60" Zero Turn Mower advice

[TxFig]

I saw the other thread on ZT mowers, but most of the discussion seemed centered on the 48" size and "mowing 2 or 3 properties". Not wanting to hijack Tom's thread, I would like some advice here.

I have 6.5 acres - mowing about 1 3/4 acres of it. I have had "el cheapo" riding lawn mowers for years (ie. Craftsman, Yard Machine, etc.). To be honest, I've probably gotten more than my fair use out of my last Yard Machine (7 years). Despite the fact that my YM is a 48" cut, it still takes me an entire Saturday to cut the lawn (ie. at least 8 hours).

But my YM is on it's last legs (strangely, not the engine. I can't keep belts on the PTO drive - I'm lucky if I can get through a single mowing without shreadding a $60 belt). So a couple of weeks ago I borrowed my neighbor's mower - a Cub Cadet ZT w/ a 60" cut.

It cut my mowing time in half (at least).


And then I priced commercial grade ZT mowers -


My objective here is to get the best "bang for the buck" I can. In particular, I'm wanting to avoid getting the "Home Depot special" since my gut is telling me that even if they have a name brand sticker on it (Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husq, etc) - those are sometimes the bottom of the barrel versions.

.... otoh, if that is the best bang for the buck, then so be it.


Any way, I'm looking for advice on the 60" ZT mowers. What models should I be looking at? What models should I AVOID?

I would love to keep this to $2500 (but I suspect that may not be possible). I can say that anything over $5000 ain't gonna pass the "wife test" (honestly, that's more than we paid for her car....).

 

[ae_ted]

I was low budget also when i replaced my mower...blown motor(($2000.00 to replace) I was forced to be looking at box store Z-turns that were $3000 to $6000. The Quality on all this group was not even close to a commercial mower. Started looking for used commercial mowers and found a 2001 700hr Kubota ZD21 diesel for $3700 and jumped on it. It is awesome. Best part is being diesel. it used to take 5 gal of gas to mow my yard each time and now i can mow 3 times on 5 gal. I get it serviced each year and now after 3 years of mowing it has about 850 hrs. This should last me rest of my life. I suggest looking for a good used Commercial mower and i Really can recommend the diesel option. just my 1.5 cents.

 

[BRB Hand]

Your situation sounds very much like mine. I bought a Dixie Chopper 60" a few years ago. It looked bad! Used for commercial work and abused. With a (very) little TLC she has served me VERY well for some time with very little other than regular maintainence. I would suggest finding a put out to pasture commercial machine of your choice and it will most likely last a long time. DC just happened to be what I found and I love it! I'm sure if it had been any commercial grade machine that entered my life first I would love them equally.

 

[yelbike]

I like the used commercial idea very much, with your yard it will last really long. But there is more than one way to skin a cat too. I had looked at the rzt60 for around the $3000 mark but i found the quality on par with the craftsman/ yard works type machine. I actually tested the cc pro force 54 irrc, really nice machine but too narrow for me. I ended up with a jd z465. The jd is right there at $5000 new. Btw i cut about 7 acres in 3.5 hours with it of flat but not smooth grass, not many obstacles.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

If you are sure you want new, I suggest you look at the Hustler Raptor. It's "only" a 52" cut, but with less than 2 acres to mow, you should be finished in no time. I see Hustler dealers selling it for $3000 in the Dallas area. For example: THE NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR ZERO TURN 52" cut 23hp Kawasaki riding mower

 

[Will_C]

I am a "commercial" quality guy, but I think many of the higher end residential mowers would be great for your 2 acres. I know that I can do 2 acres with my 52" Toro in less then an hour.The Hustler that BillG mentioned with a Kawasaki engine sounds interesting.

Will

 

[djdicetn]

I saw the other thread on ZT mowers, but most of the discussion seemed centered on the 48" size and "mowing 2 or 3 properties". Not wanting to hijack Tom's thread, I would like some advice here.

I have 6.5 acres - mowing about 1 3/4 acres of it. I have had "el cheapo" riding lawn mowers for years (ie. Craftsman, Yard Machine, etc.). To be honest, I've probably gotten more than my fair use out of my last Yard Machine (7 years). Despite the fact that my YM is a 48" cut, it still takes me an entire Saturday to cut the lawn (ie. at least 8 hours).

But my YM is on it's last legs (strangely, not the engine. I can't keep belts on the PTO drive - I'm lucky if I can get through a single mowing without shreadding a $60 belt). So a couple of weeks ago I borrowed my neighbor's mower - a Cub Cadet ZT w/ a 60" cut.

