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What's your opinion on the best zero turn mower?

6

641Dave

Member
I was wondering if anyone here had any ideas about zero turn mowers. I've been planting allot of trees on the new place and have decided that I'm going to need a better lawn mower soon.

I want something that can buzz around the trees with one turn and have the power to get after it in the open. My lawn is going to be roughly 2 acres with about 50 trees to mow under and around.
 
Dixie Chopper, great, expensive machine. Used a SKAG quite a bit and also thought very highly of it. Avoid ANYTHING made by MTD such as Cub Cadet.
 
Overall Toro. They purchases Exmark several years ago and now all the latest trchnology goes into the Toro Z-turns.

The big frame models have Very Very Heavy Duty spindls. You can go real fast for a quick rouch cut (rated in acres per hour)or slow it down for a nice cut.

I'd go with a walker if you want a real nice look
 
I guess I would suggest Exmark since that is the brand I purchased. I looked at others and thought this was the best bang for the buck. Also I have a dealer that supports his product very well. Remember that these things do "wear" and don't purchase something that you would need to go chasing across the country for replacement parts & service.
 
Hustler Super Z
not cheap just the best

most important is your dealer
bad dealer will ruin the best mower for you
great dealer will make a mediocre machine great
 
I am very happy with my Ferris. 72 inch, 32hp, 4 wheel independent suspension. Wish it had something other than a Briggs, but seems to be holding up fine.

I mow 14 acres with lots of tree rows (4000 trees). Plan on expanding to 20 acres this year.

I have had the mower for 4 years. Zero problems. A zero turn is a great tool, but it only does one thing well, and that is mow. It does run circles around my 12 foot batwing. Speed, turning, manuverability. It is no contest.

Rick
 
I'd get a commercial mower, even if used, as opposed to a homeowner grade zero turn. That said, my only long term experience has been with grasshopper. No complaints really. If you want to be able to catch clippings and the leaves from all those trees, you cant beat Grasshoppers vac system.

Mine is a '98 from when I had my lawn service. 1700 hrs on Kubota diesel. Other then blades, bearings, and a few misc small parts pretty much trouble free.
a58572.jpg
 
I purchased a john deere. no complaints. I went to the jd dealer asked which models they took back in on trade. Lots of homeowner type mowers won't be even looked at when it comes time to replace. The one i got has a 4yr warrenty. I figure on keeping it 2-3yrs and trading on another new one. I hate working on mowers. I haven't had any trouble selling 2yr old mowers in the past if i price them right but decided a trade in type of agreement at least gives me a floor price on my used mower.
 
Lots of good products out there. I would go with a commercial
grade mower and a dealer you are happy with. Shop around.
It"s fun. I have had 5 exmarks, they are great, but am fed up
with local dealer so next one will be a hustler. All posts I have
read so far I agree with!
 
Bring them all on. KUBOTA zero turn out last them all. Shaft drive deck. Heavier frame..
Better engine. Second is the e-mark,/ Toro but the mule belt and some drive problems.
 
I visited a lawn and garden show last year, in My opinion, with them all settin side by side, I would choose the Ferris, Bad Boy or Hustler. As long as my 1973 Ford 2000 with a trim mower works, I guess I don't need one.
 
(quoted from post at 11:17:48 01/10/12) Bring them all on. KUBOTA zero turn out last them all. Shaft drive deck. Heavier frame..
Better engine. Second is the e-mark,/ Toro but the mule belt and some drive problems.
Click to expand...

We've got a Kubota and it's a tank. The engine (diesel) is really nice as well. Not cheap but will last a long, long time.
 
If you want to buzz around the trees with one turn you will be happier with a mower with the deck under the driver's seat instead of in front of the power unit. Downfall to one with the deck underneath is the deck is tougher to get to for service and the seat is higher. The front deck mower might be easier for trimming. It'd be nice to have one of each $$$$$. Jim
 
(quoted from post at 18:08:00 01/10/12) I was wondering if anyone here had any ideas about zero turn mowers. I've been planting allot of trees on the new place and have decided that I'm going to need a better lawn mower soon.

