Zero turn mowers

J

john2189

501 Club
Thinking about buying one. Is the two steering arms hard to get used to ?
What brand is considered to be better?
I was thinking about the Cub Cadet with the steering wheel, but with the 60” deck, they are pricey.
What are you using?
 
About four years ago I broke down and bought a Kubota 60" diesel Z-turn to replace my Kubota 60"diesel tractor. I was able to cut better than an hour off my cutting time on my 5.5 acre lot. Going around trees and corners is a breeze. Take your z-turn out in an open are and learn the ropes with the steering arms going slow. Before you know it, you'll be zipping around obstacles like a pro. Just remember to take it slow around valuable objects such as vehicles, buildings and a/c units
 
The only thing that keeps me from moving to a zero turn is that the areas that I mow are fairly rough (bumpy), even for a lawn tractor. Since I can’t take advantage of the speed factor, why bother?
 
I purchased a Grasshopper with a front mounted deck. I thought a front deck would work well for mowing under the pine trees I have in my yard. I mowed with the Grasshopper for a few years but never really enjoyed the zero turn experience. I then bought a used John Deere garden tractor with power steering, hydrostatic transmission and hydraulic lift. Myself, I find it much more enjoyable to mow with than the zero turn and I'll never go back.
Everyone is different and as much time as we have to spend mowing our yards, in my opinion, we should make that time as enjoyable as possible. I don't think I was able to mow my yard any faster with the zero turn than my garden tractor however, if I was going to mow something like a cemetery than I would probably choose a zero turn. Also, a zero turn is only good for one thing, mowing. A garden tractor can mow just as well, till your garden and blow or plow your snow. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
 
Well I do have a simplicity 20 hp Sunstar that is 28 years old. I do like it but the engine has enough blowby that the pulse fuel pump would stop working after about a half hour of mowing. It is a kohler ch20 I bought the fuel pump that is part of the valve cover and so far it seems to be working. What I should do is have the block and heads machined and rebuild it over the winter.
 
A lot of good info in the replies, which I can echo.
When we first moved to our current place, with plenty to mow, I used a Cub. I was still working and riding around on the Cub was good therapy. Things got hectic and I needed to move to something faster and more dependable. Still wanting to ride around on a tractor, I found a JD 770 diesel with a 60" belly mower. Neighbor tried to convince me I needed a hydro, but I was hanging on to gear drive for nostalgia. Served me well for at least 5 years. Neighbor had moved to a Kubota diesel Z turn late one summer. He passed away unexpectedly early the next year. I mowed his widows yard that summer (several acres). I could mow my and her yards in the same time I previously spent on my yard. She sold the property and I acquired the Z turn. I love the dependability, speed and quality of cut. I figured it allows me more time to play with tractors!
Small learning curve getting used to it, I figured it out, anyone can!
So, it kinda boils down to the type of mowing you're doing and if it fits your needs and budget.

Good luck,

David
 
I've always used a tractor type mower for lawn care (about 4 to 5 acres mostly reasonably level), some were larger, some smaller. 4 years ago I changed from a MTD CC 1050 to a MTD CC RZT 50 that was a 2005 model that had about 600 hrs on the meter and a BS 22 hp twin engine. I've put more than 300 hrs on this machine in 4 years and the only expense has been regular maintenance and 2 sets of blades per year. It took about an hour or so to get used to the steering system but I've been well satisfied with the results. JMHO Stan
 
When it comes to zero turns, do your research. Avoid the residential ones, most of them have cheap decks, inferior engines and hydro motors. Go commercial, and there are a lot of them. John Deere, Cub Cadet, Exmark, Scag, Hustler, Ferris and Kubota are the major players, but they can get pricey. But when it comes to zero turns, you get what you pay for.
 
Spring-Summer-Fall 2022, I was finding that I was cutting the lawn more and more. Youngest (18) at the time was "too busy" to do it on a regular and timely basis. So after 20 years of not having to cut the grass, it was my job again. Our 2001 Husqvarna 42" lawn tractor with a 15hp Kawasaki V-Twin still did a decent job, but if I was going to spend 3 hours cutting our 3/4 acre lawn with all kinds of obstacles, I was going to get a walk-behind to get some additional exercise. In June of 2023, I found a used excellent condition Lesco 48" Hydro with a 17hp Kawasaki V-Twin, bagger, and sulky on FB Marketplace. It's a beast but after getting the hang of it, I can cut the lawn in 2 hours, 2 1/2 if I bag the clippings.
 
