What to Look for in Zero Turn Mower

[JeepHead]

I purchased my first ZT this year to mow around 4 acres of my yard. I went with the Spartan mower with Kawasaki engine because two family members have them and really like them. They are built very well. With that said, I absolutely hate having a ZT now.... I can't drink beer and mow anymore. May have to get one of them helmet thingys that holds canned drinks with a straw that wraps around...

 

[D&D]

I purchased my first ZT this year to mow around 4 acres of my yard. I went with the Spartan mower with Kawasaki engine because two family members have them and really like them. They are built very well. With that said, I absolutely hate having a ZT now.... I can't drink beer and mow anymore. May have to get one of them helmet thingys that holds canned drinks with a straw that wraps around...

Even then, they get pretty foamy.

 

[kozal01]

This is a tractor forum. If someone here can't handle service on their own lawnmower, I'm going to ask the moderators to revoke their membership.

I agree but its really about parts. A full service dealer will always beat a box store for parts as well as having someone with technical knowledge of the product. Ive spent hours over the years talking with my dealers about technical stuff that has been extremely valuable. Go ask some sales dude at TSC about anything not on the brochure for a Bad Boy and see what ya get.

 

[kozal01]

I purchased my first ZT this year to mow around 4 acres of my yard. I went with the Spartan mower with Kawasaki engine because two family members have them and really like them. They are built very well. With that said, I absolutely hate having a ZT now.... I can't drink beer and mow anymore. May have to get one of them helmet thingys that holds canned drinks with a straw that wraps around...

Learn to steer with one hand! I worry more about dust in my beer though.

 

[5030]

This is a SMALL tractor forum. If someone here can't handle service on their own lawnmower, I'm going to ask the moderators to revoke their membership.

I know a ton of people that prefer the dealer to handle all maintenance and upkeep.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Get one with a ROPS. one of my neighbors just upset one at 8 pm, helicopter just flew him to shock trauma at 9pm. Initial reports said he was fine. I had just gotten home and saw what looked to be ambulance or firetruck lights flashing up in the neighbors field, while I was in the house heard the helicopter come, went out and saw it over in the field and watched it take off.

 

[Duds13]

Some have said on this thread that ZT's tear up your lawn. If you are tearing up your lawn with a zero turn, you aren't driving it correctly. Zero turn doesn't mean just whip around with the inside tire not moving. That WILL tear up your lawn. Do a "Y" turn and you'll be fine. Even a "Y" turn is much faster on a ZT than using a garden tractor to mow.

Op - have you considered a stand on mower?

 

[WinterDeere]

I guess it does look like a Y, but we always called them "K-turns"! I suspect nearly every ZT driver learns this their first time at the controls... except the stupid ones.

ZT's still tear up a little grass when going around sweeping turns, such as curved gardens or driveways, you'll always have tear-out and thinning where the inner rear wheel travels. Altering your tire track (eg. leaving a foot unmowed every second time) is one way to battle that, along with the soil depression that always occurs in these areas if you follow the same tire track every time. That only affects perimeter.

Most do 1 or 2 perimeter passes before striping the field. Have at least 2, preferably more, different directions used for your striping. I alternate my mowings, E-W, then N-S, then NE-SW, then NW-SE, for four different patterns before I have to repeat. It really helps to avoid creating consistent soil depressions, and moves the small amount of tear-out that happens even when doing fast K-turns on anything but the dryest soil.

 

[Duds13]

I guess it does look like a Y, but we always called them "K-turns"! I suspect nearly every ZT driver learns this their first time at the controls... except the stupid ones.

ZT's still tear up a little grass when going around sweeping turns, such as curved gardens or driveways, you'll always have tear-out and thinning where the inner rear wheel travels. Altering your tire track (eg. leaving a foot unmowed every second time) is one way to battle that, along with the soil depression that always occurs in these areas if you follow the same tire track every time. That only affects perimeter.

Most do 1 or 2 perimeter passes before striping the field. Have at least 2, preferably more, different directions used for your striping. I alternate my mowings, E-W, then N-S, then NE-SW, then NW-SE, for four different patterns before I have to repeat. It really helps to avoid creating consistent soil depressions, and moves the small amount of tear-out that happens even when doing fast K-turns on anything but the dryest soil.

Yup, "K" turns too, lol. I do get some tear-out on sections of the lawn that dont have a lot of grass to begin with, but areas that are lush don't have the same issue. I've stopped trying to get real close to trees, edges etc. If I am going to have to run the trimmer anyways, I'll just trim a little more.

 

[lincmercguy]

I ended up getting a used Z530R from the local JD dealer. I know it's not quite a commercial unit, but it seemed decent. I mowed with it the other day and it worked well. Certainly much faster than my rider mower.

It took me a bit to get used to the controls, but now I'm fine with them. It also goes up and down hills just as well as my rider, if not a little better.