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Need a mower. What zero turn works for you

William81William81 Member Posts: 25,487 ✭✭✭✭
edited March 2015 in General Discussion
One of the big changes for me in moving to MO is going from 1/4 acre to an almost three acre yard. I had a friend down here mowing the last two seasons but now it is time to start doing it myself.......

What zero turn or lawn tractor do you have or use.......I have lots of trees and garden area as well as fences.........top that off with I hate mowing. So what say you all

Thanks.....
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Comments

  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    John Deere X320 either 48 or 54 inch deck or z 425 zero turn if you have more money then a Z915 B or X530 with 54 " deck cry once but will not need to replace for 20 years
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  • Aspen79seAspen79se Member Posts: 4,707
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    John Deere X320 either 48 or 54 inch deck or z 425 zero turn if you have more money then a Z915 B or X530 with 54 " deck cry once but will not need to replace for 20 years


    Seconded. I'll add Hustler and Kubota to the list. Depending on how narrow the narrowest space is on your property, you'll want at least 54". Expect to pay $5k up for a new one, and $6500 is more likely.
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  • LesWVaLesWVa Member Posts: 10,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Z-turn. Look at Ferris (4 wheel suspension) or a Gravely that has a floating front axle. ANY solid framed z-turn like a Dixie Chopper, Husky, John Deere, Scag etc will BEAT YOUR BRAINS OUT and destroy your back. Anyone that tells you any differently either has never spent much time on a Z-turn or are lying. I own a 2007 Ferris ISO 1500 (54", 26 hp Kohler) and a 2008 Gravely Z260 (60", 27 HP Kawasaki). Never had any problems out of them except for the Kohlers charging system. A piece of 14 ga wire took care of that.

    Down side to Z-turns. You are limited to what you can do with it. You can attach a ball/hitch for pulling a trailer and that is about it. No blades for pushing snow, gravel, dirt. No tiller or other garden attachments will work with them.


    As far as Tractors go. My next one will be a sub compact New Holland Boomer with a belly mower. 4x4, PTO's three point hitch, hydraulics and all. And you can find good used ones around here for less than $5K.
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  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know two guys that do landscape work for a living,...they both have a Gravely Z-turn.
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
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  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,534 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Only question.. how much do you want to spend for one? There are cheaper light deck residential mowers and heavy deck better built commercial mowers. I picked up a new ..9 hour Toro commercial on fleabay from a local military brass pair of guys that wanted to go into the lawn care business. It was 6200 6 yr ago at the Toro dealer. I went and bought it for 2800 locally with a full 3 yr warranty. Check around some folks don't like zero turns and you can steal on with a good deal. It has ran flawlessly and I just changed out the drive belt. Has something like 180 hr on it now.
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  • retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My middle son has started his own Landscaping Business here in North/South Carolina.
    He researched this deeply and decided that the best Zero Turn out there is a Wright. LINK
    For his purposes and money, The Wright Stander-I was what he chose LINK.

    It's compact, sturdy, economical, powerful, and was worthy of his purchase.

    He's quite happy with it.
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  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,460 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    No need to buy a commercial mower to mow your yard. Buy a residential model.

    Unless you have lawnmower envy....
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  • djtdjt Member Posts: 171 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    we do commercial yards, started with gravely's 460, they worked great,changed to john deere's 997 diesels, stay away from dixie choppers, they use a lot of whats referred to as banjo work, too many chains on raising deck etc...they biggest lawn and garden show is in louisville ky in oct, we usually go ever year to see the s.o.s. also the ferris,hustler,are good mowers, never dealt with a scag which is the same as great dane since both companys were created by the same man. scag was sold to metalcraft, john deere bought great dane, i have been to gravelys plants in wisconsin, the employees there really care about what they produce.
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  • grdad45grdad45 Member Posts: 5,382 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I mow just over 2 acres, and after suffering along with a lawn tractor, I bought a Bad Boy 48" ZT. We have a LOT of trees and fences to go around. The Bad Boy has a 1/4" thick deck, and mine has a 27 HP Kohler. Used it all last season with no issues at all. I would have bought a wider mower, but the door on my storage building wouldn't let me. Check out this Arkansas-made mower.
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    I'm a cost/benefit kind of guy.

    Why is it time for you to start doing it?

    This is a rent/own calculation.
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  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    Dixie Chopper.
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  • TrinityScrimshawTrinityScrimshaw Member Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just bought a 54" Hustler for $4100, but have not used it yet.

    Waiting for the snow to melt!...[;)]

    Trinity +++
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  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 17,042 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Brother has a BadBoy,,likes it a lot,,I have a Crapsman with 54" ? and well its ok for a residential,
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  • SGSG Member Posts: 7,548
    edited November -1
    I have a 54" cub cadet from home depot. Mowe 5 acres every week during the summer.Paid $2700 for it 7 years ago and it still runs like new and I've only changed the oil once.[B)]
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  • wiz1997wiz1997 Member Posts: 1,051 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    26" self propelled. Wife operates. I haven't mowed the yard in 20 years.