It cut my mowing time in half (at least).


And then I priced commercial grade ZT mowers -


My objective here is to get the best "bang for the buck" I can. In particular, I'm wanting to avoid getting the "Home Depot special" since my gut is telling me that even if they have a name brand sticker on it (Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husq, etc) - those are sometimes the bottom of the barrel versions.

.... otoh, if that is the best bang for the buck, then so be it.


Any way, I'm looking for advice on the 60" ZT mowers. What models should I be looking at? What models should I AVOID?

I would love to keep this to $2500 (but I suspect that may not be possible). I can say that anything over $5000 ain't gonna pass the "wife test" (honestly, that's more than we paid for her car....).

I, like user WILL_C am a "Commercial kind of guy" but you really have to watch that term, which IMHO is widely overused and abused. I am a first-time ZTR owner, but wish the "industry" would settle on a "standard" that designated any brand as "Residential"(big box and entry level); "Heavy Duty"(high-end Residential with "some" Commercial quality features/components) and "Industrial"(truly full-blown all Commercial grade features/components). When you think about the term "Commercial", I could buy a $2,000 Cub Cadet at Lowes and start a lawn maintenance business and my ZTR would be used "commercially". My advice is to try to get the wife to buy into the $5,000 range and there are a LOT of high-end Residential units in several brands that would fit your needs like Hustler(Raptor or FasTrak), Gravely(ZT XL or ZT HD), Cub Cadet(Z-Force), Toro(Titan ZX & MX), Big Dog(R series) and many more. Hope you find the one that's just right for you!!!
P.S.
Also, with the area you are mowing you really don't need a 60" cut...you would be surprised that a 48" deck on a ZTR would still cut your 8 hours down to 2 hours for that much acreage!!!! Plus you can "go up" a few series/models with a smaller deck and get better quality(gauge) deck, tranny, engine, etc. instead of a big deck for the same money. Just sayin.....

 

[TxFig]

Thanks all. First a correction - the Cub Cadet I borrowed has a 48" cut, not a 60". I guess I was impressed with how much faster I got the job done that I just assumed it was much wider.

I've been kind of leaning toward the Kubota ZG127S (54"), although I budget may drop me down to the ZG123S (48"). Opinions? Is it too much mower for my needs?

 

[Beltman60]

your in luck
TSC has a sale this weekend on a cub cadet 54" RZT for $2800
you should be able to cut your 1 1/2 acres in less than 2 hrs for sure
ad says cutting speeds up to 7 mph
that is min over your projected $2500 budget and you would have a new zero turn
I use to have tractors until I got my zero turn
I will never own a tractor for lawn care again
my trator is for the farm work and only gets used with putting down mulch or some other things but not when it comes to cutting grass

 

[cletus99]

I saw the other thread on ZT mowers, but most of the discussion seemed centered on the 48" size and "mowing 2 or 3 properties". Not wanting to hijack Tom's thread, I would like some advice here.

I have 6.5 acres - mowing about 1 3/4 acres of it. I have had "el cheapo" riding lawn mowers for years (ie. Craftsman, Yard Machine, etc.). To be honest, I've probably gotten more than my fair use out of my last Yard Machine (7 years). Despite the fact that my YM is a 48" cut, it still takes me an entire Saturday to cut the lawn (ie. at least 8 hours).

But my YM is on it's last legs (strangely, not the engine. I can't keep belts on the PTO drive - I'm lucky if I can get through a single mowing without shreadding a $60 belt). So a couple of weeks ago I borrowed my neighbor's mower - a Cub Cadet ZT w/ a 60" cut.

It cut my mowing time in half (at least).


And then I priced commercial grade ZT mowers -


My objective here is to get the best "bang for the buck" I can. In particular, I'm wanting to avoid getting the "Home Depot special" since my gut is telling me that even if they have a name brand sticker on it (Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husq, etc) - those are sometimes the bottom of the barrel versions.

.... otoh, if that is the best bang for the buck, then so be it.


Any way, I'm looking for advice on the 60" ZT mowers. What models should I be looking at? What models should I AVOID?

I would love to keep this to $2500 (but I suspect that may not be possible). I can say that anything over $5000 ain't gonna pass the "wife test" (honestly, that's more than we paid for her car....).

