Cub Cadet Steering Wheel Zero-Turn

[TractorGuy]

Long before the zero turn was conceived they had front mount mowers with steering wheels. They still make them but the cost is beyond most home owner uses.

I bought a John Deere F725 project a few years back. I got two of them with one being a parts mower and the running one needing a deck. One is a 93 and the other was a 96. Both had 54" decks. The guy told me he had a like new deck to go with it that I didn't see until I went to pick them up and it turned out to be a deep deck from a zero turn or some other model that didn't use a gearbox. I adapted it anyway and have been very disappointed with the cut quality but I love the way the mower drives. It's as close to a zero turn as you can get without being one. It will easily spin around to make a connected pass without having to back up and doesn't tear up the grass doing it. I like how the deck protrudes out the left side and forward. Makes it easy to get under trees and brush. It also has a differential lock if you get into a low traction situation you can lock that and make both drive wheels pull. These are powered by 20 HP liquid cooled Kawasaki engines. If I don't find something better I plan to fabricate a deck for it some day.

I had a Craftsman zero turn before and I hated every minute of it. It blew dirt out the front which blew back and covered me up. The wife attempted to drive it and couldn't get the hang of the lap sticks. Her first try on the JD she wasn't impressed but after getting back on a regular lawn tractor then back to the JD she too fell in love with the power steering and agility of the mower.

 

[Mat4644]

I've had such a bad experience with upscale MTD equipment that I avoid any of the new lines.

 

[zuren]

Long before the zero turn was conceived they had front mount mowers with steering wheels. They still make them but the cost is beyond most home owner uses.

I bought a John Deere F725 project a few years back. I got two of them with one being a parts mower and the running one needing a deck. One is a 93 and the other was a 96. Both had 54" decks. The guy told me he had a like new deck to go with it that I didn't see until I went to pick them up and it turned out to be a deep deck from a zero turn or some other model that didn't use a gearbox. I adapted it anyway and have been very disappointed with the cut quality but I love the way the mower drives. It's as close to a zero turn as you can get without being one. It will easily spin around to make a connected pass without having to back up and doesn't tear up the grass doing it. I like how the deck protrudes out the left side and forward. Makes it easy to get under trees and brush. It also has a differential lock if you get into a low traction situation you can lock that and make both drive wheels pull. These are powered by 20 HP liquid cooled Kawasaki engines. If I don't find something better I plan to fabricate a deck for it some day.


View attachment 669724

I had a Craftsman zero turn before and I hated every minute of it. It blew dirt out the front which blew back and covered me up. The wife attempted to drive it and couldn't get the hang of the lap sticks. Her first try on the JD she wasn't impressed but after getting back on a regular lawn tractor then back to the JD she too fell in love with the power steering and agility of the mower.

I have been lightly looking at the front mower options. My friend has one...some Kubota diesel commercial unit he fell into and seems to like it. My problem with them is the length. A ZT or lawn tractor with a mower deck underneath is a small footprint in my smallish pole building. I hate having to decide on priorities!

 

[TractorGuy]

I have been lightly looking at the front mower options. My friend has one...some Kubota diesel commercial unit he fell into and seems to like it. My problem with them is the length. A ZT or lawn tractor with a mower deck underneath is a small footprint in my smallish pole building. I hate having to decide on priorities!

Maybe you need a Grillo Climber?

 

[zuren]

Maybe you need a Grillo Climber?

I like the idea/design, but I don't see any US dealers.

 

[cpayne5]

I know this is an older thread, but I was hoping to get long-term feedback on those who have been using the Cub Cadet ZTs with a steering wheel (Syncro-Steer)?

I have a larger garden tractor with loader (Power King 1618) that is my one and only tractor and mower. A more modern ZT would probably reduce my mowing time by 40%, and the wife would feel comfortable using it but she is intimidated by the lap bar zero turns. A ZT with a steering wheel would be a happy compromise. This won't be an immediate purchase, but I'm researching the Cub Cadet Pro Z 100 and 500 series units with a 54" deck.

I'm wondering if the Syncho-Steer mechanism has proven to be reliable?

Thanks!

I have a Pro Z 154S. Bought it in March 2017 and have about 100 hours on it. No issues.