    Asked her what she wanted for her birthday a few years back. "A new mower with them big wheels on it." You got it,babe.

    Likes mowing the yard and shoot'n guns. Can a man ask for much more?[:)]
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought this for the joy stick control. It will mow a LOT faster than I want to go, has Kawasaki power, simple to service and a good warranty.

    http://www.countryclipper.com/
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  • RadarRadar Member Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I got my Country Clipper about 6 years ago and realy like the joystick after i got used to it,now i can drink a cold one and mow.Never have done anything to the mower it is great.quote:Originally posted by bpost
    I bought this for the joy stick control. It will mow a LOT faster than I want to go, has Kawasaki power, simple to service and a good warranty.

    http://www.countryclipper.com/
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  • Mk 19Mk 19 Member Posts: 8,170
    edited November -1
    My mower is named Juan, he comes by every Tuesday morning to mow, trim, weed and clean. As long as I give him $60 every month he keeps coming back.
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  • Mark GMark G Member Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had the same problem last year. I bought a second home that was 1.6 acres. Flat lot with lots of thick grass. I bought the Husqvarna below. I have only used it for 1 season but so far it has worked well.

    http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/garden-tractors/fast-tractor-yth24v48/
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  • texaswildmantexaswildman Member Posts: 2,215 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    A couple of yard crews around here use Bush Hogs with good luck. I bought one, and I have had very good luck out of my Bush Hog PZ 3061. Been running smooth for 6 years and from March to November it mows at the house, dads farm and the ranch - almost every week, about 10-12 acres. Broke a drive belt last year only thing that's happened, and I should have replaced it at the start of spring....
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  • mstrblastermstrblaster Member Posts: 253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yea Man, I got a Country Clipper with a joystick control last fall. I love it!! That joystick is the only way to go. I checked out several ZTR mowers. They are so much faster than lawn tracktors Once you get away from big swinging arms onn most ZTR's, you'll never go back. Kudo's to the Kawasaki and the easy tip up deck for sharpening and all too!

    Check it out!!
    To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go out into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness, how cheap, how cowardly, how pathetic. Ted Nugent.
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  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,298 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    John Deere X320 either 48 or 54 inch deck or z 425 zero turn if you have more money then a Z915 B or X530 with 54 " deck cry once but will not need to replace for 20 years


    Close. Deere X534 All Wheel Steer does fine on our our lawn. Wife wanted zero turn and the mechanism is talked her out of it. Zero t he needs is a rough ride. He sat her on the air and she loved it. Kawasaki engine is bulletproof. She likes it and I am impressed. After 5 or 6 years the steering no is still tight. I mow our place and the farm buildings at the other end of the field.

    Do r air cooled, they really improved the air flow. Air cleaner stays clean.


    Deere x749 would be my next choice.. I think the bigger deck my be more problematic 54 inch deck is good. Deere mechanic said stay away from zero turns below 900 series.

    for bought a Kubota zero turn. It is OK. He said after driving g the AWS, he would had bought that for his 5 acres. Deere finally sped up the deck speed. Took them 30 years to do it.
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  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,298 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Church has a dixieland chopper. I wasn't impressed with it. Worked on it a little. It's not an MD, but crudely engineered. Like a AK47 to an AR15. Deck spindles weren't big enough. That is a pet peeve of mine.
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  • drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,620 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Skip the Zero turn and go straight to the Kubota 4x4 tractor.
    You can cut a lotta grass with a wider mowing deck.
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  • gearheaddadgearheaddad Member Posts: 15,091 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Mk 19
    My mower is named Juan, he comes by every Tuesday morning to mow, trim, weed and clean. As long as I give him $60 every month he keeps coming back.

    +1
    My guy is named Mel.
    No upfront cost, no 2-3 hours to mow and trim every week, does much better job than me, no 5 gallon gas cans in garage, no mowers in garage, no storage of tractor, hand mower, weedeater, trailer, etc, no maintenence, and more!
    Mel is a good guy.[;)]
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    I considered buying a zero-turn-radius mower, but settled on this:

    100_9898.jpg

    Not as maneuverable, but more versatile.

    I own a little over 4 acres, but keep around 3 acres mowed. Having the mower behind the tractor allows me to mow backward under trees, down the pond bank, road ditch, etc. I have also found more uses for the loader than I ever imagined.
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  • William81William81 Member Posts: 25,487 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the input all. I am torn now and am considering a small tractor instead. It would give me more options for little jobs around the farm......
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  • William81William81 Member Posts: 25,487 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bigoutside
    I'm a cost/benefit kind of guy.

    Why is it time for you to start doing it?

    This is a rent/own calculation.





    I am very much the same way. 1200-1400 year to have just the 3 acre yard mow. Now that I am here and will use more of the property I need to mow a couple acres in the back area for hunting/camping use and some mowing in my 17 acres of pasture land.

    And if I buy the right thing, it can be a farm expense !!!!!!
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  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,298 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Deere x700 series, if it has a 3 point hitch and rear pro, it is a tractor (no tax). I have a snow blower, rototiller, and box scraper. Not enough horsepower to tear any of it up.
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