Wow, 8 hours to cut 1 3/4 an acres? You must be mowing at a snail's pace. I have 16 acres with about 5 or 6 that I mow. The rest is woods and it don't take me but 3 or 4 hours with a Craftsman 42" mower and a tractor for the pasture area. I probably cut about 2 1/2 acres with the Craftsman 42". You mentioned wanting to avoid getting the "Home Depot special", but you might want to consider at least checking out the Ariens Max Zoom 60. Ariens actually owns Gravely and from what I've read the Ariens Max Zoom 60 and the Gravely ZT HD 60 are pretty much identical. I believe the pricing between the two are pretty close either way within a few $100 of each other. There are smaller deck sizes that would cost you less. I don't personally have any experience with either, but I do know many people that own Gravely mowers and love them. Do some research online and see what you find.

 

[hawkeye08]

I am planning on looking at zero turn mowers when we replace our current riding mower. The two top of the list I want to look at are the new Kubotas (gas engine) and the BadBoys (made in USA, second largest manufacturer of zero turn).

 

[Beltman60]

i've had my eyes on the badboys myself (big, heavy built, with power, and a cup holder)
waiting for my 23 year old simplicity zero turn to die (1813 hrs. of abuise)
it just won't maybe if I quit doing my regular maintenance on it

 

[djdicetn]

Wow, 8 hours to cut 1 3/4 an acres? You must be mowing at a snail's pace. I have 16 acres with about 5 or 6 that I mow. The rest is woods and it don't take me but 3 or 4 hours with a Craftsman 42" mower and a tractor for the pasture area. I probably cut about 2 1/2 acres with the Craftsman 42". You mentioned wanting to avoid getting the "Home Depot special", but you might want to consider at least checking out the Ariens Max Zoom 60. Ariens actually owns Gravely and from what I've read the Ariens Max Zoom 60 and the Gravely ZT HD 60 are pretty much identical. I believe the pricing between the two are pretty close either way within a few $100 of each other. There are smaller deck sizes that would cost you less. I don't personally have any experience with either, but I do know many people that own Gravely mowers and love them. Do some research online and see what you find.

TXFig,
If you decide to take the above advice, I would recommend a very close look at the Gravely ZT HD. Even though the "tech specs" may be very similar to the Ariens Max Zoom I'll bet a dime to a dollar you will notice a significantly heavier build on the Gravely model. The "parent company" Ariens, even though they do have a few "Commercial models" and "similar high-end Residential models in the ZOOM series, they are historically geared towards the Homeowner with their ZTR line(and that's why they bought Gravely...to get a full line that woudl include "Industrial/Commercial" quality machines). Not saying the Ariens is not a good machine(my next-door-neighbor has a 15-yr-old 42" Ariens Zoom that has held up very well), or simply biased because I own a Gravely.......if you want a heavier-duty machine the Gravely is your best choice between those two. The little bit more $ you may pay for the Gravely will pay off in the long run!!!

 

[djdicetn]

i've had my eyes on the badboys myself (big, heavy built, with power, and a cup holder)
waiting for my 23 year old simplicity zero turn to die (1813 hrs. of abuise)
it just won't maybe if I quit doing my regular maintenance on it

You and user hawkeye08 need to look "real closely" at the Bad Boys. Indeed the frame and decks of the BB is massive and built like a tank, but the overall quality of the other components(and some negative reviews on cut quality) may require a first-look and some research before pulling the trigger on one. I can say that after making a Bad Boy dealer an offer on a 54" Outlaw last fall(was a bit surprised that although the BB website didn't specifically mention it, the foldable ROPS was a $300 add-on...the base Outlaw doesn't come with a ROPS). The dealer wouldn't negotiate on the out-the-door price to match my offer and the Gravely dealer would.....but after reading the 2013 NAEDA Dealer Survey of manufacturers(see link below) regarding what the dealer network thought about overall quality as well as some owner reviews I read on forums.....I'm glad the BB dealer didn't accept my offer. You may be lucky and they may have some models that you will be happy with, but I'm just telling you to look at them real closely!!

http://www.msdeda.com/pdf/2013 Dealer Manufacturer Survey.pdf

 

[cletus99]

TXFig,
If you decide to take the above advice, I would recommend a very close look at the Gravely ZT HD. Even though the "tech specs" may be very similar to the Ariens Max Zoom I'll bet a dime to a dollar you will notice a significantly heavier build on the Gravely model. The "parent company" Ariens, even though they do have a few "Commercial models" and "similar high-end Residential models in the ZOOM series, they are historically geared towards the Homeowner with their ZTR line(and that's why they bought Gravely...to get a full line that woudl include "Industrial/Commercial" quality machines). Not saying the Ariens is not a good machine(my next-door-neighbor has a 15-yr-old 42" Ariens Zoom that has held up very well), or simply biased because I own a Gravely.......if you want a heavier-duty machine the Gravely is your best choice between those two. The little bit more $ you may pay for the Gravely will pay off in the long run!!!