I want something that can buzz around the trees with one turn and have the power to get after it in the open. My lawn is going to be roughly 2 acres with about 50 trees to mow under and around.
Click to expand...
My only suggestion would be to try one out for your particular needs :!:
I have a similar mowing situation and all three of the ones I tried did lawn damage from rear tires.
Also, if you do decide to purchase one, get one with pivoting front axle--if you don't, in many situations you will have Three wheels on the ground!:!:
I still mow with an old Gravely G16.
 
I have a 2009 Exmark Lazer Advantage series. Kohler engine with 60" cutting deck. Looked at the others and felt this was the best machine for the money. Most of the large landscapers in this area, all use the Exmarks.
 
Just purchased a Walker mower this Summer it has a
grass handling system that sucks up grass and
leaves. Built like a tank very user friendly and
serviceable. Not cheap but a great machine that
will last a lifetime for non commercial use.
 
I bought a new mower in October. I cut commercially on the side for a 2nd job. I did a lot of research before I bought one. I traded a 721D Grasshopper with a model 16 collection system on it. For a home owner this would be a good mower. I had a lot of problems with getting parts and they are too slow for commercial use. My dad bought a 737 Deere new several years back. It has 1800 hours on it. Hands down best mower made. You figure when you have rep. from other companies that tell you that was the best mower made and they aren't selling that brand it has to be good! If you could find a low houred used one thats the route to go. I couldn't find one close when I was looking or i would own one now. Exmark is a good quaility mower but slow. Dixie has too many problems with decks and wheel motor/pumps. I ran a Kubota and it was a good machine also i thought but too heavy and awould not stick on a hill for nothing. Ferris is way over priced for what they are and are not reliable in the way they cut. For me on a new mower it came down to a Scag or Hustler. I really liked both of them. I ended up with a 2012 Hustler Super Z 31HP Kawi. 60" deck. The new hydru. system on the Hustler is great! It cuts great, is not terrible on fuel, will stick on a hill as good as our Deere, it is not the best riding but still not bad. If you want a wide selection and a good guy to do bussiness with I can tell you I bought mine at Southern Indiana Equip. Like someone else said stay away from anything MTD and you will be money and time ahead that much more! Hope this helps.
 
ALL riding lawn mowers built in the usa are build by mtd. some are to different specs as to what the end seller wants. find the one with the specs that you want then find the best deal on that model My cub cadet has the same specs as the john deere, but was 900.00 cheaper.
 
My back can't stand a ZTR. Give me a 6 ft woods finish mower any day. Only problem, using a real tractor to mow with causes my face hurt from smiling too much.
George
 
i own the best. schroeder front deck flip deck mower. made in liepsic ohio by a genius farmer. best mower i have ever owned and does the best job at avery resonable price. i mow about 7 acres every week. bar none.
 
Ferris builds a very rugged machine. But I would never buy another as the deck won't clear if the grass is wet AT ALL.
I've heard nothing but good about JD. And I've heard of another(can't remember the name) that has little chains mounted above the blades to keep it going in wet conditions.
 
any of the machines that the other fellas mentioned here are good machines. get a commercial unit if its in your budget. something you need to consider with all your trees, is deck location. you will want a mower with the deck mounted out front, vs an under slung deck for trimming around that many trees. i have 2 hustlers with front mounts, and they close trim well. may also want to mount some type of rubber bumper on the front of the deck to avoid damage to the trees. a section of a tire will work.
 
Somone wrote MTD makes all mowers. Not true they do make a lot of them. Their thing is selling brands. They buy a company that makes quality equipment and imediately cheapen it up. Cub Cadet is a prime example. Kubota, without a doubt makes the best. They are a bit pricy. The quickest clue to a quality ZTR is to look at the deck. If it is stamped, all curvy and smooth, pass it up. Find one with a heavy welded deck. The next issue is the engine. Pass it up if it has a B&S engine unless it is a vanguard.
 
