How many hours to wear out Kubota ZD21?

[tlm720]

Local John Deere dealer has a well used ZD21 (3400 hours). Paint is faded bad but it didn't look beat up. Is it worth looking at for the right price? I'd probably give $2500 for it if it runs good and hydrostatic is strong. Current husqvarna zero turn is gas and I always though it would be nice to get a diesel. Think I could get another 500 to 1000 hours out of it?

 

[tlm720]

Many for sale are in the range of 1500-2000 hours. I found one for sale with over 4000 hours. Anybody have one or know of one with over 4000 hours?

 

[zd21owner]

Local John Deere dealer has a well used ZD21 (3400 hours). Paint is faded bad but it didn't look beat up. Is it worth looking at for the right price? I'd probably give $2500 for it if it runs good and hydrostatic is strong. Current husqvarna zero turn is gas and I always though it would be nice to get a diesel. Think I could get another 500 to 1000 hours out of it?

$2500 is a good price if everything is working on the machine. I would give it a good test drive and make sure it shuts off correctly. Parts are super cheap for these and they are incredibly easy to work on your self. Don't buy any parts from a Kubota dealer. They are 3 times as costly as parts from ebay.

 

[ae_ted]

i bought a 2001 ZD21 60" cut with 700 hrs in 2010 for $3500. Now has 1005 hrs and has been great! Will NEVER own another gas powered mower! I would rather have my old ZD than a new one with the new smog equipment. My kubota mechanic says he thinks the old ones are better built and more trouble free. I expect this to be my last mower. I am happy camper.

 

[check 6]

I just bought a new Kubota ZD 1011 diesel mower. That said I have had a ZD 1800 for ten years and in comparing the two I think my old ZD 1800 is a keeper as a spare and will outlast the new one. However there are several features of the new zero turn that are great improvements. The seat for one is more supportive and has suspension under it for a more comfortable ride. The inspection panel to check the deck transmission fluid level is another great improvement also the more convenient way to raise lower and lock the mowing is a plus. So there are pluses to both old and new, however either way the Kubota diesel zero turn mowers are great mowing machines.

 

[WM75Guy]

I am getting a ZD1211 as soon as it comes in. Talking with the salesman the diesel engines should last 10,000 hours compared to 2000 on the gas mowers. If anything I would be more worried about the deck spindle bearings than the engine.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I am getting a ZD1211 as soon as it comes in. Talking with the salesman the diesel engines should last 10,000 hours compared to 2000 on the gas mowers. If anything I would be more worried about the deck spindle bearings than the engine.

Spindles and bearings are easily and, relatively inexpensively, replaced.

I've got a Grasshopper 729BT front-mount mower with the Briggs Vanguard 29 hp engine, which I'm in love with. But I still kick myself for missing out on a Grasshopper 325D with the Kubota diesel engine in it, which I could have bought for a bargain price and just didn't pull the trigger fast enough.

 

[Ck27]

I'm not sure if this is an apples to oranges comparison but my Kubota F3060 has 2600 hours and still works like it's new. Ive seen other f series mowers with 3000-4000 hours on the clock and they seemed to work fine.

My brother works on reefers that are mounted on semi trailers that have 3 cylinder and 4 cylinder Kubota engines. I once asked him "how many hours have you seen on a Kubota engine?"

Re laughed and replied "3 cylinder at least 15,000, 4 cylinder I know of many that I work on with 20,000 on them".

He said if they get one in at his shop that "sounds tired" they dump some sea foam in the oil and fuel and let it run at high idle for several hours. He said after that they change the oil and 99% of the time they get quiet and run like new.

 

[Swkaiser]

Many for sale are in the range of 1500-2000 hours. I found one for sale with over 4000 hours. Anybody have one or know of one with over 4000 hours?

I have a ZD 21 with 4000 hrs, just normal maintenance,check gearbox oil change hydro fluid, engine runs like new!

 

[4570Man]

The engine will run forever. All the bearings are pretty cheap to fix. The deck shell itself and the hydros are the weak link. We’ll obviously not that weak but they’re probably the first expense part to fail.