf Tiger 2. The Deere is more comfortable to operate, but the Scag is built like a tank. When it is time to mow, we get on the Scag.

[WinchesterM1]

I have a cub cadet Z-turn with a steering wheel(I mow big hills) and I mow around 4 acres and I can do it in around 3 hours

[ulav8r]

One more recommendation, check out a few local yard services and find out what mowers they use. The longer they have been in business the more you can expect them to be using reliable equipment.

[Alstep]

Years ago I bought a Husqvarna zero turn. Worst money I ever spent. Had it a month and the welds on the control arms gave out. Dealer didn't want to honor the warrantee, said the company didn't back him up.
Spindles & bearings always wearing out. I finally got some stress proof steel and machined my own that would hold up. The electric clutch blew a couple of times at $ 200 a clip. All the belts are odd ball sizes and cost 3 times what a standard belt would cost. Only the dealer stocks them. Finally at about 900 hours the hydraulics puked. Been sitting in the weeds ever since.
Came across an old IH 154 tractor made in 1970. Had to do some work on it, but a 50+ year old machine out performs that Husky any day. It doesn't maneuver as good as a zero turn, but it gets the job done.
I hear good things about Ferris, might go for one in the future.

[ascast]

just my to cents I think Ferris is the most heavy built on the market. I believe they have the highest resale value as well. Engines are Kawi, Koehler, or Cat. I think Briggs & Stratten sold them off as B&S can't make an engine for that job. They will build you a cutter deck for a discontinued model as well. I worked there welding for several years. These are not cheap stamped out throw away machines.

[Froogal]

"Country Clipper" with joystick steering and the stand up deck. Mine has a Kohler engine and is a 42" cut. Exactly what I need because of a couple of narrow places that need mowed. Models are available with 50" cut and up. Mine is 6 years old. Maybe older. Regularly mow about 2 acres. Never had any problems.

[jonp]

Dixie Chopper

[Jeff Michel]

Ferris ISX 800, 26 HP, FT730 Kawasaki, 61" deck with independent front suspension. This is the second year for mine. Beats Scag, Grasshopper, Kubota, Toro and Husqvarna hands down. I tested every brand I could get my hands on that my friends and acquaintances owned, actually cut yards with all of them. Ferris, not cheap, but built like a brick privy.

[Geezer in NH]

15 year old Kabota Deisel zero steer my son uses at the farm he works at. Cannot hear when the deck kicks in no rise in sound at all. Works great change oil when due, sharpen blade once a month and good to go.

Cost back then $23,500 Has pretty much paid for itself now. Mows acres every week

[dverna]

It is astounding. After the OP tells us what his needs are and his budget, there are still recommendations for commercial level mowers.

To the OP, do not listen to people who want to spend your money. I have a Dillon 1050 and would not recommend it to a person who shoots less than 5k rounds a year.

Go to a good dealer, or three, and let them guide you. Most will let you test drive their products. If one dealer tells you a $4k ZT will fit your needs and the next one says you need to spend $10k, ask what the heck $6k more gets you. If three dealers recommend a $4-5k ZT then pick the one that seems to fit you best, and has the features you want.

BTW, in the vast majority of cases, the Hydro's and gas engines of every ZT come from 2-3 suppliers. Those are the costly bits and pieces to replace when they fail. There is maybe a $500-600 difference between a Kawasaki and higher end Kohler engine. Quite a bit of difference in price between the lower end and higher end transmissions.

You will use your ZT about per cut. Keep that in mind.

One last piece of advice my dealer shared with me. Cut your grass no lower than 3" high. You will have fewer weeds, a healthier lawn, retain more moisture and save money. You should not cut more than 1/3 of the height of the grass. With a 2" deck setting you should cut when the grass is 3" tall. With a 3" deck setting you should cut when the grass is 4.5" tall. With the higher setting you reduce the number of cuts. Say your grass grows 1" per week. Over a 12 week period, with the lower setting you will cut the grass 12 times. With the higher setting you will cut it 8 times. So you end up using 2/3 the time, and fuel. And you extend your service life from say 24 years to 36 years. A commercial mower is silly for guys like you and me.

[pworley1]

I have been using a Grasshopper with 60 inch deck to mow a little over 7 acres for 19 years. When it finally wares out I will get another one.

[Paf]

Will be visiting some dealerships that carry Cub Cadet and Hustler. It is my hope to purchase a unit during the off season ( fall & winter). Need to start saving the pennies. Good advice on grass height for cutting. Always enjoy this forum for the good information!