F Series vs. ZD

[CigTopGun38]

Have been doing a ton of research regarding f series vs zero turns. Right now mowing with a John Deere 770 with 86” finish mower.

I have about 5-6 acres to mow. I’ve been leaning towards a f series because of its versatility. But I read that they are slow and rough compared to a zd zero turn.

I don’t have many hills but I’m struggling to rationalize 20k on a piece of equipment that only does one thing. At the same time I don’t want to compromise.

I have to imagine both machines would be faster than my current setup.

Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Hay Dude]

Have been doing a ton of research regarding f series vs zero turns. Right now mowing with a John Deere 770 with 86” finish mower.

I have about 5-6 acres to mow. I’ve been leaning towards a f series because of its versatility. But I read that they are slow and rough compared to a zd zero turn.

I owned & operated kubota Z series and F series mowers (both diesel 72”) side by side for years. The F series IS considerably slower-maybe a little faster than a mid mount mower on a big garden tractor. They are a bit more maneuverable, though and excellent on hills. A ZD zero turn is about 2-3 times faster. On flat ground, maybe even faster than that.

I don’t have many hills but I’m struggling to rationalize 20k on a piece of equipment that only does one thing. At the same time I don’t want to compromise.

If you don’t have hills, the need for an F series is greatly diminished.
Get out of the mindset that zero turns only can mow. They can do a lot more. They can pull a trailer, aerator, leaf vac. They can do light duty snow plowing, too.

I have to imagine both machines would be faster than my current setup.

I’d say the F would be maybe 25-50% faster than what you have (given the same size deck) A ZD zero turn would be 3-4 times faster.

Any feedback is appreciated.

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That patch of grass in that picture looks like a juicy piece for a zero turn. It would eat it for lunch and beg for more.

If you are retired or have a lot of time on your hands, or not in a hurry, an F-series mightprove more versatile, but if you want to get the mowing done quickly and simply, you can’t beat a Kubota ZD-1211-72. I have 2 of them.

 

[Hay Dude]

Maybe get a solid used ZD-1211 and try it out, but keep the versatility of your nice JD compact?
If you don’t like it, it’ll sell easily on FBM.

 

[RjCorazza]

I went from a Befco 84" rear finish mower to a Kubota ZD 326 and ZD1211 72". They cut my mowing time by at least 1/2, and leave a much better appearing cut. The zeros are a one trick pony for sure, but they do that one thing VERY well !
I kept the Befco to back over my stream bank 7' at a time, which was time consuming. I now use a 62" articulating flail for the stream, and occasional brush mowing work.
I don't have any front mower experience, but there are several folks here that will likely pop in to share their wisdom.

 

[oldnslo]

I would suspect your current Deere will be the smoothest ride over zero turn since it has the largest diameter wheels or at least that has been my experience.

Will you be keeping the Deere for loader work or trading it off. If keeping then a little less concern about being a one trick pony since you would still have the tractor.

I personally dislike the twin lever controls used on most zero turns. I find it much easier to drive straight and turn with steering wheel and foot control for speed and direction. I.e. F series

Do you have dealer(s) that allow extended test drives on your property or rental before you buy one. Sitting on one in show room is not same as mowing for a couple hours.

 

[CigTopGun38]

Maybe get a solid used ZD-1211 and try it out, but keep the versatility of your nice JD compact?
If you don’t like it, it’ll sell easily on FBM.

I’m keeping the JD because I want the front loader. The problem with the JD is I can’t find a front snow blower or blade for snow removal. Which is where the f series comes in. It also has 1650 hours. So it’s getting up there in age. If you can beleive it…thing is 30+ years old. It’s in great shape.

Right now 5-6 acres takes me ~2-2.2 hours. If the f series saves me 30 minutes I’d be happy. Would cutting it in 1 hour with a zero turn be nice. Yea…but I lose versatility.

 

[CigTopGun38]

I went from a Befco 84" rear finish mower to a Kubota ZD 326 and ZD1211 72". They cut my mowing time by at least 1/2, and leave a much better appearing cut. The zeros are a one trick pony for sure, but they do that one thing VERY well !
I kept the Befco to back over my stream bank 7' at a time, which was time consuming. I now use a 62" articulating flail for the stream, and occasional brush mowing work.
I don't have any front mower experience, but there are several folks here that will likely pop in to share their wisdom.

