new Zero turn mower choices

[Stroby]

I second the "Ferris" choice. Very nice machines.

 

[Hobo,NC]

U tube the other night says: Fabbed deck, serviceable hydros, Kawasaki, Kohler (commercial), Briggs (commercial) unless you want to be repairing in 3-5 years. Opt for the best seat you can afford. Buddy of mine bought Kabota ztr diesel about 5 yrs ago and they wouldn't put the $1000+ seat of the next higher model on his 60 inch cut $12k machine. He would have to move up to the machine for the seat.
When buddy was in market for ztr I did a lot of research for him and I asked dealer which was best between Briggs-Kohler-Kawasaki: his answer was" take all 3 and put them in same environment and in 3 yrs bring them back in and Briggs and Kohler will sound like they are coming apart while the Kawasaki will sound the same as the day it left". Kawasaki does not like dirty fins, so let that be part of your pm.

Serviceable hydros, I would like to know the exact process as some home owners hydros are a bear to fill, is it going to take a month of Sundays to fill the hydro?

Seat why does Bota sell such a hi-dollar mower but does not offer a nice seat. I worked on a ZD326 Diesel last week while at the bota shop I asked about a upgrade they don't offer one WTF. For the record it will beat you to death, I like that the diesel is not as loud as a gasser. The Bota is overbuild, over complicated and over priced. That beings said the hydro they used was probably the best feeling one I have ever used.

Engines, my small engine shop bud says Kohler sold out no more Kohler's and parts are hard to get for older Kohler's... Where is the new venture headed.

 

[Texasmark]

Got 2 friends with Scag. They love them. Myself if I was going zeroturn. It would be Grasshopper with the hydraulic flip up deck

My opinion is that a hydraulic flip up deck.........is worth its weight in gold......especially as you age. I forget the name but there is another company that has a (manual lift) one. (Not Hustler, theirs was/is powered). I was shopping 60" machines and I watched as the sales guy manually lifted the 60" deck, turned around, and out the door I went. There was a Grasshopper dealer in my area years ago. Had he been here when I bought my Ferris 61" (without moveable deck) I would have bought one from him.

 

[INCase]

UPDATE: was able to test drive the Hustler yesterday. seemed good and definitely built heavier than the same size Toro next to it. only issue is the dealer put the seat ALL the way forward when they put it together and i could hardly get it to go in reverse and I'm NOT a big guy (yeah i could loose 10 to 15lbs still) so for comfort I couldn't really tell and unfortunately the Hustler I looked at did not have any anti scalp wheels on the deck which i thought was odd. My yard is pretty smooth so probably not an issue but....
Took another look at the Kubota (dealer closed so i couldn't drive it) and realized the side plastic "dash/fenders" were very soft and flimsy plastic. AND the "motor guard" on the back is plastic. !!!??? makes no sense as backing into something or some tail swing and you'll wipe that thing right off. Kubota also has the next smaller size tires on all 4 corners. So the Kubota advantages are ROPS and arm rests, and adjustable seat (without tools) and an extra year warranty are canceled out by the flimsy plastic and smaller tires.

so now i'm thinking more towards the Scag or the next step up in Hustler (suspension and scalp wheels). (The Briggs on the Scag is kind of a down side) If spending the Kubota kind of $$$ I might as well get a heavier built machine. May still test drive the kubota Saturday... maybe not...

curious about the Country Clipper joystick drive but have NO idea where we have any dealers here.

 

[buickanddeere]

Deere Z530R . Commercial grade hydrostatic drives, Heavier gauge deck, suspension seat and lights .

Tuff Torq® TZT7-U instead of theTuff Torq® TZT7-M https://www.tufftorq.com/product/tzt7-typeii/

 

[Ray,IN]

Make sure you get a joy stick steering! Twin tillers are completely obsolete. My Country Clipper has been a joy, made in Corydon, IA by a family owned company. I have the XLT, top of the line residential with commercial Hydro Gear under pinnings and a Kawasaki motor.

Does the joy stick keep you from getting stuck if only one wheel spins?

 

[RedMVa]

UPDATE: was able to test drive the Hustler yesterday. seemed good and definitely built heavier than the same size Toro next to it. only issue is the dealer put the seat ALL the way forward when they put it together and i could hardly get it to go in reverse and I'm NOT a big guy (yeah i could loose 10 to 15lbs still) so for comfort I couldn't really tell and unfortunately the Hustler I looked at did not have any anti scalp wheels on the deck which i thought was odd. My yard is pretty smooth so probably not an issue but....
Took another look at the Kubota (dealer closed so i couldn't drive it) and realized the side plastic "dash/fenders" were very soft and flimsy plastic. AND the "motor guard" on the back is plastic. !!!??? makes no sense as backing into something or some tail swing and you'll wipe that thing right off. Kubota also has the next smaller size tires on all 4 corners. So the Kubota advantages are ROPS and arm rests, and adjustable seat (without tools) and an extra year warranty are canceled out by the flimsy plastic and smaller tires.

so now i'm thinking more towards the Scag or the next step up in Hustler (suspension and scalp wheels). (The Briggs on the Scag is kind of a down side) If spending the Kubota kind of $$$ I might as well get a heavier built machine. May still test drive the kubota Saturday... maybe not...

curious about the Country Clipper joystick drive but have NO idea where we have any dealers here.

