? zero turn for two acres

[MarkB_MI]

Except for the high-end commercial mowers, they all use Hydro-Gear transaxles. The higher the model number of the transaxle, the more heavy-duty it is. Get a mower with the heaviest transaxles you can afford. If the manufacturer doesn't specify the model number of the transaxle in their machine, skip that one over because it probably has a lightweight transaxles. Of course, the best mowers use separate pump and motors, but those are typically quite expensive machines.

The mower deck will tell you a lot about the quality of the machine. Almost all the commercial-grade and better homeowner-grade machines have fabricated (welded) decks. The exception is JD, which uses stamped steel for all its decks, but JD is supposedly able to press much heavier sheet metal than its competitors.

Most commercial machines use Kawasaki engines, but I wouldn't make the engine brand a deal-breaker. Most of the engines used in the better mowers are pretty good.

I have a Ferris IS700Z with a B&S Commercial Turf motor. I wish I had bought a slightly heavier-duty machine; after several years of bouncing around on rough ground the wheel hubs broke. I don't think that would have happened if I'd bought a machine with heavier transaxles than the ZT-3200s on the IS700Z. The Briggs motor has held up well, but it leaks quite a bit of oil when the crankcase is full.

The commercial landscapers almost all use Exmark mowers. 'nuff said.

 

[ASE guy]

So I have an old cub cadet and a LX 178 John Deere. Just thinking of getting a zero turn because the yard has many trees and other obstuctions. Also would like to keep the barnyard mowed. Now I mow around the buildings with the cadet and then mow the main part with a 6 foot finish mower on my 550 Oliver. So I still have to back into places. You see them at Home Depot. Are the JD ones at HD the same as the ones at the JD dealer. Witch ones are the easiest to get on and off of. The three I use are getting hard to get on and off of. I see Toro has a front entrance on some models. What is the best engine to look for?

I bought one last year. Kubota guy said they are pretty much done evolving. The drives are mostly made by one company with different levels of quality. I believe it's Hydro Gear. They have them from roughly series 2200 to 3800. I didn't want to buy another so I sprung for the better one which comes in a "level" of mower. Kubota has a consumer series, prosumer and landscaper. The landscaper series was way too rich for my blood so I went with the 421, or prosumer series that has the 3600 hydro gear and the Kawasaki engine. The consumer series or series 200 mowers did not have the higher quality Hydro Gear. The 421 has the air seat like the landscaper series which makes it very comfortable even without a suspension on the mower. The deck is very well made, but in all honesty, all the good mowers I researched had well made decks. I did not want a stamped steel deck. I drive two old trucks and my house and land is paid off so I sprang for it. Two years in and I would do it again. I bought mine in the month of May when they had a sale going. Good luck on your purchase.

 

[timcasbolt]

2 acres is exactly 8 rood.

Boy, anything to avoid the metric system!

 

[NoDakInMN]

I bought a Hustler Fastrac from a buddy who deals in them a couple years ago. For a country place with trees and out buildings he recommended one with the rear discharge option rather than side discharge. I took his advice and I'm really glad I did. Rear discharge allows you to mow close to an object with either side of the mower and really enhances the zero turn capability. Knocked a 3+ hour mow down to just over an hour if I keep up with the growth. Of course, if I fell behind with my old JD rider, it took more than 3+ hours too.

For me the time savings was a huge factor. In the summer I work long hours and having to give up 4 hours every weekend (mow time plus fueling, blade sharpening, ect) to mow the lawn was disheartening. Now I can mow it twice a week after work during the heavy growth period, keeping it much better looking and spending far less time at it. I mow my lawn about 30 times a year, so that comes out to a little over 60 hours of free time I gained. When I factor in what I earn per hour at work as a estimate as to what my free time is worth, the mower paid for itself in just a little over 2 years. Of course if I value my free time at overtime rates, it took a lot less time.

One of the best investments I ever made.

