Zero Turn Mower Advice

[labsrus]

We purchased a compact tractor with the advice and help of the members on here, now we need some advice on zero turn mowers.
The JD 2720 we have will mow most of our yard but we need something that will get under the trees and closer to our fences. We do have a JD 425 but are ready to trade it in.
Can some people help us out before we go look at some zero turns? There are not many big hills here but I would like one that has some good manners going up and down hills. Are front mounts better?
My wife and I would like to stick with JD but I think there may be some better ones out there? The Scag I tried was great but it spun the wheels up the hills. I really like the Exmark and Kubota but just wanted some other advice.
Thanks

 

[scuvnut]

We purchased an Exmark Lazer Z and its an absolute beast. Hills are no problem and the cut is great. Nothing but cudo's for it.

 

[MarkV]

How much are you mowing and how rough is the ground?

MarkV

 

[labsrus]

Mark - It is not rough but by all means, it is not the smoothest. I would think it is about 3 acres we would mow with it.

 

[dbear]

Labs, as someone who has gone from an out-front, 3-wheeled mower to a center-mount, true z-turn, I can honestly say you will not be able to get under trees as well with a ZTR, nor will it be as stable on hills.

Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about buying the Z. I simply instituted a rather aggressive pruning program to be able to trim around my trees better, and fortunately, the only slopes I have are really short in length (8'-10'), and I went with a Dixie Chopper with Turf Boss tires.

As far as front-mount Z's, I see that JD no longer offers one. Here's a few that do:
Grasshopper Mower
Commercial Outfront Mower Series, Gravely Rapid XZ Series
Woods Equipment Company - Mowers
FrontRunner front mount riding mower for the landscape professional from Exmark.

I'm not sure about pricing, but I think the 3-wheeler designs might be a little cheaper, and from personal experience are quite stable on hills:
Commercial Outfront Mower Series, Gravely PM 320HD Lawn Mower
SCAG POWER EQUIPMENT - STHM Three-Wheel Riding Mower
ProCut?S, Ferris® Industries, Three Wheel Riders, 3 Wheel Rider, Riding Mowers, Ferris Mowers, Mowers, Mower, Commercial Mowers, Lawn Mowers, Lawnmowers, Suspension, Independent Suspension, Munsville New York, Syracuse, New York, Central New Yor

Good luck...

 

[Ron D.]

I went through what you're going through for the past month. I just purchased a Gravely commercial Z44 and love it. It's built like a tank and fits my needs perfectly. I've been mowimg about 1.3 acs. with a Craftsman 48" hydro with a 26hp Kohler. It does a fine job and has a good cut, but cutting around landscaping and getting into tighter areas, it's not the best. I looked at several "close-out" deals on 2008 models, mainly Scag, Toro, and Gravely. In my area, north Texas/Dallas area, I found the following close-out prices on commercial units that may help you when you're shopping:

Toro 48"/21hp - $6,499
Scag Tiger Cat 48"/19hp - $6,799
Scag Turf Tiger 61"/35hp - $9,499
Gravely 266H 66"/31hp - $8,799
Gravely 272H 72"/31hp - $9,199
Gravely 44Z 44"/19hp - $4,799
Gravely 48Z 48"/19hp - $4,999

As mentioned, the above are commercial units as opposed to the homeowner units. Commercial unit will have stronger blade clutches, better/heavier cutting decks, stronger hydro pumps with better cooling, stronger gears, beefer frames, etc. My decision on the Gravely 44" was based on size, price and value. I wanted something either slightly less than 48", or 48", and couldn't justify the jump in price for the others. You'll get varying answers on the typical questions about which is the best unit, but I certainly couldn't see the Scag being worth 50% more than the similar sized Gravely.

Based on my research of many posts over the past month on lawn care sites about ZT mowers, most commercial lawn care individuals really like Scag. Other names that get good reviews are Exmark, Toro, Grasshopper. There are many good machines and I don't think you will make a mistake as long as you stay with the good brands. I strongly recommend getting a commercial over the homeowner version, from a good, competent dealer. Dealers are just as important in lawn mowers as they are in tractors, particularly when it comes to warranty or service issues.

Also, the Kawasaki engines seem to be preferred by the pro's, followed by the Kohler. The Briggs has good horsepower but significantly lower torque than the Kawa's and Kohlers.

Hope this helps some. Let us know what you decide.

 

[wushaw]

My 322d 61" deck grasshopper does great on my hills/pond dam, I have a littel 36" Hustler that is terrible on hills or any kind of slope, I feel weight and tires are key factors, big tires and weight.

 

[Alan L.]

My Scag Wildcat seems OK on the particular slopes I have, which is not alot. It does seem to be attracted to water however, as in my pond. When you have a mid deck ZTR like this you have to figure on moving your body in under the trees, so get you chainsaw out and trim them accordingly.

Love the mower.

 

[LBrown59]

*Labs, as someone who has gone from an out-front, 3-wheeled mower to a center-mount, true z-turn, I can honestly say you will not be able to get under trees as well with a ZTR, nor will it be as stable on hills.Don't get me wrong, I have no regrets about buying the Z. I simply instituted a rather aggressive pruning program to be able to trim around my trees better, and fortunately, the only slopes I have are really short in length (8'-10'), and I went with a Dixie Chopper with Turf Boss tires.Good luck...

*You can mow out over ditches and banks or under things with the out front mower.
Can't do that with a Belley Mower.

 

[kiotidk45SE]

We bought a Hustler SuperZ 23 HP 60" cut about 8 years ago and have done nothing to it but oil/air filters and blades/belts. In the summer it mows commerically 3 or 4 days out of the week. This machine is extremely stable on hills.