Kubota Kommander

[walker450]

Thanks for the reply. Does the full suspension seat make a big difference? I weigh about 200lbs and just sitting on it while stationary it felt like it would be comfortable.

Also, does yours seem to have plenty of power in slightly damp or slightly overgrown grass? I was a little concerned to see the 48" Z121S rated at 21HP, but the 54" Z125S rated at 25HP. That seems like a big jump in HP for just 6" wider cut. My understanding is your 23 should be the same as the new 21. I have been spoiled with my 23HP diesel (lots of torque!) BX2350 and 60" mid mount mower. With it I can be lazy if I want and let the grass get taller than normal and it goes through it without trouble. I don't want to short myself on HP by getting the 48" vs. 54". I have about 2.5 acres in the clear and another 1 to 1.5 acres in the trees so either deck should be fine. I am leaning a little more towards the 48" to save some cash and get between trees a little easier... Thanks for your time!

 

[Mr Man]

Back at you Walker450. The horse power is more than adequate, not a problem, never even slightly labors at all. I have 1 1/2 acres mostly flat one tree, and one low slightly boggy area (about 25X35) no problem at all cutting this. I'm not familiar with the Z125S or Z121S machines. Mine I just bought on April 24, 2014. My model is a "ZG123S, 48 inch deck, 23HP Kohler engine. There is also a 127S with 54 inch deck and 27HP engine. The ZG series just came out last summer 2013. I choose the 48 inch deck because it will fit into my storage shed, and it's plenty big enough to cut only 1 1/2 acres. I'm getting very use to the zero steering and I really like it a lot. You can cut down on your mowing time a lot, but you must be aware the faster you go the rougher the ride (even with this very nice seat) So, being an old guy (73) I certainly move along but not full bore....LOL Hope this helps you out Walker. Any more questions....send them on.

 

[walker450]

Thanks again! I think we covered it all! I will post in this thread if I buy one.

 

[walker450]

One more question for everyone.. Are the Z100 mowers made in the USA?

 

[Tractorrr]

So is the Kommander 127s which is listed at 27hp really more around 25hp? Either way it is still very nice.

 

[walker450]

So is the Kommander 127s which is listed at 27hp really more around 25hp? Either way it is still very nice.

Correct, according to Messick's post on the last page.

 

[zook]

After putting 14 hours on the clock on my 127s my one and only complaint is the cup holders are on the wrong side.. then I trim close to bushes and low tree limbs I use the left side because the discharge is on the right,, and sometimes it knocks my water bottle off the machine..

With that said, if that's the only thing I can come up with that is not bad at all..

 

[mikehaugen]

Thanks for the reply. Does the full suspension seat make a big difference? I weigh about 200lbs and just sitting on it while stationary it felt like it would be comfortable.

Also, does yours seem to have plenty of power in slightly damp or slightly overgrown grass? I was a little concerned to see the 48" Z121S rated at 21HP, but the 54" Z125S rated at 25HP. That seems like a big jump in HP for just 6" wider cut. My understanding is your 23 should be the same as the new 21. I have been spoiled with my 23HP diesel (lots of torque!) BX2350 and 60" mid mount mower. With it I can be lazy if I want and let the grass get taller than normal and it goes through it without trouble. I don't want to short myself on HP by getting the 48" vs. 54". I have about 2.5 acres in the clear and another 1 to 1.5 acres in the trees so either deck should be fine. I am leaning a little more towards the 48" to save some cash and get between trees a little easier... Thanks for your time!

I wouldn't worry about the power, my mom's jd 345 has 20 hp with a 54" deck. My bunton has 25 hp and a 71" deck. Neither seems under powered. Used to be that 12hp was about the max on a riding mower and they had up to 48" decks. Some had as much as 16-18 and had 60" decks.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Welcome Mr Man. Glad to hear you like your mower. What Would you say about the cut quality? My John Deere tractor cut really well, hoping to get somethint that cuts as nicely. Is the Kohler fairly quiet when mowing? I would think with the engine in the rear it would help, I've never had a Kohler, hoping to try one out in next couple weeks but also looking at other models in the meantime. Thanks for posting.

I never did get to try out my brothers machine, he is building a new house and doesn't expect to mow any grass until next year. He has the new mower in his garage and said I could pick it up and mow my lawn, but I just didn't like the thought of being the first one to get it dirty for him. He broke his leg about a month ago, and lives in another state right now or I would have him come over and mow with it. One thing good for Kubota is he will lose a year of warranty letting it sit in the garage for a year. He bought it in a package deal with a new Kubota compact tractor, that is why he bought it early.

In the meantime I tried out a Ferris IS700 with a 52 inch deck and ended up buying it. This is our first time with a zero turn so we are definitely in a learning curve right now. My wife will be doing most of the mowing, and just watching her mow the first time I could see by the end of mowing the acre and a half of lawn she showed big improvement in operating it.

