Zero turn opinions

[MFIndustrial20]

I have two very good local tractor dealer/service shops....and I am in the need of a zero turn to compliment my Massey utility tractor.

One dealer sells Gravely and Cub Cadet zero turns while the other sells grasshopper. A third just a few miles further away sells simplicity/snapper. All dealers are great.

Which of these mowers do you like best and why?

Thanks

 

[dbear]

A little more info - size of property, slopes, obstacles, particular ztr models, price range - would be greatly appreciated.

In the absence of any of that, the brands you mention are all well-respected, and known for producing good stuff. However, as I had a bad experience with newer Cub (looked great on paper, ran great until warranty expired, can't keep pto belt on it for more than 1 hour despite dumping a bunch of time & money into it, dealer washed his hands of it & me), I'd avoid it like the plague.

Grasshopper makes some awesome equipment, but is not well represented in my area (more on that later).

I've always liked simplicity ever since I had an old B-210 Allis, but again the brand has lost territory near me. Ferris is the same machine, or darn close, but I have issues with my local dealer.

Gravely is in bed with Ariens (or is that the other way around?) and is well represented in my area by two great dealers. When I was last shopping, I was looking for a machine like the ZT HD/Max Zoom series. Unfortunately, at that time, they didn't exist. Guess I was ahead of my time..LOL

Thinking of my local dealers for the brands you mention, I'd be leaning heavily toward Gravely. In my area, I don't particularly care for the Cub, Ferris, Grasshopper or Snapper dealers (arrogant, insulting idiots), and the Simplicity and G-hopper dealers are both 45 miles away.

If I were looking to replace my DC Silver Eagle today, I would look long and hard at the ZT HD/Max Zoom, Husqvarna MZ, and DC Magnum series machines. In my area, all are well-represented by courteous, knowledgeable, professional dealers.

Magnum
HUSQVARNA MZ6128ZT - Zero turn mowers

 

[big bubba]

i only go by what my mechanic has said about serviceability, so this is just secondary opinion. he said grasshopper is a nightmare to work on even for the simplest of repairs, and is lower end compared to others. again, personally unfounded....you might start asking your local repair shops what their own experience is on these models, a good place to start. good luck!

 

[Maxify55]

Here's my 2 cents. First, make sure that we are talking about Commercial Equipment. If you desire residential equipment there are many from which to choose for all the wrong reasons.

There are only two manufacturers of the hydro pumps that power the Commercial ZTR mowers and there are a multitude of manufacturers of the fuel injected, solid lifter, liquid cooled behemoth motors that provide the base umph to flow the fluid through the pumps and wheel motors. The manufacturers of those wheel motors are limited, as well, at that level of constant use. That's exactly why these machines cost $10K-$12K.

If all the producers of the top of the line machines (Kubota, JD, Ferris, ExMark, Bad Boy....et al) have only a few manufacturers from which to choose their mechanisms that make these machine do what it is they're designed to do for a very long time, you are left with the integrity of your local dealer and the responsiveness/turn around of their mechanics for whatever ails your machines throughout their career with you.

In short, it's all about your dealer. If he's a great guy, or woman in some cases...yes I've seen some excellent female dealer/mechanics, you'll be overjoyed with just about any of the top named ZTR mowers. There's really little difference between any and all of the commercial units. In fact, a great number of the parts are interchangeable, spindles, blades, hydro lines, tires and the like.

Be forewarned, however, that maintenance is absolutely critical on these beasts. Synthetic fluids where they are called for.... used. Filter changes on time. Even tire pressure and deck pitch-yaw is down right critical to a nicely mowed vista with impeccable stripes.

Oh, you'll become very, very good at sharpening and balancing your blades....almost to the point of obsession. The Mrs. always chuckles when she sees me sharpening my blades for a day of mowing but, Oh My, when she sees at the results. It is truly worth the time and effort.

Then again, do you saddle up your horse to come in second in the race? If so, buy your Z from Sears, Home Depot or Tractor Supply. Their mowers and stamped decks will suit you just fine.

