New Zero Turn Mower

[Dave Lehnert]

Starting to think about a new Zero Turn Mower.
I now own a Toro 52" with a 19 Hp Kawasaki that I have been happy with. Mow 2 1/2 acr all flat.

What brand have you been happy with?
More important. Is there a brand you have had trouble with? Parts hard to get etc.....

[Edward Dyas]

I've got the Toro 52" and it went back to the shop four times before it had 8 hours on it. Most of the problem was with the cheesy deck belt they make but I don't think I will buy another Toro.

[Paul F Franklin]

I've had a snapper pro 52 or 54 for about 4 or 5 years. It's built like a tank and I've had zero problems with it. No service at all other than oil/lube/filters/sharpening. Of course that means I can't speak to parts availability. With stuff like that, I tend to shop for a good dealer with a good service department, and then choose from brands they offer. I always ask to see the service department.

[Tom M King]

I'm getting a Ferris, that has a suspension system. No experience with the brand, but I figured it would be the last one I buy, and didn't want to do any more bouncing around. I did check what dealers were available, as there seems to be a big difference in after sale ability between them. I had narrowed it down to Scat, and Ferris, but decided on the Ferris.

[Jerome Stanek]

I had a Cub Cadet 60 inch Tank that went back 6 times for the same problem that they couldn't fix so they gave me my money back. The reason I bought it was I talked to 2 other people that owned them one was a yard service that had 2 and the other was my neighbor that had 2000 hours on his from mowing 10 different places the smallest was 6 acres. I ended up with a Gravely pro turn 460 with a Yamaha engine and air ride seat.

[Ole Anderson]

I have had a Deere 425ZT for nearly ten years with little to no problems. Only 250 hours on it as I have a fairly small yard.

[Jim Becker]

I've had a SCAG Freedom-Z for about a decade now. It's been excellent. My advise is to look at brands/models sold and serviced by local companies. Avoid the machines at the 'borg which are not constructed the same way as those you'll see at independent dealers, even if they have the same color and brand name on them, and place value on local support and service. (Same advice for things like tractors, etc.)

[Jason Ost]

Cub Cadet pro z 100 for about 3 years. It has been an excellent and I can get parts and service right up the road.

[Doug Dawson]

I have had a Deere 425ZT for nearly ten years with little to no problems. Only 250 hours on it as I have a fairly small yard.

Short answer, anything but a Deere, you need to call out a lab tech/Deere rep (competent or not) to deal with repair of those things. They have a "nobody but us can legally repair them" attitude that is utterly repugnant, and they need to be driven into insolvency, the only answer to that. Sorry and good luck (so far.)

[Jerome Stanek]

See if you can demo one that is what I did. I tried Exmark Cub Gravely and John Deere Hustler. They all had things that I liked and things I didn't. The Tank was the one that I liked the most but After the problem eith the linkages they gave me credit for another but at the end of the year I got the Gravely that was high on my list. My Brother in law has a John Deere and he has more problems with it and I mow more then he does and his is a commercial unit bought new from a dealer. It has been in the shop at least 3 times a year for major work.

[Jim Barkelew]

We bought a Gravely 60" this year and it's rock solid. Only have about 35 hours on it and no problems so far. We have all the various dealers in the area and the Gravely came out on top. The SCAG dealer didn't seem to want my business.

[Steve Fish]

I had a lawn company back in the 90’s. We cut a lot, one crew 5 days a week 2 cutting crews on Thursday and Friday. We ran the Scag mowers and we ran them pretty hard. 2 61” turf tigers and 2 48” zero turns. I recently saw the newer one and boy it looks way nicer than the older ones we had. Solid machines that should last a really long time outside of commercial use if maintained properly. I demoed other brands but none cut as good at comparable speeds. Exmark was probably the closest. this info is old so TIFWIW.

[Dave Lehnert]

Thanks for the info so far. Hope to see more.

The dealers I have very close to me are Toro, Exmark, Scag, Kubota & Cub Cadet

Toro & Exmark are the same company. I can walk to the Toro dealer but they tend to be expensive on their equipment. My Toro is 12 years old and this is the first year I have needed a repair other than normal stuff.

Scag is the top of my list to look at and dealer has a good reputation.