T-Mo said:
When it comes to zero turns, do your research. Avoid the residential ones, most of them have cheap decks, inferior engines and hydro motors. Go commercial, and there are a lot of them. John Deere, Cub Cadet, Exmark, Scag, Hustler, Ferris and Kubota are the major players, but they can get pricey. But when it comes to zero turns, you get what you pay for.
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And the lifespan is directly proportional to the care they receive, especially the deck and any other place that debris can accumulate. Mine is almost 20 years old and no rust through on the metal, original tires, engine, etc. It is never stored before at least blowing all the debris off clean. Also keep the blades sharp, service the engine, etc and take care of the lubrication and maintenance. JMHO Stan
 
I have 3 neighbors that have Bad Boy zero turn mowers and seem happy with them although they are all fairly new. They seem like good units but do your homework to find a good one that will work for you.
Also, the 3 neighbors have garden tractors to do leaf pickup, tilling and snow removal etc.
 
I second Stan's comments about care and maintenance. I think most deck failures due to rust are caused by grass clipping accumulation, both top and bottom. I blow mine clean every time I use it.
 
I have a Country Clipper (made in Iowa) with one-handed joystick operation. I really like the joystick as it leaves the other hand free to sip a beverage or to lift low-hanging tree branches. Mine has a Kawasaki engine and the entire unit has been 100% problem-free after three summers of use, finish mowing 4 acres.

It takes me ~2hrs to mow my entire property. With the Cub (Woods 59) and Farmall B (Woods L306), I was looking at about 3.5-4hrs. I have lots of trees and other obstacles to mow around. I am completely satisfied with switching to the zero-turn.
 
Don McCombs said:
I second Stan's comments about care and maintenance. I think most deck failures due to rust are caused by grass clipping accumulation, both top and bottom. I blow mine clean every time I use it.
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Yup, that's why I try to avoid cutting the grass when it is wet. Remove all the stuck on debris on the bottom at least as often as the blades are changed and more often if possible. It do make a difference!!!!!! JMHO Stan
 
I had no problem at all adjusting to the two levers.

I bought a Simplicity about 6 years ago. It's got suspension all around which helps smooth the bumps. Only problem is the 23HP Briggs has an auto choke and can be difficult to start. I had planned to convert it to manual choke when the warranty was up but by then I'd learned how to baby it into starting.

Unfortunately Briggs & Stratton discontinued the brand and got out of the homeowner game. If you come across one still in dealer stock or gently used I'd suggest you consider it. Briggs does still manufacture commercial grade equipment under the Ferris brand which I think have similar suspension.

Big trick with a zero turn is not tearing up the turf on tight turns. The inside tire will dig a divot if you truly do 0 radius turns. You need to make 3 point turns to protect the turf.
 
MiCarl said:
I had no problem at all adjusting to the two levers.

I bought a Simplicity about 6 years ago. It's got suspension all around which helps smooth the bumps. Only problem is the 23HP Briggs has an auto choke and can be difficult to start. I had planned to convert it to manual choke when the warranty was up but by then I'd learned how to baby it into starting.

Unfortunately Briggs & Stratton discontinued the brand and got out of the homeowner game. If you come across one still in dealer stock or gently used I'd suggest you consider it. Briggs does still manufacture commercial grade equipment under the Ferris brand which I think have similar suspension.

Big trick with a zero turn is not tearing up the turf on tight turns. The inside tire will dig a divot if you truly do 0 radius turns. You need to make 3 point turns to protect the turf.
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I think the local dealer still has one or two simplicity zero turns. I’ll have to go look.
 
MiCarl said:
Big trick with a zero turn is not tearing up the turf on tight turns. The inside tire will dig a divot if you truly do 0 radius turns. You need to make 3 point turns to protect the turf.
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That's what I found out with my Grasshopper. I also do 3 point turns with my garden tractor. I think that's why I can mow my yard in a very similar time with my tractor as I could with my zero turn.
 
Dad has a Hustler and he just loves it. Former boss had a Scag that I felt was underpowered. I can go from the conventional steering wheel to the two sticks without issue
I have a Deere 455 diesel hydraulic lift, 4 wheel power steering mower. I just think it rides better and have no need to trade up. I can mow 3 acres with many obstacles in 2-3 hours
 
got a cc z-force 48 here and they are JUNK right from the factory!! Belt gets hot and exploades, 22 hp b&s motor junk,--blew both heads on mine and was told that these new motors are notorious for doing this!
I went back to my sunstar 20's and never looked back!
 
SONNY said:
got a cc z-force 48 here and they are JUNK right from the factory!! Belt gets hot and exploades, 22 hp b&s motor junk,--blew both heads on mine and was told that these new motors are notorious for doing this!
I went back to my sunstar 20's and never looked back!
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I do like my Sunstar 20. Power steering, turning brakes, stripes the lawn, turns sharp.
I will pull both heads to be sure it doesn’t have a blown gasket, if they are ok, I will rebuild it over winter
 
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