Some of the things I notice so far are; this thing really chops up the grass and distributes the clippings even with the chute down compared to our John Deere lawn tractor. It also seems to lift the grass a whole lot better before it cuts it off giving me the appearance that the grass is cut shorter even though the height setting is the same. It does not stripe the lawn as well as the Deere did, a hitch is optional but we decided to keep the Deere for towing the lawn equipment we have and also if we have neighbor girls mow when we are gone they are not used to a zero turn. I have some cedar trees with low branches and the Ferris rear tires grab them and rip them, the deck sticks out but not as far as the Deere deck does so will use the Dere to mow around them. I also never had a Kohler engine and am partial to the Kawasaki in my Deere and now Ferris.

 

[Mr Man]

Hi Jimmy Joe. Just read your 'Thread". I understand what said about trying out your brothers new Kubota, I would feel exactly the same way. Ferris is a great machine and you will be happy with it I'm quite certain. They have a great suspension, probably the best of the zero turns. The more your wife cuts with it, the better she'll get operating the Ferris. As with any machine, there are some things you can't do, like your low Cedar tree branches. We have had a week of rain & more rain. We also have a lot of clay in the soil, so it takes a long time to dry, my grass is high and ground to wet to cut...LOL. But, it will work out. Hey, Good Luck with your new Ferris, be careful out there.....

 

[MJayC]

I purchased a Z123S a few months ago. I have about 15 hrs on it. Wonderful machine, all around. Power is fine. Cut is great. Love the manuverability. Only complaint is all the grass clippings blowing into my mulch beds. My dealer doesn't reccommend the mulching kit. Says it will promote clumping if you don't cut every few days (especially in the spring and fall). I don't want to use the bagger option, because the clippings return nutrients to the lawn. Any suggestions? Anyone currently using the mulching kit?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr Man]

I have a ZG123S since the end of last April. I have 26 hours on mine. I believe your dealer is exactly correct. I have a Honda self propelled walk behind mower, which is great. I put mulching blades on it and if the grass is a little long or to moist it clumps a lot. I have no reservations the ZG123S will do the same. You either have to cut in a different direction "if possible", or bag the clippings. Good luck.

 

[MJayC]

Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Do a search to see if anyone makes an OCDC (Operator Controlled Discharge Chute) for the Kommander. An OCDC allows you to temporarily close the discharge chute when you're next to flower/mulch beds or anything you don't want to spray with clippings, and then open it back up in open areas.

 

[MJayC]

Thanks. I've been researching those for a week or two now. It's a good option, but the Kommander is a pretty new model so all the OCDC's I've found would require drilling my mower deck. At this point, I think I'm going to try the Kubota mulch kit and just see how it goes. If it doesn't work, I'll remove it and look for the best OCDC option. Either way, I need to get some mulching blades on the Kommander. It's does an awesome job of cutting, but I really want to get the grass cut into smaller bits so it drops down more into the turf. Right now it seems the longer clippings are lying a bit too much on top of my grass and then getting blown away in the wind.

 

[Jimmy Joe]

Just want to up date, my brother was home today so while we were over there my wife drove his Kubota. Turns out we made the right choice according to her by getting the Ferris. She said the Ferris rides way smoother and our machine is bigger even though the deck is two inches smaller. Either way I think they are both good machines, she also said the controls for the hydros were very smooth, more, so than the Ferris.

 

[5030]

I don't see any great advances in ZTR's in the Kubota except it's orange. My M60 Tank works just fine and has for the last 8 years. Kubota uses the same Hydro units that everyone else uses and I imagine that Agri Supply will have mulching blades to fit (measure the spindle diameter and order accordingly). I get their blades over the MTD ones. Half the price, same gage and they seem to last longer in our sandy loam.

Any mulching blade will clump, thats the nature of the blades. You must mow no more than 1/2" of new growth or they clump. I ignore it but then I'm not a lawn person

When I first saw them (Kubota) I immediately thougt of Duck Commander...lol

 

[RollingsFarms]

Is the Kommander a homeowner ztr or entry level commercial?

 

[MJayC]

Just a quick update. I purchased and installed the mulch kit for my Kommander. Overall I'm pleased with the results. The deck is actually pre-drilled to accept the kit so no need for drilling. Kit includes new mulching blades. I try to cut the grass before it gets too high to avoid any clumping. Also, you can just reduce your speed a little to compensate. I've experienced no engine bogging. The machine is doing a nice job with this set up.

One other thing, be sure to check the position of your anti scalp rollers. Mine were set way to low when the dealer delivered it.

 

[xtruckerbob]

Got a new Kommander last month and I love it. The first few hours it burned a lot of fuel but now about average. It mows smooth, lays the grass out without clumping, the seat is great and the lights works well. I would recommend this mower to everyone.