Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire ZERO TURN MOWERS

I bought one of the first "residential" size 44" / 18hp Fastrak's in 2003 it was a tank. Traded it in in 2011 on a 60" 31hp Super Z. It's a beast and I hope it lasts the rest of my life. Quality on the new Super Z's seems to have slightly slipped a bit in the past 10 years. Hustler has to compete with a lot more companies than it did 20 years ago.

+1

Love my Scag

Traded my Scag for a Cub pro Z 900. An absolute beast of a mower that weighs 1600 lbs with a Kawasaki 1000 engine. All wheel steering allows you to cut grades only the vent trac was able to. Amazing technology.

Never heard of a Scag. My all around mechanic friend advised against a Cub Cadet, he recommended ExMark or Bad Boy. There were a couple of mentions of $3200.I didn't think they went that cheap but I'm into saving money. Of course I don't buy junk to save money. I'm too poor to buy cheap (cheaply made) stuff.

Husqvarna 54" I do our 2 acre yard in about 1.25 hours and that's going around tree's. They are a lot faster but if you turn it around as a zero turn you will dig up the grass on the slow turning wheel, at least I do at times.

Im fairly certain you meant an hour and 25 minutes! NOTHING short of a nuclear blast is going to cut 2 acres in 1.25 minutes!

ZTRs are a frame and a mower deck.
That's what the names manufacture.

Decks are important in dealing, some work better.

This site is the wrong place to look.
Guys always suggest what they have. Mow a couple acres for a couple years and it still works. Big fat hairy deal.

Skag, Ferris, Hustler Grasshopper, Country Flipper, Toro,
Exmark(what I have).


Are top names. I'd buy any of them.
If. If, they have a good engine and drives.
Every one mentioned makes cheap consumer crap that's not worth the
$3k+- entry fee.


And that, is what you have to research.

Don't get excited by engine manufacturer.
Just as Hustler, Exmark.....make cheap mowers, Kohler and others
Have made some cheap crap. (Often whats on the cheap mowers)
Like Kohlers Courage series. The Command and 7000 are top notch though. Briggs, which some poo poo, makes excellent engines in the
Vanguard series.

Drives are easier.
This company makes the drives for almost every ZTR.

https://www.hydro-gear.com/

Click on the residential.
I wouldn't want any in the bottom half.
Click on commercial, any of those should be fine for a homeowner
wanting a unit hooked to a good engine that will run over 2000 hours
with no problems. Provided good maintenance.

And that was my goal.
Bought an Exmark, bottom of commercial when I was 44.
Used 450 hours on it. Should have 1500+ left.
1 hour/week. 5 months a year....it should be running good at
the estate sale when the kids sell it.



DannyL,
If you turn as a zero turn, you will not tear up the grass.
You aren't turning as a aur.
You are pivoting on one wheel.
The proper way to turn is to push one lever forward and the other back.
You then pivot on the center axis.
And no wheel spins or slides.

I've tried.
I cant *%$@÷/_;;:$÷!!! do it right!

My dad bought a scag a couple yrs ago. Not sure of what he paid, but I've been mowing for mom since he died last winter. I've heard the kawasaki is a good engine. It's a nice mower, easy to control once you learn it.

Your mechanic is a fool. Cubs commercial line is top of the line but it’s not cheap. Kawasaki engine, Parker hydros, 7 gauge deck, dual rear wheels, weighted front wheels, gyroscoping air ride seat, and it will handle a 40 degree plus slope if you have the balls to do it.

This is not the place to research zero turn mowers.

Good mowers.

Ferris, suspension on all four wheels. Mow as fast you want and you won’t bounce out of the seat. The deck height adjustment is very logical and super easy.

Ya I did, that would really be bragging it up.

DannyL,
If you turn as a zero turn, you will not tear up the grass.
You aren't turning as a aur.
You are pivoting on one wheel.
The proper way to turn is to push one lever forward and the other back.
You then pivot on the center axis.
And no wheel spins or slides.

I've tried.
I cant *%$@÷/_;;:$÷!!! do it right![/quote]

I'm mowing tomorrow so will have to try that, hope it works. Thanks

my thoughts exactly

IMO, your yard is kinda small to invest in a ZT. I mow my 2.2 acres with a regular Husqvarna 46" rider w/a Kohler engine I've had since 2011.

I'm mowing tomorrow so will have to try that, hope it works. Thanks[/quote]


Mowed after I posted.
Was playing with it again, it's doable. But my habits....
Don't know why I gave up before.

Watch out at first, when you turn, it's fast.

I just went through all this and I decided on a Scag Tiger Cat II. Mine has a Yamaha engine. Only mowed with it a couple of times so far but it is an awesome machine.

Picked up a used John Deere Z925 54" for $3,500 a month or two ago... 2,400 hours on the body, but the replacement Kawasaki engine had less than 200 hours. IIRC it is 1,400 pounds with weights. Absolute monster machine... Plows thru ANYTHING without stuttering... very very fuel efficient for the power. MSRP new was $15k+ It had been a commercial machine... used hard, but maintained well.

Bought Laura a Cub Cadet ZT1 54" Kawasaki last fall at about $3,300 new. It is a fine machine. Lighter on the weight... maybe 550 pounds... so a great machine on softer ground (after heavy rains etc.)

Deere blades and deck are far tougher... so more long term durability.

If one wants a good one and doesn't mind paying for it Skaggs turf tiger

I'm not so sure that's good news for Spartan.... Time will tell