no Questions?

[5030]

Hydrogear are less efficient, less powerful, less robust han dedicated pumps.

Sounds like fooey to me.... both of ours has individual (each rear wheel) Hydrogear pumps with spin on filters and you can spin the wheels on grass, no problem. My Tank is 12 years old and never had any issue with it.

Don't really matter to me as mine is going down the road anyway.

I just don't like the mid mount mower or the 'oars' either.

 

[5030]

I would imagine that a battery powered ZTR would be ok for a smaller lawn but the same issue arises with them that is inherent with electric tractors... What do you do if your batteries poop out a long way from the charging source? Carry a small genny with you...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Never said a hydro gear transaxle won’t spin tires on grass.

There is a design reason commercial mowers use dedicated pump motors on each wheel, and not transaxles. Transaxles are more cost effective and more compact. Larger commercial mowers benefit from the dedicated pump units.

Back to the EGO debate. Maybe buy one, try it, return it if it’s not capable. I’ve heard Lowes has taken them back.

 

[tradosaurus]

Zero steer trans-axles don't like doing side hills.

After I put bar tires on the rear of my zero turn I rarely get stuck. It will rut a wet yard though.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I see it has a light gage stamped steel deck as well. Light gage decks without constant upkeep, tend to rot out quickly as well. Sizeable investment to have it rot out I'd say.

One of the driving reasons I'm getting a Kubota front mount mower, you can tilt the deck up quickly and easily to clean it off.

Leaving cut grass clippings on the underside of any deck, stamped or fabricated will promote corrosion but a heavy gage deck will last longer without cleaning, stands to reason.

What I do with our present ZTR's is I pick them up from the front with one of my loaders and clean them off standing vertically. I'll eliminate that with the new Kubota entirely. Both of them have the useless 'deck wash' on them. Totally useless. Only thing that does is drive water in the deck spindles.

Ditto on the deck wash systems -- Not an effective way to clean the underside.

 

[Hay Dude]

Anyone who thinks a front mount “F” mower is superior to a comparable sized zero turn will soon be disappointed.

I run both for about 3 years on our large mowing contracts. The 72” diesel zero turn is 2X faster, more maneuverable, and less tiring to steer than a 72” Kubota F. It’s also less expensive to buy and less expensive to maintain. The worst part about the “F” style mower compared to a zero turn is deck height adjustment.

The only place an “F” is better is working on extremely steep slopes where traction is an issue.

If you are a homeowner with a very steep yard and time is not an issue an “F“ is a decent choice, but they are absurdly expensive at over $30,000.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Do you have one of these zero steer battery powered lawn mowers? Have you had yours on side hills? If so, how did it work for you? Please post if you've had good or bad luck with your battery mower. Thanks!

To answer your question directly, yes, I had a ZT battery mower briefly last spring:

RYOBI 80V HP Brushless 54 in. Battery Electric Cordless Zero Turn Riding Mower (3) 80V Batteries (4) 40V Batteries and Charger RYRM8034 - The Home Depot

Introducing RYOBI's first lithium-ion battery powered zero turn riding mower, the RYOBI 80V HP 54" Lithium Electric ZTR*. HP Technology and 80V batteries combine to deliver the power equivalent of a 42

www.homedepot.com

I mow some rather steep slopes, and I was concerned about the ZT traction. The salesperson said if it didn't work out, I could return it. It didn't and I did.

The ZT wouldn't hold a straight line on the slope cutting parallel, so I had to cut on the bias. Traction became a problem, especially if there was any moisture.

On the level, I liked the cut, ease of use, and maneuverability of the ZT, but it really wasn't any faster than the 3pt behind my Kubota.

The 4 acre cutting ability was overstated and I couldn't do much more than 2 on a single charge.

Rather than keep two machines to do the same job, I went back to the A/C cab of the Kubota.

This is just my experience with the Ryobi on my sloping ground though. Others may have better luck with similar ZT's on different turf.

Hope this helps.

 

[5030]

Hydrogear are less efficient, less powerful, less robust han dedicated pumps.

You posted the above and I say fooey on that I believe you meant 'than'...lol Moot for me anyway as it's leaving soon.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

You can say what you want. Truth isn't subjective.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Zero steer trans-axles don't like doing side hills.

That's dead-on right. My old Husqvarna tractor style mower, 52" Kawasaki 27hp, would cut my 25* hills with no problem. It finally blew the pionion gear and with no replacement parts available.

I replaced it with a Kubota Z412, 48" Kawasaki 26hp ZTR. The ZTR not only won't pull the hills (with turf tires), it doesn't have enough power to pull up them anyway, it wants to slide right off the hills. Now, it's hell bent for leather for speed. Cutting time chopped at least in half, maybe more. And the fun factor went up, way up!

Would I select the ZTR over the tractor style? Probably not. But what I definitely would do is opt for a front mower style. I get really tired of trying to mow under bushes, etc. with a mid-mount mower. My Z412 rides fairly soft and does a good job of cutting, but I'm not sure that I made the very best choice of mowers that are out there.

 

[2manyrocks]

Our yard is not all that big but is a hillside so some mowing involves side hill cuts.

If you don't mind, how much area are you mowing and how steep is it?

Not sure if it was 10 degrees, but I remember reading that there is a limit to the number of degrees of slope where front caster wheels aren't considered safe because of their tendency to swivel downhill and there you go.

 

[DK35vince]

My X-One ZTR has dedicated Parker units on each wheel. The Raptor has a Hydrogear 2800 transaxle because it is homeowner grade. Hydrogear are less efficient, less powerful, less robust han dedicated pumps.

