Help me understand (zero turn -vs- tractor)

[Tomtint]

Having a smaller mid mount mower on a tractor would more useful over the years as apposed to a zero turn. ..I have. Had a BX with a MMM and it cut well. Only issue was that the front tires would sometimes lay the grass down if it was slightly wet, then once it dried, the grass would pop back up like Mohawks. I now have a Walker GHS 48"zero turn and the cut quality is without doubt better. But depending on your property and shape, a zero turn is brutal on the turf if you have to mow in the same direction and turn in the same spots every time you mow.

 

[drjay9051]

Simply put a Zero Turn has a faster travel speed !!

In addition, imagine you come to a tree, pull the right handle back, left handle forward and you will literally spin around the tree in a heartbeat. Done. on to the next tree.

Here is a good example and he does not have the "pedal to the metal".

Gravely Zero Turn Sharp Turns by Robs Mowers Alstonville - YouTube

 

[tradosaurus]

don't make my mistake and get a 48" Zero turn. I mow about 2 1/2 acres and by upgrading to a 60" zero turn I cut my mowing time by 40%. I bought a Toro Titan HD 2000.

 

[drjay9051]

don't make my mistake and get a 48" Zero turn. I mow about 2 1/2 acres and by upgrading to a 60" zero turn I cut my mowing time by 40%. I bought a Toro Titan HD 2000.

Agree. Wider is better. The only limiting factors will be storage area and width between trees.

I went with a Gravely 52 and it is miles faster than my 60 inch flail or finish. in addition I actually enjoy driving the ZTR. Now if I could mount a .50 on the roll bar it would be a hoot.

 

[skipperbrown]

Lots of opinions. My opinion is you need both! I have used a bx for most everything on my ac property. The usefulness of a FEL cannot be understated. It also mows very good. Heck, it does almost everything. However, the bx is so small it doesn't handle most implements very well due to the traits that make it a good mower: Ground clearance, small tires, compactness. I decided to move up to a b series and find that it is a little too big to mow my yard due to all the things I have added over the years like trees, bushes, and fences. Now I use the b for tractor work and the bx for mowing. I'm looking hard at trading the bx for a ztr this year.

 

[cphilip]

Lots of opinions. My opinion is you need both!

No truer words have been spoke...

 

[Gary Fowler]

Is a zero turn faster just because of the turning or does it have a deck design that cuts more efficiently? Do the blades spin faster?

A commercial grade zero turn mower is designed to cut at speeds in excess of 10 mph. I think the blades do turn much faster than a tractor with mid-mount mower deck. I would guess that mowing with a tractor would never exceed 6 mph top speed.
They are also faster due to the quick turn around and ability to get close enough to trees, etc. that many times edging with a weedeater is not needed.
The only con to owning a zero turn is that they are mainly just for mowing. Any mower that accepts additional attachments is going to cost you about as much as a tractor and any attachment is going to be extremely expensive.

As to whether a multi-tasking zero turn suffers from degrading the quality of grass cutting, I suppose you would just need a sided by side comparison.

 

[ddbackhoe]

In the next 30 days or so I will be the owner of a small lot (3 acres) with a 1500sf home on it. I am converting the home into a small office for my business and will be adding a 8 space parking lot. Right now the lot is about 1/2 lawn and 1/2 meadow, very flat and not many trees (5-8). I expect to have to mow the lawn, plow the lot, and take care of the meadow (or possibly turn it into lawn over time).

I want the lawn to look very nice when mowed.

Can a sub-compact with a mid deck mower create a great mow? I am leaning that way over a zero turn since it will give me options for snow and other property maintenance. If not I might have to do the zero-turn for now and add a tractor down the road.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Don't buy either one. Sub the work out and be done with it.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

THIS is FAR from the truth!

A Grasshopper front mount mower sno-blows VERY good also has a broom or blade option. Yes they DO work very good!

SR

Hardly a case of equal comparison. Those are proprietary attachments and I'm SURE the price matches. They are lawn mowers plain and simple. They do that job very well. The versatility of a 3pt hitch and a pto can't be matched with a zero turn.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Hardly a case of equal comparison. Those are proprietary attachments and I'm SURE the price matches. They are lawn mowers plain and simple. They do that job very well. The versatility of a 3pt hitch and a pto can't be matched with a zero turn.

I never said they would match a 3 point for versatility, what I said is, they plow and blow snow quite good...something you said they wouldn't do.

I know this, because I use a sno-blower on the front of my GH mower and yes it really does blow the snow well. A foot of snow is no problem for my GH, and it throws it farther than the 3 point blower I use to use...

The 61" blower option cost me $1,800.00. How much will a front mount blower set you back for a tractor??

SR

 

[drjay9051]

A commercial grade zero turn mower is designed to cut at speeds in excess of 10 mph. I think the blades do turn much faster than a tractor with mid-mount mower deck. I would guess that mowing with a tractor would never exceed 6 mph top speed.
They are also faster due to the quick turn around and ability to get close enough to trees, etc. that many times edging with a weedeater is not needed.
The only con to owning a zero turn is that they are mainly just for mowing. Any mower that accepts additional attachments is going to cost you about as much as a tractor and any attachment is going to be extremely expensive.

As to whether a multi-tasking zero turn suffers from degrading the quality of grass cutting, I suppose you would just need a sided by side comparison.

Yes pretty much for mowing however for $50 i got a hitch attachment for my ZTR which I use to pull cart full of manure/dirt etc and have also used to drag limbs via chain. Not best solution but an option.