How is power on the zd1211 with 72”. My dealer was saying f2690 might be under powered with a 72”.

 

[CigTopGun38]

I would suspect your current Deere will be the smoothest ride over zero turn since it has the largest diameter wheels or at least that has been my experience.

Will you be keeping the Deere for loader work or trading it off. If keeping then a little less concern about being a one trick pony since you would still have the tractor.

I personally dislike the twin lever controls used on most zero turns. I find it much easier to drive straight and turn with steering wheel and foot control for speed and direction. I.e. F series

Do you have dealer(s) that allow extended test drives on your property or rental before you buy one. Sitting on one in show room is not same as mowing for a couple hours.

This is part of my concern. Rise is very nice. Like a Cadillac. Problem is it’s wicked slow…I run it 2nd gear 2300 rpm. She clocks in at a whopping 3 mph. It’s painful.

I’ve tried running in 3rd gear. But it gets bumpy for sure. The tractor really isn’t meant for it…

I tried the f2690 at my local dealer in the parking lot and grass.

Problem is ground is frozen here. So running it felt harsh because there was no give in the soil. Almost like running it on bumpy tar.

 

[CigTopGun38]

Here are some more aerials of the property. There are some obstacles. But not a ton.

 

[dodge man]

Do you get a lot of snow? Do you have the JD style quick attach? You could get a rear blade or a snow pusher for it.

I’m not a lot of help on a zero turn. I’ve used one at my place once a struggled with it a little on my hills but your place looks good for one.

Nice looking place too!

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a 60 inch zero turn with a 26hp engine. I like it for small areas, around the house, along the driveway, and in the dog yards. It's advantage is it's maneuverability. Not how quickly it cuts the grass. While in theory it should cut a lot of grass really quickly, the limiting factor is how rough your land is. My grass feels smooth to walk on, smooth to drive a vehicle over, but for the zero turn, it beats you up if you go too fast. When I'm done mowing, I'm wore out. It's not fun, it's not relaxing, and it's not something I enjoy doing.

My 37 hp tractor pulls my 7 foot finish mower. It doesn't cut as close to the ground as my zero turn, it doesn't have the same quality of finish, but it's relaxing to mow with it. I can mow several acres and not feel beat up. I enjoy mowing with the tractor, I hate mowing with the zero turn. One is fun, the other is work.

Now I have a bigger tractor and a 12 foot batwing. The finish isn't as nice as the finish mower, but for open areas, not close to the house, it looks pretty nice.

I've reduced the amount of area that I mow with the zero turn to as little as possible. In my opinion, zero turns where designed for mowing residential yards as fast as possible by professionals that want to get it done so they can get to the next one. They do not care about comfort, it's all about speed.

Before spending $20,000 on a mower that won't be any faster, and will make mowing more painful, I would look into a bigger tractor that you can mow faster, and then buy a bigger mower in the future. Add a sunshade to the mower, install on a comfortable seat, and it will be enjoyable to mow your land.

 

[CigTopGun38]

Do you get a lot of snow? Do you have the JD style quick attach? You could get a rear blade or a snow pusher for it.

I’m not a lot of help on a zero turn. I’ve used one at my place once a struggled with it a little on my hills but your place looks good for one.

Nice looking place too!

I am in Connecticut. So it snows. Not a ton…but I have to be able to remove it. Our driveway is a hilly 3/4 mile long.

Right now I use a 54” rear econor blower. Driving it backwards blows

It does not have a quick disconnect for anything. It’s an older tractor so finding attachments and implements is a challenge.

 

[CigTopGun38]

I have a 60 inch zero turn with a 26hp engine. I like it for small areas, around the house, along the driveway, and in the dog yards. It's advantage is it's maneuverability. Not how quickly it cuts the grass. While in theory it should cut a lot of grass really quickly, the limiting factor is how rough your land is. My grass feels smooth to walk on, smooth to drive a vehicle over, but for the zero turn, it beats you up if you go too fast. When I'm done mowing, I'm wore out. It's not fun, it's not relaxing, and it's not something I enjoy doing.

