Need recommendations for ZT mower. UPDATE: My new mower was delivered today.

March 17, 2017, 08:54 PM

That acres per hour chart is accurate. I do one 2 acre plot that is mostly scrapes and ruts. Will jar your teeth unless you keep it slow. I typically mow it 4 times a year so it's generally above knee high. Takes me about 90 minutes. I do another 2 acre lawn with many trees and obstructions. Takes less than an hour. 80% efficiency is the best I can average and sometimes it's less.

I've been fooling with high end lawn equip since I bought my first Kubota back in the early 80s.

Kubota B7100 hydro 4wd 3 cyl diesel w/60" belly finish mower

March 17, 2017, 08:57 PM

sig77

My buddy has a Scag he bought used and it is really nice. It is a diesel so you can mow pretty much full speed. Makes 5 acres feel like a city lot. He has a 72 inch tiger.

March 17, 2017, 09:01 PM

pepsiblue

I have a Bad Boy ZT60 that I bought used about 4-5 years ago with 60 hours on it. I bought it off Craigslist for $3000, and I love it. Zero issues, and a great cut.

10mm lays waste to entire cities, cuts through diamonds and will tear Superman a new asshole. - Parabellum

Sex offenders can not be rehabilitated. It's in their wiring. They should not be released back into the general public. On the other hand they should not be warehoused either. I think they should be executed.....Spectre

When someone tries to kill you, it doesn't matter how they are doing it. You're in mortal danger, and it's time to try to kill them back.

Arc.
___

Kill every last one of these goddamned animals. We need a president with balls. We need leadership. We should be carpet bombing these barbarians wherever we find them, and we should be looking for them 24/7. We have to unleash Hell upon them. They understand nothing but death, so death is what we should bring them, wholesale.... Para

I left "practical" behind many years ago. It was covered with my first Glock 19. (Fredward)

March 17, 2017, 09:11 PM

mas4363

quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Consider the smoothness of the terrain and number of obstacles. Smooth and few tight obstacles means you can go wider + time saving.

Storage, The bigger mowers are huge and take a lot of storage space.

What do you see the local commercial guys using? That is a good clue, They have to use good equipment that they can get service and parts for quickly and easily.

I decided I didn't want to spend all day mowing my yard so I ponied up... Nut now I enjoy it so much I find myself mowing the yard twice a week unless a drought.
I bought a Ferris 61" with fuel injected 28 HP. commercial rig. Over 8K. Love it!
I can do 4 acre with ~35 trees, house drive bushes dog pen... in just over an hour. 1:05 to 1:25 depending on conditions.

I run 90% of the time at full speed ~10MPH, however at ~8 it does do a tad bit better job.
Lots of fallen tree limbs and exposed roots and rough ground keep my blades dulled. Mow about 3 1/4 in high usually.

Add ons? Bagger, mulch?

Need ears, preferably with tunes! I have the Howard Leight Impact Sport but would prefer Blu-tooth if doing over.
Eyes, Got some cheep googles, those and dust mask needed when dusty. Sun hat.

Oh yea, cup holder.

And I had to buy a new trailer as I have to transport it to multiple locations on occasion and it was too wide for my old trailer!

Grandkids nicknamed it "The Beast" LOL!

My yard is very rough so I got one with 4 wheel independent coil over suspension. You can see the front shocks in the photo. Rear is the same.

If no suspension you need a nice seat. An optional upgrade on some brands. No worries if you have a smooth yard.

I have the same Ferris. For doing several acres, the suspension is worth its weight in gold. On any other ZT look into a suspension seat. Your back will thank you.

March 17, 2017, 09:13 PM

doublesharp

I think used commercial is the way to go if you've got time to search. That Scag 72" diesel is a $15,000 new machine and it's as good as they come. Lawn services are always coming and going and right now is the time to be looking. I've bought several good mowers on Craigslist but I do my best not to buy problems. No fixer uppers for me, I look for low hour garage kept mowers that the boss used.

March 17, 2017, 09:36 PM

cparktd

My wife opined as how I had bought myself a "TOY" and she wouldn't be able to drive it.

ME: Well, I asked, you can drive a shopping cart cant you?
Duh... she says.
ME: So you can drive this!
Your crazy she says.

So, I told her to hold her hands out in front of her like she was holding onto a shopping cart handle.
I said, while standing still... pretend to push the cart... she pushed her hands out forward.
Now, pull the cart backwards... she pulled her hands back toward her body.
Now, twist your hands like you are turning the cart down an isle to the right... she twisted to the right with her hands.

End of lesson... you now know how to drive the mower.

March 17, 2017, 10:43 PM

kingfish007

Thank you all. Lots of good info for me to start looking. The Ferris 61" does seems like a "beast", LOL. I would be very happy if I can mow 3.5 acres in about an hour. My land is flat with only some tree obstacles...

March 18, 2017, 06:47 AM

Wishbone

Bad Boys are tough to beat.

https://www.badboymowers.com/

March 18, 2017, 08:09 AM

ridewv

quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Consider the smoothness of the terrain and number of obstacles. Smooth and few tight obstacles means you can go wider + time saving.

...I bought a Ferris 61" with fuel injected 28 HP. commercial rig. Over 8K. Love it!

.....My yard is very rough so I got one with 4 wheel independent coil over suspension. You can see the front shocks in the photo. Rear is the same.

If no suspension you need a nice seat. An optional upgrade on some brands. No worries if you have a smooth yard.

I'll be needing a ZT myself and a Ferris Z2100 61" is on my short list as much of what I will be mowing is somewhat rough and I don't know of any other manufacturer that offers F&R suspension? Leaning toward the Kawasaki engine but FI on the B&S engine sounds attractive.
I'd also like to be able to hold up the chute and run it on our trails through the woods if it has enough ground clearance so I really need to look one over, closest dealer is 40 miles or more away though.

March 18, 2017, 08:10 AM

BurtonRW

I love my 52" Turf Tiger. OEM SCAG parts may be expensive, but when you hardly ever have to replace them...

It's also super easy to work on.

I actually need to replace the clutch this season. It's going to be about a 15 minute job.

Five acres +/- over quite a bit of uneven terrain w/ obstacles takes about 3 hours.

-Rob

March 18, 2017, 08:38 AM

Tailhook 84

Lot's of great models available which have already been mentioned. I've owned a Bush Hog Estate Series for 10 years and it's been bullet proof. Change the oil on schedule, sharpen the blades and mow.

Just some other things to consider:

1. Get a welded deck and commercial-grade components, especially for the hydrostatic transmission drives. A fan on top will keep them cool during the summer.

2. Don't buy a size mower that will fit through your smallest existing gate. Buy the mower you need and build a bigger gate if necessary. (I'm not saying I did this, but I know people who have...)

3. Be very careful bumping into things with the ZTR which is easy to do. I backed into a standing water pipe in the rear of my property and had to quit mowing to stop the resulting deluge. My neighbor bumped his brick-enclosed mailbox with the welded deck and toppled it over into the street. Although the deck is suspended by short chains, there's a lot of mass that will be absorbed by what you hit.

4. Does your property have any steep slopes? Be careful, and don't attempt to mow if it's even remotely wet. The front casters want to head down the hill, and when the rear drive tires loose traction you'll slide down the hill. (I'll admit to learning this the hard way...)

Good luck, have fun, and enjoy being the envy of your neighbors.

March 18, 2017, 08:45 AM

Chris Anchor

Over the years I have killed a Country Clipper and two Toros plus a couple of DR mowers. I now have a Kubota ZD221 54" cut diesel that will run and run. I'm coming up on it's third season and it's as tight as it was when I hauled it home. It's a very comfortable ride. I mow about 3 acres once a week. Chris

March 18, 2017, 02:32 PM

David W

I don't mow as much as you but I have a 52" Bobcat with a 29HP Kawasaki engine and its been great.

March 19, 2017, 06:48 AM

SummersAtTheLake

I have been researching zero turns for a couple of months and getting closer to purchasing a Hustler...made in the USA and all that Hustler makes is mowers for over 50 years.

March 19, 2017, 07:18 AM

mark123

I've got suggestions but need to know what's important to you. Do you want the fancy stripes? Will the area be fertilized? Are you going to keep up with it or just mow when it starts to really look bad?

March 19, 2017, 07:25 AM

Oz_Shadow

I am going to recommend a GREAT mower type that most people do not consider.

Looks at mowers like the Wright Stander in 52" cut and similar.

I cut commercial properties like Walmart shopping centers for a number of years using stand up mowers (Great Dane Surfers then, out of business)

They are fast, take up loss room in storage, and far superior if you have uneven or sloped terrain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlvFFY8Gqg

Very easy to use.

March 19, 2017, 07:33 AM

liner

quote:
Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
I am going to recommend a GREAT mower type that most people do not consider.

Looks at mowers like the Wright Stander in 52" cut and similar.

I cut commercial properties like Walmart shopping centers for a number of years using stand up

mowers (Great Dane Surfers then, out of business)

They are fast, take up loss room in storage, and far superior if you have uneven or sloped terrain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlvFFY8Gqg

Very easy to use.

I concur,I've had one for 7 years and mow my 1 acre lawn twice a week in season. Fast, handles slopes well and takes less space in the garage. No maintenance issues to date, need to check but I have around 550 hours on it.

March 19, 2017, 07:43 AM

prairieviper

Bad Boy mowers....built like tanks.

https://www.badboymowers.com/

March 19, 2017, 09:50 AM

ensigmatic

quote:
Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
Walker mowers.

I would counsel against that. Maintenance nightmare. I have one (48" deck) and, yes: It does a fine job cutting the grass and they kick backside for fall cleanup. But, either you or your dealer will be wrenching on it on a regular basis, to keep it running.

March 19, 2017, 10:52 AM

barndg00

quote:
Originally posted by mark123:
I've got suggestions but need to know what's important to you. Do you want the fancy stripes? Will the area be fertilized? Are you going to keep up with it or just mow when it starts to really look bad?

I've been following this thread and would be interested in your opinion. I've got a 1 acre lawn, like the fancy stripes, and do fertilize. I mow regularly in season, but sometimes get delayed due to work schedule. What would you recommend?