Zero Turn Mowers- Good, Bad, Expensive....

[DozerDan82]

Long story short, my free from the side of the road 42" Troy Bilt is not going to cut it (pun intended) for my ~1.5 acres of grass. Locally looks like $800 ish is the ball park for a used rider, used zero turn (residential version) is $1,000 ish. Looks like a mid grade (mix of res vs commercial) is about $3,000-4,000, and goes up from there.

Lawn is nice, I would like to keep it nice. Ideally I would like to bag at least around the house, the side yard I would be okay with not bagging if need be (would be a lot of grass)

Buddy has a Cub Cadet RZT LX, he has 1/2 the property and mentioned he wishes he had stepped up a level.

Currently takes me over 3hrs to mow, got a quote for $90/w to do it (basic mow nothing else) which is prob about fair, however for that money I would rather invest in a decent mower that I can do ( I enjoy mowing the grass- time to myself)

Who has the skinny. Seems the store bought ones are hit or miss, and the trans in them are disposable. My cousin offered me a GrassHopper, but it would prob take me a month and $1,500 in parts to get going. Bad ass machine but I would like to use it this season.

 

[Lee]

I got a "free" homeowner grade Husqavarna 46" from family, it was practically new, but sat unused for 3-4 years in the elements with ethanol gas in it, it cost about $500 in parts/neglected maintenance to get it reliable again.

It was sold new at Lowe's for around $2,600, it's very much a low end homeowner grade mower, stamped steel deck, Briggs 23 HP V twin, cheap seat. I'm not sure it's worth the price it sold for, but I'm on mowing season 3 with it now, and can't really complain for what I've got in it. I ditched the front caster tube tires for solid rubber, no more inner tubes to fight and no more flats.

On the commercial end of things, guy that works for me bought a Gravely a few years ago and still likes it. My FIL has a 10+ year old Grasshopper that is still going strong.

 

[crispins]

Go you have a lot of trees or obstacles?

I mow right at 2 acres of grass and can do it in about 1 hour 15 mins using a $500 used John Deere 42"

However my yard does not have many trees so I can make pretty good loops.

For my yard I do not see how a zero turn would be much better.

Now for yards with lots of stuff in them then yes a zero turn.

As for what one to buy yes most of the homeowner shit has the shit everything in them and wont last yet all the used commercial shit seems used up and beat.

Kinda a toss up just really depends on what is around in your area.

 

[[486]]

my 38" lawn tractor probably cuts 5 acres now, maybe more since I started mowing a larger portion of the yard than I used to
it takes a few hours but...

been looking at commercial toros that a friend got at auction, they're pretty neat but he isn't giving them away free like lawn tractors are
Also been thinking about towing a couple push mowers beside the tractor to get more width, but haven't moved on it any yet.

my dad's got an old grasshopper he got used for a couple hundred bucks, it's really nice though it does get stuck really easily. Not much weight on the drive wheels or something.

 

[crispins]

Well fuck me.

I just used google earth to trace out the area I mow and it says it is just .90 acres.

I was figuring with 2.6 acres total property I would have closer to 2 acres of lawn

I guess that makes sense why i can do it in 75 mins

 

[OutlawRider]

We got a Ferris. Love it. Suspension at the wheels and at the seat. Not cushy by any means but miles ahead of anything rigid. We mow a lot of acres

 

[2big bronco]

I seem to remember you living on the east coast but if not i got a newer 20+hp bolins lawn tractor with box scraper and little trailer thrown in on a tractor deal today.... i could let it go pretty cheap

 

[vetteboy79]

 

[Pt_Ranger_v8]

I've got a beat to fuck yellow mower that I picked up with a new harbor freight engine in it for $800...

Works pretty well, and I just keep putting oil in the (slowly) leaking hydro drive motor.

Don't look for a pretty one, look for a stout one.

 

[[486]]

Well fuck me.

I just used google earth to trace out the area I mow and it says it is just .90 acres.

