Need to get up to speed on ZTs

[RjCorazza]

Kubota has some nice gasoline residential mowers. For 3-4 acres I personally would want a 60" mower, 25hp or so.
I like the Kawasaki twins, and they have been trouble free on several of my walk behinds.

 

[BigBlue1]

I have also been around and around on this issue. I have a weekend cabin with 3-4 acres of grass/field/lawn that I mow with my 45hp Kubota with a 6' rotary cutter plus a push mower for around the cabin. I've been doing this for 16 years but its getting old. Mowing around trees etc with the tractor is time consuming and of course the finish on the grass of a rotary cutter is never all that good looking. And push mowing....well, its push mowing. Not fun in August in mid SC.

I almost pulled the trigger on a finish mower a year or so ago but decided in the end that was not the way to go. The grass would look better but all the other issues with the tractor/push mower would still apply.

So I'm looking at a ZT. Like the OP I just have no idea where to start. Not super concerned about time issues. Anything will be better than tractor + push mower. Have no idea what deck size. Have no idea what HP I need. Probably don't need a commercial model. It will get used hard but only 3-4 times a month at most during warm months.

Any ballpark suggestions on HP and deck width? It will probably need to be gas. Cannot afford a diesel at this point.

Well, for 3-4 acres you don't want something too small. But you probably don't need a 72" deck, so I'd look for 54 or 60/61" deck models. But first, think about if you have any constraints that would limit your deck size. Such as gates, narrow places to drive through, need to trailer on a trailer with limited entry size, shed door size, etc. That may dictate your max size. For a 54" or 60" deck I think anything over maybe 22HP would be fine. More can be good if you have long grass or need to use a bagger on it. The rest of the choices are more about how much you want to invest, how many hours you think you'll use it, etc. I'm sure a $5000-ish model would serve you well, but for longevity you may want to go upwards a bit.

Look back in the thread for some info about what features to look into.

Rob

 

[N80]

I talked to my B-I-L last night. He's a farmer. Lives next door to my cabin. He said a ZT was probably a good idea but he did mention that I consider how rough the terrain is in terms of comfort. He mentioned, and I have noticed this myself, watching someone zoom around on rough ground on a ZT looks almost painfully bouncy.

My son-in-law's dad has a large Kubota commercial diesel. He has a lot of lawn but he even mows the horse pastures with it. I'll ask him about comfort etc. Of course I'm assuming his has a suspension seat and all the bells and whistles. I know he loves it but that level of ZT is not within my budget.

Another add on question: What do you look for when buying a used ZT? Hours? What else would indicate a no-go?

Finally, I'm starting to think a large lawn tractor might be all I really need. At lot less expensive. Not as fast or easy to maneuver but would still get most of the 'field' work and push mower work done.

 

[frogracer]

Great read - I just picked up a 2021 Bad Boy Maverick. Top residential / bottom commercial. Must say it has all the pluses I was looking for - easy access to all items, lift up foot plate, dial height, large tires, heavy duty deck and front casters, independent suspension all around, easy Maintenace, Kawasaki Engine etc.

Mowed for over 2 hours all around my property - mostly fence lines. Wow this mower is great. Handled all the thick and rough stuff with ease.

Won’t be mowing fields until my Wildflowers mostly die off in about 4-6 weeks.

This mower can scoot at 9mph when it is smooth. Cut is level and smooth, even in the few dewberry patches I took out with it.

YouTube has a few good videos on the 2021 Maverick. I almost got the ZT Elite and glad I did not due to all the rough terrain I have.

Questions let me know.

Price point - don’t think you can get better.

 

[MoKelly]

Great read - I just picked up a 2021 Bad Boy Maverick. Top residential / bottom commercial. Must say it has all the pluses I was looking for - easy access to all items, lift up foot plate, dial height, large tires, heavy duty deck and front casters, independent suspension all around, easy Maintenace, Kawasaki Engine etc.

Mowed for over 2 hours all around my property - mostly fence lines. Wow this mower is great. Handled all the thick and rough stuff with ease.

Won’t be mowing fields until my Wildflowers mostly die off in about 4-6 weeks.

This mower can scoot at 9mph when it is smooth. Cut is level and smooth, even in the few dewberry patches I took out with it.

YouTube has a few good videos on the 2021 Maverick. I almost got the ZT Elite and glad I did not due to all the rough terrain I have.

Questions let me know.

Price point - don’t think you can get better.

View attachment 693079

View attachment 693080

Congrats. Mower looks great.

Good luck.

MoKelly

 

[N80]

@frogracer It looks like yours is a 60". What HP engine does it have? Also, if you don't mind, can you give me a ballpark figure on price?

Edit: Never mind on the price. Great price but way out of my budget for now.

 

[fried1765]

I have also been around and around on this issue. I have a weekend cabin with 3-4 acres of grass/field/lawn that I mow with my 45hp Kubota with a 6' rotary cutter plus a push mower for around the cabin. I've been doing this for 16 years but its getting old. Mowing around trees etc with the tractor is time consuming and of course the finish on the grass of a rotary cutter is never all that good looking. And push mowing....well, its push mowing. Not fun in August in mid SC.