 

[Hobo,NC]

So I have an old cub cadet and a LX 178 John Deere. Just thinking of getting a zero turn because the yard has many trees and other obstuctions. Also would like to keep the barnyard mowed. Now I mow around the buildings with the cadet and then mow the main part with a 6 foot finish mower on my 550 Oliver. So I still have to back into places. You see them at Home Depot. Are the JD ones at HD the same as the ones at the JD dealer. Witch ones are the easiest to get on and off of. The three I use are getting hard to get on and off of. I see Toro has a front entrance on some models. What is the best engine to look for?

I brought my son a Ariens Ikon 52" from Lowes. It had a stamped deck and a Kawasaki engine. At 175 hr I had to replace every bearing on the deck and the wheel bearings. Every 25 hr it eats a belt everything about it is as cheap as it can be made. For my use I buy commercial mowers and never have a problem with them. The last one i brought is a Exmark Lazer Z with the platform seat. I love it the best mower I have owned. I mow 4 to 5 acres a week.

I would skip the lower end models in the 3K range.

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[BarnyardEngineering]

Aren't all zero turn mowers "front entrance?"

My radio control club operates three of the previous generation Cub Cadet zero turns. They must be getting close to 10 years old now. Two came from Tractor Supply when they used to send out 10% off everything coupons, and the third came from a Cub Cadet dealer. All three completely identical. The dealer has zero problems working on the Tractor Supply machines.

Before those machines the club bought the 42" cut Huskee $999 specials, used 'em up, and gave them away. We tried some Cub Cadet 1042's and those were a disaster. The Kohler Courage engines are junk in those. The zero turns have the better Kohler Command engines in them and the machines as a whole are holding up much better than the cheap Huskees ever did.

I've got a 2-year old Husqvarna Z254 or 254Z. Not real pleased with it. It could not handle any kind of hills, and does not mow the grass run over by the right front wheel unless conditions are perfect. It works fine on flat ground, dry grass that isn't too thick or tall. Kawasaki engine.

I've also got an older Ferris ProCutZ 61" deck that I bought at an auction. That thing worn and sloppy, but is a spider monkey on hills. Up, down, across, doesn't care. Kawasaki engine.

There really are a lot of decent machines out there, and you really can't go terribly wrong.

 

[Larry H.]

So I have an old cub cadet and a LX 178 John Deere. Just thinking of getting a zero turn because the yard has many trees and other obstuctions. Also would like to keep the barnyard mowed. Now I mow around the buildings with the cadet and then mow the main part with a 6 foot finish mower on my 550 Oliver. So I still have to back into places. You see them at Home Depot. Are the JD ones at HD the same as the ones at the JD dealer. Witch ones are the easiest to get on and off of. The three I use are getting hard to get on and off of. I see Toro has a front entrance on some models. What is the best engine to look for?

My SKAG Turf Tiger 61 " has 550 hrs 5 years old. Oil,filter,blades is all.
Close to $10k.
Most landscapers in this area use the same machine.
Having a good dealer helped me make the decision.
Lots of advise here. Good Luck.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

So I have an old cub cadet and a LX 178 John Deere. Just thinking of getting a zero turn because the yard has many trees and other obstuctions. Also would like to keep the barnyard mowed. Now I mow around the buildings with the cadet and then mow the main part with a 6 foot finish mower on my 550 Oliver. So I still have to back into places. You see them at Home Depot. Are the JD ones at HD the same as the ones at the JD dealer. Witch ones are the easiest to get on and off of. The three I use are getting hard to get on and off of. I see Toro has a front entrance on some models. What is the best engine to look for?

ZTRs are too bouncy for me.
There is a commercial landscaper that uses a JD with Michelin airless tires.
He goes flying and has little bouncing.

If I bought a ZTR I would buy a commercial ZTR from Kubota or John Deere or a place that sells and services lawn mowers and chainsaws.
I wouldn't buy one from a box store. The first thing I would look for are Michelin airless tires and the ability to service the hydro stat.
I would want a cab and Air Condition too like my neighbor has.

 

[buickanddeere]

Plant trees and shrubs etc and mow 1/4” acres . Let the wildlife flourish in the planted areas .