If cost allows I'd get both a CUT and ZTR

 

[Tractorable]

Yes pretty much for mowing however for $50 i got a hitch attachment for my ZTR which I use to pull cart full of manure/dirt etc and have also used to drag limbs via chain. Not best solution but an option.

If cost allows I'd get both a CUT and ZTR

What happens if you spin the zero turn with a cart of manure or a logging chain attached to it?

 

[4570Man]

What happens if you spin the zero turn with a cart of manure or a logging chain attached to it?

It is possible to pull a trailer with a zero turn. I’ve done it and it also backs the trailer quite nicely. You can’t zero turn any more but the turning radius is pretty decent. What happens if you drive the tractor in a pond? You can’t use operator error in a comparison.

 

[WVBill]

When I lived in WV, I had 3.5 Acres with 1900sf house and a 350' paved driveway. I also had an "orchard" with 12 fruit trees. The land was flat ex-pasture which I did nothing to but mow.

I started out with a 48" Craftsman riding mower spending 3 1/2 hours mowing weekly during grass growing season. The mower only lasted 3 years. So I got a 50" Country Clipper ZTR which cut my mowing time to 2 hours, got a much better cut and was still going strong after 7 years.

I attribute the improved cut to 1) Fabricated deck v.s. stamped steel deck and 2) higher blade speed in the ZTR.

I also used the ZTR for pulling a lawn spreader for grub control (forward only, no sharp turns).

During this time, I also had my 1968 B6100 CUT with FEL that I used for general work and for pushing snow off the driveway in winter.

ZTR and used CUT - perfect combination.

 

[D2Cat]

It's a business office, and the original poster didn't state his location. How much snow do you get? How much work for a small tractor do you actually have? What's your budget?

I'd suggest a zero turn for your lawn since you indicate you're the one doing it. If snow isn't a big occurrence, hire it done. Buy a tractor when you know exactly what you'll need it for. Write it all off on your taxes.

And it doesn't have to be new! I've got a Kubota TG1860 diesel with a 54" deck. Has a 46" snow blower and a 54" dozer blade. It has power steering and can cut around a 12" tree easily (if it's open a few inches around it). I'd sell the whole thing just because I don't need a snowblower and the tractor (as Kubota calls it) is needed to power it. You can find stuff just like this in your neck of the woods to.

 

[AxleHub]

I値l run my 72 cut grasshopper against a compact tractor MMM any day. The only way youæ±*e going to beat me is with a batwing finish mower. Even my 50 cut Dixie chopper is a pretty close race against the 60 MMM.A good operator won稚 rip up the grass. If I slowed down to finish in equal time as the MMM the ride of the ZTR will be better. I don稚 think the comparison comes up very often between a ZTR or a tractor and itç—´ not even a fair one. A ZTR vs MMM is a lot better comparison. My grasshopper is a 10k one trick pony that I have a lot less than 10k in. If youæ±*e mowing enough to actually need that it pays for its self with the labor bill it cuts in half pretty quick. And the fuel bill with the Kubota diesel sure is better than the gas gussling Kohler.

Greetings 4570,

On a 2 acre yard - I fail to understand why a 72 inch deck is needed. A 72 inch deck with a side discharge chute would be nearly 7 feet wide and the garage space required is considerable for a 2 acre lawn. And I'd consider that many lawns of 2 acres have some types of knolls or ridges or culverts or non-flat ground of some type in them. A 72 inch deck is likely to scalp or create some trim issues with that size of deck. Personally my lawn could not be fully and properly cut with a 72 inch deck.

But just as importantly in my opinion - is that "speed" is only a relative priority. If you are hiring someone to cut - maybe that can be calculated in a cost result - but the idea of "the fastest" to me is a sum total of numerous issues including your personal level of enjoyment or frustration at cutting well and storing well and enjoying the process or not. And of course - how many machines are needed and space for all if you have 4 seasons of the year.

As far as cost is concerned - you stated you have a lot less than 10K into your unit. Well the new grasshoppers I've seen that are front mounted decks and can properly handle other options are certainly 10K or more without all the other options. The discussion was about new equipment - if you are comparing to used - again its another topic variable.

I have a very fast Silverado (a 2wd SS) yet I don't use or talk of it as speed, I talk of it to others in terms of exceptional comfort and great reliability and surprising fuel economy. Speed is often times far overrated once an acceptable speed is possible.

So 4570 do you have a 50 inch dixie chopper and a 72 inch grasshopper for cutting 2 or 3 acres - or are they required for much bigger or more frequent needs than the the OP expressed ?

 

[4570Man]

I’m not recommending a 72” diesel powered grasshopper for 2 acres. I bought the grasshopper at a government funded sale for $500 that’s why I have it. Ground speed is overrated. Cutting width is pretty straight forward. Time saved with zero turn is still a lot.

 

[AxleHub]

I’m not recommending a 72” diesel powered grasshopper for 2 acres. I bought the grasshopper at a government funded sale for $500 that’s why I have it. Ground speed is overrated. Cutting width is pretty straight forward. Time saved with zero turn is still a lot.

Wow 500 dollars. what model is it. I'm amazed you could get a product like that for $500. For $500 you can't even get 2 new rear wheels and 2 new rear tires

 

[drjay9051]

What happens if you spin the zero turn with a cart of manure or a logging chain attached to it?

Never tried. Point A to point B!!! You can turn but spin, not a good idea !!

 

[D2Cat]

AxleHub, you mentioned "The discussion was about new equipment - if you are comparing to used - again its another topic variable."

The discussion may been about new equipment, but the original poster never indicated new or used.