Always had good luck with traditional, cheap, ride on mowers. Troy built pony, 42 inch, lasted 15 years in CT until I sold it. Some parts replaced along the way.
Got another in AZ, 8 years, sold it to a neighbor. Both had Briggs motors. Both probably MTD made. Just made sure I changed oil regularly.

New 1 acre property so I need something bigger than my old honda push job.
Are zero turns really better than the old standard ride ons?
PRICEY!!

How much stuff do you have to mow around??
That’s the question.

How flat is your yard and how many obstacles do you have to maneuver around?

In most cases I would say that a zero turn gives a better and faster cut, but you definitely pay for it. It's absolutely insane how much they cost now.

I'd shop for a used zero turn if you can find one.

I found a Husqvarna zero turn for $700 back in '06 and it has run great ever since.

If there are things like trees or small structures (bird baths, gazebos, etc.) in the middle of the lawn that you need to mow around, the zero-turn sounds best.

I bought an Ariens 52" Icon about 4 years ago and I really enjoy it. It was mostly consumer mower priced, but with a fabricated deck like the commercial units have. At the time, I was on the same fence. You couldn't give me a traditional riding mower now.

I assume the price difference is still significant. I mow 3 acres with a tractor mower (48” deck). I know ZT’s are much faster, if time is a factor spend the money, if not, buy the tractor

It's not like a ZTR is going to break your 401k . One acre ? How much of that is grass ? What sorts of obstacles ? Flat terrain ? DON'T overspend . It's easy to do .

Pros and cons to both. Zero turns suck on wet and soggy ground. I have a JD 757 that I bought in 2006. Going strong! They can dig up your lawn on sharp turns. But if your time is valuable, don’t hesitate. I’m mowing 4-5 acres in 4 hours.

Went from An Old Wheelhorse 42 inch to a 50 inch Cub Cadet (Lowes Special) and cut my mowing time in half mowing just under an Acre with moderate amount of trees

One thing to keep in mind. "Old style" Riding mowers with a steering wheel have a safety feature that shuts the blades off when you go in reverse. I found that very annoying. ZTR mowers dont have that - blades stay running. Dont know why - makes no sense.

Its been several years since I bought a JD rider and then sold it and got a ZTR for that reason. So I suppose things may have changed. Just something to be aware of.

I love my Ariens ZTR.

Mostly just grass, but a lot of different grades.

Is one better than the other on grades?

Remember you get what you pay for just like when you are looking for a new automobile. ............ Be careful if buying from a big box store because what they maybe selling might have a major brand name badge but not built to the badge names specifications...Also the big box store honoring warranties as well as repair services. ...... summer 2015 bought a small residential Gravely ztr 34inch.. small residential lot with front and back lawns... Dog and pony show that first day of operation.. August 2017 had a major flood (41 inches) and it was total submerged and water covered for at least 2 days.. After drying out and
2 oil filters and 2 oil changes the ztr mower is still giving good service.. Cut time in 1/2 spent on mower............. drill sgt.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: drill sgt,

My ZTM worked great on 2.5 acres in NC, cause it was flat. If yours is different grades, see if you can borrow one or hire out a lawn guy for one ti e mow and watch what he does to avoid rolling the mower or scalping the grass

A zero turn is great if all you use it for is lawn.
If you have any other jobs to do on the lawn the tractor could be a better choice.

I have a Kubota BX23S with a 60" deck. It does great at cutting the lawn, plowing the snow with the front loader, installing forks to move pallets or heavy stuff, and a post hole digger for post holes, a rear excavator for deeper holes, a root riper to tear up tree or bush roots to dig out, and a ball hitch that attaches to the front end to move trailers around. Like a Swiss Army knife it offers many useful job solutions.
I had several lawn tractors before this, the last being a Toro. It was not built as good as the Craftsman tractor I bought 30 years ago.
Everything now seems to be cheap and cheaper in quality and parts used, Not the Kubota.
You get what you pay for and I know the Kubota will return a good part of what I paid for it when I go to sell.

quote:

Originally posted by mike56:
Mostly just grass, but a lot of different grades.

Is one better than the other on grades?

If you are mowing down the hill, either one will do.

If you have to mow across a grade, the zero turn would be fine and a lawn tractor is top heavy and may lay on its side.

If you have to mow up a hill, the lawn tractor is more stable as the zero turn has most of the weight over the rear axle. Popping wheelies is fun, wearing the thing is not.

Also consider that the zero turn will weigh a pantload more than any lawn tractor.

quote:

Are zero turns really better than the old standard ride ons?

Yes.
Is there any way you can demo one? Know anyone that has one nearby?
I'm 96% sure you'll know what I mean if you try one out.
But do you really need one? That's up to the individual.

I over bought one two years ago. I've got 2.6 acres bordering on woods. I bought a Spartan middle of the line (nearly commercial) last year's model (2020) 54". It wasn't moving because same trim level and engine were selling big on the 60" and 72" decks. I absolutely love it, it's worth every penny! Now that I've retired, I'm clearing out little sections of the woods with chainsaw and mower. Not drastic clearcutting, but removing vines, mal-formed trees and deadfall in an effort to make the tree line more park like. It's a slow moving project, but I'm making headway and I'm not in a hurry. Glad I bought heavy duty and not big box grade.

I bought this one last summer. My property is flat and I do have a lot of stuff to go around, but this guy is pretty agile for it's size. With a mulching kit (closes off the side chute, using a mulching blade instead), I can get around most everything. I can also pull a big cart around, drag a dethatcher, etc. This guy has a 42 inch cut fabricated deck and a nice Kawasaki 2 cylinder engine, comfortable as hell to drive. I considered a zero turn until I saw the price for a decent brand, and that those guys have TWO transmissions. So I thought one tranny was enough for me. Here it is and I can attest it's a solid and relatively simple machine I can work on myself:

https://www.husqvarna.com/us/r...lawn-mowers/ts242xd/

I mow a lot of acres and have a variety of equipment to do it. But if I had an acre to mow I would buy the absolute rock bottom priced ride on mower that I could find. There is no way you want a zero turn for this.