zero turn mowers EXPENSIVE

[Sawyer Rob]

I keep trying to talk myself into a Krone baler, which is the best, but thats a BIG pile of sheckles

The Krone's are completely rebuildable, you could buy a used one for a lot less and go through it and make it run like new again.

SR

 

[fried1765]

Having a crippled up body puts a different rationale on selection. One that has nothing to do with how long a machine will do the job...it factors into how long the operator can do the job. Luckily, at 70, I am not at that stage yet. Also, with a relatively small flat area to mow, 2 acres, investing in a Cadillac mower seems silly.

If I ever get to the point I cannot endure an hour a week operating a mower, I have much bigger issues to deal with than getting grass cut.

The Country Clipper dealer offered to put in an upgraded seat for $350. This is on a $5k machine. Might be worth doing.

Btw, I used to have a Mercedes sedan. It was a wonderful car. I kept it for 20 years until I totaled it. It was a silly thing to buy,, but I drove a lot of miles and loved it. I look at high end ZTç—´ the same way. But I love cars a lot more than mowers. Most of us have just so many dollars to spend on stuff, so cost matters.

I had my Mercedes E-320 for 24 years, until a woman nailed it in the side just last December.
I loved driving that car.
But then....... I bought a beautiful (used) Mercedes E-350, and I enjoy that even more.
At 5 weeks from 80.....cost may often no longer be the primary concern.

 

[shooterdon]

I had my Mercedes E-320 for 24 years, until a woman nailed it in the side just last December.
I loved driving that car.
But then....... I bought a beautiful (used) Mercedes E-350, and I enjoy that even more.
At 5 weeks from 80.....cost may often no longer be the primary concern.

Mine was an E430. It would switch between 4,6, or 8 cylinders and I could never sense it switching. Got 27 MPG on the highway.

I live rural now, and roads are too crappy for a sedan. When I cannot live rural any longer I will buy another Mercedes and it will be my last vehicle....70 now. Best car I have ever owned or riden in.

 

[Brown Dog]

All I will say is... Kubota makes the best z turn; it will be the only one you will ever buy.

Second that :thumbsup:

I never dreamed I’d pay $15k for a lawnmower.

Then I bought a New ZD1511 72 for $19k & sold the ZD1211

This took the place of a 66hp JD Tractor & 110 inch cut rear finishing mower that I sold them both.

I’m all about quality & dependability.

It’s well worth the cost to me :cool2:

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I moved to the country and knew I would never be cutting this new place with my old 21" walk-behind mower from suburbia. And yes, the ZT mowers are expensive, and so I hired out the service for 10 years to people who had their own ZT mowers because I wasn't ready to buy one and didn't have time to spend on the yard.

But as the price rose, particularly after a recent attempt to raise the price by 50%, I decided enough was enough and bought a $9300 (incl tax+delivery) Kubota ZT724 model. To be sure, that's awful close to the $10,400 I paid for a new Honda Accord I bought in 1987. However compared to what they wanted to charge me going forward I have this sense that the money I spent on the ZT mower is like printing money. Every lawn mowing I do pays me back what I would have spent, and the mower will be fully paid for (from what I saved on hiring it out) in under 2 years.

Could I have used a cheaper mower? Maybe. My yard is no picnic though, and I'm no light frame to be hauled around either. The Kubota is a tank and hauls me with ease. I do have some nits with it, that I'll write up in another topic someday, but by and large it's good and paying for itself. I would have loved a diesel model, but that was just too much for my needs.

 

[shooterdon]

I moved to the country and knew I would never be cutting this new place with my old 21" walk-behind mower from suburbia. And yes, the ZT mowers are expensive, and so I hired out the service for 10 years to people who had their own ZT mowers because I wasn't ready to buy one and didn't have time to spend on the yard.

But as the price rose, particularly after a recent attempt to raise the price by 50%, I decided enough was enough and bought a $9300 (incl tax+delivery) Kubota ZT724 model. To be sure, that's awful close to the $10,400 I paid for a new Honda Accord I bought in 1987. However compared to what they wanted to charge me going forward I have this sense that the money I spent on the ZT mower is like printing money. Every lawn mowing I do pays me back what I would have spent, and the mower will be fully paid for (from what I saved on hiring it out) in under 2 years.

Could I have used a cheaper mower? Maybe. My yard is no picnic though, and I'm no light frame to be hauled around either. The Kubota is a tank and hauls me with ease. I do have some nits with it, that I'll write up in another topic someday, but by and large it's good and paying for itself. I would have loved a diesel model, but that was just too much for my needs.