Me? I bought commercial/used and rebuilt it from the frame up where needed. Call it obsessive/compulsive, if it pleases you, but I can't afford the aforementioned prices for the new machines to mow my personal grass. I further have a problem with paying someone $100 per hour to work on my stuff when it falters but that's just me.

Enjoy your Z, whichever one you choose. They're marvelous inventions. I chose the Ferris Independent Suspension for it's operator comforts (Back and Neck Surgery, years ago) but that's just my preference.

BTW, did you marry a blonde, redhead or brunette. Your question is somewhat akin to that proposition. Just don't ask how many times I've been married..:laughing:

 

[jpm1]

I'm going to add my personal opinion to this, take it for what its worth.
2 years ago i bought a scag ztm mower and after long hours of searching thats what i decided on. I looked at cub cadet, stamped sheet metal, just looked to flimsy.
i spoke to mowing contractors and a couple of town supervisors and found Scag was their chioce. A lot more money but a lot more machine and they said they did lots of hours a year and almost no repairs needed other than normal maintainance. I bought one and am extremely satisfied. I mow about 30 acres a week at home and my mowing is tough unlike the "normal" lawn but NO repairs or problems have i had.
My uncle has a Cub Cadet ztm and almost melted it on a neighbors lawn last year. I'm not knocking the Cub just stating the facts here. This lawn is 3 acres, hadn't been mowed in about 3 months and was 8" tall and quite heavy. I mowed this lawn for years because it was my old house, and i sold it to a single lady. well 2 passes asross the front lawn and the mower sit there with blue smoke pouring from it. It looked like a tire fire. A few minutes later my phone rang and i was askedto mow this piece after pulling the other mower home. I agreed, towed the other ztm across the road and went to mowing. About an hour and a half the lawn had been cut twice and looked good. It was faster to mow twice and got a better cut than doing it once. Home owner was very pleased with the results and wants me to mow for her this year.
The Cub did not loose themotor but the oil in the pump that drives the mower burnt. The rear case on each wheel actually warped from the heat. I asked if there was enough oil in the rear end and was assured there was because it was just serviced a couple of days before. This was a costly day for the cub.
If you have a small lawn, keep after it each week, Cub cadet will do you well. If you let the grass get high , ground is hilly and big acrage, buy one time and go commercial, it's more money but you'll only buy once and be a lot happier. I know i am, good luck and happy mowing . . .John

 

[groundcover]

I have been very happy with the Skag, a bit more $ but cheaper than buying a box store ztr,tossing it in a year or two and then getting a real machine !

 

[IXLR8]

I did this debate a few years ago, ended up picking up a 3 year old used John Deere 727A, 54" cut, for less than half the cost of new. Only thing I have done to it in the 5 years I have had it, change engine oil/filter, change/sharpen blades, lube mower/chassis. If you have 2 or more acres... get a commercial grade mower not a box store one. Once you decide to go commercial, you need to find a machine you are comfortable on and a dealer you are comfortable with and go with that one.

 

[eagle107]

There are a lot of good ZTR mowers out there. I had a Gravely, Husqvarna and currently have a Scag (Tiger Cat). I found the Scag to be best mower of the three. The Scag is very heavy duty, has good quality parts and very easy to work on! When I had the Gravely I thought it was a very good machine, but I had the consumer ZT HD 52" model. The only problem I had was the Gravely had a lot of allen wrench nuts which made it a pain to work on, plus the components were tighter together which made it tougher to get your tools and hands in places. However, the newer Gravely commercial mowers look pretty nice, especially the new Gravely Pro Turn 400. If you are thinking about a Gravely (or any mower), make sure it is easy to work on, especially when doing engine and transmission oil changes.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I started looking for a zero turn, my budget was around $4,000. I figured that was twice what I paid for my riding mower, and more then I should be spending on something to cut my grass. After looking at everything I could find in that price range, and reading up online, I realized that I needed to rethink what I wanted and was willing to spend.

Once I started looking at the commercial mowers, there wasn't any turning back. All of them are pretty good, but the Skag really impressed me more then the others. After that, I kept looking, but I was comparing them to the Skag and in every case, they didn't measure up. It was twice what I had planned on spending, but going into my third season of mowing with it, and cutting more then ever before, I don't regret spending the money at all.