Never liked Cub Cadet after MTD purchased them years ago. Friend purchased a cub ZTR just a few years ago and the frame rusted in two. Always stored indoors. Also had an oil leak the dealer fixed last winter in the off season. Found in spring the leak was not fixed and dealer would not do anything because it was out of the 30 day warranty. So that dealer is out.

Kubota dealer has a large service department (Located in an old Ford dealership) But hear Kubota is Expensive, Have to check them out.

Interested in Farris and Hustler but dealers are 30 to 45 min away. Not a deal breaker, but........

[Dave Lehnert]

I've had a SCAG Freedom-Z for about a decade now. It's been excellent. My advise is to look at brands/models sold and serviced by local companies. Avoid the machines at the 'borg which are not constructed the same way as those you'll see at independent dealers, even if they have the same color and brand name on them, and place value on local support and service. (Same advice for things like tractors, etc.)



How much land do you mow each week?

[Ronald Blue]

+1 for Ferris or Simplicity. Snapper is the same machine without suspension. I'm on my 3rd year on my Simplicity Cobalt. 61" deck, 28 hp EFI. I only have about 70 hours on it though. The smooth ride is so nice though. The Simplicity comes standard with the striping roller. I'd buy again without hesitation. However I had a Dixie Chopper before that and it was 16 years old and never so much as a drive belt on it. So they are very dependable as well.

[Greg Parrish]

Funny how everyone’s experiences can be so different. Some seem to despise John Deere I guess but between my Dad and I, we have two 300 series lawn tractors (dealer models, not big box store models), a 700 series zero turn, a 5045 tractor with implements and a two seat gator and other than blades and oil changes never a problem. We’ve also worn out two more 300 series tractors with only the oil and blades mentioned. We live in different cities and both of our dealers have been outstanding. My dealer is an Ag Pro location and I think his is actually a John Deere franchise store maybe. Anyway, it’s the one brand I wouldn’t worry about the local dealer closing, especially if you live in an agricultural part of the country. Our prior tractor was a Massey Furgeson 231S though and the lift leaked and we struggled to get parts for that sucker. Lack of dealer and/or manufacturer support.

As far as equipment itself though, I’m sure any of the commercial grade machines would be great as long as you have dependable dealer support available. My yard is small and Gravely makes a 36” deck zero turn that I may look at when my current Deere wears out, but I’ve only got 55 hours on it so it will be a while. :)

[Ole Anderson]

Short answer, anything but a Deere, you need to call out a lab tech/Deere rep (competent or not) to deal with repair of those things. They have a "nobody but us can legally repair them" attitude that is utterly repugnant, and they need to be driven into insolvency, the only answer to that. Sorry and good luck (so far.) Sounds like you have had a bad experience. You would think that with service like they would go out of business. But they haven't. Actually I am not sure what servicing a competent DIY'er couldn't do. I sold my Saber hydrostatic lawn tractor (Made by Deere) to my neighbor and it is still running. Only had to help him change a mower belt in all these years. It has to be going on 20 years old. Not saying they are in the same league as a commercial ZT that costs twice as much. Each of them has been in the shop exactly once in their lifetime.

[Don Coffman]

I have a 52" Exmark Radius E, Exmark motor ... well pleased a tough machine.

[Keith Outten]

Dixie Choper 72" deck, 25 hp Koehler engine, over 20 years old.
Replaced one belt last year.
Most parts are available from original vendors if the dealer doesn't have them.
My only complaint is that it has no suspension, like riding on a cinder block.

[John K Jordan]

Starting to think about a new Zero Turn Mower.
I now own a Toro 52" with a 19 Hp Kawasaki that I have been happy with. Mow 2 1/2 acr all flat.

What brand have you been happy with?
More important. Is there a brand you have had trouble with? Parts hard to get etc.....

Dave,

The first zero turn I bought for the farm was a Toro, gas engine, 42" cut. I really liked it and could mow far faster than the riding mower, 4 times faster and with a less effort.

But after a season or so I got a Kubota (ZD25), 25hp diesel, 60" cut. Hydrostatic drive motors, PTO drive to the deck, water-cooled engine.

