RS as in testing the mower in the pic?
Yes.
I test drove it at the dealer enough to get a decent feel for it, but the grass in the "test area" there was not really long enough to get a good idea on really how well it mowed.
And I could not persuade The Woman to drive it there ... although she did
sit on several of them (not running) ...
RS so how did the Cub perform?
Generally, very well (IMO)
Like the cut and the suction the deck and high-lift blades have, and the way it throws the grass out really far. Some folks have complained about how far it throws the grass (to the point they make a deflector kit) Personally I liked that - because it spreads the grass out further than the MMM on the Kubota (no windrow, at least with the length grass I was cutting)
That's probably because we don't typically run the Kubota at more than 1800 - 2000 rpm while mowing (PTO speed on the Kubota is spec'd at around 2600 rpm) ... so we typically don't achieve the full blade tip speed with it.
I think tip speed is 18,500 fpm (?) on the Cub vs. 14,680 fpm on the Kubota MMM.
But 1800 rpm is usually enough to achieve a good cut with the MMM, provided the grass isn't long or thick and the blades aren't dull.
It has a suspension seat which seems to work well and the ride seems better than the Kubota ... at least to me. Probably a lot more give in the tires on the Cub than the R4's on the Kubota.
IIRC, it weighs less than half of what the Kubota does (around 1,000 lbs vs around 2,200 on the Kubota w/ MMM) ... which is probably better for mowing over the septic's leach field.
27 HP Kohler EFI commercial engine spinning a 54" deck. (So no carb or manual choke ... starts right up ...
) Grass here was not long or thick, but I suspect it has plenty of power to cut it even if it were.
Overall noise level isn't bad (actually seems quieter than the Kubota to me, at least while riding either of them)
Have a bit of buyers remorse on not going with the bigger 60" deck.
But it's a trade off: the Simplicity had a 2 blade, 46" deck and the MMM on the Kubota is a 3 blade, 72" cut.
So the smaller 54" deck is an advantage, in terms of being more maneuverable down here around the house, in the trees ... but doesn't cover as big a path when mowing the front which is mostly a long, wide open area.
4 wheel steering, so it tends to not drift downward on hillsides when running across them - feels very stable.
And very maneuverable - the front wheels will turn at least full 90 degrees either left or right from forward. It's a true zero turn.
Has cruise control which works reasonably well.
It's very fast ... faster than I'm inclined to run it in most areas here, with the lawn/yard in the shape it's presently in.
(I have a lot of work to do over the next several years, grading spots and filling in areas where there has been erosion around surface tree roots, along with rolling and core aerating. Might even get a dump truck load of sand or two and do the golf course trick.)
Downsides:
This unit is a Pro Z 100 series (Pro Z 154S EFI specifically), the low end of their commercial line. They make a Pro Z 500, 700, and 900 series as well.
Front axle is steel and does not pivot (up and down on either side) ... so occasionally you can have only three wheels on the ground. Doesn't seem to affect stability or maneuverability though.
Go up to the 500 series and above and you get a cast front axle which pivots.
500 series also has a nicer suspension seat, one which can be set to the specific weight of the operator. The 900 series (and maybe the 700 ?) have air suspension seats which were very nice.
No power steering. The 500 series and up gets you that. Not really a problem for me ... as long you remember to put the unit in motion before you try to steer it. Once it's rolling, it's pretty easy ... but more effort than either Simplicity or the Kubota.
Operators manual is a little on the cheap/skimpy side as compared to the Kubota. Have not checked yet to see if Cub has a Workshop Manual available.
Unknowns:
Unit makes some occasional noises while mowing. I think what it is, is blade noise when you hit a stick or a wood chip. Happens occasionally with the Kubota as well but the sound is different. Suspect it may be because the blades on the Kubota are larger and probably a good bit heavier.
Fuel economy: the unit was delivered with less than full tanks (certainly less than half full) I ran it long enough today that I emptied whatever was in the right tank and had to switch over to the left this evening ... so I don't really have a feel for how thirsty it is. If I had to guess, probably not too bad. Kubota was very easy on fuel, as was the Simplicity.
Would have preferred a diesel power plant so only one fuel for rolling stock, but that wasn't going to happen at what we were willing to budget.
The operator station is very roomy ... I can't comfortably operate the unit with seat all the way back ... requires too much leg extension ... and I'm over 6' tall.
It's easy enough to solve for me - I can just move the seat forward.
Probably the biggest unknown at this point is whether the seat can be moved far enough for The Woman so that she isn't over-extending her legs. Need to do more research on that.
Glad you got the oak taken down for step daughter ... and got trunk bucked, loaded AND unloaded ...
