Z970r

[xrjohndeere]

I知 looking at z970r 60 inch deck. Any of you guys run one of these? 72 inch would not work for me. Current setup is z930r 60 inch. Good machine but I would like more power for the long hills I mow. I considered the 950r but it is not much more hp. I like the 31 hp on the 960 but it does not come in R. Any comments or suggestions welcome. Thanks.

 

[Been There Twice]

I don't know of any other Zero Turn that you could buy with more horsepower than the Z970R model. With it having a 36 hp v-twin you are buying the top end on power. Keep in mind it's not the horsepower that does the mowing, it is the blade tip speed, and the Z970R has 18,000 fpm and that is plenty to mow grass on a hill side or level areas.

 

[xrjohndeere]

I don't know of any other Zero Turn that you could buy with more horsepower than the Z970R model. With it having a 36 hp v-twin you are buying the top end on power. Keep in mind it's not the horsepower that does the mowing, it is the blade tip speed, and the Z970R has 18,000 fpm and that is plenty to mow grass on a hill side or level areas.

Thanks for the reply. I got it ordered. I will post how it works out when I start mowing. I may need to budget a little more for fuel.

 

[mdmjrm]

You will like it. I bought a z970r in 2015 it's a 72" which is all that was offered at the time and what I wanted. I also bought the dump from seat MCS. I mow about 3.5 acres around my home and this mower replaced my 3320 with a 72" MMM. I really went back and forth between a z997 diesel and 970r. In the end the diesel was about 3K more than the 970r. The material this thing can process through the deck and MCS is absolutely astonishing. The gas that it uses when working it hard is also surprising. The 970r's do alot of work and use a lot of gas. With a 60" deck you will likely be able to run it through 12" grass and not bog the engine down. Mine is so quick only only put about 20-25 hours a year on it. Good luck.

 

[xrjohndeere]

I got to try the mower out last week. What a beast. I definitely notice the power deference over my 930. The stuff I would bog down on this thing went right through it. With the new seat upgrade and tweels the ride was definitely smoother. Was it worth the extra cost? Not sure. I was worried it would be too much power for the 60inch deck but to me it feels perfect. My z930r was a awesome machine and if it was not for the long hills I mow I would not have needed the extra power. Can’t go wrong with either machine. I did try out the z994 diesel with 60inch. What a absolute dog. The z930 would run circles around it. If you look at the engine hp/tq specs it is way under powered for the weight of the machine. You can now get a 72 inch deck with it. I could not imagine how doggy that thing would be. I’m sure it uses less fuel but if it takes twice as long to mow what is the point? I know some are going to argue but take both the z930 and the z994 and run them on the same area and see for yourself. If you have hills to mow forget the z994. I own and run all sorts of different diesel tractors and trucks so I do know the difference between gas and diesel power.

 

[zilla24]

Nice choice. I too was just faced with a similar decision and bought the 960M. For me 31hp was sufficient and I didn’t need or want to pay for the electric lift and other features the R had. Plus the dealer offered me a great deal on a leftover.

I think your 970 will be a great machine, how fast are you cutting with it? I’m always curious if they cut at their advertised speed.

I did also try the 994r. I strongly considered this to run the same fuel as my other equipment, but the 5k price over the 960m was just too much.

 

[xrjohndeere]

Nice choice. I too was just faced with a similar decision and bought the 960M. For me 31hp was sufficient and I didn稚 need or want to pay for the electric lift and other features the R had. Plus the dealer offered me a great deal on a leftover.

I think your 970 will be a great machine, how fast are you cutting with it? I知 always curious if they cut at their advertised speed.

I did also try the 994r. I strongly considered this to run the same fuel as my other equipment, but the 5k price over the 960m was just too much.

I cut as fast as it will go and I can hang on. It does a good job cutting. Have to keep the blades sharp if you want to run wot. According to speed app I am running about 10 to 11 mph. I figured with what I usually cut in a day it burns about a gallon more fuel than the z930 I had. For the power increase I don稚 mind the extra fuel. I felt the z994 was way underpowered for the weight of the machine. I would have bought a z960 if it would have been a R series. The 31 hp would have been good. I really like the push button hydraulics and use them a lot. The lift is actually a hydraulic lift and not electric. Only electric part of it is the electric actuator valve.

 

[rmonio]

I just purchased a Z930R for my property. I don't have much in the ways of heavy grass/hills so this should be sufficient.

Any gotchas on driving/handling/management that you can share or point me to?

Thanks!

 

[workinonit]

I looked at the 994 when I bought my 1211. Never got the chance to run one. My 1211 has plenty of power. The main reason at the time I didn't get the 994 was because of the way JD does the deck lift. All the way up or all the way down to the stop. The 1211 can be bumped up and down without going all the way and I do like the foot control.
I did try out a 970R when I bought but that 36HP engine scared me to death. My 19HP and 21HP ZTs burn enough fuel. I can't imagine keeping gas in that beast. I do like the shaft drive.