A Vet would cut/trim my place (just under 2 acres) for $50 but I always gave him $70 on those weeks I was travelling and could not do it myself. Very inexpensive IMHO. But with 20-24 cuts a year, I would be spending about $1500/year. to keep hiring the job out. My BB store Husqvarna 48" rider is 8 years old (300 hrs) and keeps chugging along...hoping it will die...LOL. I will be going with a ZT, as you have, when I finally pull the trigger to replace the rider. I do not need a $10k unit as my lawn is flat, but I hate cutting grass. So cutting my mowing time in half (under an hour) is the driver. I am looking at a $4-5k machine and it will be paid off in less than 4 years. It will last my lifetime..70 YO now. I am 10 years behind fried1765, but think along his lines.

 

[fried1765]

A Vet would cut/trim my place (just under 2 acres) for $50 but I always gave him $70 on those weeks I was travelling and could not do it myself. Very inexpensive IMHO. But with 20-24 cuts a year, I would be spending about $1500/year. to keep hiring the job out. My BB store Husqvarna 48" rider is 8 years old (300 hrs) and keeps chugging along...hoping it will die...LOL. I will be going with a ZT, as you have, when I finally pull the trigger to replace the rider. I do not need a $10k unit as my lawn is flat, but I hate cutting grass. So cutting my mowing time in half (under an hour) is the driver. I am looking at a $4-5k machine and it will be paid off in less than 4 years. It will last my lifetime..70 YO now. I am 10 years behind fried1765, but think along his lines.

"I am 10 years behind Fried1765, but think along his lines"
Better be careful with thinking like me......could land you in jail!

 

[shooterdon]

"I am 10 years behind Fried1765, but think along his lines"
Better be careful with thinking like me......could land you in jail!

LOL....we might need each other to watch our 6’s....

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I moved to the country and knew I would never be cutting this new place with my old 21" walk-behind mower from suburbia. And yes, the ZT mowers are expensive, and so I hired out the service for 10 years to people who had their own ZT mowers because I wasn't ready to buy one and didn't have time to spend on the yard.

But as the price rose, particularly after a recent attempt to raise the price by 50%, I decided enough was enough and bought a $9300 (incl tax+delivery) Kubota ZT724 model. To be sure, that's awful close to the $10,400 I paid for a new Honda Accord I bought in 1987. However compared to what they wanted to charge me going forward I have this sense that the money I spent on the ZT mower is like printing money. Every lawn mowing I do pays me back what I would have spent, and the mower will be fully paid for (from what I saved on hiring it out) in under 2 years.

Could I have used a cheaper mower? Maybe. My yard is no picnic though, and I'm no light frame to be hauled around either. The Kubota is a tank and hauls me with ease. I do have some nits with it, that I'll write up in another topic someday, but by and large it's good and paying for itself. I would have loved a diesel model, but that was just too much for my needs.

I bought a used 20 hr ZT724 last year but alll my other machines are diesel and history with old gas mowers from long ago "made" me trade the ZT back to Barlows for the ZD1211. I've also owned the smaller gas Kubota and some other ZDs but as far as quality of cut with the mulching kit/block plate the Z724 was/is it. It is a high speed blade dedicated mower and does it's job great. One of the past machines that I miss.

 

[timswi]

I bought a used 20 hr ZT724 last year but alll my other machines are diesel and history with old gas mowers from long ago "made" me trade the ZT back to Barlows for the ZD1211. I've also owned the smaller gas Kubota and some other ZDs but as far as quality of cut with the mulching kit/block plate the Z724 was/is it. It is a high speed blade dedicated mower and does it's job great. One of the past machines that I miss.

Agree with you john. My Z724 does a great job on the grass no matter how deep it is. Curious how the mulching kit worked, was thinking about doing that.

 

[shooterdon]

Agree with you john. My Z724 does a great job on the grass no matter how deep it is. Curious how the mulching kit worked, was thinking about doing that.

Before buying the mulching kit you may want to try Gator blades if they are available for your machine. I got a set for my rider, and they do a decent job

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Agree with you john. My Z724 does a great job on the grass no matter how deep it is. Curious how the mulching kit worked, was thinking about doing that.

The cut with the blades that come with the mulching kit did awesome cut for me but the purpose of me buying mulching kit was for removing the side chute/discharge to keep grass from blowing on me and to allow cutting up close on both sides of the deck and stop windrowing so I can continue cutting in any or no mowing pattern. I do circles around and around and around trees and then maybe start diagonal cutting across yard until I may or may not start cutting from the house toward the street. Any mowing pattern works with rear discharge or Kubota mulching kit and has nothing to do with brand of blades for me. I buy Kubota dealer blades and know they will fit and work on my machines without doing any modifications and not having to remember what I did different to get them to work the next time I trade them and forget the secret combo. I try to keep things simple as I can now.....I also have a yard and not a lawn, a several acres yard. I don't lime or fertilize it and I want my grass clippings back down on my yard spread all around and fertilizing the yard instead of buying and applying expensive chemicals to do what the dead grass/weeds do. For me rear discharge/side discharge with mulching kit decks leave my yards looking better than the side rowing clumps of side discharge machine especially with my preferring the psycho mowing patterns or lack of patterns.

