Small Tractor or Zero Turn Mower?

[dodge man]

Ken45101, I wasn't very clear in my earlier post. Before I bought my BX2350 I was looking at 4 wheel drive garden tractors. Some of them were just as expensive as my BX2350. What I really meant to say is if you are looking at 4 wheel drive garden tractors, its better just to go ahead and pay for a sub compact 4 wheel drive tractor. The OP talked about a tiller, this is another reason to go ahead and get a sub compact tractor.

 

[kthompson]

Well you are seeing the value of the suggestion see if dealer will allow you to test each on your place.

It should be noted there is more variance in ZTR weight and tires size and design than in small tractors. As ZTR mowers use the rear wheels for both drive and steering with the front wheels as only weight support and no steering ability you by design has less ability on hills to me than does any thing with rear wheel drive and front wheel steer.

I know between my Bush Hog ZTR and my Kubota Compact tractor there is no comparison on wet (not damp but with water running out the hill) grass on about a 20 degree or so grade. The ZTR is helpless at times and has had to be towed up the hill by the tractor in 2 wheel drive.

As some one mention the acres per hours for most companies is the full cutting width at max speed with no time for turns. Other companies use like 75% of the deck width or such to give you more honest numbers. You have to know how they figure it.

 

[Kernopelli]

"A sub compact with a 60" deck with a loader is about the same money as a Zero turn!"
that may be true if your getting a diesel ztr mower, but look what else you get with the tractor: a powered wheel barrow for sure: ztr's have been around for many years, but how many 20 year old ones do you see around?? especially ones still being used: but how many 20 year old tractors do you see...no comparison, even if you do it by percentage/number sold: i have "never" seen a 20 year old ztr still being used.
heehaw

Actually, I have a 1988 Grasshopper 1822 that still gets used every week, still runs and cuts great. I had a newer one and sold it when I got a tractor/ RFM but ran across a good deal on the current G.Hopper and had to get it. Will it last as long as my tractor? No, so you do have a point. Yes it is overall faster than the tractor...if you count trimming and in my opinion that's where the ZTR's rule, you can just about throw away your weed eater. If you don't have many trees, flower beds, fence line, etc I don't think your gaining much if anything over the tractor/RFM. If you have a lot of trimming and all you need is a mower...get the ZTR.
If I could only have one, it would definitely be the tractor though. ZTR's are excellent at doing one thing and that's mowing. A tractor can be used for so many other jobs you can't compare the two. Get a tractor with a FEL, RFM and a box blade and you'll wonder how you ever did without it.

 

[LBrown59]

I'm not sure what you mean by "don't do with one of the four wheel drive mowers". With my hills, if I don't have the tractor (B2710) in 4wd it slides down the hill, the rear wheels don't have enough traction to stop it. One time it was in 2wd and I slid down until I hit the pasture fence. I broke one fence post and popped the staples out of another.

Ken

I think he's talkin Lawn tractor or Garden tractor.

 

[SunnyJim]

Can't beat a ZTR for mowing grass. Both my neighbors have them. They can spank my tractor and RFM. A tractor was a compromise for me. I needed something to mow with and a tractor but couldn't afford both. I think that's why most of us that do mow with a tractor do so.

I have to agree since I have both. I bush hog around a empty home and also run the ZTR around it oncassionally. The ZTR is much faster then a tractor at mowing, but if you can only get 1 I'd get a tractor and live with the slower mowing speed.

 

[Alan L.]

I found my ZTR faster on any kind of area than the tractor, but I'd have to give up the ZTR if I could only own one or the other. I had the tractor for years, paid it off, then bought the commercial ZTR. I love both. Had a RFM for the tractor and sold it.

 

[jcmseven]

I have studied this extensively in the products I have owned and with which I mow and have mowed. A ZTR is not that much faster than a really nice tractor (Subcompact) on any terrain that is less than perfectly smooth and flat. ZTR's are stable on hills, to a point. I have had more than one instance of a ZTR (JD 757) seem fine on a steep hill, then slide immediately and nearly flip. When they "let go" they do it dramatically. In testing my time on several lawns I have done, I found my ZTR to be consistently faster mowing than my then X595 JD with a 62" belly mount deck. However, the time differences were not large and they were extremely dependent on terrain type and grass. The ZTR mows great, but it did not do as good a job until the speed was slowed into the 6-7 MPH range. To achieve a similar cut to the 595 the speed had to be slowed to where the advantage was much less prominent. If one does not care a great deal about cut quality these machines will mow as fast as your spine can take it. Armed with this information I have recommended the following:

ZTR- buy if terrain is flatter, smoother and grass is consistent type. Better if multiple turns involved or short "runs" as turning speed is where these machines gain most of their advantage. Not as good with steep hills, or rough terrain where the speed advantage is nullified. Do not buy if you mind seeing your $10000 machine sitting during the winter.

High quality Sub-c of garden tractor-buy if you have the opposite of above. Must have 60" or greater cut to compete with essentially any worthwhile ZTR in speed. Not as fast in nearly any case, but close in many time-wise. Buy if you have any inkling of wanting to do things other than mow. Diesels are great and they offer the best fuel economy per acre cut and longevity as well.

This said, if I were to go with one I would choose a high end garden tractor or sub compact over a ZTR, unless I was a dedicated mower who made his/her living from mowing--and even then only if the terrain were suitable.

John M

 

[Dargo]

One aspect that I've not seen mentioned is that a front mount ZTR mower is far, far better on hills than a tractor unless you have duals on the rear of the tractor and loads of weights on the front. I can easily mow hills that are difficult to walk up with my front mount Grasshopper mowers. If they can't go up the hill forwards, I simply turn around and back up the hill. I've actually stopped, made a 360 degree turn, and continued on up hills that are steeper than I'd want to get my tractor on. Based on a few thousand hours in the seat, I can say with confidence that you'd pretty well have to try hard to flip a front mount Grasshopper. There is a huge difference between how they perform on hills as compared to a mid mount, rear wheel drive, ZTR.

However, the only thing they do is mow. If you need to perform other tasks, they are not well suited for much else besides mowing and running a snow blower from their front PTO. They sell a dozer blade for them, but it's a joke. They are designed from the ground up to be a dedicated mowing machine and are particularly well suited for mowing on hills.

I've mentioned before that what first caught my attention to Grasshopper mowers is after seeing our local school corporation using them exclusively to mow the 15 or so acres of grass that make up the side of a 'bowl' at my old high school football field. The school corporation had to quit trying to use tractors after they flipped so many of them that their insurance carrier threatened to drop them if they continued to use tractors. For a short period of time they had dozens of people out with string trimmers on the hills but that didn't work for many reasons including people falling and sliding down the hills as well as being extremely labor intensive. They've mowed that area with front mount Grasshoppers for over a decade now and I've not heard of them ever turning one over. Still, they won't do tasks a tractor can. Only you can decide which is more important to you. Good luck!

 

[BXpanded]

Get the ZTR! Hands down! Run don't walk! Stay as far from the Subcompact as possible!
I bought my BX24 with the idea I'd get all my outdoor chores done more quickly and would have more time to do other things I enjoy. Between tackling things I would never have considered before the BX and helping the neighbors with all the things their machines can't do, seems like I'm never finished now! Seems they can't figure out how to haul mulch, clean up storm damage or turn their gardens with those ZTRs. I spend so much time helping everyone else, I now have the worst maintained yard in the neighborhood and the biggest fuel bill!

 

[BigD23]

Why is everyone so concerned about speed, quick, as fast as possible? Slow down and enjoy the ride/work and don't get hurt...Get back to basics guys.

Don

 

[Redneck in training]

We have both tractor and zero turn mower. There is no way we could move our hills with the tractor. I would be dead by now. It is no issue for the ZT. I can do safely doughnuts on a slope I have difficulty walking on. We also have a lot of trees and other obstacles. In terrain like that the ZT is at least twice as fast as the tractor. Not speaking about safety.
Not all ZT are created equal though. I can speak for front mounted Grasshopper only. Our Grasshopper has so called traction package and wide back.
I attached a ball on the back and we use it to pull a single axle trailer. It could pull about a ton up on quite steep slope as long as the grass is dry.
Somebody mentioned a "dozer blade". It is a snow blade. It works great to clean snow from the concrete pad in front of our garage (there are too many things to run into with a tractor) but will do our road only when the snow cover is about 5" or less.

 

[Ken45101]

Why is everyone so concerned about speed, quick, as fast as possible? Slow down and enjoy the ride/work and don't get hurt...Get back to basics guys.

Don

You are right, of course. However, since getting the ZT, mowing the lawn has become fun instead of a chore. And the grass looks better and gets mowed more often.

Again, our yard required a lot of turning and maneuvering because of it's configuration. It wasn't enjoyable with the tractor. Then again, the tractor was bought when I had ten acres of open lawn to mow and is really too big for just mowing a smaller yard.

Ken

 

[LBrown59]

1*Why is everyone so concerned about speed, quick, as fast as possible?
3* Slow down and enjoy the ride/work and don't get hurt...
5*Get back to basics guys.

Don

1*I don't get that one either.
Get out the push mower it will make you appreciate just how fast a tractor is.
3*certainly.
5*Yup.

 

[Kansas Slim]

Ted,

My situation was much the same as your's. I wanted to buy my LAST mower and I wanted to mow the 2.5 acres in less than 2 hrs. The previous owners took over 4 hrs with their year-old Yardman 48" deck.

With a bunch of commercial mowing from my younger years, and having used my share of crappy department store mowers, I started shopping and researching in earnest. I demo'd a Dixon diesel (Kodiak) and Walker Super Bee on somebody elses property. I demo'd a Grasshopper 722 and a Scag Turf Tiger on my own property. Before the demo's I was leaning toward the Grasshopper. The Dixon wheelbase was too short and bounced a lot, even when not running full out. The Walker's steering is unique and I imagine I could get used to it. It mowed beautifully, and for the money was probably the best deal given what I was considering. The Grasshopper was fantastic, as I expected. I really wanted the diesel, which the Grasshopper had. But, the Turf Tiger just blew me away! I was very impressed. Except for visions of a $12,000 machine sitting in the shop while I hired somebody to come grade our 1/4 mile lane...or clear the snow if we were to catch a storm or two over the winter, or tow a cart full of firewood to the house, etc...

I also mowed with the neighbor's old John Deere 455 and she did okay, but I wasn't crazy about the deck. Not entirely even and didn't cut well at higher speed. I'm sure the deck could be adjusted and I'm sure she would cut better if I had sharpened the blades. I was comparing her against new machines.

I really wanted the diesel. After weeks of deliberation I finally bit the bullet and bought John Deere X748 with the commercial grade 7-Iron 60" deck. WOW! I never demo'd one and now here it is sitting in my drive! It's 4WD, doesn't scuff the turf, turn's amazingly tight (especially considering it's not 4-wheel steer), climbs like a raped ape, and the deck is amazing! Beautiful cut. It comes on and off super easy. Just disconnect and drive over it. The front blade works better than I thought on the gravel lane, though the 48" box blade for the 3 point hitch is on it's way. It cost a fortune, but it's worth every penny.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Awww shucks! You didn't have to go tempt me like that on an expensive X748!

 

[Kansas Slim]

I also mowed with the neighbor's old John Deere 455 and she did okay, but I wasn't crazy about the deck. Not entirely even and didn't cut well at higher speed. I'm sure the deck could be adjusted and I'm sure she would cut better if I had sharpened the blades. I was comparing her against new machines.

Sorry, it was a 445, not a 455. No big deal. I just didn't want to misinform you all.