How much do you want to spend?
That is a key question that has to be answered.
I saw a nice John Deere diesel zero turn 3 year ago at the Deere dealer, I am sure it was $12K or more. But.....for commericial use, it would be worth it.
 
I sure don't want to spend $12 k. :shock:

I was hoping I could find something close to the 5 k mark and have it last for 20 years.
 
Check out Swisher......made in MO, as I recall. Not a true commercial mower, but much better made than the homeowner's models offered at the big box stores.
mow here
 
Dave, In the 5k dollar range you are going to be hard pressed to find a true commercial machine no matter what brand you pick new. I don't know much about the small hustlers but if you look at a Home owner series Deere like the Z445 and Z465 they are pretty good mowers. have the same pump/wheel motor set up as the old 737 and 757 did. They have a stamped deck like is used on most of the rest of their bigger lawn mowers. Someone said below to stay away from stamped decks but that is what will be on a good many of the mowers in that price range. The Deere commercial deck is stamped out of 7 gauge steel but I've only seen 2 bent in my life.
 
Well, I dont know how things are now, but in 06 I bought a Cub Cadet "Commercial" mower. In comparing it to the box store version, its built ALOT heavier, and wasnt all that much more than the box store version. Since buying it, other than routine mainetence, and one belt, Ive never had as much as even a flat tire on it. The deck is weleded not stamped, I can run it for 12 - 13 hours on one tank of fuel, it has 2 5 gallon tanks, and I didnt spend as much on it as some cars, I think it was $4900. BUT the main reason I bought it was dealer support. I have 4 dealers within 30 miles from me. I really wanted a Dixie Chopper, but I would have to drive 45 miles to get to the closest dealer, and if I were to have a problem, that could 4 or 5 trips to get the parts. Same thing on other brands, just no dealer network.
 
I have several friends that do commercial lawn care. If you were to talk to them I think every one of them would tell you that if your making a living with the mower you can't beat a Scag. Personally I did some trading a few years back and got a 61 inch Great Dane. Having used my buddies Scag a few times I can say the Scag will cut faster than the Great Dane which is a big issue with commercial companies since time is money. For home use though I like my mower. Material wise it's built as tough, or tougher than any of the others I've seen. As far as the hydrostatic drive goes some of the other brands have a transaxel type design where both the pump and motor are all in the rear housing. One of the smaller mowers one of my friends has uses this type and they can be really expensive to repair/replace. The Great Dane has individual pumps and wheel motors so somthing like a seal leaking on one doesn't mean you've got to remove the whole drive system to repair the problem or replace the part. In other words maintenance is alot easier and cheaper on that type design vs the transaxel type.

Beyond that I've looked at pretty much every brand out there and while each brand has their own little bells and whistles like spring suspension, shaft drive to the mower deck, diesel engine, etc, etc, but past that they are all basically the same otherwise from what I can see. In other words most use an Ogura electric clutch to drive the deck, Yamaha, Kohler, or Honda engine for the gas ones, and Kubota or Cat for the diesels. My opinion the best thing to do for a homeowner looking to buy one is to keep your eyes on Craigslist, ebay, etc, etc and find one used. Traded out mine actually cost me $1500 and I've seen them around that price all day long over the last couple of years as landscapers got out of the business when homeowners started cutting their own grass due to the economy. So, for my money I like my Great Dane, your best bet is do some looking and see which ones have what you want and/or need, and in the price range your looking for and go for it. I know mine cut mowing time with a 4 foot Woods Mower from 45 minutes to an hour down to 12 minutes. I now cut the road sides on the dead end I live on, etc, etc just because it's so much fun. Good luck.
 
