Zero Turn Mower

NCMedic

NCMedic

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Our current lawn tractor (Cub Cadet LTX 1050) has exceeded its life span, I don't see getting another year out of it, I would like to replace it with a CUT or SCUT which is more in line with what we need, however I don't know if it in the chips for this year.

We have about 3 acres to cut which is flat but rough, the remainder is about a 20 grade down to our pond and is difficult at best to cut with current mower.

Thoughts on a ZTM? Best brands? What to look for?
 
I have a JD 535m ztrak. Love it !
Haven't done a thing to it but Change the oil at 8 hrs. Has 37 hrs on it today. And just coming in a year old in May.
With a discharge blades It takes me ( could go faster it it's more field than lawn ) about an hour to run an acre and a half. Yard is not an easy square. Twice that with the mulching blades and taking my time. Oh, its a 54" deck. No issues on the slopes, I've got much more than 20* on the front 200 ft. Prop line.
If I go too fast on it sideways it will just slide the tail down the hill. Never felt it get tippy.
Just built a crappy little wooden trailer for it. Tows it all over the place loaded with dirt,rock, tools , bags of whatever.
 
Take the plunge, you will wonder why you ever used a lawn tractor. I like the Toro Timecutter series I ran one for 6 years until I upgraded to a bobcat last year and i miss the toro. It rode better.
 
Don't do the ZT,,, if you do there's no going back. I have the Toro timecutter,, and if it blows I sell guns to buy another,, that should tell you how much they are worth, lol
 
I bought a Hustler XoneI three yrs ago and havent looked back. I run heavy gator g6 blades and cut 3 acres. They discontinued the XoneI but for the area you are cutting, I wouldn't recommend the lower priced line. Go big or go home. I got mine during a fleet pricing event and paid a little over 7k for it. It has the Kawa 22 hp engine and is a brute.
 
Simplicity manufacturing. They offer suspension on many of the zero turn models.
What's your budget?
 
Bobcat, my first one was bought in 2001 and I used it commercially for 12 years. Never had ANY trouble out of it, ever. Routine maintenance was all I ever had to do to it. I found out they had 0% financing and no payments for 6 months back in 2012 and I traded it in for another. Paid $6700 new for my first one, mowed with it for 12 years. Got 3,200 out of it in a trade. My new one only has about 500 hours on it now and I'm not mowing commercially anymore. I expect it to last a long, long time.
 
Typically zero turn mowers can be divided into three categories. Low end consumer, high end consumer, and commercial. Commercial grade zero turns start around 8K and go up from there. True commercial grade mowers should last for 8000 hours or so and have minimal "bells and whistles" but are engineered and manufactured to be durable and easy to repair. Examples of true commercial grade mowers are Scag, Hustler, Exmark, and JD has a commercial line.

I use a SCAG Turf Tiger here on the farm that I bought new back in 2003. I expect it to last for another 20 years. Other than blades and a couple of belts, it has had minimal unscheduled maintenance. It has a 29HP EFI Kawasaki engine and is water cooled.

The riding mowers that it replaced were lucky to last three years here in our severe duty mowing environment.
 
I bought a Exmark pioneer 5 years ago. Cut 4 acres. Love it. Heavy steel fabricated deck and a strong motor. It was not cheap but everyone I know that owes a lawn care business has moved to them.
 
I have had my 52 inch cut bobcat for 10-11 years with over 800 hrs. on it. It is very dependable, however, a friend of mine has the same cut mower in x-mark. We help each other out with yards if the other gets behind. His x-mark is alot better built, tougher, heavier mower than my bobcat. Whichever brand you choose you will wonder why you didn't switch earlier.
 
Been pleased with my 60" bobcat procat I got used with kawi engine it has just over 1200hrs. Just be sure which ever you get you get the commercial line not the homeowners models and it will last a long time. If you look closely many of the brands run the same pumps and motors so it comes down to personal preference. I will say they are great and can mow many hills but pay attention the first few times you do it. Most won't tip but they will turn into a big ski on wet grass or slick hills like wet red clay and you get a fun ride to the bottom if it breaks traction.

To me the size of the unit and wheel base effects ride quality on them most.
 
One word...TORO!!! They have the best hands down mowers! I sold them for about three years and I still own a 3000 series. They have a good warranty, they mow great, ride good and hold up really well. I got to ride and mow with just about everything those three years and I had a Kubota commercial and sold it to buy the Toro and have never looked back!
 
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Gravely ZT HD 60inch

It's the higher end of the residential mower. Has a welded deck, 26 HP Kawasaki motor and 3 blades on the under side.

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Thanks for all the input, I'd like to stay between $5-6K, unless I can find a good financing deal, but if I'm going to drop more than that I may just finance a CUT or SCUT.
Looks like alot of the Toro Timecutters are on sale currently...
 
Hammer21b said:
One word...TORO!!! They have the best hands down mowers! I sold them for about three years and I still own a 3000 series. They have a good warranty, they mow great, ride good and hold up really well. I got to ride and mow with just about everything those three years and I had a Kubota commercial and sold it to buy the Toro and have never looked back!
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Somebody got it right.
 
Tailhunter said:
Somebody got it right.
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You can't get better than a Toro!
NCMedic said:
Thanks for all the input, I'd like to stay between $5-6K, unless I can find a good financing deal, but if I'm going to drop more than that I may just finance a CUT or SCUT.
Looks like alot of the Toro Timecutters are on sale currently...
Click to expand...
How much land are you mowing, are there hills or banks?
 
I'm thinking Toro has a 0% 42 months financing on right now.
 
Gravely also has 0% at 48 months

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Hammer21b said:
You can't get better than a Toro!

How much land are you mowing, are there hills or banks?
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About 4 acres.... Decent hill that goes down to our pond.

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If it's a sloping hill, you'll be ok, if it's steep, you don't want a Z turn! They will kill ya! If you can use one, the Titan 2000 would be a good one, or a 3000 series commercial. That's what I have and it does a great job on the 6-8 acres that I mow a week. Do you have a good Toro dealer around Sanford?
 
Hammer21b said:
If it's a sloping hill, you'll be ok, if it's steep, you don't want a Z turn! They will kill ya! If you can use one, the Titan 2000 would be a good one, or a 3000 series commercial. That's what I have and it does a great job on the 6-8 acres that I mow a week. Do you have a good Toro dealer around Sanford?
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Its probably 20 degrees over 30 yards, it's kind of stepped but it's a pain to cut matter what.

There's a Toro dealer in Carthage and Pittsboro that I'm going to check out tomorrow along with a few others.


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Cool, I think you'll find that the Toros are the mostest for the leastest. Good luck!
 
when I was looking, most had 1 of 2 pumps, and 1 of 2 motors. I ended up with a Dixon, now Jonsered. If the Bobcat dealer had been closer to the house, I would of bought the bobcat. I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I bought from a local store with a service department.
 
I may get flamed but I don't think there is two cents difference between Toro, Gravely, Bobcat, Dixie, Exmark, Scag, etc. I am a Gravely fan but bought a Bobcat because they were local. Get a quality ZTR from a good local dealer.
 
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