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The Kubota is FAR better and faster, more comfortable. The Toro feels like a rattly toy mower and the Kubota feels solid and professional. I can mow twice as fast as the Toro which puts me about 8 times faster than the riding lawnmower. It also uses less fuel than the gas engine which offsets the higher cost of diesel. The power is incredible and I do have hills. As well keeping the grass trimmed I use it to "bushhog", cutting grass and weeds 3' high, brush and such in the woods, mowing over limbs, hitting an occasional rock. The think is built like a tank.

When mowing I always thought that if it broke down today I'd go buy another one tomorrow.

Well, after about 13 seasons of hard use it still refuses to die! The engine always starts immediately even after sitting all winter and runs like new. It does take a little maintenance like changing hydraulic fluids and filters on schedule, greasing. I've had to replace the deck belt once when I got a stick wedged and it shredded.

This year I decided to get a second Kubota (ZD1200), also a 25 hp diesel with a 60" deck. The current models have better controls and features, flexible side chute instead of steel, better seat and control panel, dual fuel tanks. For example, the hydraulic deck controls are foot operated so you can raise the deck temporarily if needed without taking your hands off the control levers.

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I'm using the new mower just for grass and keeping the old one for the rough stuff. I know that may sound a little decadent but hey, I'm getting to be elderly and feeble! These mowers are a joy to use.

As for how much I mow, in grass season I mow about 3 acres every week: around the house, around the outside of the fields, along the road frontage, and a couple of places with fruit trees and such. When needed, I mow another 3 to 8 acres in the pastures. If the grass gets too high in the 5-acre horse pasture the seeds can bother the horse's eyes. I mow pastures to about 5".

One thing to consider is the dealer and service. I really like and trust the Kubota dealers here (and I've had some experience with others). Unlike buying from Home Depot, an equipment dealer will give you expert service and advice - this is worth a lot. I'm sure other brands are just as good but this works for me. At the moment I have the two Kubota mowers, a Kubota RTV, Kubota tractor, and Kubota excavator. (and one old John Deere skid steer!)

The Kubota is in fact expensive. I paid about $12k for the first one years ago. The new one was about $14K for a cash deal. For my use I consider it money well spent.

JKJ

Edt: Hey, if you get down this way come try it yourself. I'm a bit north of Knoxville.

[Jim Becker]

How much land do you mow each week?

We own 3.8 acres and I mow about 2.5 acres of that, give or take....similar to your situation. My SCAG Freedom-Z has a 54" deck which was also a good fit for getting in and around things as well as getting the large open area done efficiently. My Kubota tractor originally had a 60" deck for mowing, but it was unwieldy to remove and attach and I didn't like having to remove the backhoe and FEL for mowing. (not technically required, but "spatially" unworkable for mowing)

Kubota ZTRs are excellent but are premium machines. I paid under $5K for my SCAG. The Kubota would have been double that at the time, although it's a more substantial piece of machinery. In this area, you see ExMark, SCAG and Hustler the most with commercial cutters, but that's always affected by "who's selling and servicing locally". Ferris is really nice because of the suspension, and if I had a far larger property to mow, that would be on my radar for sure.

[Ronald Blue]

Test drive the Ferris or equivalent Simplicity. The suspension is a deal breaker. I tried Kubota but the suspension sold me on the Simplicity. I'm with Keith that the Dixie Chopper is well made and bullet proof. But your teeth vibrate on anything without suspension. The patented 4 wheel suspension is smooth. You still feel big bumps because you can't eliminate everything. I looked this morning and I have 73 hours on it currently.

[Dave Lehnert]

Funny how everyone’s experiences can be so different. Some seem to despise John Deere I guess but between my Dad and I, we have two 300 series lawn tractors (dealer models, not big box store models), a 700 series zero turn, a 5045 tractor with implements and a two seat gator and other than blades and oil changes never a problem. We’ve also worn out two more 300 series tractors with only the oil and blades mentioned. We live in different cities and both of our dealers have been outstanding. My dealer is an Ag Pro location and I think his is actually a John Deere franchise store maybe. Anyway, it’s the one brand I wouldn’t worry about the local dealer closing, especially if you live in an agricultural part of the country. Our prior tractor was a Massey Furgeson 231S though and the lift leaked and we struggled to get parts for that sucker. Lack of dealer and/or manufacturer support.