No disrespect intended, but I believe you may be wrong. From everything I have read the only difference between the Gravely ZT HD and the Ariens Max Zoom is the color paint. I believe the part numbers on the parts are the exact same and parts interchangeable between the two from what I read. Of course what I read could have been wrong also. Don't get me wrong though, I'm considering getting a Gravely ZT HD or Pro-Turn soon myself. One thing I think is important to look at with the Gravely is that you are purchasing from a dealer instead of a big box store. It will probably be a lot easy to receive support should anything go wrong. Although, if something does go wrong with the Ariens then you'll probably have to take it to a Gravely dealer for support anyways. But you might get better service since you bought from them if you go with the Gravely. I think for the OP it is going to come down to what he can afford. I don't think the price difference is going to be that much though.

Oh and when I looked into the Bad Boys I read the same thing about the overall quality of the other components. Some of the reviews steered me away also.

 

[Beltman60]

ok so that report says I made the biggest mistake in a lifetime buying a John Deere
wow am I a fool
BB makes different models and when I looked into the reviews the one I was interested in had nothing but great reviews other than problems they had back in 09/10

 

[hawkeye08]

You and user hawkeye08 need to look "real closely" at the Bad Boys. Indeed the frame and decks of the BB is massive and built like a tank, but the overall quality of the other components(and some negative reviews on cut quality) may require a first-look and some research before pulling the trigger on one. I can say that after making a Bad Boy dealer an offer on a 54" Outlaw last fall(was a bit surprised that although the BB website didn't specifically mention it, the foldable ROPS was a $300 add-on...the base Outlaw doesn't come with a ROPS). The dealer wouldn't negotiate on the out-the-door price to match my offer and the Gravely dealer would.....but after reading the 2013 NAEDA Dealer Survey of manufacturers(see link below) regarding what the dealer network thought about overall quality as well as some owner reviews I read on forums.....I'm glad the BB dealer didn't accept my offer. You may be lucky and they may have some models that you will be happy with, but I'm just telling you to look at them real closely!!

http://www.msdeda.com/pdf/2013 Dealer Manufacturer Survey.pdf

There are lots of dealers that don't negotiate prices, guess they all have bad products also. I suspect the dealer knows what he has to sell things for to stay in business...

 

[Jackspaw]

Whoa,cletus,I have about 1 1/2 acres to mow,and can take 7or 8 hours to finish. Lots of trees(74) rose bushes(40?) and plenty other stuff. Besides i'm a little old and infirm. Anyway,all those mowers wii cut the grass,and do a good job. What you buy is mostly personal preference. I use an old(2001) cub1042, and yes it cAme new from lowes would've probably lasted forever if i'd taken more care of it. Still goes though ,but slowing down. Like me. Lol. Gonna get a new one pretty soon. prob. a ferris. The smaller ones are around 5000.00. Good luck with your new mower. Keep oil in it and keep the blades off
The ground and it'lllast 10 years
Minimum.

 

[Jackspaw]

I have to agree with Hawkeye on this one. I've been to look at the gravelys. They are good mowers and will cut your grass for many years with a little love every so often. But, the gravely ZT HD series is in a class of it's own. It's between the residential and commercial models and thus the higher prices. The ariens zoom and gravely ZT models ARE the same mowers,with some different engine and deck options.
E

 

[TxFig]

Wow - lots of activity.

First: I'm certain that one reason it takes me so long is that I am basically cutting the entire yard twice ... even though my Yard Machine is a 48" cut, I put the tire tracks over the last set (over lapping the paths by at least a 3rd). If I don't do this, the cut is very uneven.
... and yes, I sharpen my blades FREQUENTLY, and I am constantly adjusting the deck balance.


2nd - it's great that I am getting advice on other brands, but without a model # and a price, it's next to impossible for me to compare what is being talked about.

your in luck
TSC has a sale this weekend on a cub cadet 54" RZT for $2800
you should be able to cut your 1 1/2 acres in less than 2 hrs for sure
ad says cutting speeds up to 7 mph
that is min over your projected $2500 budget and you would have a new zero turn

Yeah, but it's pretty darn close. I might have to go check them out...