Funny thing about buying cheap. I always regret those purchases and usually end up spending the money for quality after wasting it on junk.

Eddie

 

[edenfarms]

I bought a zero turn mower last year and went through the same process that you are now. I tried out gas and diesel, front mount and mid mount mowers. The best advice I have is TRY OUT EACH MOWER ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY. It is the only way to find out what is the best mower for you and your land.
Secondly, I agree that selecting a local dealer who will stand by you and your mower is very important. I have been lucky to find a mower without any problems yet - although I have only used mine for about 300hrs, but my dealer is great.
Anyways, before selecting a mower, I test drove Grasshopper, Hustler, Ferris, Cub Cadet and Kubota. The Cub Cadet was the only mower that I felt was of lower quality, although the Tank model had a steering wheel that I liked since it was easy to maneuver steeper hills. The cut was good and better than expected. The Ferris had a nice ride, but the cut was choppy and overall poor in comparison to the other mowers. Of note, much of my property is rough, so this may not be an issue on your land if it is smooth. I liked the Grasshopper for maneuverability and stability on hills, but the quality of the cut was only fair and the front mount models have to back up hills to mow due to weight distribution. The Hustler was good on all accounts - cut, comfort, quality.
However, the Kubota mower was by far the best in quality and cut - comfort was good and typical of a zero turn. I ended up buying a used Z331 diesel. It has tons of power, excellent cut even on rough ground and high speeds. The diesel should last me a lifetime and the fuel economy is great. It is stable on steeper slopes and up hills. I highly recommend one. The used one I bought was 7500 for a 2008 with 200hrs on it (far better that the 15-16K for a new one).

 

[LMan1967]

I went through this process last year and ended up with a Hustler. I've put ~ 50 hours on it since then and its worked well for me, FWIW. I mow ~ 5 acres or so.

 

[J_J]

To bad you don't have a Dixie Chopper dealer in your area,

They are some very good mowers, and an average mechanic can fix everything on them.

I will add, they are expensive.

 

[MFIndustrial20]

OK... so after interviewing a few local dealers and getting some word of mouth suggestions on them and their gear, I think I've narrowed it down to two machines and would like your opinion....

1) Gravely Pro-Turn 160 XDZ with 60" deck and 23.5HP Kawasaki FX730V
2) Ferris IS 1500Z with 61" deck and 28HP Briggs & Stratton Commercial Turf

Both are in the same price range and both can be serviced by a dealer within a 10 minute drive from my house of need be.

Which of these two would you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[Birdhunter1]

Interesting s my dad has that exact same Gravely and my uncle has the exact same Ferris, having run each I have a few good comments.

The Gravely is a beast, built like a log wagon and rides like one too. No kidding it is built VERY well,has very responsive hydro's and a ton of power. It rides rougher than anything I've ever been on and I don't care one bit for the cut nor the way it disperses clippings. I have run dads Gravely several times and each time I dislike it more and more. I literally dislike it to the point that when my Grasshopper was previously in the shop for a few weeks I just let my mowing go. He runs a small commercial outfit on his own and occasionally I help him or do them when he can't for some odd reason or another. He had a Toro previous to this Gravely and I loved that one, I did alot of mowing with him then because I also had a list of accounts and I used his mower, which in turn he used me on his accounts..... it was a good deal for the both of us. 2 kids later and working full time I don't have the time to still be doing it.

My Uncles Ferris. Cuts nice, disperses clippings well, rides nice. I don't really have any complaints on it but I haven't run it as much, only twice.

Myself I went with a Grasshopper front deck. Occasionally I'll mow with my dad if he gets behind due to rain or we have to get all of them done quick, but mostly it is an on the farm personal use machine to do about 3 hours of mowing a week. I love this mower, somedays I want to just sit on it and mow and find more to mow just to get away into my own little world. It rides 1000 times better than that blasted Gravely, cuts well and disperses well. The only downside to the front deck for me is when mowing when it is windy if you are discharging into the wind it will likely blow grass and dust back onto you. The uphill traction people complain about I have not found to be any better on any midmount I have been on. Going backwards I do believe the Grasshopper would climb a cliff, sidehill traction is great.

