Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Zero turn mowers

My good bud has gone to his reward, so I can't get the specifics why he said what he said.

As a JD shop foreman, he probably had more contact with Yanmar than Kubota.

I've had several small Kubota tractors. The only one we had trouble with was the one employees didn't install the air filter correctly; we had to rebuld that engine. The others were pretty well bullet proof.

DF

I went with my son last year to pick up the Polaris Ranger he bought at the dealer. They carried Ferris mowers also. I really likes the look of them, and have said that if I ever have to get another zero turn, I would look at Ferris first. Around here, the Exmarks are very popular.

I bought a Dixie Chopper in 2005. 60" deck and 27hp engine. Put ATV tires filled with windshield washer fluid on the rear when I cut one of the originals. Would never go back to a conventional rider mower. Oldest grand son who worked for the power equipment dealer went through everything last year. New belts, blades, hydraulic fluid, filters, etc. This year is 14th grass season on the unit. Still going strong. Number two grandson and a friend are using it as a second unit on their lawn mowing circuit this year. In exchange for mowing my yard at least 1x per week ! I'm happy. They're happy. Life is good...

As far as stability on a bank, I would take a wide set z-mower with weighted ATV tires over a rider any day as well.

Ran the piss out of my Hustler Raptor *again* today. Got up,..pulled the blades,..sharpened 'em,...went down and got 5 gallons of gas and hit it. My yard looks like a golf course.

My model has the EZT hydros. I don't know if they're going to hold up to what I'm putting them through, or not. But it's got a three year warranty.

There's a big John Deere dealer not far from here that sells Hustler mowers. The zoning around here requires a minimum of five acres to build on,...so this area is a combination of big farms and five acre plots that the big farms have sold off to people who wanted to build and live out here. While riding up and down the road I see more than a few of us five acre peasants clipping the grass with Hustler Raptors that they bought down to the local John Deere dealer.

I guess I'm one of 'em.

I don't let my grass get more than four inches taller than cutting height before I tackle it. But a few days ago I was riding my bike up and down the road and I passed by a guy that was cutting grass about a foot tall with a Hustler Raptor,...right down the road a couple of miles. He was out by the road and that Hustler had done slung grass clippings from one side of the road to the other.

He paused for a minute while I road by to keep from burying me in grass clippings.

I waved to him in appreciation.

I don't know how long this EZT equipped Raptor will tolerate hammering away at 4+ acres a week,....but with a trio of sharp blades and a that big Kawasaki V-twin,.it's a cuttin' sumbitch. The five acre peasants around here seem to like 'em.

From what I hear, the left EZT takes a dump a lot sooner than the right because most people are always turning left when they mow. (undoubtedly from watching too much Nascar when either as a child or when drunk as an adult,...I dunno)

Anyway,...I can buy EZTs for $500 a pop. I'll let the warranty handle it for three years. If I'm still breathing after that,..and the EZT takes a chit, I'll just have to get up offa $500 and learn how to screw one on.

That's all.

My mechanic tells me to use non-ethanol gas, and I do.

DF

Get a machine thats made to maintain and service. I've noticed many of the big box store mowers don't even have greasable wheel spindles.

Bought a new blade spindle for my cub cadet rzt 42. No grease fitting. Bought the spindle from the local mower repair shop. Ask what is going on with this? the original has a grease fitting. Told me they come pre greased now and never greased. Been running it 3 years now with no problems.

Eventually the grease will dry out and the spindle will develop wear. I just replaced the spindles on my Husqvarna lawn tractor with spindles that had a grease fitting. I think too many folks were overgreasing the spindles and ruining the seals, so manufacturers jus pre-greased them and loft off the fittings.

JoeBob: The VarmintWife and I just last week took delivery of a John Deere Z-Trak Z540M zero turn 54" deck lawn mower with "Power-Bagging" attachments.
It was pricey, but after just two mowing sessions we are absolutely thrilled with it - the speed of cutting our lawns and the quality of the cutting is VERY impressive.
It also has "dual cup holders"!
I have been scrimping along for decades with "adequate" Craftsman type riding lawnmowers of the standard steering type - I will NEVER go back!
This model John Deere has many features that impressed us at the showroom and now that we have used it we are even more impressed.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy