Buying Advice Tractor vs zero turn

[Mattyboy93]

Looking for buying advice based on mowing.

Currently have a tad more than a acre of flat property... I currently have a 42” toro zero turn... And a jd diesel tractor for yard work...

First thing is I’m upgrading to a 60” deck..

Butttt do I sell the tractor and the zero turn and get a sub compact with 60” deck to mow with (keeping out the yard work aspect right now..) or a 60” deck zero turn?

Regardless upgrading from a 42”to a 60” deck will cut my now time either option..

but now for tough part.. will the zero turn cut nicer than a sub compact with mower deck..

Obviously turn radius is out the window on comparison

Will I hate going from a zero turn (even if it’s 42”) to a tractor to mow..

 

[i7win7]

The John Deere 1585 TerrainCut Front Rotary Mower - YouTube

But it'll be awhile before you're ready to buy a tractor.

 

[9973720wb19]

I get wanting a new toy, but sounds like you already have what you need.

 

[Diggin It]

but now for tough part.. will the zero turn cut nicer than a sub compact with mower deck.

Infinitely. I've never had a ZTR, but my two riding mowers both cut better than the SCUT. I got the SCUT for other reasons, but also to mow the hill that's too steep for the riders. The SCUT is close to 2,000 pounds with me on board and will leave significant ruts in wet or soft ground. Neither rider at around 750 with me on board will do that.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have tractors, I have zero turns, there's NO WAY I'll ever go back to a tractor for grass mowing!!

SR

 

[shovelmike]

I have tractors, I have zero turns, there's NO WAY I'll ever go back to a tractor for grass mowing!!

SR

I absolutely agree, mowing with a tractor is a royal pain compared to a zero turn radius mower, heavier, less maneuverable. A 3 point mounted finish mower is easy to mount and dismount but a pain to maneuver around obstructions, a mid mount deck is a pain to mount and dismount and greatly limits ground clearance for other tasks if you leave it on. My ZTR is 52" deck, (15 years of use,\still like new) I mow a larger area than you, and it does the job very quickly with a nice quality cut.
If you feel that you really need a 60" deck, I see lightly used commercial ZTR mowers here from time to time for $4,000- $5,000 .
As mentioned in another post, you have everything you need.

 

[Reb954]

Looking for buying advice based on mowing.

Currently have a tad more than a acre of flat property... I currently have a 42 toro zero turn... And a jd diesel tractor for yard work...

First thing is I知 upgrading to a 60 deck..

Butttt do I sell the tractor and the zero turn and get a sub compact with 60 deck to mow with (keeping out the yard work aspect right now..) or a 60 deck zero turn?

Regardless upgrading from a 42杯o a 60 deck will cut my now time either option..

but now for tough part.. will the zero turn cut nicer than a sub compact with mower deck..

Obviously turn radius is out the window on comparison

Will I hate going from a zero turn (even if it痴 42? to a tractor to mow..

I don't know the layout of your yard but I would dare bet the 42" zero turn will mow the yard faster than a sub compact with a 60" deck.

If you mow the lawn I suspect you will be disappointed mowing with the sub compact. If your wife mows the lawn, she probably won't say anything until her upper body strength is built up enough from mowing with the sub compact, but after it is she will probably beat the crap out of you for getting rid of her zero turn.

 

[JJZ 109]

I got sick of getting stuck in wet yards with the 2 zero turns I owned. A little more aggressive tire only made turning tear up the grass. Sold the last one (Ferris) and went with a John Deere X394 tractor. 4 wheel steer, power steering and hydraulic deck lift & lower. No regrets here. Obviously doesn't spin turn like a ZT but close enough for my needs.
I'm awaiting delivery of a BX2380 with 60 inch belly mower and turfs but the John Deere is not going anywhere. The BX will handle mowing the rougher lot next door to the house property as well as light duty loader stuff that causes my skid steer to leave ruts in the yard.
Worst mowing move I ever made: a Troy Built unit to pull behind a 4 wheeler. Under powered and a crappy cut.

 

[RalphVa]

No question. Zero turn for mowing unless it's just plain rectangle you're mowing.

Ralph

 

[EddieWalker]

If your lawn is smooth, then nothing comes close to what a zero turn can do. If it's rough, the zero turn will still be faster and give you a better finish, but a riding mower, or tractor, is going to be more comfortable.

I mow several acres with my zero turn. I started with a riding mower, then got the tractor with a bush hog and a finish mower. Each has their place, but the zero turn is by far the best at getting the grass cut quickly, with the best results.

 

[Thomas]

Could you use sub compact other than mowing...snow removal,projects with front loader,garden etc.

 

[dragoneggs]

I've had push mowers, riding lawn tractor, SCUT, and Zero turn. On flat property there is no question a z turn is the way to go IMO. It is just a matter of selecting the best cut width for your lot size and obstacles.

 

[dodge man]

I have a JD 2025r with a 60” auto connect deck. The deck goes on and off easy as does the front end loader. It mows good but not great. I also have hills and pretty rough ground and use the end loader all the time. If all you are doing is mowing, the zero turn is best. On the other hand if you need a tractor for other stuff,a compact or sub compact is best.

 

[Hay Dude]

I will mow about 25 acres at an upscale housing complex with a 72” diesel zero turn tomorrow, and I do this every week during cutting season. Theres a couple 5 acre patches, some steep banks along a pond, trails and front & back yards. My Zero turn does them all and way faster than a tractor. For me, it actually gives me back my time and my freedom.

 

[dlctcg]

I agree nothing cuts or is as fast as a zero turn... for what you are looking at... & if you currently have a 42" zero turn that is in good condition & will last; I'm not sure why look at a 60"? With flat property as you state a 60" deck will cut smooth but with an only an acre to cut you would only be saving (at the most) 15 mins with the zero turn upgrades deck size... of course this is depending on your lot. With a sub compact I believe you will be adding time... frustration & possibly giving up cut quality....

I actually went from a 61" deck zero turn to a 50" zero turn & didn't see any increase in my cut time (the 50" was more maneuverable for my property type = fast cutting)... I also had definite better cut quality with the 50".... I mow about 2.75 acres...

 

[kthompson]

We were mowing our over two acres with a Kubota B2710 with a Bushog brand rear finishing mower with a 72 inch deck. It was a two hour job. Bought their mid grade ztr mower with 20 hp Kohler engine and 52 inch deck and mowed it in 1 1/2 hours. Same brand deck as the ztr, same spindles, same design but the 20 inch narrower ztr saved 25% of the time the tractor and mower took. Cut quality was I would say the same.

 

[Mattyboy93]

I figured this would be the general consensus. I agree with everyone’s points. I appreciate the feedback. My current zero turn is a bit undersized for my needs. Maybe I’ll just look to upgrade a hair on the zero turn.

I use the 770 for the 3 pt capability for the garden patch. Front end loaders are hard to find for these and are expensive.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I use the 770 for the 3 pt capability for the garden patch. Front end loaders are hard to find for these and are expensive.

3 point pallet forks will allow you to pick up stuff and move it.

Get a pair to use until you find a loader.

SR

 

[Ortimber]

The more obstacles you have to mow around, the more time you will save using a ZTR. If you get a good suspension or air seat, a ZTR is tolerable on slightly rough ground.

 

[nards444]

ive mowed my lawn with a garden store big box store kind and a ZTR big box store and borrowed my buddies scut once to do it. The scut didnt mow any better or faster than the garden tractor give or take a few mins. My 2500 dollar big box zero turn mower took mowing from just over two hours to right at about an hour. Nothing beats a zero turn for typical mowing to include slight incline. Obviously severe incline and other situations might dictate otherwise.

When comes to things like this I look at contractors. Painters paint by cutting in or tapping off, not stupid cut in tools that dont work. When it comes to mowing 99% of mowers out there doing commercial work are ZTRs witha few 3 point mowers doing large things with tractors. Cant say I have seen a contractor use a MMM on a tractor to do a job. That tells you what people that do this daily think