As far as equipment itself though, I’m sure any of the commercial grade machines would be great as long as you have dependable dealer support available. My yard is small and Gravely makes a 36” deck zero turn that I may look at when my current Deere wears out, but I’ve only got 55 hours on it so it will be a while. :)



My Toro ZTR I have now came from a local John Deere dealer. Been in the bizz for years. They were well known ,to tell customers with John Deere mowers from the big box stores, to go back there and have them service it. Deere walked in one morning and pulled their dealership. They only lasted a handful of years then closed.

[Greg Parrish]

Thats just a sign of a bad dealer, regardless of the brand. Where I live, and I assume the same applies nationwide, the local dealer does all of the uncrating and setup of JD tractors at the box store. In fact the box store said they were not even allowed to touch the new arrivals until the dealer rep was on site. Warranty is handled by the local JD dealer here.



My Toro ZTR I have now came from a local John Deere dealer. Been in the bizz for years. They were well known ,to tell customers with John Deere mowers from the big box stores, to go back there and have them service it. Deere walked in one morning and pulled their dealership. They only lasted a handful of years then closed.

[Dan Friedrichs]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-42-in-100-Ah-Battery-Electric-Zero-Turn-Riding-Mower-RY48ZTR100/308040433

Just think about it :) It's the Tesla of lawn mowers :D

[Jason Ost]

about 5 acres

[Bill Dufour]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-42-in-100-Ah-Battery-Electric-Zero-Turn-Riding-Mower-RY48ZTR100/308040433

Just think about it :) It's the Tesla of lawn mowers :D

I was going to mention this one but you beat me to it. I can not figure out if it uses propriatary batteries. The old GE lawn tractors use regular 12 volt car batteries.
Bill D

[Robert Engel]

I think long term a commercial mower is going to be better. They say the difference is going to be the hydraulic motors and the spindle/deck.

I have a Scag. Its been a very good machine for me. For homeowner use it has a 3 year warranty parts AND labor. I don't think you can beat that! And I like the idea of MUSA.

[Jim Becker]

I've also found that self-maintenance on my SCAG (something I'm not particularly fond of doing from a task perspective...maintaining vehicles) has been pretty easy. The one thing I did do was replace the front wheel/tire assemblies with non-pneumatic Marathon setups because on a few places I mow, the angle while turning was causing me to break the bead on the blow-up tires a little too frequently...'nature of the beast with low pressure pneumatics. But that was after they were worn and needed replaced anyway. :D

[Ron Selzer]

Dealer, dealer and dealer is what counts when buying a zero turn mower.
You can buy upgraded suspension seats for about any mower
Hustler has a Flex Fork option for their mowers as well as a lot of other brands
Dealer makes/breaks how good a mower is when you have problems
Worked over 20 years now in 2 different school districts buying and maintaining everything from push mowers up to 16' 80+ hp diesel riders
Worse zero turn came from a large JD dealer took all summer to get to 8 hrs on clock, 5 trips back to shop. Identical mower bought 6 months before with higher serial number went over 2000 hrs with no problems at all.
Dealer, Dealer, Dealer is what counts, as any brand will make a bad one sometime

[Jerome Stanek]

Dealer, dealer and dealer is what counts when buying a zero turn mower.
You can buy upgraded suspension seats for about any mower
Hustler has a Flex Fork option for their mowers as well as a lot of other brands
Dealer makes/breaks how good a mower is when you have problems
Worked over 20 years now in 2 different school districts buying and maintaining everything from push mowers up to 16' 80+ hp diesel riders
Worse zero turn came from a large JD dealer took all summer to get to 8 hrs on clock, 5 trips back to shop. Identical mower bought 6 months before with higher serial number went over 2000 hrs with no problems at all.
Dealer, Dealer, Dealer is what counts, as any brand will make a bad one sometime

You are so right. My brother in law had a problem with his John Deere z turn and they sold him a new battery when they had it but it was a safety switch that was the problem that they should have caught when it was in. He had to have it go back in for that switch and they charged him for pick up and delivery each time even though they never fixed it the first time.

[Brad Chenoweth]

2 years now with a Hustler Raptor SD 54" welded deck with the 23hp Kawasaki engine, mowing 1-1/4 acres. Love it! When I buy another one it will be another Hustler. FYI, they invented the ztr mower.