I almost pulled the trigger on a finish mower a year or so ago but decided in the end that was not the way to go. The grass would look better but all the other issues with the tractor/push mower would still apply.

So I'm looking at a ZT. Like the OP I just have no idea where to start. Not super concerned about time issues. Anything will be better than tractor + push mower. Have no idea what deck size. Have no idea what HP I need. Probably don't need a commercial model. It will get used hard but only 3-4 times a month at most during warm months.

Any ballpark suggestions on HP and deck width? It will probably need to be gas. Cannot afford a diesel at this point.

I think the best bang for your buck might be a SCAG Liberty.
Mine is very new to me, but it certainly is a well built machine.
My 48" model Liberty, with 21HP Kawasaki, was $4410 OTD last Sept.
Widest deck available is 61".

 

[KTurner]

Appreciate the replies. We have a cub cadet dealer nearby where I was eyeing a ZT3, but they sold it. Offered me a discount on a ztx5 60 and it was delivered to me today.

Not sure if this is true, or someone just trying to justify buying bigger, but I read someone saying the larger deck makes it easier to mow around obstacles/edges/etc as the deck sticks out further from the chassis.

 

[frogracer]

I would agree with the wide deck being easy to get closer. Mowing with my 60” when it sticks out about 6-8” from the wheels / body made it very easy to get close to the fence lines and they few trees/obstacles I needed to get close too. If it did not stick out body would rub etc.

 

[MoKelly]

By the way - nice dog in the background! He seems pleased.

MoKelly

 

[frogracer]

Oh yes - Puppy 1 of 2 both were happy!

They ran all around and wore themselves out following me while I was mowing. They wanted to ride with me like they do in the Mule and Tractor but not on this machine!!!

If they jump there is no way to stop fast enough.

 

[BigBlue1]

Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with. Bad Boy Rogue 2021 with the 35hp Yamaha EFI and 72" deck.

Took it for a spin around the property and a few swaths of mowing just to check it out. Man, I think the suspension is really going to be a major benefit for me. My lawn is mildly bumpy all over and this really smooths things out. This thing is massive too. It's all proportional so it doesn't really look that big in pics but it is a monster. 72" deck is 12" more width that I had with my Deere x758. And I think it isn't as loud at WOT as the diesel on the Deere. Grass is getting green under the old long brown stuff so it won't be long until this gets a good workout.

Rob

 

[tradosaurus]

Woah. That's a nice machine.

 

[blacktruck]

Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with. Bad Boy Rogue 2021 with the 35hp Yamaha EFI and 72" deck.

Took it for a spin around the property and a few swaths of mowing just to check it out. Man, I think the suspension is really going to be a major benefit for me. My lawn is mildly bumpy all over and this really smooths things out. This thing is massive too. It's all proportional so it doesn't really look that big in pics but it is a monster. 72" deck is 12" more width that I had with my Deere x758. And I think it isn't as loud at WOT as the diesel on the Deere. Grass is getting green under the old long brown stuff so it won't be long until this gets a good workout.

Rob

Precisely the mower I have been looking at. Keep us posted on what you think of it. Nice purchase.

 

[MoKelly]

Congrats! That is a nice mower. I think you’ll be very happy for a long time.

MoKelly

 

[lman]

Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with. Bad Boy Rogue 2021 with the 35hp Yamaha EFI and 72" deck.

Took it for a spin around the property and a few swaths of mowing just to check it out. Man, I think the suspension is really going to be a major benefit for me. My lawn is mildly bumpy all over and this really smooths things out. This thing is massive too. It's all proportional so it doesn't really look that big in pics but it is a monster. 72" deck is 12" more width that I had with my Deere x758. And I think it isn't as loud at WOT as the diesel on the Deere. Grass is getting green under the old long brown stuff so it won't be long until this gets a good workout.

Rob

That baby is going to go through some gas.

 

[KTurner]

Here are a few pictures of what I ended up with. Bad Boy Rogue 2021 with the 35hp Yamaha EFI and 72" deck.

Took it for a spin around the property and a few swaths of mowing just to check it out. Man, I think the suspension is really going to be a major benefit for me. My lawn is mildly bumpy all over and this really smooths things out. This thing is massive too. It's all proportional so it doesn't really look that big in pics but it is a monster. 72" deck is 12" more width that I had with my Deere x758. And I think it isn't as loud at WOT as the diesel on the Deere. Grass is getting green under the old long brown stuff so it won't be long until this gets a good workout.

Rob

What are the two cooling fans located beside the battery?

 

[BigBlue1]

Those are the hydro drive pumps. They are separate from the motors that are down next to each wheel. One pump and one motor for each side, separated so the pumps are better protected and cooling fans aren't down by the ground. The pumps have cooling fans.

 

[metalbender]

Just a quick note here. Needed to replace my old Deines ZT with something more body friendly. Purchased a Toro Titan 60 inch with My Ride after a couple laps around the dealer's lot. All I can say is give one a try. Toro has made mowers for a long time.

 

[BigBlue1]

Toro makes some really good stuff and at many price points. Plus they have a strong dealer network. Definitely one of many good choices. Congrats on your Titan!