That joystick is ok , if you can get used to it. If it was all that , other manufacturers would be copying it. They aren’t, and country clipper dealers are far and few between, plus a lot of their parts are specific to their machines. That being said the couple I’ve worked on were nice mowers , but I didn’t like the joystick.

 

[Ray,IN]

Be aware, the same model sold by discount/ big box stores are not the same as the model at the name store. There's a reason the big box stores have it for a lower price.
If you desire durability and long-lasting, buy a commercial-grade mower. I bought a commercial Hustler in 2002, it performs just as well today. I did have to replace the OEM seat 4 years ago. I bought a seat with much more padding, and it's obvious to my old bones.

 

[Destroked 450]

When we were looking at zero turns we found the lower class models used bushings in the hydro axles and the better grades had axle bearings
We were initially looking at Gravely’s base models but moved to the HD ZT for the better hydros

On the models your looking at I would check to see if the hydros have bushings or bearings
We’ve had good results from the Kawasaki engine, I’ve heard the new Kohler engines are not as good as the old ones, Briggs in my sisters mower has been problematic, mostly carburetor issues

 

[Hemmjo]

I just got an older Bunton 60" BZT 2350, 23 HP Kaw, 60" deck with lift for $1500. runs great.

 

[INCase]

...........
If you desire durability and long-lasting, buy a commercial-grade mower. I bought a commercial Hustler in 2002, it performs just as well today. I did have to replace the OEM seat 4 years ago. I bought a seat with much more padding, and it's obvious to my old bones.

leaning towards the Hustler. know 4 people that have them and 1 unit is about 22 years old. I think the newest one of those friends units had to have the plastic camshaft gear in the Kawasaki engine replaced with a steel one.

Yeah i'm looking at the mid range units as our yard isn't all that big. but don't want a real base unit as we may take it to the farm to mow with on occasion.

 

[Ray,IN]

leaning towards the Hustler. know 4 people that have them and 1 unit is about 22 years old. I think the newest one of those friends units had to have the plastic camshaft gear in the Kawasaki engine replaced with a steel one.

Yeah i'm looking at the mid range units as our yard isn't all that big. but don't want a real base unit as we may take it to the farm to mow with on occasion.

MIne has a Honda engine.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

I'm sure I will be chastised for posting this but, I have a Cub Cadet zero turn that I purchased new about 10 years ago and all I have done besides normal maintenance is replace the carb and blades. I don't baby it, mow bushes up to 1/2 inch, tall grass, dead grass, and my lawn. Has the 700 series motor. My lawn takes about 1 1/2 hours every time I mow it. I mow bushes and dead grass a few times a year ( great way to clean out your deck). Just came in from mowing the lawn a little while ago. I have hit rocks and dirt with it and no damage that I know of other than blades which I usually replace at the start of every mowing season. Machine has 454 hours on it. Think I paid $3000 for it new , 54 inch deck. I think maintenance of the machine plays a big part in it's longevity. Oh and the battery in it is now 6 years old. When I park it I put a HF $39 charger maintainer on it every time and all winter. I have great faith in battery maintainers that have the pulse technology. That's my 2 cents worth.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

MIne has a Honda engine.

leaning towards the Hustler. know 4 people that have them and 1 unit is about 22 years old. I think the newest one of those friends units had to have the plastic camshaft gear in the Kawasaki engine replaced with a steel one.

Yeah i'm looking at the mid range units as our yard isn't all that big. but don't want a real base unit as we may take it to the farm to mow with on occasion.

Timing gear failure is common on the Kawasaki engines with the plastic gear at around 1000 hours. Can be replaced for about $100 if you can do the work yourself, otherwise dig deep. IMO

 

[Mrfred54]

My two cents worth… have been working on mowers for 50 years. Heavy duty decks are over rated compared to stamped. Can’t count how many times I have repaired and patched up the commercial heavy duty decks. If the owner does not keep the deck and mower clean they are all gonna have issues. Have actually had decks from commercial mowers that are ten years old and never been cleaned and rusted through. Have had customers tell me that when they put new blades on they figure that will clean the deck. Heavier decks probably are a little better but if you don’t give them a little TLC you will still see them rust through