 

[Blackhole49]

We mow approximately 2 acres of the 4 we have. Grandpa mows about 8 that's all he does in the summer it seems like with a 72 inch Kawasaki powered Deere. Ive never driven it into something it couldn't handle and ive gone into some fairly good sized brush but it is a commercial model with 7 iron deck. I don't like the side discharge it would be fine if you kept up with it able to mow every 4 days when it needed it, picked up grass, or just didn't care. Thats the only downside. It did also need a new oil pan last winter as the old one the bolts that hold it to the Frame had stripped out the aluminum pan and the engine was just sitting on the frame and along for the ride. It is a second owner machine however I suppose that's what to expect. Getting on and off he has an extra handle right in the middle that sticks up about 3 feet so he can hold on to something.

We are in about the same boat as you. I have a 72 inch mower for the rear of my B had a woods but went back to the rear mount to get rid of that long belt that kept causing fits but lost the tighter turning ability. We are looking for one my wife can drive to go around flower beds and trees while I do the open areas.

I know for sure 46 inches is too small we had a craftsman that we used for a few years and that took about 3 hours it wasn't worth it. I loved the mulching deck however you could cheat and mow if it was a bit wet. The briggs was fine. Not fast but you could get done if you needed to and let the grass get a bit too long without creating windrows. Also liked it because you don't care about wind as much.

What ive been looking at is the husquevarna/deere/cub cadet 56 inch or 54 zero turn with mulching deck. There are a few Kohler options that are interesting but most have been Kawasaki. I was also going to get her to try her dads mower which is a newer small cub cadet and just see how she likes it. She has mixed feelings on the Deere but I think she would grow to like it especially a smaller one its not the easiest to learn for someone not used to the zero turn it has quite a bit of power to the wheels.

If you need a suspension I know the people who have toros love them. I got a fairly ridiculous quote from a dealer once and gave up on that pretty quick but if you have the money why not I suppose beats destroying your back that's expensive too.

This is my $1,300 72" Deere.

 

[Blackhole49]

So I have an old cub cadet and a LX 178 John Deere. Just thinking of getting a zero turn because the yard has many trees and other obstuctions. Also would like to keep the barnyard mowed. Now I mow around the buildings with the cadet and then mow the main part with a 6 foot finish mower on my 550 Oliver. So I still have to back into places. You see them at Home Depot. Are the JD ones at HD the same as the ones at the JD dealer. Witch ones are the easiest to get on and off of. The three I use are getting hard to get on and off of. I see Toro has a front entrance on some models. What is the best engine to look for?

Different take. I had a 60" 27 hp Kohler Bad Boy I got from a neighbor 4 years ago. Tried it a few times. Sold it a year later. I have been doing all my mowing for the last 25 years with my Kubota F2000. The Bad Boy was faster, rougher and slightly more maneuverable. It also burned 2 to 2 1/2 gallons of gas to cut 3 acres. I can cut the same yard w/F2000 on 1 to 1 1/4 gallons of diesel. The F2000 has paid for itself in fuel savings alone even with the price difference (the 48" case 446 I had before it wouldn't cut it on 3 gallons of fuel). The Kubota will cut an 18" circle and the front deck allows me under things the Bad Boy wouldn't (less trimming). I bought this 1988 used in 1999 w/600hrs. on it. It now has over 2000 and the only thing that has gone bad is the bearings in the rectifier.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Different take. I had a 60" 27 hp Kohler Bad Boy I got from a neighbor 4 years ago. Tried it a few times. Sold it a year later. I have been doing all my mowing for the last 25 years with my Kubota F2000. The Bad Boy was faster, rougher and slightly more maneuverable. It also burned 2 to 2 1/2 gallons of gas to cut 3 acres. I can cut the same yard w/F2000 on 1 to 1 1/4 gallons of diesel. The F2000 has paid for itself in fuel savings alone even with the price difference (the 48" case 446 I had before it wouldn't cut it on 3 gallons of fuel). The Kubota will cut an 18" circle and the front deck allows me under things the Bad Boy wouldn't (less trimming). I bought this 1988 used in 1999 w/600hrs. on it. It now has over 2000 and the only thing that has gone bad is the bearings in the rectifier.View attachment 76511View attachment 76512

My neighbor said his bad boy was really bad on his back.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

Aren't all zero turn mowers "front entrance?"