Of the two mowers you listed I'd go with the Ferris, but then again I'd go with a lawn tractor that takes 3 times as long to mow with before that Gravely.

 

[Alan L.]

Ditto on the Scag, its a hoss.

 

[dbear]

Interesting s my dad has that exact same Gravely and my uncle has the exact same Ferris, having run each I have a few good comments...

Is your dad's Gravely the newer machine? I know they pulled the model for a time due to some cut issues. When I was shopping (6-7 years ago), my Gravely dealer did not recommend the 160. He said the outboard spindles lined up with the front casters, which created the cut quality issue. I believe that was corrected when they brought it back with the ZT drives.

To the OP: Regarding the ride, all ztrs ride rough (function of being able to mow at 8+ mph). Lawn rolling, suspension seats, and front caster springs help a lot (I'm told) so don't fall victim to Ferris marketing gimick. Personally, I don't think my DC Silver Eagle rides that bad despite no suspension other than low psi tires and my butt.

If you like the machine's construction & cut characteristics, and you're comfortable with your dealer regardless of brand, buy it. That's a major reason I went with DC. My Ferris dealer is a jerk so I just can't bring myself to endorse them.

 

[yelbike]

Remember when your shopping to compare apples to apples.

The Cub cadet brand for example has the RZT line, the Zforce line, PROZforce line then the TANK line. They are NOT all the same. I was liked the Tank but the price was too high for me. I tried the PRoz force on my property, even haying with it, it was impressive. It had smaller tires so it did not do as well on the slopes(ditch).

I was leaning toward the RZT, as I could buy two for the same price as the PROZ force. I thought, if I wear one out I just buy another. Problem was no dealer stock and the dealer told me to wait till spring. I found a used John deere Z465 (JD's second from the bottom model line) for the right price and I love it.

Funny thing is my neighbor bought a Cub cadet riding mower (same deck as the rzt line), within the first year they had a cracked weld, worn out three belts and it was in for warranty again this week. they have less the 50 hours on it. One problem might be they mow pretty low.

The only problem so far for me is I've realized how rough my yard is.

Happy hunting!!

 

[Birdhunter1]

Is your dad's Gravely the newer machine? I know they pulled the model for a time due to some cut issues. When I was shopping (6-7 years ago), my Gravely dealer did not recommend the 160. He said the outboard spindles lined up with the front casters, which created the cut quality issue. I believe that was corrected when they brought it back with the ZT drives.

He bought it spring of 2010.

 

[kiotiken]

I can't comment on the difference between the two since I've never mowed with the Gravely, but I really like my Ferris IS3000, it has been a beast. I change the oil, clean the filters and it mows the lawn, it's an agreement we've made and neither one of us has disappointed.

 

[tennmogger]

My comments are made as a compromise user. I have only about 5 acres to mow here on the farm, do no commercial work, but wanted a large ZTR to reduce time spent mowing. I also consider running a ZTR as pleasurable relaxation (first mower I can say that about).

I didn't want to spend anywhere near $10K. My compromise was a used (200 hours) CC M-60 Tank. Some of the positive things (other than half original price!) for this ZTR are the fabricated deck, heavy blades, and the separate hydraulic pumps and wheel motors (no cheap hydrostat). It seemed to have the makings of a maintainable mower.

There are tradeoffs though. I have had to replace belts too many times already, and a PTO clutch. The belt issue seems to be a continuing one due to high power being transferred through inadequate belts, but I consider that a trade off against the original money saved. I can change a lot of belts for much less than the difference.

The PTO clutch may have been victim to the previous owner (will never know unless there's another clutch failure) as the new one has been doing fine.

The TANK does a good job on side slopes, too. I have several steep banks that are easy with this mower that I'd never take my rider (or big tractor) on. The hydraulic pump + wheel motor is a wonderful combination.

So, if price is a big issue, and the usage is non-commercial (that is, down time to change belts can be tolerated), The M-60 is a fun mower to drive and does a great job.

Bob