CC calls the 100 series commercial, but I would consider it light commercial. It's very well built, but when you go look at the 500, 700, or 900 series you realize just how heavy duty those machines are. Anyone who calls all Cub Cadet machines big-box-quality has obviously never set foot in a Cub Cadet showroom and laid eyes on those machines. It's a foolish statement.

As for the steering wheel, it attracted me because of the hills I have on my property. It's a billy goat with the steering wheel. I've had Scags before and the hills created some white-knuckle situations. The Cub with the steering wheel is smooth sailing across/up/down the hills. No problem.

If I didn't have hills, I wouldn't have got the S model. It's just not worth the premium. I had ideas of it being easier for my wife to drive, too, but after 100 hours, she probably has about 30 minutes of seat time on it. Ha!

In summary, no issues with my 100 series steering wheel model, and if it suits your needs, I'd recommend it. I'd buy mine again.

 

[Mat4644]

Cub calls these commercial mowers but I've yet to see a commercial mowing service ever use a Cub pro series. Strange as there are many commercial cutters in the towns and cities around me. Occasionally you'll see a home owner with one.

 

[cpayne5]

Cub calls these commercial mowers but I've yet to see a commercial mowing service ever use a Cub pro series. Strange as there are many commercial cutters in the towns and cities around me. Occasionally you'll see a home owner with one.

Market share does not determine quality. In our area, Kubota and Scag rule the landscaping market. They've had a stronghold for 20 years. Deservedly so, they both make great equipment. Ironically, I did see a landscapers trailer loaded with CC equipment today. I noticed it because it was different.

I'd recommend you go take a look at the 700 and 900 series at a Cub dealer. Check out some Youtube videos, if you don't want to make the drive.

I understand the negativity surrounding Cub. I had a bad experience myself with a past mower, but I've been pleasantly surprised with my 154S and with what I've seen with the other machines in the showroom.

 

[nh15201]

I won't repeat my post on another CC mower thread here. But I bought my wife a 2021 Cub Cadet 560 KW S (the baby of the PRO commercial Cubs). Several landscapers run these ZT Cub with the steering wheels in our area - see them almost everyday in the mowing season. When I was looking to pull the trigger on a new mower for her - I spoke to some of these guys and their universal opinion was that with the hills and slopes that they mow - they would keep mowing with them, since they were much better on side cutting slopes than any of their standard ZT mowers. They felt that they had their place in the lineup but most ran at least 2 mowers, with one being the standard ZT for non sloped or flat land mowing. These guys mow grass whenever it's not raining and mow wet or dry - time is money. I deal with two different Cub Cadet / Stihl dealers and talked to both of them and more importantly - went back and talked to the mechanics. I get the dealer up sale talk on the features and durability of the PRO series mowers - but even the mechanics had nothing negative to say about what they had seen in maintenance or warranty with any of the PRO mowers - that says a lot in my book. Stock on the 2021 models in our area is patchy - suffering from supply chain issues with new production - but we found the last PRO 560 w/ 60" deck and had it delivered the same day. My wife buzzes our 2 1/2 acre yard in no time, even though she is still learning. She mows the back of our PA sand mound that is +25% grade wet or dry without a wheel slip - comfortably and safely and that is good enough for me. I do all my own maintenance and have already added the new Cub parts (like belts, blades, and oil filters) to my **** retentive maintenance parts. I was most impressed with the build quality on the PRO series, the Kawasaki twin engine and the Parker hydro pumps. One of our friends locally has had a 560 KW S for several years now and has had zero problems. Good maintenance and mowing practice will extend the life of any lawn equipment in my book. Now that my wife (now happily retired I might add) is taking over the mowing on our "good" yard - I have more time to spend on my 1969 and 1972 John Deere H3 140 garden tractors and getting a few more buildings built lol.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
I recently purchased a 2021 Cub Cadet Pro Z 560 S after extensive research and demo’s on my property.

I’m extremely happy with this mower.

Mike

 

[nh15201]

^^^^
I recently purchased a 2021 Cub Cadet Pro Z 560 S after extensive research and demo’s on my property.

I’m extremely happy with this mower.

