Scut with mid mount mower

[LindenBruce]

The idea of having a 24hp class SCUT with the MMM is valid. It is something I wrestle with every time I get on my Big Box Store rider. Yes, a ZT is made for cutting lawns relatively fast and they DO have the best turning radius a person could ever use or need. But, each tool has it's pros and cons. The 24hp class of SCUT will be much more versatile. If you ever have need of the utility of a tractor in a small size, you will have it. But with the ZT mower, there is a lot you can't do with it.

The problem is filling that gap between the 54" mower deck size of the Lowes/Home Depot sized riding mowers and the SCUT class is wide and far. Both in options AND, just as important, pricing. Not to mention reliability and parts costs. If a person only needs a mower then stick with the crummy Lowes/Home Depot units and expect them to last 10 or 15 years. Or get a ZT. If a person needs more, them they have to think hard about what level they really need and not want. B.

 

[GeneV]

Can you drive a ZT with one hand(no). Can a ZT get on side hills(no)Can a ZT till a garden, dig a post hole. run a box blade,move trailers etc.(no). My 2000 BX with 54" mmm will cut grass as fast as ZT the way I drive it.

I could drive my stander mower with one hand, and much of my property is a hill...no problem mowing it.

Your BX is around 1400 lbs on it's own w/o the loader and backhoe attached. Your mmm adds another 200 lbs to that. That's a lot of weight there on your turf, compacting it.

How much was that mmm 54" deck?

 

[SCWOOD]

I can steer my bx with one finger. My 2000 MMM 54" needs to be replaced. I am going to pick up a very nice one for $950 Friday that I found on marketplace. There is a like new RCK54-23bx deck for $1500 local. Mine is a RCK54-22bx.

 

[oldtimer 66]

I have a John Deere 4320 cab tractor/ with 48 HP and the mid mount mower/ 72". Now 17 years old and 2500 hrs. It was the only way for me to go. Cruise, air, tilt, eh! The 4X20 series tractors had up to 58 HP at the time. Per the dealer they didn't sell very well, that is with the mower deck, so they discontinued that option after only a couple of years.

 

[GeneV]

I can steer my bx with one finger. My 2000 MMM 54" needs to be replaced. I am going to pick up a very nice one for $950 Friday that I found on marketplace. There is a like new RCK54-23bx deck for $1500 local. Mine is a RCK54-22bx.

SC, I'm not looking to argue or push my point, so please don't take it as such. But for the benefit of the o/p...for $1500 used mower deck for the BX, that could go into a very nice used garden tractor with a mower deck, around 1/2 the weight of a scut so it won't compact your turf as much, which is ready to mulch with just a set of gators (which personally I prefer to always have on) and a chute blocker that just slips right in (2 second job). That RCK deck requires installing a baffle kit so it would mulch, drilling into your deck and all that stuff, screwing the baffles on. And then you got to unscrew all that to go back to mowing.

As for comfort level while mowing, I guess that's relative, but I've mowed with my GC and with a 2 different Craftsman garden tractors, and w/o a doubt for me the garden tractors were better to mow with. And my stander mower is on a whole other level, it's just awesome for mowing.

 

[HP942]

I went through this about 2 years ago. The wife wanted a smaller hydrostat she could drive. I didn’t really want two machines to have to maintain. So I sold my 35 year old JD and bought a CUT with a MMM. I only mow an acre, but use my loader and tractor weekly. I can mow faster with the CUT than I could my JD with a 6’ finish mower, plus the Mrs. mows occasionally with the smaller tractor. I’ll keep it for a house/yard tractor and buy a bigger on again someday to take care of my hunting property.

 

[DaBear3428]

Can you drive a ZT with one hand(no). Can a ZT get on side hills(no)Can a ZT till a garden, dig a post hole. run a box blade,move trailers etc.(no). My 2000 BX with 54" mmm will cut grass as fast as ZT the way I drive it.

not as fast as my 54" ZTR the way i drive it, most likely your BX more comfortable, I drive my ZTR with one hand all the time. side hills are doable as long as it is not wet, but then again BX even in 4X4 on wet side grade is not something that is good for your health. on the tilling and post holes you have me but then again my 5145 or ford 2000 does that better than the BX. i used a MMM most of my life and IMO the ZTR beats it in almost every way except getting out of a wet ditch. I understand having one piece of equipment doing double duty, but then again you have one piece of equipment to reconfigure for every job. A MMM is a pain to try to leave on while on ruff terrain and a pain to put back on.

 

[GeneV]

Just some further talk about adding a mulch kit. Massey's GC line doesn't even have, the only option is to buy their dedicated mulching deck. As for Kubota's BX decks, it's a $600 kit, and here's what it takes to install it:

Whereas most garden tractors already come with 2-in-1 deck, only require mulching blades and a chute plug to convert from side discharge to a mulcher. $60 kit, and here's how it "installs":

 

[GeneV]

not as fast as my 54" ZTR the way i drive it, most likely your BX more comfortable, I drive my ZTR with one hand all the time. side hills are doable as long as it is not wet, but then again BX even in 4X4 on wet side grade is not something that is good for your health. on the tilling and post holes you have me but then again my 5145 or ford 2000 does that better than the BX. i used a MMM most of my life and IMO the ZTR beats it in almost every way except getting out of a wet ditch. I understand having one piece of equipment doing double duty, but then again you have one piece of equipment to reconfigure for every job. A MMM is a pain to try to leave on while on ruff terrain and a pain to put back on.

To be fair, there are positives to a scut with a midmount deck, like for instance some people don't want a bunch of machines to house and maintain. I would say the ideal candidate is somebody who mainly has the tractor set up as a mower during mowing season, and occasionally throws on the loader and backhoe. But even still, it's a heavy machine to be mowing with. If you're mowing a yard you don't really care about, no biggie. But residential, especially the front yard, I personally don't wanna be having to core aerate every year to repair all that compacted soil.

 

[DaBear3428]

To be fair, there are positives to a scut with a midmount deck, like for instance some people don't want a bunch of machines to house and maintain. I would say the ideal candidate is somebody who mainly has the tractor set up as a mower during mowing season, and occasionally throws on the loader and backhoe. But even still, it's a heavy machine to be mowing with. If you're mowing a yard you don't really care about, no biggie. But residential, especially the front yard, I personally don't wanna be having to core aerate every year to repair all that compacted soil.

I agree on all but one point, if you do not care about the yard a rotary cutter or flail on the back does the job and is much less of an issue to deal with. otherwise i agree with your points. and as to the maintenance, a ZTR has a lot less to maintain for just cutting the grass.