Zero Turn vs. Lawn Tractor

A ZTR is what you want if your goal is to cut grass and get the job done quickly. I wouldn't tow anything with a ZTR unless it's a big heavy commercial job, but I know lots of people do it with residential units. If your property is very rough and hilly, you'll ideally want to have a heavy commercial ZTR with some sort of suspention. Super rutty, rough and hilly, you'll want to stick with a GT. This is coming from a guy who used only GT's and LTs up until 6mo ago when I got my ZTR. About 30yrs of LT/GT usage. I'll admit, for the first few months, I missed my GT. Now not so much. My property is very bumpy in spots and almost entirely inclined. Some places steeply.

Joel

I've got a New Holland CUT, a Husquvarna 42" 15hp V twin GT and a Cub Cadet 50" zero. For cutting grass the zero turn is the way to go. The wife actually hooks up the trailer to the zero turn go pick rocks - and she picks some very sizeable rocks and loads that thing to the max - to the point I had to buy some new heavy duty tires. The bottom line is the zero turn is a real work horse.

One of the many things I’ve done in life was mow lawns. Still doing it. I bought a lot of equipment to do it. I’ve always been an individual who considered quality and useful life over initial cost. I’ve made mistakes. I’m 65 now and wish I had accumulated wisdom faster and not wasted so much time in my life.

I have 17 acres with about 2 committed to lawn - broken up by a house with offset garage, 40x56 pole barn, 15 doug firs and 6 maples I planted 23 yrs. ago, and a separate compost area. I also had a lakeside property 70 miles from here with a two-story colonial on top of a walk-out basement with concrete ramp down to the water. About 2/3 acre broken up with the house, ramp, equipment shed, 8 majestic oaks and 3 blue spruce on a gradual slope. Many times where I was would be determined by which lawn I was mowing. My grass made that decision for me.

Although I’ve owned and used many mowers, I ended up using the Toro Z at home and the Toro Hydro at my second home. Efficiency of time, service life and quality of machine.

Buy the Z. That JD Z will probably mow 3 times faster than what you’re used to. With a better quality of cut and a **** of a better machine and longer service life than you’ve experienced. That’s also a time savings of maybe 2 hours a week, 8-10 per month, 100-125 per year (not sure how many months you mow). Factor that over the expected service life of that machine. Consider that effect on you. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO JEOPARDIZE THAT BY CHEAPENING THE WHOLE SCENARIO WITH MTDs OR AN LT OR GT (OR Z) THAT IS NOT DESIGNED TO SCREW AROUND IN FIELDS OR PASTURES.

Stop letting your Mahindra sit and rot. Put your tools in the bucket and use your free time to cure world hunger.

If you can, try the Z on your land,
I just got one (ZD331 60" side discharge) after putting 700 plus hours on a F3680 72" rear discharge. The pasture/former crop land is rutted enough I can not run any faster with it than my GT (Simplicity Legacy) or front mount (F3680). 30 plus hours on the ZD now.
Try backing the Z, and remember you are more likely to jack knife a trailer.

A lot of ZTRs have a rigid frame and can get hung up on uneven terrain. Add weight to the back of it so when a wheel gets up in the air its not one of the rear ones. Don't install wheel weights as that will stress the transmissions.

A neighborhood lawn I have mowed and the mowers I have used:
Wheel Horse 252-H (slow) with 37" deck. About 5:30 mowing time.
Toro 117 Groundsmaster with 44" deck. About 4:00 mowing time.
Toro 266 hydro with 52" deck. About 3:30 mowing time.
Toro 117 Groundsmaster with 52" deck. About 3:15 mowing time.
Toro Z400 commercial ZTR with 52" deck. About 3:00 mowing time.
With the above Z I have done it in 2:45 but thats really pushing the machine agressively to the point that the levers will stick so it usually takes me 3:00 to mow if the grass is not really tall/thick.

I would go with the Z and let your big tractor get some more run time. It would be great if you could try it out first on your yard - but remember almost universally everyone does not take to a Z machine at first. Its just very different - but it seems most all quickly get used to it and do not look back.

Go with the zero turn for mowing. You can always get an old GT or LT for pulling the cart. I see craftsman lawn tractors without decks sell for $100 or even free. Or go to an older GT like a suburban. In the past when I tried to use my mower to do other things I was always bottoming out the deck. It is better to have a machine that is just for the rougher work. Good luck, Ed

eveled said:

Go with the zero turn for mowing. You can always get an old GT or LT for pulling the cart. I see craftsman lawn tractors without decks sell for $100 or even free. Or go to an older GT like a suburban. In the past when I tried to use my mower to do other things I was always bottoming out the deck. It is better to have a machine that is just for the rougher work. Good luck, Ed

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Well said. I just finished off ruining the transmission on my 1996 Dixon ZTR yesterday pulling a tow-behind aerator I just bought. It got the job done, but the Dixon lost most of its power and is basically ready for the dump. It simply isn't worth spending the money for the new cone tranny, which was close to worn out already.

That said, I'll be posting here for advice on what to look for in a tractor mower.

eveled said:

Go with the zero turn for mowing. You can always get an old GT or LT for pulling the cart.

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Yep, that is a good plan! That's what I do, except I'm GT-less at the moment! Just sold my Case 220 backup machine. I like to tinker and fix up oldies when/where ever possible, then I have my ZTR for grass cutting.

Joel

Snotrocket said:

If I was mowing 2+ acres I would want the zero turn. My neighbor has a Toro ZT that will mow circles around my Case like it's not even moving.

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Have to agree with Mr Snotrocket, have two Ingersolls that I dearly love, however, my Cub Cadet zero is WAY faster for mowing. It does only one task, but, it does it exceedingly well.

I replaced a kubota diesel gt with a 60" deck with a Walker zero turn and a 42" deck. Walkers are not fast as zero turns go. It only takes me 10 minutes longer to mow my 1.5 acres (fairly open except for 10 peach trees) but when you consider the trimming I save (almost zero now) I'm probably breaking even or better. I never spin anymore (I have some hills and the gt was constantly spinning in places) and it's easier to mow in different patterns.

I do miss the gt for some tasks. In reality though the only thing I ever used it for was pulling stuff so I could probably get by fine with a cheap older gt with no deck.

If your lawn was flat and that where zero turn was only used, you can pull a small trailer but a drag nope get a used garden tractor with some substance not the light duty stuff they hang the GT tag on.

The dealer I do business with has got two good example that I`d look at if I needed a GT, price is good for what your getting and the attachments, these both are real garden tractors.

1st
Kubota Garden Tractor model G1900 garden tractor, 18hp Kubota 3 cylinder diesel engine, 60 inch mower deck, hydrostatic drive, hydraulic lift, and 4 wheel steering. 719 hours, machine runs excellent. Price Reduced $3,175.00.

2nd
Simplicity Garden Tractor Sunstar series garden tractor, 18hp Kohler twin cylinder engine, 60 inch mower deck, hydrostatic drive, hydraulic lift, and only 317 hours on it. Also comes with a PTO driven cart style vacuum collector system, and a brand new 46 inch single stage snow thrower attachment. $3,500.00

Here`s the link if you like pictures

http://www.ganos.com/tradeins.htm