Reading on lawnsite.com over the years I'm not sure that's true.
You are comparing a residential grade mower/transmissions to a commercial grade mower.
The commercial Hydro gear 4400-5400 seem to be holding up just as well as the pump/wheel motors from what I have seen posted.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I've never had steering control issues on a hillside with my ZTR. The south side of our home has a steep bank, and I mow across it with zero issues.
Not sure if that is transaxle vs pump motor or not. I've never used a transaxle mower on my lawn.

 

[sklunk]

To answer the OP's question -- there are actually a LOT of zero-turn options out there now. But keep in mind "you get what you pay for" in these.

If you have less than 1/2 acre you could probably get by with the less expensive brands like Ego, Ryobi, Craftsman, Greenworks, Cub Cadet, Gravely, Toro, the list goes on. Many of these mowers are actually built by the same manufacturer and just branded for each nameplate (a lot of the brands are all owned by Ariens or MTD now).

If you want something more reliable, that will do a better job mowing with longer mow times, and will also be built to last longer, you will need to go with one of the "big" manufacturers. Here are just a few links, in order of true commercial-grade at the top:
Home - MEAN GREEN MOWERS (probably the best commercial electric zero turns you can buy right now)

Lazer Z V-Series

The Lazer Z V-Series provides the cut quality, productivity, and commercial durability you expect from Exmark, all in a quiet, fast, low maintenance electric zero-turn mower.

www.exmark.com

Riding Lawn Mowers | Zero Turn Lawn & Garden Riding Mowers | Toro

Find a Toro zero turn riding lawn mower that delivers an exceptional quality of cut while providing years of dependable performance you can count on.

www.toro.com

https://www.deere.com/en/mowers/zero-turn-mowers/z300-series/z370r-ztrak-mower/

ZT5E Electric Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers | DR Power Equipment (closer to "mid-tier", they have been having some problems with their who line of equipment)

NOTE -- the info above is all based on real feedback (my son sells zero-turns for a living and sees which ones hold up)

 

[CliffordK]

I've found that heavier mowers, hold hills better. I'll have to see what an EGO weighs

410 pounds

A commercial mower that will hold hills, weighs about 1300 pounds

WOW! That's light -- obviously built as light as possible to maximize battery run-time. But that's barely twice the weight of the average operator.

My Cub ZT weighs 1424 pounds. Add 200# to that for the operator. BIG difference. (Of course, the Cub has a 60" deck -- so wider.) I'd estimate that the Cub will mow flat-out for 6+ hours before it needs a shot of energy. "Recharging" takes about 5 minutes.

That is lighter than I would have expected. However, that is without batteries.

EGO 56V 10.0Ah batteries: 7.5 lbs each. The mower comes with 4 of them and carries up to 6 of them, so add: 30 lbs to 45 lbs.

If the mower will hold it OK doing side-cuts, then a little very low weight would be nice. I prefer up and down cuts on my hill, so a little less weight is nice, but 4x4 traction or tracks would be much nicer which EGO and Greenworks doesn't seem to do.

Unfortunately the Greenworks OptimusZ 60" 24kWh Ride-On Zero Turn Mower (CZ60R24X) doesn't seem to list the weight.

24 kWh battery
They claim that it will mow for up to 21 acres and 8 hours mowing on a single charge. That's a lot of mowing on a small mower.

The battery pack alone is listed as weighing 386 lbs.

Still, that has to be lugged up the hill with the little 2 wheel drive.

 

[Yander]

Anyone who thinks a front mount “F” mower is superior to a comparable sized zero turn will soon be disappointed.

I run both for about 3 years on our large mowing contracts. The 72” diesel zero turn is 2X faster, more maneuverable, and less tiring to steer than a 72” Kubota F. It’s also less expensive to buy and less expensive to maintain. The worst part about the “F” style mower compared to a zero turn is deck height adjustment.

The only place an “F” is better is working on extremely steep slopes where traction is an issue.

If you are a homeowner with a very steep yard and time is not an issue an “F“ is a decent choice, but they are absurdly expensive at over $30,000.

Agree, We have a Grasshopper with a Kubota 725d 61" front deck and a Bush Hog Commercial Mid mount 60" deck and it will mow 13mph and leave a nice cut. The Grasshopper, no one wants to use it, it is slow and too big for good maneuvering. We just use it to mow the barn lots, ditches and the lane back to the woods.

Thought about selling the Kubota but it serves its purpose and it is a good backup mower.

As far as the EGO mower is concerned, I would own one if I had a small yard. We mow about 4 acres including the MILs sometimes. I have a couple of the EGO tools and they seem great. I have a chainsaw that is EGO, a weedeater and blower. Their battery technology is supposed to be very good. I haven't owned them long enough to say how well they last.

 

[Yander]

Have you looked into this steering technology?

POWER+ 42” Z6 Zero Turn Mower with e-STEER™ Technology

Drives like a car, turns like a ZTR! Introducing the industry’s first e-STEER™ technology, which delivers ultimate control with the added precision of a steering wheel.

egopowerplus.com

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Are aftermarket batteries the same quality?

 

[shooterdon]

It is astounding that people discuss $20k mowers for Joe homeowner. The OP is looking at an electric mower and he is not a dummy. If he had acres of grass, he would not be be looking at an electric. .

Pretty safe to assume about 2 acres or so. And he lives in the UP of MI so likely cuts grass about 15 times a year.

Use some common sense folks. He would be an idiot to spend more than $10k to cut grass.

I live south of the OP. My Bad Boy cost $5.5k and cuts my two acres in an hour. I do about 15 cuts a year. If the unit lasts 500 hours it will last over 30 years. I am 73, and was stupid to spend $5.5k, but I can afford it and hate cutting grass.

 

[Torvy]

I solved the problem by not having any real lawn. Less than 30 minutes with my Echo 58v string trimmer handles any unwanted growth near the house. Anything else either grows as God intended or gets hit with a healthy dose of Flail.