Zero turn riding mower??? UPDATE
Oakie
Member Posts: 40,510 ✭✭✭✭
Anybody have one and what is a good one to get. I have two acres of grass to cut. I was looking at the Lower end John Deere mowers for around 3,700. What is a good brand and is trouble free??? I'm also looking at the cub cadet. Any other brands that I should look at???
Now that I have read all the comments and compared all the features, I'm even more confused LOL. I like the Cub Cadet, but the reviews said the mower is loud and shakes you to death. The John Deere was the better mower for the price, but has the stamped steel deck. The other brands, were thousands of dollars more, but probably worth it in the long run, if I was going to stay here. I'm leaning towards the Deere and just doing an undercoat on the mower deck. My son told me if I went that way, just bring the mower up to his repair center and we could put it on the lift, and coat it. I read about doing that on some of the reviews, to prolong the life of the deck. This mower will stay at the house when we sell it. I will buy a better mower when I get to out retirement house.
Comments
The upper end Cub Cadets have a steering wheel that people like. For durability, get a Gravely. Mine is 11 years old and all I've done was change the blades. I mow 4-5 yards in the summer.
For longevity get a WELDED deck, not stamped!
I had a residential, stamped deck, gravely. It did ok, but I had to replace the spindles 5 or 6 times and welded the deck about 10 times over 6 or 7 years.
I am in my 2nd season with Bobcat, residential grade but welded deck. This thing is a beast and should last for years. Spindles have grease jerks and most all moving parts too. ZT2000 is the model I bought, about 6K all in.
John Deere
I have a zero turn Cub Cadet that I got with my last house. It does fine. I don't think I would have chosen it if I were buying one new, but I sure wouldn't rule it out. I am more of a John Deere type, but this Cub Cadet works and it's not too tough to get parts for them.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I've owned Husqvarna and John Deere mowers over the years and the John Deere gave me most of the problems. Recently bought a Commercial limited edition Toro Titan Max 'HAVOC' edition 60 inch from Home Depot and it exceeded my expectations. It's comfortable, fast and makes our 3 acre lawn look like a professional cut it. The mower actually looks menacing with the all black paint, roll bar with lights and huge knobby tires and SS Chrome rims. My budget was $4500 but after seeing the Havoc and looking on YouTube I pulled the trigger for $7300. 4 year/400 Hour warranty.
I have a 52 inch Ariens. Love it. Three years trouble free.
I can't get into it to use it since my stroke. It breaks my heart. BUT watching Hot Momma flying across the yard with her Cat hat on is GREAT!!
Cat, as in heavy equipment. Our son got that for his Mommy! He is a 23 years old Momma's boy. He works a Cat track hoe every day at his construction job. He's a serious Cat fan!!
Also, an articulating front axle is nice for uneven ground.
Biddy on tge fire dept with me has a lawn care service . He runs Gravely. One is 6 years old with only minor repairs . If lawn services are prevalent in your area take a look at what they are running . Buy accordingly.
Have had my John Deere for 24 years. Still going strong.
Remember, there is a HUGE difference between residential grade and the commercial grade that landscapers use.....big price diff too! Just because a $15,000 gravely is awesome, doesn't mean the $3,500 gravely is awesome too.
Check for welded deck, spindles with grease jerks, serviceable transmissions. All that can be had in a residential mower, but MOST do not have any of those. Bobcat does, and I'm sure a few others.
Those details are important when picking a mower.
Be aware that the john deere sold by the box stores is not the same mower you buy at the john deere dealership. Same thing with the husqvarnas. Cheaper decks and suspensions etc
I bought a 54 inch,Kawasaki powered Hustler Raptor about 8 years ago.I am a stickler for maintenance and so far no problems
Toro has always been a good name in my garage.
I have a 54" Hustler Raptor also. It's a good machine with no problems.
About 8-10 head of goats should get the job done.
They are not cheap, but around here Scag is what most use that mow a lot of yards.
I have a Ferris and it has done fine
if I was looking to buy again I would look at these https://www.countryclipper.com/learn-more/exclusive-features.aspx#deck
and the real John Deere is always a good bet
Asking for a friend ......................... right. 😉
Are we even allowed to talk about "goat lubing" on the forums? 😯
Take a look at the Kubota BX series of tractors. They are MUCH more versatile than a zero turn. They also have many many more attachments that allow you to do just about any project you want to do.
As a bonus it will outlast you and your kids with proper maintenance .
Joe
Country Clipper, mine is joy stick steering and is a dream to use and maintain.
I don’t know why anyone would want a zero turn mower. It would only go straight if you couldn’t turn it!
I have an Exmark 48 inch its held up good after 13 years and I have 2 acres with a lot of trees and bumps.
I looked at zero turns when I moved here but most of my lawn mowing is on a fairly steep hill. Bought a Huskyvarna tractor for the lawn and a Kubota BX with a 55" snow blower for the driveway.
Yeah, but that's the beauty of it. Ya don't hafta mow "around" stuff.
^^^😎😎