I've got 2070 hours on the 2014 Toro Z Master 3000. It started eating belts last year and while I think I've got that sorted, it's just time for a new one.

I'm going to get a 4000 series this time. What I'm having trouble deciding is what size should I get.

The choices are 52" and 60". It's only an 8" difference but the guys I talk to say going with the 60" makes a huge difference in time. They say there's not much difference in cut quality but I don't want to lose any cut quality. There is one lawn that I can fit a 52" through their gate but a 60" will not work. Only one lawn and I can push mow the fenced area but it's a 3 lawn stop and that will definitely drop my $/hr.

I've never owned a 60". There may be some scalping on the undulating lawns. Not sure. I'm comfortable with the 52" but if I can save time every day then I'm all for it as last year I had a hard time completing my fertilizing schedule between mowings because of all the rain delays.

Both mowers are 25.5HP. That's 5.1HP/ft for the 60" and 5.9HP/ft for the 52". That's meaningless in perfect conditions but when you get into leaves and wet grass you begin to feel the inadequacies of even a little difference.

I also have a 36" walk-behind and of all of my mowers that one has the best cut quality by far. I've let a little cut quality go by going to the 52" in 2014 so maybe the 60" is ok enough.

I'm not sure which to go with. Anyone have experience with the larger mower decks? Any issues?

I have a 72" for my personal mower, and was told I should get the 60" to prevent scalping. I'm on 6 acres, mostly flat, and I haven't seen any major issues. The areas that I know to be a problem I simply use the foot pedal to raise the deck as I go over them.

On a one acre square, the 52" mower will need to make 8 more passes than the 60". Maybe keep your old mower for your jobs with the gates, and a new larger mower for the others.

if in the business you need a "Walker"!

Back in the day when I was in the biz, we had mostly 52" decks when I started and then switched to 60" as the deck tech was better and we had less scalping.
60" seemed to be the standard for everyone. If I were to do it today, I'd go 60".
We did a four day week instead of five (longer days incase we needed a rain day) and sharpened blades twice a week, so every two days. Never had problems w/ cut quality.

For fenced back yards and such we had a 32" and 36" w/ bags for a couple routes.

I had a 54" then went to 60" and couldn't see any difference in cut quality at all. The 60" projected 3" farther out on each side which made it easier to trim up to things. When I moved from the 60" to a 72" I did experience scalping in a few places where I never did prior. I'm now back to 61" which I feel is the sweet spot for a mower deck on my ZTR (Ferris Z2100)

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
I had a 54" then went to 60" and couldn't see any difference in cut quality at all. The 60" projected 3" farther out on each side which made it easier to trim up to things. When I moved from the 60" to a 72" I did experience scalping in a few places where I never did prior. I'm now back to 61" which I feel is the sweet spot for a mower deck on my ZTR (Ferris Z2100)

We had a 72" also and noticed the same thing. We generally used it at condos and properties that were flatter.

Let me preface this by confessing that I never ran a Toro zero turn of any size. However, I did run some pretty good-sized mowers, up to multiple Heckendorn 96" behemoths. These were not for residential clients, but some of the commercial properties were very quality sensitive. I think the closest I ran to what Mark is looking to buy was a Jacobsen, with a 60" out-front floating deck. When this machine had a warranty problem that required it go into the dealer's shop, they lent us a similar model with a 48" deck. I found that the size of the deck made little difference in cut quality even on undulating lawns, but a huge difference in production. My experiences with wider decks of different geometries tended to reinforce this general principle. The 60" cut in three days what took the 48" four days to do.

So my recommendation would be to go with the bigger deck. However, I would ask your supplier to allow you to evaluate whether 25HP is enough to run the larger deck before committing to the purchase. Get a separate 48" walk behind, like an Exmark, SCAG, Hustler, etc., for those narrow gates (assuming you have room on your trailer). Your dealer should be able to give you a huge discount on the walk behind to overcome your objection about buying the wider deck on the rider.

Would a feel mower work?

I've had a 50" Dixie Chopper and a 52" Grasshopper. Both cut a little better than the 61" Bob-Cat, not much but a little. The 2000 model 50" Dixie 20 yr anniversary mower was my 1st ztr and the best cutting mower I've ever had out of about 20. I loved the speed of the 61" and it had the 1000cc Kawasaki, a gas hog but a powerhouse. I no longer mow for money and use a 48" Big Dog/Hustler Trimstar rider on my 3/4 acre lot. I'd probably go for the size that kept me from walking.

Mark, I have nothing to add about which deck size to buy. However, my FIL was 30 years in the mower business for golf courses.

He would take used equipment back from the high end customers (trade-ins toward the purchase of the newest mower), freshen it up and sell it to the customers with more modest budget. In essence he made $$ or the original sale and on the re-sale.

Buy your largest deck mower new and see if there's a trade-in at a cheaper price for the smaller stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
.....My experiences with wider decks of different geometries tended to reinforce this general principle. The 60" cut in three days what took the 48" four days to do.

So my recommendation would be to go with the bigger deck. However, I would ask your supplier to allow you to evaluate whether 25HP is enough to run the larger deck before committing to the purchase. Get a separate 48" walk behind, like an Exmark, SCAG, Hustler, etc., for those narrow gates (assuming you have room on your trailer). Your dealer should be able to give you a huge discount on the walk behind to overcome your objection about buying the wider deck on the rider.

My experience with a 60" deck on my 25hp ZTR is all good, it has never struggled even in some pretty high, thick grass (weeds actually). 25hp is popular because over 25hp engines move to more restrictive emission requirements.
Good suggestion on a 48" walk behind!

Thanks, friends. Looks like 60" is the winner.

The price difference is only $673 so I'm not even going to consider cost.

Looking forward to your 4000Z review mark, after you get a few hours on it.

The time difference is staggering from those few inches. I was on 60” Hustler Super Z units and as long as you floated the deck with your foot and learned the pitch of the land at a slightly slower pace initially, scalping was rarely a problem.

Can you haul your current mower with you and use it for the tighter lawns the 60" won't fit? I'd go 60" if it makes sense 90% of the time......weep in mind the narrower ones are more easily maneuverable in smaller yards.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Can you haul your current mower with you and use it for the tighter lawns the 60" won't fit? I'd go 60" if it makes sense 90% of the time......weep in mind the narrower ones are more easily maneuverable in smaller yards.

Ye Olde Trailer is getting kind of old and worn. May need something newer and can get one that has more capacity. I probably could fit two full-sized mowers on the current trailer but the lock downs are set for carrying one.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Can you haul your current mower with you and use it for the tighter lawns the 60" won't fit? I'd go 60" if it makes sense 90% of the time......weep in mind the narrower ones are more easily maneuverable in smaller yards.

Guy that does the neighbors yards does that, hauls a smaller ZTR so he can get through places the big unit won't.

I put a deposit on the 60" today and ran the credit application. I'll most likely pick it up Monday. I hope I can start my old mower so that I can move it out of the way in the garage. The old gal has a bit of trouble starting in the freezing temps.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark123,

I got a smaller Toro last year and love it. I am always in the camp of getting more than you think you need.....60 inches would be my vote if you have a lot of land.

Why not a Toro Grandstand available from 36”-60” decks. My brother owns a landscaping company and runs several crews on 60” Zeroturns and switched all, but two mowers over to 48” Grandstands. Says because of their speed and nimble maneuvering he can get the same amount of work done as the 60” ZT. A lot of crews around here switched over a few years ago.