[Tom M King]

The same "air ride" (or at least that's what some call it)seat is available on most of the high end mowers, including on top of the Ferris suspension. You probably have to test drive one to really appreciate the difference. I had narrowed down my other choice to the Scag Cheetah, but found there to be a noticeable difference between big rubber bushings, that the Cheetah seat platform sits on, and real shock absorbers. I have one 7/8 mile run between spots that need cutting. The 16 mph hour top end on the Cheetah sounded good, but I decided the extra time for the 12 mph on the Ferris would be bearable, after riding one.

[Ronald Blue]

The same "air ride" (or at least that's what some call it)seat is available on most of the high end mowers, including on top of the Ferris suspension. You probably have to test drive one to really appreciate the difference. I had narrowed down my other choice to the Scag Cheetah, but found there to be a noticeable difference between big rubber bushings, that the Cheetah seat platform sits on, and real shock absorbers. I have one 7/8 mile run between spots that need cutting. The 16 mph hour top end on the Cheetah sounded good, but I decided the extra time for the 12 mph on the Ferris would be bearable, after riding one.



So true Tom. No spring loaded seat compares to the whole machine being suspended.

[Bill Dufour]

The idea of mowing a lawn is only a little more then 100 years old. I wonder if it is a fad that will disappear in my lifetime? Certainly in the west the gravel front yard is making a comeback.
A mowed lawn only became common after the machine age invented lawn mowers without hooves.
Bill D.

[Doug Dawson]

The idea of mowing a lawn is only a little more then 100 years old. I wonder if it is a fad that will disappear in my lifetime? Certainly in the west the gravel front yard is making a comeback.
A mowed lawn only became common after the machine age invented lawn mowers without hooves.


When I was young we used to harvest the lawn for our salad. Somebody would always come along and eat it. Nowadays people put chemicals on it, I don't know who would eat that.

[Ronald Blue]

Actually Bill it's been around a little longer than that.
The first lawn mower was invented by Edwin Budding in 1830 in Thrupp, just outside Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England. Budding's mower was designed primarily to cut the grass on sports grounds and extensive gardens, as a superior alternative to the scythe, and was granted a British patent on August 31, 1830.

[Scott T Smith]

I’ve used a Scag Turf Tiger for 19 years here on the farm. We beat the tar out of it - not only mowing the yards but pastures, ditches, you name it. I honestly think that it will be the last mower that I ever buy, and anticipate 40 years of use before I’m done with it.

I recently upgraded it to a torsion bar front suspension (about $400.00), which makes it a bit smoother.

Can’t say that I’ve ever been concerned about dealer support because it’s never been back to the dealer. Replaced a drive belt, all the tires, normal filters, lots of blades and one spindle in 20 years (spindle damage was my fault). It wasn’t cheap, but when you factor in the longevity the price point wasn’t bad.

Recent new rear non-turf rear tires have all but eliminated getting stuck in wet spots or sliding around on the ditches.

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[Brian Elfert]

Sounds like you have had a bad experience. You would think that with service like they would go out of business. But they haven't. Actually I am not sure what servicing a competent DIY'er couldn't do. I sold my Saber hydrostatic lawn tractor (Made by Deere) to my neighbor and it is still running. Only had to help him change a mower belt in all these years. It has to be going on 20 years old. Not saying they are in the same league as a commercial ZT that costs twice as much. Each of them has been in the shop exactly once in their lifetime.

The issues with John Deere are with their big stuff, not their lawn mowers. The big stuff is heavily computerized and John Deere refuses to supply any of the software required to connect to the computer(s) to independent mechanics. John Deere has even gone so far as to state the software in the units still belongs to John Deere and not to the owner. There are calls for right to repair legislation over this.

[Brian Elfert]

The idea of mowing a lawn is only a little more then 100 years old. I wonder if it is a fad that will disappear in my lifetime? Certainly in the west the gravel front yard is making a comeback.
A mowed lawn only became common after the machine age invented lawn mowers without hooves.


Gravel yards work out west because of the arid climate so weeds don't grow much in the gravel. A gravel yard in Minnesota would turn into a fight against weeds in no time.

[Jerome Stanek]

Gravel yards work out west because of the arid climate so weeds don't grow much in the gravel. A gravel yard in Minnesota would turn into a fight against weeds in no time.

And then they become mine fields if you try to mow.