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

I'd go with the Ariens Ikon 52" Kawasaki for $3999
Servicable Transaxles.
Has the larger engine (same as 60")
I like the cut of the 52 vs the 60.
52" blades spin faster.
 
kmkommes said:
I'd go with the Ariens Ikon 52" Kawasaki for $3999
Servicable Transaxles.
Has the larger engine (same as 60")
I like the cut of the 52 vs the 60.
52" blades spin faster.
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I'd go with the Apex over the Ikon.


I bought an Ikon at my old place and used it for a season before moving here. It was my first real, new ZT and I thought it was awesome. My neighbor here has an Apex and it's night and day difference. Everything about it is beefier and more comfortable.
 
bgaidan said:
I'd go with the Apex over the Ikon.

I bought an Ikon at my old place and used it for a season before moving here. It was my first real, new ZT and I thought it was awesome. My neighbor here has an Apex and it's night and day difference. Everything about it is beefier and more comfortable.
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Agree but he was looking at $4000 or less. The Ariens Apex and Gravely HD (same) are great machines and what I usually recommend. They are borderline commercial machines. You'll see similarities between the $6,000 Gravely HD and our $32,000 Proturn EV (electric).
 
my son had a JD zt commercial mower that would trac great on side hills. We have a big box store zt husquvarna that acts like its on ice when on the least little slope.
How do you know which zt machines will trac good on a side hill without breaking the bank?
 
Socsmm6 said:
my son had a JD zt commercial mower that would trac great on side hills. We have a big box store zt husquvarna that acts like its on ice when on the least little slope.
How do you know which zt machines will trac good on a side hill without breaking the bank?
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checked the tire pressures?


"they looked low"
well yeah, scag says you're supposed to put 8 PSI in them.
it rides like shit with 25, which is where she generally eyeballs them "so they didn't look flat"

I eventually had to buy her a fucking tire pressure gauge that only went up to 15 psi so she'd figure it out.
 
87manche said:
checked the tire pressures?


"they looked low"
well yeah, scag says you're supposed to put 8 PSI in them.
it rides like shit with 25, which is where she generally eyeballs them "so they didn't look flat"

I eventually had to buy her a fucking tire pressure gauge that only went up to 15 psi so she'd figure it out.
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Tire pressure is good. Even tried it at different pressures. I figure its a weight thing. The JD felt like a tank, went where you pointed it. Of course it cost 3x what the husquvarna did. Lol
 
Walked past my wright after the kid was done mowing yesterday, oil everywhere. I thought for sure I would be looking at a new engine. The oil cooler line pinholed, it appears it did it right as he was finishing as it still fires up and runs fine.

What's everyone using for blades? Mine are all bent, top part missing and the end of the blades are probably only like 1/2" wide.
I read about the laser edge blades. Those look interesting to me, my blades dull after doing the yard a couple time and I definitely don't sharpen them enough.
 
I just get Hustler or Oregon blades.

I can’t recommend Hustler anymore. Not like at the beginning of this thread.
 
ANGELO said:
Walked past my wright after the kid was done mowing yesterday, oil everywhere. I thought for sure I would be looking at a new engine. The oil cooler line pinholed, it appears it did it right as he was finishing as it still fires up and runs fine.

What's everyone using for blades? Mine are all bent, top part missing and the end of the blades are probably only like 1/2" wide.
I read about the laser edge blades. Those look interesting to me, my blades dull after doing the yard a couple time and I definitely don't sharpen them enough.
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Gator blades , I had 2 sets makes quick change as long as you remember to sharpen the old one


 
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It sounds like they have diamond or something on the bottom of the blade, so it will wear its self sharper. The picture on landscaping forums looks like it works
Screenshot_20230625-192019.png
 
That tracked mower is interesting.. I would have to think that would tear the shit out of the turf when turning. looks like it more for rough cut on road and pond banks, light brush hogging with the 6 swing away blade design?

My Scag Cheetah 2 manual says not to get on a side hill of more than 15*. I am pretty sure I have had it on steeper ground that that. as long as you keep the drive wheels on the downhill side it's not too bad. It did take me some getting used to though. Get the drives on the uphill side and you are going for a ride though. :laughing:

Edit: holy shit I reckon you got all the good out of those blades. :laughing:
 
Wades_76_cj7 said:
That tracked mower is interesting.. I would have to think that would tear the shit out of the turf when turning. looks like it more for rough cut on road and pond banks, light brush hogging with the 6 swing away blade design?

My Scag Cheetah 2 manual says not to get on a side hill of more than 15*. I am pretty sure I have had it on steeper ground that that. as long as you keep the drive wheels on the downhill side it's not too bad. It did take me some getting used to though. Get the drives on the uphill side and you are going for a ride though. :laughing:

Edit: holy shit I reckon you got all the good out of those blades. :laughing:
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Buddy has one. He bought it for mowing around his pond. Cut is actually very good. Tracks dont tear up ground as bad as you would think unless really wet.
 
TrailTamer said:
That’s impressive.

And your cutting edge don’t look that bad.
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I sharpened them somewhat recently :homer:

I didn't want to buy new blades and we were still using it as a brush hog with all the sticks from the hurricane. Those are all chopped up now though
 
Hope this helps. Just picked up this 2017 Ferris IS2100Z for $4k. I think it was a steal. It was used commercially at some point, and had an engine replacement a couple years ago. The suspension really does make a difference. Trying to watch the front wheels the one time I’ve used it so far, they didn’t noticeably move as much as I thought they would on my rough yard, but it definitely lets you run faster. The pissed off tires he put on there require more finesse than I have so far…

IMG_6808.jpeg

IMG_6809.jpeg
 
OHV Wildcat said:
Hope this helps. Just picked up this 2017 Ferris IS2100Z for $4k. I think it was a steal. It was used commercially at some point, and had an engine replacement a couple years ago. The suspension really does make a difference. Trying to watch the front wheels the one time I’ve used it so far, they didn’t noticeably move as much as I thought they would on my rough yard, but it definitely lets you run faster. The pissed off tires he put on there require more finesse than I have so far…

IMG_6808.jpeg

IMG_6809.jpeg
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Those look like an ATV tire, not a mower tire.
 
I see a lot of mowers with th
OHV Wildcat said:
Hope this helps. Just picked up this 2017 Ferris IS2100Z for $4k. I think it was a steal. It was used commercially at some point, and had an engine replacement a couple years ago. The suspension really does make a difference. Trying to watch the front wheels the one time I’ve used it so far, they didn’t noticeably move as much as I thought they would on my rough yard, but it definitely lets you run faster. The pissed off tires he put on there require more finesse than I have so far…

IMG_6808.jpeg

IMG_6809.jpeg
Click to expand...
I have seen a lot of mowers with those tires , machine looks clean.
 
OHV Wildcat said:
Hope this helps. Just picked up this 2017 Ferris IS2100Z for $4k. I think it was a steal. It was used commercially at some point, and had an engine replacement a couple years ago. The suspension really does make a difference. Trying to watch the front wheels the one time I’ve used it so far, they didn’t noticeably move as much as I thought they would on my rough yard, but it definitely lets you run faster. The pissed off tires he put on there require more finesse than I have so far…

IMG_6808.jpeg

IMG_6809.jpeg
Click to expand...
Very nice! Man please be careful without the rops on that thing! I had a family member get crushed to death loading his on his utility trailer
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
My walker has those tires. It needs them at times mowing the ditches around the pit :lmao:
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Walker, as a walk-behind mower?

I just put a new set of standard turf drive tires on my walk-behind mower. Mostly because old set were full of holes and, and just old. But it’s still inadequate on steep sidehill.

I’ll like if it can sidehill my riverbank better, better than my crapsman riding mower. I had close calls when it suddenly slips sideway toward water. I had to bring my Jeep into backyard to tow it off the riverbank :lmao:
68083081798__C15D95F4-A46A-482A-A230-D9E96CD90642.jpeg
 
TrailTamer said:
Walker, as a walk-behind mower?

I just put a new set of standard turf drive tires on my walk-behind mower. Mostly because old set were full of holes and, and just old. But it’s still inadequate on steep sidehill.

I’ll like if it can sidehill my riverbank better, better than my crapsman riding mower. I had close calls when it suddenly slips sideway toward water. I had to bring my Jeep into backyard to tow it off the riverbank :lmao:
68083081798__C15D95F4-A46A-482A-A230-D9E96CD90642.jpeg
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Walker commercial mower.

IMG_8223.jpeg
 
well, I'm not in on zero turn crew
but I did just end up with a 1400 dollar jacobsen lf3400 fairway mower

the reels do absolutely nothing to 3' high grass, the user manual says you can adjust from 3/8" to 3/4" length of cut rofl
the magic is it's got three hydraulic pumps out front, one for the 3 front reels, one for the 2 rear reels and one for full hydro steering (which also runs the lift cylinder valve much like a hydroboost brake power steering loop)
drive is via a sunstrand hydrostatic pump, just one both wheel motors teed in, I could probably valve it real fancy in a series-parallel arrangement to get a hydraulic "diff lock" function if I need to, but that'd also double the speed (and halve the torque?)

best bits: 4wd and a kubota v1305
it's gonna get trashy riding mower decks grafted on in place of the reels.
 
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