 

[tradosaurus]

If you are purchasing a ZT for country use I would advise to spend the money on a commercial grade. If you have 2 acres or more I would get a 60" deck minimum.
Plan on spending $7k minimum new for a well built mower.
I personally have the Titan HD 2000 with 60" deck and have about 100 hrs in 3 years.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm a Kubota fan - at work I purchased two compact Kubota tractors and they performed flawlessly. In 2013 I purchased (for employer) a ZD331 zero turn. It was wonderful - the only warranty issue was the hour meter. That zero turn got some hours so in 2018 I tried to purchase a similar zero turn and through the bidding process wound up with a ZD1511 which was substantially more expensive that the ZD331. The biggest issue I found with the newer ZD1511 centered around the tier 4 emissions which required tacking on another 2 plus feet to the frame to accommodate the bulk of the turbo charger and huge exhaust canisters. It appeared that Kubota modified an existing shorter frame which in our case caused a great deal of flexing - so much flexing that the hood would not latch shut without a lot of effort. The twin fuel tanks had no manual valve and the automatic tank changeover did not happen which required me to walk 1/2 a mile to get some fuel to pour into the empty tank. Being the boss I usually operated the newest equipment but I soon went back to running the ZD331.
I retired in January of this year but the ZD1511 broke down and spent most of this summer at the dealership. I don't know the details of what caused the breakdown or why the equipment was in the shop for nearly the entire mowing season this year.
Maybe we got a lemon. Maybe tier 4 emissions caused the huge price increase, the frame flexing, and the major breakdown. I still am a diesel Kubota zero turn fan but if I buy another for home use it will be a less complicated used model.

I have put my ZD331 through he!! and back. After reading this post, I am pretty much resigned to keeping it. I always though I would keep it as a backup once I settle on a more modern replacement. It has had a few things break, but its built like a tank

 

[RjCorazza]

I have put my ZD331 through he!! and back. After reading this post, I am pretty much resigned to keeping it. I always though I would keep it as a backup once I settle on a more modern replacement. It has had a few things break, but its built like a tank

I looked at the zd1511 mower when I was selling my zd331. Like the B3350, the zd1511 was suffering from dpf issues, so it was a no brainer for me to avoid it. I ended up with a zd1211 72" mower. After 200+ hours, I would say the power is adequate, but certainly not comparable to the zd331. It does do better on fuel use... to the tune of 0.2 gallons per hour.

 

[Hay Dude]

I looked at the zd1511 mower when I was selling my zd331. Like the B3350, the zd1511 was suffering from dpf issues, so it was a no brainer for me to avoid it. I ended up with a zd1211 72" mower. After 200+ hours, I would say the power is adequate, but certainly not comparable to the zd331. It does do better on fuel use... to the tune of 0.2 gallons per hour.

I’m still trying to find the right fit. Really want AC cab and 100” mower for big mowing contracts, but I’m keeping the Zd311

 

[Brown Dog]

I mowed 4hrs today with my 80hr ZD1511 72 SD deck & absolutely love it.

I sold my ZD1211 72 RD mower.

The 1211 did great on level ground but all my hills zapped it's power.

The 1511 is definitely worth the extra $$. No issues at all so far :thumbsup:

 

[Maxify55]

If it's comfort you're looking for AND a great cut.....

Differences between the Ferris IS21 and Ferris IS32 models - YouTube

LOL

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I looked at the zd1511 mower when I was selling my zd331. Like the B3350, the zd1511 was suffering from dpf issues, so it was a no brainer for me to avoid it. I ended up with a zd1211 72" mower. After 200+ hours, I would say the power is adequate, but certainly not comparable to the zd331. It does do better on fuel use... to the tune of 0.2 gallons per hour.

Owned many Kubotas and almost all of them (30 total) that were/are diesel powered use one (1) gallon per hour at near full throttle which is where I run all of them, especially those that cut grass. Your saying your ZD uses 2 tenths of a gallon per hour when mowing?!!!!!!!!!!!! You get 5 hours using one gallon or twenty five (25) hours on 5 gallons? Which means my ZD1211 uses five (5) times as much diesel fuel as your ZD1211?!!! How much did your ZD331 use?

 

[RjCorazza]

Owned many Kubotas and almost all of them (30 total) that were/are diesel powered use one (1) gallon per hour at near full throttle which is where I run all of them, especially those that cut grass. Your saying your ZD uses 2 tenths of a gallon per hour when mowing?!!!!!!!!!!!! You get 5 hours using one gallon or twenty five (25) hours on 5 gallons? Which means my ZD1211 uses five (5) times as much diesel fuel as your ZD1211?!!! How much did your ZD331 use?

The zd1211 uses 0.2 gph LESS than than the zd331, in my use.
The zd331 used almost exactly 1 gph over 1200 hours of use.

I wish I was running the zd1211 at 0.2 gph, but even at 0.8 it’s saving me about 60 gallons of diesel per season. Sorry for the confusion.