MikeView attachment 707169

I was thumbing through the Kawasaki FX850V manual yesterday and saw where an oil change - no filter - was recommended at 8 hrs. I was a few hours over on ours so I changed oil and filter for good measure. I used Havoline 10w30 and crossed the Kawasaki filter to a WIX 51394 (which I already had in "stock"). After oil drain and filter change, I found exactly 2 quarts to be exactly full. I like the CC remote oil drain hose setup and the filter was easy to reach too.

 

[Richard001]

I was thumbing through the Kawasaki FX850V manual yesterday and saw where an oil change - no filter - was recommended at 8 hrs. I was a few hours over on ours so I changed oil and filter for good measure. I used Havoline 10w30 and crossed the Kawasaki filter to a WIX 51394 (which I already had in "stock"). After oil drain and filter change, I found exactly 2 quarts to be exactly full. I like the CC remote oil drain hose setup and the filter was easy to reach too.

OK I have to ask, what are you doing up at 2:30 in the morning ?

 

[nh15201]

OK I have to ask, what are you doing up at 2:30 in the morning ?

I'm an early riser. No - I had to let the dogs out and couldn't get back to sleep right away.

 

[Rdrcr]

I was thumbing through the Kawasaki FX850V manual yesterday and saw where an oil change - no filter - was recommended at 8 hrs. I was a few hours over on ours so I changed oil and filter for good measure. I used Havoline 10w30 and crossed the Kawasaki filter to a WIX 51394 (which I already had in "stock"). After oil drain and filter change, I found exactly 2 quarts to be exactly full. I like the CC remote oil drain hose setup and the filter was easy to reach too.

So, I totally missed this service in the manual. However, the service indicator on the mower informed me of the need for a fluid change.

The plug on my oil drain hose was virtually welded on. It had tons of red loctite on the plug. I had to use an impact gun to free it. Crazy.

I’m just curious if there was loctite on your drain plug/drain hose?

Mike

 

[Bob_Bainbridge]

My 2015 XT3-GSX also had red loctite on the drain plug but it wasn't too difficult to break it loose.
Bob B.

 

[nh15201]

After having a near conniption fit getting the drain plug out of the drain hose on my father's RZT mower - I was prepared for the worst, but had no problem removing the drain plug on our 560. Both mowers had the red loctite.

 

[Richard001]

After having a near conniption fit getting the drain plug out of the drain hose on my father's RZT mower - I was prepared for the worst, but had no problem removing the drain plug on our 560. Both mowers had the red loctite.

A much easier route is to just suck the oil out of the dipstick hole. Use a gas/oil transfer pump and just suck the oil out. Much simpler and less messy.

 

[nh15201]

A much easier route is to just suck the oil out of the dipstick hole. Use a gas/oil transfer pump and just suck the oil out. Much simpler and less messy.

I have thought about doing that but never attempted it. On my father's lower end RZT Cub Cadet - the folks at Hydro-Gear actually recommended the transfer pump method for removing and then for refilling with 20w50 synthetic motor oil (Castrol). This is the option recommended versus actually removing each wheel pump to drain / refill the fluid and then reinstall which looks like an absolute nightmare.

 

[stevem5215]

That's the nice thing about having oil filters on them. Pull the filter and all oil drains out. Filling is a little more complicated but not pulling motors out complicated.

 

[5030]

We (my wife is mowing about 4-acres of grass at three separate locations, one property has drainage ditches alongside the road with a couple steep slopes that will get your attention. I am on my third deck and have a few hundred hours on my trusty JD Garden tractor but looking to replace it with a zero-turn.

A few manufacturers offer a ZT with steering wheel instead of levers as a good solution for mowing slopes. I am looking hard at the Cub Cadet entry level (commercial 100 series) and was basically waiting until they went on sale this past winter but that did not happen. I just saw Exmark discontinued their steering wheel ZT mowers which doesn't inspire confidence it the concept.

Any experience or thoughts with these mowers? Also, I believe Toro and Cub Cadet are owned by the same company, are they selling different models or just rebranding>

My wife has one (ZTR) with the steering wheel and I have a conventional 2 oar ZTR and she really likes her's and won't use my 2 oar. Had it 3 years now with no issues. It's a Cub Cadet ZTR btw.

Bought it used from my dealer with 100 hours on it for 500 bucks.