My radio control club operates three of the previous generation Cub Cadet zero turns. They must be getting close to 10 years old now. Two came from Tractor Supply when they used to send out 10% off everything coupons, and the third came from a Cub Cadet dealer. All three completely identical. The dealer has zero problems working on the Tractor Supply machines.

Before those machines the club bought the 42" cut Huskee $999 specials, used 'em up, and gave them away. We tried some Cub Cadet 1042's and those were a disaster. The Kohler Courage engines are junk in those. The zero turns have the better Kohler Command engines in them and the machines as a whole are holding up much better than the cheap Huskees ever did.

I've got a 2-year old Husqvarna Z254 or 254Z. Not real pleased with it. It could not handle any kind of hills, and does not mow the grass run over by the right front wheel unless conditions are perfect. It works fine on flat ground, dry grass that isn't too thick or tall. Kawasaki engine.

I've also got an older Ferris ProCutZ 61" deck that I bought at an auction. That thing worn and sloppy, but is a spider monkey on hills. Up, down, across, doesn't care. Kawasaki engine.

There really are a lot of decent machines out there, and you really can't go terribly wrong.

No Toro has a side entrance zero turn, It has a steering wheel instead of levers.

 

[kencombs]

ZTRs are too bouncy for me.
There is a commercial landscaper that uses a JD with Michelin airless tires.
He goes flying and has little bouncing.

If I bought a ZTR I would buy a commercial ZTR from Kubota or John Deere or a place that sells and services lawn mowers and chainsaws.
I wouldn't buy one from a box store. The first thing I would look for are Michelin airless tires and the ability to service the hydro stat.
I would want a cab and Air Condition too like my neighbor has. View attachment 76476View attachment 76477

I like everything about the Tweels, except the price! Flat free forever! No improvement in ride I could feel on a test drive though. Maybe not even as soft as properly inflated turfs

 

[kencombs]

My neighbor said his bad boy was really bad on his back.

Even though I’m happy with my ZTR, it is lots rougher than my JD455. Should l’ve opted for the suspension seat

 

[jddrawbar]

not a Briggs, that's for sure. people are telling me, with a pretty good margin, that Kawi makes the best small engines today.

i took a gamble instead and bought myself an 80 volt Ryobi. time will tell if i made a good call.

B&S makes as good an engine as any other brand. Kaws and Honda are also good......BUT they all have cheap knock off, grey market engines. Personally, I'd take the industrial grade B&S over any other. My Hustler has a Kohler, JD has a Kaw, log splitter has a B&S, Toro has a B&S, 30+ yr. old Dayton high wheel has a B&S.

 

[jddrawbar]

Don’t fool around with them tonka toys. Get a kobota diesel zero turn. 2 acres is a lot of cutting. I don’t think half these guys know how big 2 acres is, if that is indeed what u have to cut. They are expensive !

Really? Half these guys don't know how big 2 ac. is!

 

[DoubleO7]

@Tractorcedric

If your current riding mower gives you a rough ride, so will a zero turn. And you won't want to go any faster.
Thus defeating the time savings.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

This is my $1,300 72" Deere.View attachment 76509

We had a little f525 when I was a kid that had a single rear wheel yours looks like it has a lot more features. Dad thought the f525 was a real piece of junk he was working on it a lot but it did mostly 3 acreages with a 240 that stayed at grandpas. Which is more than the current one does so he sometimes forgets that. Looks like a good setup. Nice step too

 

[timcasbolt]

B&S makes as good an engine as any other brand. Kaws and Honda are also good......BUT they all have cheap knock off, grey market engines. Personally, I'd take the industrial grade B&S over any other. My Hustler has a Kohler, JD has a Kaw, log splitter has a B&S, Toro has a B&S, 30+ yr. old Dayton high wheel has a B&S.

I'm a big fan of the Intek series.