My 37 hp tractor pulls my 7 foot finish mower. It doesn't cut as close to the ground as my zero turn, it doesn't have the same quality of finish, but it's relaxing to mow with it. I can mow several acres and not feel beat up. I enjoy mowing with the tractor, I hate mowing with the zero turn. One is fun, the other is work.

Now I have a bigger tractor and a 12 foot batwing. The finish isn't as nice as the finish mower, but for open areas, not close to the house, it looks pretty nice.

I've reduced the amount of area that I mow with the zero turn to as little as possible. In my opinion, zero turns where designed for mowing residential yards as fast as possible by professionals that want to get it done so they can get to the next one. They do not care about comfort, it's all about speed.

Before spending $20,000 on a mower that won't be any faster, and will make mowing more painful, I would look into a bigger tractor that you can mow faster, and then buy a bigger mower in the future. Add a sunshade to the mower, install on a comfortable seat, and it will be enjoyable to mow your land.

Man you are killing me…and my bank account!!!! Hahaha

I agree larger tractor with much larger attachments would be Nice. But newer larger tractors with attachments would be 50-60k all in.

Plus maneuverability is terrible with them

 

[Hay Dude]

Man you are killing me…and my bank account!!!! Hahaha

I agree larger tractor with much larger attachments would be Nice. But newer larger tractors with attachments would be 50-60k all in.

Plus maneuverability is terrible with them

Meh……you’d be surprised. I plow snow with a 135HP Challenger with a plow mounted on the loader and it’s very maneuverable.

Here’s my F-3680. I sold it last year and bought 2 ZD-1211-72”

 

[CigTopGun38]

Meh……you’d be surprised. I plow snow with a 135HP Challenger with a plow mounted on the loader and it’s very maneuverable.

View attachment 2260690




Here’s my F-3680. I sold it last year and bought 2 ZD-1211-72”
View attachment 2260687

When you mowed with the f3680…did you mow in low or high gear? Also what rpm?

Based on f series user manual high rpm low gear is 5.5mph…which is already faster than my current setup.

Max rpm and high gear is 12 mph. I don’t think anyone is mowing at that speed.

 

[Rustyiron]

I've had both, and fully agree with HayDudes early post.
Remember anything with "lawn mower" size tires is going to ride roughly if you go fast enough.
If I had to generalize the difference between the F and a Z, think about what vehicle you drove in your 20's and what (and how) you drive now.
The Z is a hotrod
The F is a gentleman's vehicle.

 

[Hay Dude]

When you mowed with the f3680…did you mow in low or high gear?

High range, unless on very steep ground. The problem with low range is that the foot throttle becomes very touchy.
Overall, the ride is challenging because the foot throttle can be a mess when going over bumpy ground. A ZD-1211 is much smoother because it has twin sticks. Honestly, I think the F series looks better on paper than it performs in the real world.

Also what rpm?

Full throttle

Based on f series user manual high rpm low gear is 5.5mph…which is already faster than my current setup.

I ran high range full RPM, but at 5.5MPH, I would be thrown out of the seat on a bumpy lawn. The problem is the small tires on the back flap up & down over bumps harshly. It sort of “bucks” like a bronco on rough ground. It also has a steering wheel which is very touchy on bumpy ground.

Max rpm and high gear is 12 mph. I don’t think anyone is mowing at that speed.

No, definitely not. 12MPH is reserved for transport over pavement.

 

[CigTopGun38]

I've had both, and fully agree with HayDudes early post.
Remember anything with "lawn mower" size tires is going to ride roughly if you go fast enough.
If I had to generalize the difference between the F and a Z, think about what vehicle you drove in your 20's and what (and how) you drive now.
The Z is a hotrod
The F is a gentleman's vehicle.

Do you think the zd or f ride smoother. Seems like haydude thinks zd run smoother. I’ve read other posts who disagree. John Thomas thinks the f series run smoother.

So I’m conflicted. And getting conflicting information.

 

[Cycledude]

Have you considered Scag ? They supposedly build the best mowers but crazy expensive.

 

[CigTopGun38]

Have you considered Scag ? They supposedly build the best mowers but crazy expensive.

I’m about to drop 24k on this Kubota…the scag zero turns I think are cheaper?

Maybe I’m expecting too much from these machines? I realize they won’t ride like Cadillacs but I do want something faster than my JD that only goes 3mph.