Looking for zero turn mower for 5-8 acres

shouchen · May 30, 2013

We are looking for the best deal for the money on a zero turn mower to keep up with our mowing. We have 34 acres and mow 5-8 acres of it weekly. I have a wonderful Kubota tractor with a 72 inch finish mower but it takes several hours to mow all of the grass wwe mow. Am I wasting my money to even look? I just wantto free up the time i spend mowing:-( I guess I am asking for everyone's opinion that have bought a commercial type zero turn mower and their advice or experiences. Thank you all!

smstonypoint · May 30, 2013

My ZTR purchase was money well spent. I went from a 42" RER to a 61" ZTR and cut my mowing time in half.

IMO, you might save some time, especially if you have many trees and other obstacles in the area that you mow. However, I don't think you would make a substantial dent in your mowing time when switching from a 72" finish mower.

Why mow such a large area? Can you transition to a more natural landscape (e.g., a meadow) on part of the area?

Steve

PSUTundra · May 30, 2013

I really like our ZTR. We purchased in the fall/winter when we purchased our property. We have 3-4 acres of mowing and cannot imagine doing it without the ZTR. To find the best deal I went to all the local dealers to see what they carried but also if they had any leftover equipment. I got real lucky that one of them had the Hustler Fastrak SD 60" sitting in their barn. They stored it for the winter with a small deposit and made the actual purchase in late March so the warranty would start then vs. loose a few months over the winter. This time of year is hard to find great deals but the dealer is important. Also, buy the largest mower you think you afford, originally I thought a 54" deck would be more maneuverable but the extra size adds to my speed. Also check the mowing speed of the mowers you are looking at and know your land conditions. A mower like the Ferris with full suspension will handle rougher ground faster than a non-suspended machine and cut down your time.

Bottom line for a lawn I cannot imagine mowing with anything other than ZTR. Speed, quality, and maneuverability!:thumbsup:

Grandad4 · May 31, 2013

If your ground is at all rough, your mowing speed will be limited so you can't take advantage of the ZTR's capabilities. We mow our front field every few weeks with the tractors; next door is a neighbor who mows his front lawn with a ZTR. He can zip along faster than I can but has to do it 3-4 times for every once that I mow. If he brought his ZTR over to my field, his fillings would fall out trying to mow it that fast.

Sockwell · May 31, 2013

This sounds exactly like our situation 3 years ago. We bought a Hustler Fastrac SD. Easily cut the time in half versus a standard rider or finishing mower.

aczlan · May 31, 2013

PSUTundra said:
Also, buy the largest mower you think you afford, originally I thought a 54" deck would be more maneuverable but the extra size adds to my speed.

Having run 60" and 72" Exmarks side by side with an 84" multideck Deere, I would say that once you hit 60" on a single deck, you WILL scalp on bumpy ground. Not a big deal if mowing high a "Field" area, but it is if you are mowing a "Lawn" area

Aaron Z

kdm0811 · May 31, 2013

I have a 27hp, Toro 60" ZTR and a BX24 (without a mower). I disagree with Grandad4. My BX would bounce my teeth out if I tried to keep up with my Toro mower. I mow 7 acres. 5 in a horse pasture, and 2 in the yard (including slopes that I would never think of traversing with my BX24. Myybe Gradad4's neighbor's mower is underpowered. My advice is to make sure to get commercial grade machine.

vrmnthntr · May 31, 2013

I had a Toro 60 inch commercial zero turn for 9 years. This year I traded it on a 60 inch BX2360.

For just mowing I really miss my Toro. It cut great, for the most part I could mow as fast as it would go. There were some places I had to take it slow. But overall I would own one again in a heartbeat.

In my opinion my BX beats me more than the Toro. I mow roughly 4 acres a week. It takes me about 45 mins longer now.

A friend has 5 acres of yard. Very few things to mow around. It is very smooth. With a 72 inch John Deere zero turn it takes around 1.5 hrs to cut. He bought a gang finishing mower set up that is huge to pull behind his tractor. Takes him 20 mins now.

It comes down to how many obstacles you have to mow around and the roughness or smoothness of your yard. Commercial grade is definitely worth the money. They are made to last.

Grandad4 · May 31, 2013

kdm0811 said:
I have a 27hp, Toro 60" ZTR and a BX24 (without a mower). I disagree with Grandad4. My BX would bounce my teeth out if I tried to keep up with my Toro mower. I mow 7 acres. 5 in a horse pasture, and 2 in the yard (including slopes that I would never think of traversing with my BX24. Myybe Gradad4's neighbor's mower is underpowered. My advice is to make sure to get commercial grade machine.

Sorry if what I said was unclear. There's plenty of advice here about ZTR's even though the OP never said anything about what kind of property he will be mowing. We don't know if it's flat or hilly, rough or smooth, manicured lawn or overgrown corn stubble. I thought it might be helpful to say, "Well, doesn't it depend somewhat on just what the guy will be mowing?", before the ZTR stampede got completely out of hand.

The neighbor, by the way, has a very nice commercial ZTR, and it's definitely not underpowered. :thumbsup: