Rode my first ZTR just a short while ago. Got to admit - the jury is still out. Yes, it seems faster, and my guess on that is maybe 30% faster, but it seems like I'm all over the yard & I'm wondering if I should buy this thing and risk running into buildings. I have to admit: My thought for the first 30 minutes on that thing was "Is this worth it?" Would appreciate the thoughts of experienced ZTR users.....

It's different driving it at first, but once you get used to it, your 30% faster estimation will be low.
My ZTR is smoother on my rough yard vs a tractor & cuts at least 1/2 the time.

It takes a few times to get the hang of it and then you're golden.

When I first got mine and tried to edge with it I was like a drunken sailor but after a few times I can edge so good you barely need a weed eater

If you have a ton of steep terrain and wide open spaces then a ZT isn't the way to go. Other than that don't even think about it.

Much faster, much more precise than a lawn tractor.

I have a John Deere ZTrac 920 with 54" deck. No way am I going back to a tractor.

A lot depends on how much you've got to mow. A couple acres get the Z, lots of obstacles, get the Z, steep hills or pond banks get a lawn tractor. As far as operating, a good ztr will become an extension of your arms and you can put them where you want...until you get good fences and yard art are in danger.

ANYONE will master a zero turn after just a brief learning curve.

5 yrs ago purchased a 34 inch ZTR . should have told the neighbors to bring their lawn chairs and I would furnish the popcorn. now can operate one handed. cut time in 1/2 . had my moms 35yr old yard tractor which I had used for 10yrs... love the ZTR style ..... drill sgt.

Like riding a bike. Once you get the hang of it no problem.

Highly recommended! I've found new users typically over steer or over correct. Once you get the "touch" there will be no turning back.

I’d say my mowing time is cut by 60%-70%, but my yard has a *lot* of obstacles-trees, shrubs, gardens, rocks; that is where a ZTR shines.

I mow 2.5 acres with lots of obstructions. My 11 year old Kubota ZG222 flies through it. It is an absolutely precision machine with very fine steering control.

Yes, there is a learning curve but after a trip or two around the yard, you'll earn your merit badge. Just do it.

Only way to go. Faster and more precise. You'll be onto it in no time.

My only complaint about my zero turn is the ride is less comfortable than my old lawn tractor , part of my back yard is a little rough. It cut my mowing time by at least half and I'd never go back. It won't take long at all before you'll be slinging it around with no problem at all.

Mow about .75 acres, lots and lots of obstacles, a few gentle slopes. With a 48" riding mower qould take anout 75 to 90 minutes. Bought a ZTR 48" about 2 years ago. Mow time is down to about 40 minutes, if I rush can get it done in about 30. Riding mower had a more utilitarian use but the time saved is well worth it in my mind.

Surely you've already received the hints from above, but I'll add another positive for a ZTR.
We have about 2.5 acres. Used a commercial zero-turn walk behind mower with a velke for about 10 years. Had a chance to p/u a slightly used (under 100 hours) Hustler commercial ZTR with a 25 hp Kawasaki engine & 54" deck maybe 10 years ago. Much faster, especially in the wide open backyard.
This thing is so much fun, my wife will volunteer to cut most of the yard anytime.

When I bought my ZTR my wife griped... you just bought your self a toy. I asked what she meant. She said I intentionally bought a mower that she couldn't drive. She had mowed our yard 2 times total in 35 years.

I explained that if she could drive a shopping cart she already knew how to drive a ZTR. I went on to explain.
I told her to hold her hands out like she was using a shopping cart, then asked to to show me how to push a cart forward... she did, then I said how do you backup a cart, she pulled her hands back. Now how do you turn a cart and she made the twisting motion, forward with one hand. I told her, you now knows how to drive a ZTR, and she actually has a couple times, in 3 years.

I appreciate all the comments and I KNOW you Guys are right, but right now I gotta tell ya -> there isn't a tree or building on my property right now that is safe. I've operated a JD X520 lawn tractor for the past 12 years to mow about 4 acres and when I got on that JD Z445 (ZTR) I felt so freakin lost & incompetent. Yes, I KNOW it must be faster, but goodness!! I'm thinking "Is it worth it?" The X520 is touted as an "All Terrain" tractor - and it really is with the locking differential & all. And I DO live in middle TN - supposed to be mostly "gently rolling hills" (some hills more gently rolling than others)... I don't know, maybe I'm just a little scared. Anyway, THANKS AGAIN for the comments.... FredT

Well, if your wife starts landscaping, planting flower beds and trees or starts piling on the yard art, you’ll thank us. You’ll get tired of circling around and around to trim next to them.

To the OP, yes there is a learning curve it took me at least one summer, but I am an old guy. Once you finally learn how to use it, it sure beats the alternative.