New Zanon mower

[cmyoung2]

Just bought o 40" Zanon mower to replace an old BCS 38". The pld mower was fairly worn out and rusty, then a youthful(30+) son didn't quite maintain control and took out a sign post and the mower. Bent it enough I didn't want to fix it. Picked the Zanon as a replacement because our yard is too big for the BCS with a bagger and the BCS tends to throw clumps of grass and I don't like to rake. The Zanon is a side discharge, hoping to solve that issue. So, after mowing a couple of time, here is a review.
The Zanon is stout and heavy. Weighs 98kg on the label, about 200 lbs. EarthTools sends it in a crated, heavy box, freight. Arrived when I expected it, in good shape. Setup for level and correct grass height is fairly easy, just need to check it first or you may cut a little close. First mowing was fairly tall yard grass, around 8 inches. No problem. I did have to rake, but it was really tall grass. No clumping. Second time, maybe 10 days later, grass was a little higher than I usually cut, but no clumping, spread the clippings very evenly. I am happy. I use a BCS 850 with the big Honda, so I have and use steering brakes. Yard is not level, some spots are fairly steep. No problems. I can also use a 4x4 Kubota BX 2230 with a 5' deck, but then I have more to weed eat, and I think the BCS/Zanon does a better job. Plus, this old man needs the exercise. Pictured are some of the other implements I've been using.Here in the Northwest NC mountains, it is just now garden time, so the rotary plow (a real beast that really works), the tiller, flail mower, and plows have all done their duty. Rotary plow is ready to go back under the calf hutch with the snowblower. Now for cultivation, mowing, and flail mowing the pasture.

 

[WesKootenay]

Thanks for the review, I was not familiar with the Zanon. That is a really heavy duty setup you have.

My wife already owned a Kubota side-discharge riding mower when I met her. Like you, I'd rather not have to rake, so I bought a Brinly-Hardy 42" sweeper that, after 5 years steady use, still looks and works like new. We have an Ariens push mower for around the trees, flower and veggie beds etc.
Enjoy your new mower.

 

[jbradley]

I will let my neighbors complain rather than rake my yard. My Deere 430 mulches things up pretty well, so I generally don't have windrows of grass. I have a few Alpine goats that I feed a couple of bags of BCS 38" mower clippings to, but my yard is large enough that I don't want to walk the whole yard. Though I don't use the 38" mower all that much, it was the best $75 I've ever spent. I still kick myself that I didn't buy the 30" tiller box the guy had for $50.

 

[TimberXX]

View attachment 659288
Just bought o 40" Zanon mower to replace an old BCS 38". The pld mower was fairly worn out and rusty, then a youthful(30+) son didn't quite maintain control and took out a sign post and the mower. Bent it enough I didn't want to fix it. Picked the Zanon as a replacement because our yard is too big for the BCS with a bagger and the BCS tends to throw clumps of grass and I don't like to rake. The Zanon is a side discharge, hoping to solve that issue. So, after mowing a couple of time, here is a review.
The Zanon is stout and heavy. Weighs 98kg on the label, about 200 lbs. EarthTools sends it in a crated, heavy box, freight. Arrived when I expected it, in good shape. Setup for level and correct grass height is fairly easy, just need to check it first or you may cut a little close. First mowing was fairly tall yard grass, around 8 inches. No problem. I did have to rake, but it was really tall grass. No clumping. Second time, maybe 10 days later, grass was a little higher than I usually cut, but no clumping, spread the clippings very evenly. I am happy. I use a BCS 850 with the big Honda, so I have and use steering brakes. Yard is not level, some spots are fairly steep. No problems. I can also use a 4x4 Kubota BX 2230 with a 5' deck, but then I have more to weed eat, and I think the BCS/Zanon does a better job. Plus, this old man needs the exercise. Pictured are some of the other implements I've been using.Here in the Northwest NC mountains, it is just now garden time, so the rotary plow (a real beast that really works), the tiller, flail mower, and plows have all done their duty. Rotary plow is ready to go back under the calf hutch with the snowblower. Now for cultivation, mowing, and flail mowing the pasture.

Other than the obvious reason of width, did you consider lawn mowing flails on your flail mower, and just use the flail mower for everything?

 

[cmyoung2]

I didn't really think about it, the flail is used mainly on really rough areas that may damage either a regular mower or finish flails. The flail also cuts a lot closer that I usually mow the yard. And the width is big. I just finished mowing, have a little less than 1 acre, not flat or straight, took about 2 hr, 3.2 miles, 7700 steps. That is about enough of a workout for this old man.