Don't know where in the US you are but here is a nice looking 61 innch cut Scag on the Charlotte, NC Craigslist for $5000. Based on what I've seen and heard this is a great price for this mower, especially with the low hours.
scag on CL
 
BOBCAT by Textron Co. 61" with a 25hp cow on it . With sold them at her work along with Cub Cadet,DIXE,Ingersoll [old case tractors]. I the dixe seat A LOT but didn't like the control sensitivity. So I bought the bobcat built like a tank runs like a champ.
 
I really like my latest zero turn best of all. It is a 60" cut COUNTRY CLIPPER. iT'S driven by one joy stick. The deck lifts straight up for cleaning or maintenance. I had a Dixon before this and it was a good mower also. My country clipper is pretty good on slopes also.
 
While I was still working I worked On the Walker Zero turn Mower , Just my opinion but you can t find a better mower on the market . Company is Family owned in Fort Collins , Colorado . If they see an item that can improve the unit they go ahead & do it . Normally they make a retro fit unit that can be installed to upgrade the mower . I personally know one of the Family members , They are very nice people to purchase units from. No I am not related Just afine unit & an outstanding gompany. John
 
"buzz around trees with one turn" That cannot be done with a zero turn. The drive tire will run the tree down or you will be leaving about 6" of uncut grass. You need to kinda walk your way around. Forward and back. Draw a top view of a zero turn mower on a piece of paper. Cut it out along the outline. Stand a pencil on end and drive your sketch around it. You will see what I mean. For that reason I traded my zero turn for an all wheel steer John Deere. You also cannot mow a very steep road ditch with a zero turn. They keep falling down to bottom of ditch. Anything with a steerable front axle will hang right on to the ditch. I have my second all wheel steer now. First one did not have power steering so was hard for the wife to operate(she does 90% of the mowing). So I traded it for the current one with power steering, hydraulic lift and a fuel gauge. We love it.
 

I have a Ferris, with the Kawasaki motor. they are built in NY state and are highly regarded around here. The independent rear suspension helps them a lot with traction, and though I haven't used it right after a rain, I have mowed in the evening with dew coming on and it had no tendency to plug underneath.
 
Ditto on the Hustler. We mow about 10 or 15 acres with our Hustler Z. Coming up on 100 hours. Change the oil and fuel it is all the service we have done (and a new air filter). It is quick too. Check them out. The deck is built much better than any others I have seen. I looked at a lot of them and this wss the best made.
 
Bad Boy mowers are very good for the $5-6000 range, they have a heavy built deck and choice of gas or diesel.
http://www.badboymowers.com/

I work for the state parks and we have 2 Grasshopper 928D that we mow about 50 acres with. They are almost bullet proof and can mow steep slopes if you know what your doing. They have Kubota engines that hold up well and are fuel effecient. The catch is they are pricey, we just had a brand new 930D delivered that cost about $14000
 
I have 11 toro's and one exmark. These are commercial
units with welded decks. We mow about 175 acres a week,
they get used A LOT. I've done this for (gulp) 25 yrs now, I'd
say those two brands and Kubota or SCAG are great. Maybe
a good used one with low hours if you can find one?
 
See way more Hustlers in my area. I have one, brother has 2. I have not had any problems. Have a GOOD dealer 3 miles from the house. i tried one of the Kubota mowers and did not really like it.
 
(quoted from post at 12:50:33 01/11/12) "Best" ? Ask 10 people and you will 10 different
"best" units.
Click to expand...

I'm taking notes! :wink:


Thanks fellas for the education on zero turns.
 
About 10 years ago I bought a JD LX277(AWS) to mow about 3 1/2 acres, and mow around approx. 150 trees. This mower's deck will go right around a 5-gallon bucket, so it'll take care of MOST of the grass. But after 10 yrs, the steering is pretty "squirrely", so I'm looking to replace it. The rest of the mower is good---changed oil and filter every 50 hrs, and the engine uses no oil at all. And the purchase price isn't up there with the ZTR's.
 
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