Camofurever1
Silver Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2023
- Messages
- 123
- Tractor
- JD 5055D, JD 790, JD 855D, JD140, JD 70, JD Z930M, JD325, JD 335, Kubota RTV X1100C
I might be biased, as I have always been an avid John Deere fan. But I can give some tips what to look for and what to stay away from. If it is for sale at a big box store, stay away from it. Period. Those are cheaply made, consumer models. Less quality parts, cheaper engines, paper thin decks, non-serviceable bearings and what if you need service? Big box store doesn't even have availability for parts.
Support your local Machine dealer. They have the parts, Factory training and they can easily recommend a model for you that will have the exact features you want. They even have sensible financing.
I am a big guy, also. My latest ZTR is a JD 930M. It is now 8 years old. It has a Kawi V twin 25HP engine, which has been bullet proof. It has a 60" 7 iron deck on it. After 8 years, no dents or bends. The spindle quills on the deck are massive and have grease zerks on them. Give each one a shot of grease every time you mow. The seat is a adjustable suspension seat. Very comfortable.
Being a big guy, it is very easy to mount, dismount, plenty of operator space and it gives a comfortable ride for several hours of mowing. We mow 7 acres of grass a week here on the farm. Not all of it is golf course smooth. Yes, you have to slow down for rough patches of ground. Same thing with my large tractor. That is common sense
4 wheel suspension kind of defeats the finish mow of a deck. ZTRs rely on the deck being securely suspended from the machine and any rough areas are absorbed by the large back pneumatic wheels, so that doesn't reflect in the cut quality as you travel over rough ground. The front wheels are solid rubber. You don't want pneumatic tires on the front of a ZTR. They easily will get sharp sticks, thorns and other pokie things shoved through them. If you don't have those things on your lawn, front pneumatic tires will still find those non-existent things for you. The deck basically floats across the rough, bumpy areas. If your deck is riding on the ground on hard wheels or casters, you will get scalping and a uneven cut.
I know they make 72" decks. Unless your entire lawn is perfectly smooth, stick with a 60" deck that stays contained within the wheel base of your mower. On bumpy, uneven ground, the extra width of a 72" will scalp on the outside cutting edges.
As far as tires, your mower is a turf machine. That is why it runs turf tires. Turf tires are not mud tires. If you want to mow your turf, use turf tires. They save your lawn and give a better ride. If you deal with a lot of mud, then you need a tractor with a brush hog or 3PH rear discharge finish mower. If you deal with very steep hills, hand cut it or get a walk behind mower. Ztrs were never designed for steep hills. If they start sliding, then that is a safety threshold that tells you don't go any steeper. If you install more tread aggressive tires so you can hold the hill, those tires will hold you better on the hill, but where is the center of gravity on your machine with you sitting on top of it? Those tires may hold you on steeper angle until you flip over if you hit a hole in the ground. Something to think about.
Whatever you decide, stay away from Kohler engines and Briggs & Stratton gasoline engines. They are consumer junk.
If you want a diesel, get something with a Yanmar or Kubota diesel in it.
Support your local Machine dealer. They have the parts, Factory training and they can easily recommend a model for you that will have the exact features you want. They even have sensible financing.
I am a big guy, also. My latest ZTR is a JD 930M. It is now 8 years old. It has a Kawi V twin 25HP engine, which has been bullet proof. It has a 60" 7 iron deck on it. After 8 years, no dents or bends. The spindle quills on the deck are massive and have grease zerks on them. Give each one a shot of grease every time you mow. The seat is a adjustable suspension seat. Very comfortable.
Being a big guy, it is very easy to mount, dismount, plenty of operator space and it gives a comfortable ride for several hours of mowing. We mow 7 acres of grass a week here on the farm. Not all of it is golf course smooth. Yes, you have to slow down for rough patches of ground. Same thing with my large tractor. That is common sense
4 wheel suspension kind of defeats the finish mow of a deck. ZTRs rely on the deck being securely suspended from the machine and any rough areas are absorbed by the large back pneumatic wheels, so that doesn't reflect in the cut quality as you travel over rough ground. The front wheels are solid rubber. You don't want pneumatic tires on the front of a ZTR. They easily will get sharp sticks, thorns and other pokie things shoved through them. If you don't have those things on your lawn, front pneumatic tires will still find those non-existent things for you. The deck basically floats across the rough, bumpy areas. If your deck is riding on the ground on hard wheels or casters, you will get scalping and a uneven cut.
I know they make 72" decks. Unless your entire lawn is perfectly smooth, stick with a 60" deck that stays contained within the wheel base of your mower. On bumpy, uneven ground, the extra width of a 72" will scalp on the outside cutting edges.
As far as tires, your mower is a turf machine. That is why it runs turf tires. Turf tires are not mud tires. If you want to mow your turf, use turf tires. They save your lawn and give a better ride. If you deal with a lot of mud, then you need a tractor with a brush hog or 3PH rear discharge finish mower. If you deal with very steep hills, hand cut it or get a walk behind mower. Ztrs were never designed for steep hills. If they start sliding, then that is a safety threshold that tells you don't go any steeper. If you install more tread aggressive tires so you can hold the hill, those tires will hold you better on the hill, but where is the center of gravity on your machine with you sitting on top of it? Those tires may hold you on steeper angle until you flip over if you hit a hole in the ground. Something to think about.
Whatever you decide, stay away from Kohler engines and Briggs & Stratton gasoline engines. They are consumer junk.
If you want a diesel, get something with a Yanmar or Kubota diesel in it.