Any thoughts before I buy a Kubota GR2120? Any close competitor I should consider?

[SirMaxwell]

I am looking to replace my Kubota ZG23, 54" zero turn mower. I've owned the mower since new in 2007. I love the mower, but our new home location has too much slope to feel comfortable.
I mow approx. 1 1/2 acres of lawn 1-2 times a week. About 1/3 of that is too steep for the zero turn. I have mowed most of it when dry, but slightly wet and it can be a rodeo. I am in NW Oregon, so wet is pretty common.
I like the idea of diesel. Awd/fwd would be great for the slopes.

I have great local dealers for both Kubota and Deere. Here are the prices for the tractors the dealers recommended.
Kubota GR2120 54" $9100 Sound like early problems have been corrected.
Deere 758 54" $14000

At this point I'm leaning towards the Kubota GR2120. Checks most of the boxes I'm looking for and is way cheaper than the Deere.

Are there any other tractors I should consider?
How about owners of the GR2120. Any issues that would make you reconsider buying again?

Thanks in advance...

I could never do all my slopes with a Tractor. That is the reason for 'Husqvarna WH4817 Commercial', what a hoss. Climbs like a Goat and pretty much cuts and mulches anything in its path. I 'sniff', love that machine man...:dance1:

 

[dodge man]

One advantage of a BX is after, you get the ROPS and a safety belt. One advantage of the GR is weight, I’m not sure how much lighter it is than a BX but I bet it’s enough that it would tend to mash down the grass less.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I have been mulling over my next mowing tractor purchase for a year now, and I made my choice. I also mow slopes....

I would say to consider a Husqvarna TS354XD (2018, but still some out there left over, I bought one this past Monday) for $3700 with the Kawasaki 24HP V-twin and Tuff Torq K66 with E-Locker differential.

Next up, I would look at Simplicity Prestige or a John Deer X7XX series, but price will be doubled over the Husqvarna.

 

[DHD]

I'm a very happy owner of a 2005 Kubota B7800, so about 5 years ago when I was looking for a new mower I considered at the GR2120. I have some slopes that I had flipped my Wheel Horse garden tractor on and I also had some soft sod areas.
My problem on slopes was that tires would lose traction then suddenly grip again, causing the front end to rise up and flip over.
I wanted a mower that would not lose traction on slopes but was also not too heavy for soft sod.
I liked what I saw for overall usefulness in a BX, but it was way too heavy for my soft sod.
The GR2120 seemed like it might be okay, but even though it's not as heavy as a BX it also seemed too heavy.
I finally settle on an Husqvarna R322T AWD. It was half the cost of a GR2120, was AWD, and about the same weight as my Wheel Horse Garden Tractor.
The R322T has articulated steering, so it's super maneuverable. The engine is in the back and the mower is up front.
It's quiet and cool to operate because of a rear engine. The mower deck flips up so cleaning under the deck and changing blades is much easier and quick.
It's the best riding mower I've ever owned. I was so impressed I bought a second R322T, now my wife and I can mow at the same time so all the mowing is completed in half the time.
But, This not a completely happy story.
It's possible for any new machine to have problems.
Some R322T owners have experienced problems with their machine.
One of my R322T had a recall which resulted in the rear transmission being replaced, which Husqvarna paid for.
I've now had both my Husqvarna R322T a little over 4 years and haven't had any more problems.
Five years ago when I was looking at the GR2120, I read on some of the tractor forums, that some GR2120 owners had major mechanical issues with their machines. In some of those cases Kubota was not too helpful.
Hopefully the GR2120 is a more reliable machine now and Kubota is offering better support.
With the R322T AWD I no longer have a traction lose problem on my slopes. Traction is super. I sometimes mow sideways on my slopes rather than up and down, a big taboo from what I've been told. I lean my body toward the up hill side to counter any unstableness and haven't had a hint of any problems. I think better traction is key in preventing any previous slope problems I had in the past.

 

[Raber]

Well, I have posted about the same information and opinions somewhere in some other thread. But I wish to be of help and will provide a few updates. I own a GR2120 bought in 2013. It now has 200 hr on the clock and is used mostly to mow grass on flat terrain as well as fairly steep slopes. I also use it to tow around 500-700 pounds of firewood, dirt, or crushed rock depending on my needs. Never experienced any problem. Easy to maintain. Cheap on fuel.
It is not a compact tractor though and can only be fitted with a limited number of implements. Gear casings are cast aluminium as compared to more robust cast iron on a compact tractor. It weighs around 900 pounds as compared with the BX at 1,500-1,600 hundred pounds without implements. The Glide Steer system makes sure you do not strip your grass due to diffentials limitations in tight corners. Turns very sharply. But again, it is not a compact tractor, which are far more robust and polyvalent. All in all, it's a ride on mower with attitude! So, carefully assess your needs, present and future: do you need a top rated mower or a tractor? Also, I feel pretty confident that transmission problems that plagued the earlier versions (bushings instead of bearings, cables vs steel rods for the Glide Steer operation) have been dealt with. Enjoy your shopping !

 

[nards444]

10-15k seems like a lot to mow 1.5 acres and maybe half an acre of slope. I guess a tractor gives you added flexibility to other tasks, question is if you need one or not.

 

[rademamj1]

Just purchased a GR2120 and have been using it now for a week. I researched the previous issues with older GR2120 machines, and found that Kubota in 2016 very much overhauled the design problems with the GR2120 machine. They did this rather quietly due to consistent warranty claims.

Plastic bushings which lasted only 2.5 years, and miraculously wore out just after the end of the two year warranty period, have now been replaced by hardened steel bearings.

Additional problems with the hydraulic transmission, have been fixed with some minor design changes by Kubota engineers.

PTO Shaft for the mower, has been upgraded and strengthened, and should now last the lifetime of the mower.

I have 10.5 acres to mow, and previously mowed it all with my Gravely Proturn 460 Zero turn. It was fast and quite overly aggressive on my lawn nearest the house, and no matter how carefully I tried to mow, I always damaged the grass. This is where the GR2120 will be used. Mowing 4.5 acres of good lawn near the house and garage with the GR2120 now results in golf course appearance. I will then use the zero turn for the remaining 6 acres.

Hopefully after one year of experience, I will repost, and can provide better insight on this machine.