I was figuring with 2.6 acres total property I would have closer to 2 acres of lawn

I guess that makes sense why i can do it in 75 mins

just for shits and grins I looked up my dirt
out of 40 I guess I only mow just over 1ac lol

 

[Austin]

I cut 3.5 acres .... house came with an entry level Dixie Chopper.... it didn't cut that great and was weak. Judging by the burnouts in the shop the idiot PO abused it. Replaced it with a 60" diesel powered Grasshopper. I cut the grass in about 1.5 hrs and get nearly 3 cuts from a 5 gallon tank. I love it.

 

[Juztyn00]

Look for something with a fabricated deck and grease zerks. Kawasaki engines are on a he high end models. Wider rear wheels width, the better. Most everything is made up from the same basket of parts otherwise.

 

[DozerDan82]

This is the 'side' yard. Rest of the area is prob 1/2 that again, lots of landscape, hills, turns. Nothing CRAZY but enough I do not want to dismiss it. If I am going to buy I would rather do so once than buy and regret then buy again.

 

[Austin]

I would rather do so once than buy and regret then buy again.

Agreed. Grasshopper

 

[lt1yj]

I’ve run a 52” Ferris commercial walk behind with a sulky for the past 12 years I picked up used on Craigslist. It was 5 yrs old at the time and the PO ran a lawn service. No hour meter but I’d guess 1200-1500

I mow about 3/4 acre in an hour. I had to replace the main spindle bearings, the drive belt, a pulley, and the sulky tires besides yearly filters, spark plugs, oil changes and a set of blades.

I’d buy a Ferris when it’s time to replace this one in 5-10 more years

 

[Paragon]

I have a diesel kubota zd60 down at the farm. 20yo versions run about $5k best I can tell. With Oregon gator blades I cut a shitload of grass in an hour. It cuts everything while hauling ass

 

[KungFooMASTA]

From experience I would say get a Grasshopper if you can afford it or a Hustler if you cant afford a Grasshopper.

 

[ANGELO]

Well fuck me.

I just used google earth to trace out the area I mow and it says it is just .90 acres.

I was figuring with 2.6 acres total property I would have closer to 2 acres of lawn

I guess that makes sense why i can do it in 75 mins

Less then a acre should take like 30 min with a zero turn and a decent size deck

 

[bgaidan]

Google earth says I mow roughly 4 acres at the new place, minus the houses, barn, shop and driveway. I'd guess it's really 3 acres, and that's also around a shit ton of trees, landscaping, fences, and other obstacles. I have a 60" cub cadet ZT (actually two of them) and it takes me just over 2 hours to mow.....and another two hours to trim. After having a ZT for the last few years, I wouldn't dream of doing it with a rider.



As far as new zero turns go, pretty much anything from the box stores in the same price range is going to be pretty much the same, just different paint color. Last year, before I moved, I bought a brand ne 46" Ariens from Lowes. I looked up the specs on everything they sell and pretty much the deere, cub, and whatever else they sold all had the exact same engines and wheel motors, which are obviously the critical parts. Most brands also offer the same model either with a Kohler or Kawasaki. I went with the Ariens with the Kawa because it was orange.

 

[TiTRD]

I've got a small 42" Hustler that was bought at Lowes with a fabricated deck and 23hp Kohler.

My only complaint is the cup holder is way too large for a beer can.

I went small because I've got some narrow areas to get into.

 

[swtfman]

I've had a Hustler with a Honda motor and a Gravely with a Kawasaki motor, both 52 inch. The Gravely seems to cut quite a bit better, probably because the deck is taller. The Hustler would get clogged up in thicker grass.

 

[mdmike]

I still say one of my best investments was a commercial 60" Exmark Lazer zero turn. What used to be a miserable 2+ hour job on an old Cub Lowboy tractor is now an enjoyable 45 minutes. I paid $4k for mine 15 years ago when it was only a couple years old, but I've seen similar models on CL for under $2k with reasonable hours on them.

Bonus is, my lines/stripes are on point and it makes my crappy grass look great. I even splurged for the lead roller for the back of the deck.

 

[larboc]

Long story short, my free from the side of the road 42" Troy Bilt is not going to cut it (pun intended) for my ~1.5 acres of grass. Locally looks like $800 ish is the ball park for a used rider, used zero turn (residential version) is $1,000 ish. Looks like a mid grade (mix of res vs commercial) is about $3,000-4,000, and goes up from there.

Lawn is nice, I would like to keep it nice. Ideally I would like to bag at least around the house, the side yard I would be okay with not bagging if need be (would be a lot of grass)

Buddy has a Cub Cadet RZT LX, he has 1/2 the property and mentioned he wishes he had stepped up a level.

Currently takes me over 3hrs to mow, got a quote for $90/w to do it (basic mow nothing else) which is prob about fair, however for that money I would rather invest in a decent mower that I can do ( I enjoy mowing the grass- time to myself)

Who has the skinny. Seems the store bought ones are hit or miss, and the trans in them are disposable. My cousin offered me a GrassHopper, but it would prob take me a month and $1,500 in parts to get going. Bad ass machine but I would like to use it this season.

Mulching blades>bagging.

 

[KungFooMASTA]

I've got a small 42" Hustler that was bought at Lowes with a fabricated deck and 23hp Kohler.

My only complaint is the cup holder is way too large for a beer can.

I went small because I've got some narrow areas to get into.

The Hustlers from Lowes are exactly the same as ones at dealers. It turns out mine came from there. My friend was a dealer and told me not to worry about it being from a big box store.

He said sometimes the big box stores assemble them wrong and dont set the deck up right though

From what I hear lots of Veterans buy them from Lowes to get a 10% discount. Sometimes its a better deal than the dealers can give.

And the big cup holder is for a 40oz. Duh. You can put the cap back on and not get dust and grass in it.

 

[Poriggity]

I have a Husqvarna Z560 commercial 60" fabricated deck with a 24 horse Kawasaki. My brother is a Husqvarna dealer, and mine was the prior years model. Got it for his cost, which was still $7400 on an msrp of $10,400, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I mow about 4 acres. I had no plans to buy such an expensive mower, but it kinda just dropped in my lap, and Husqvarna was offering 0% interest OAC for 4 years.. so im using thier money for 4 years, and once thats up it will be paid for.

 

[rockota]

if you don't get something like this... and mount a weapon... then you're "just mowing lawn."

 

[Poriggity]

The Hustlers from Lowes are exactly the same as ones at dealers. It turns out mine came from there. My friend was a dealer and told me not to worry about it being from a big box store.

He said sometimes the big box stores assemble them wrong and dont set the deck up right though

From what I hear lots of Veterans buy them from Lowes to get a 10% discount. Sometimes its a better deal than the dealers can give.

And the big cup holder is for a 40oz. Duh. You can put the cap back on and not get dust and grass in it.

Having experience both a big box store Husqvarna and my current mower, you couldn't pay me to own the garbage they park out front of lowes or home depot.

 

[rugger]

I bought a Hustler with the Kawasaki engine. I believe that it's a 60" welded deck. It has been nearly flawless. Well, that is before the deck almost fell off. Nut and bolt every fastener on whatever you get. Nearly everything on mine was loose. I'm not sure who assembles them, but they have no idea what they are doing.

 

[TiTRD]

I bought a Hustler with the Kawasaki engine. I believe that it's a 60" welded deck. It has been nearly flawless. Well, that is before the deck almost fell off. Nut and bolt every fastener on whatever you get. Nearly everything on mine was loose. I'm not sure who assembles them, but they have no idea what they are doing.

This happened to my Hustler also. One side of the deck fell down due to a missing bolt that rattled out; I didn't notice until my next pass where half the last pass was scalped. My lawn is crap, so whatever. Mower is fixed.

Also installed a mulching system for it. I approve.

 

[pvkj454]

I gave $2500 for a 2005 Hustler Z 60" about 7 years ago that had 800 hours on it. I replaced an idler pulley on the deck and both ignition coils on the Kawasaki engine. Other than that it has been trouble free. Way less maintenance and much faster cutting than the Cub Cadets I had before.