Residential Zero Turn Mower

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  • Dirty Steve

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Feb 16, 2011
    914
    63
    Danville
    I am new to zero turn mowers, heck mowers in general for that matter. For 25 years I lived on 5 acres that was 100% wooded with virtually no grass. I could mow everything I need to in about 10 minutes and only had to do it about 4 times a year. Sometimes I just ran the weedeater to take care of it. Fast forward today to a new life, new wife, new house out on the prairie so to speak. Now I have about 1.5 acres of lawn to take care of.

    I push mow it all now and honestly do not mind doing so, but it simply takes too much of my time. I'm looking for a recommendation on a good residential zero turn mower. I do not have enough grass to warrant a large commercial mower. I think I'm leaning towards a 52" Gravely with a Kawasaki motor, but I don't really know. Educate me on what I need to look for and who makes a good, reliable machine. There is a very, very slight possibility that the wife is going to run this too, so it needs to be pretty user friendly. More than likely not because Barbie don't do yard work,...but it should be a consideration.

    Thanks for your help.

    Dirty Steve
     

    mike trible

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Feb 11, 2009
    241
    28
    I have a 60" Gravely, have had it for about 8 years. It is one TUFF AZZ mower. Love it. I have a lot of trees to go around, it cut my mowing time to about a third of what it used to be. If I had to buy a new mower tomorrow, it would be another Gravely Zero Turn.
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 96.6%
    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
    17,593
    149
    Not far from the tree
    Gravely builds good ****. Snapper commercial I bought does a fine job for about 1/2 the money and has fewer things available to break or get out of adjustment. Scag makes good mowers. Somebody I saw at the fair is building ZT mowers with tracks. Lots of choices. If you have Gravely $, they are a fine choice..
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    If the land you cut is fairly smooth and you want to keep a low budget, a Cub Cadet 52" should work fine for you.

    My son-in-law has one that cuts 3 acres every week. He has had it for 5-ish years now and has never had any issues with it.

    I probably wouldn't buy one, but I have this sickness where "the best is just good enough for me." Probably is the reason I am poor and will never be able to retire. :spend: :):
     

    x10

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    30   0   0
    Apr 11, 2009
    2,711
    84
    Martinsville, IN
    find the closest dealer, I've found as long as you buy a quality brand, the dealer makes the difference, I had a cub and franklin has the worst IH dealership in the world, so then I bought a Scaggs, Great mower, and grass luvers in Columbus are great guys, they made the difference
     
    Last edited:

    BJHay

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 17, 2019
    525
    93
    Crawfordsville
    I may not have bought a Hustler but I got a good price at an estate auction. It was well cared for but not new. I've had it three years and finish mow 1.5 acres of relatively rugged terrain. It has performed perfectly with zero mechanical problems. It's fast and has 22 hp. More than I need but useful when I'm in a hurry. I won't go back to a lawn tractor.

    Think about how you'll get service on the mower. If you don't have a trailer or suitably sized truck you'll need to pay the shop to pick it up. That can add a lot to the maintenance cost and scheduling hassles especially if you're not doing the small jobs yourself.
     

    djay7677

    Plinker
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Jul 29, 2022
    116
    28
    Mishawaka IN
    I would say if you can find a Scag at the price point you want to be at, it's your best option. Gravely is also a good, reliable option. I never worked in landscaping but have many friends who have and am they all try to run Scag when they can find one within budget.
     

    04FXSTS

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 31, 2010
    1,789
    129
    Eugene
    We have the Cub Cadet 42" ZT with steering wheel and like it a lot. Probably not as maneuverable as the lever steer but the wife cuts grass quite a bit and she did not the lever model at all. If you turn the steering wheel all the way the inside drive wheel goes in reverse. We tried out both at the dealer and this is what the wife wanted. Jim.
     

    Jaybird1980

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jan 22, 2016
    11,929
    113
    North Central
    I am new to zero turn mowers, heck mowers in general for that matter. For 25 years I lived on 5 acres that was 100% wooded with virtually no grass. I could mow everything I need to in about 10 minutes and only had to do it about 4 times a year. Sometimes I just ran the weedeater to take care of it. Fast forward today to a new life, new wife, new house out on the prairie so to speak. Now I have about 1.5 acres of lawn to take care of.

    I push mow it all now and honestly do not mind doing so, but it simply takes too much of my time. I'm looking for a recommendation on a good residential zero turn mower. I do not have enough grass to warrant a large commercial mower. I think I'm leaning towards a 52" Gravely with a Kawasaki motor, but I don't really know. Educate me on what I need to look for and who makes a good, reliable machine. There is a very, very slight possibility that the wife is going to run this too, so it needs to be pretty user friendly. More than likely not because Barbie don't do yard work,...but it should be a consideration.

    Thanks for your help.

    Dirty Steve
    Look for one that has serviceable hydros. It's easy to tell, just look underneath and see if there are filters on the housings the wheels bolt to. Not only does servicing them extend the life, but the ones that are serviceable are the better units to start with. If you are not physically looking at the machine, then a ZT-2800 (good) and ZT-3100(better) transmission is what you're looking for. A deck that is accessable to clean out good is also nice.

    The Kawasaki and Vanguard are good engines.

    If your ground is not real smooth look for bigger tires. Some of the suspension stuff is gimmicky, but the Toro my ride is actually pretty nice.

    Exmark, Gravely, Hustler, Ferris, Toro, Bad Boy, Snapper, Kubota, Cub, Country Clipper all make decent machines and cheap machines.

    If you do your own servicing or have a place to get it serviced buy whatever, if not buy from a good dealer.
     
    Last edited:

    duanewade

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Sep 12, 2019
    464
    93
    Columbia City
    I bought a new Gravely 52" 3 years ago and my only regret is not spending the extra $500 and getting heavy duty version of the one bought as ot has the taller tires and would smooth out the ride a little more. We mow about 4 acres 3x every 2-2½ weeks (typical weather) and it has never missed a beat. I did opt for the Kohler motor over the Kawasaki motor.

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
     

    bcannon

    QC Dept aka Picky F'er
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    55   0   0
    Apr 13, 2012
    18,316
    113
    Boiler Country
    I had a Toro timecutter 18-52 with the Kawasaki motor for six years and had zero issues during that time. Great mower. I went to get a new weedeater and ended up seeing the new Toro timecutter 5075 with MyRide. The day ended with me having a new weedeater AND mower. The seat ride suspension takes it to a whole new level of awesome. It rides like a Barko lounger and mows quicker than my old one by far. The new decks are built not stamped and much stronger also. Would highly recommend you check one out. The Gravelys are nice, just wanted to give you another option.

    Sold the old Toro to a friend and it's still going like a Enegizer bunny.
     

    Ingomike

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    May 26, 2018
    28,176
    113
    North Central
    Look for one that has serviceable hydros. It's easy to tell, just look underneath and see if there are filters on the housings the wheels bolt to. Not only does servicing them extend the life, but the ones that are serviceable are the better units to start with. If you are not physically looking at the machine, then a ZT-2800 (good) and ZT-3100(better) transmission is what you're looking for. A deck that is accessable to clean out good is also nice.

    The Kawasaki and Vanguard are good engines.

    If your ground is not real smooth look for bigger tires. Some of the suspension stuff is gimmicky, but the Toro my ride is actually pretty nice.

    Exmark, Gravely, Hustler, Ferris, Toro, Bad Boy, Snapper, Kubota, Cub all make decent machines and cheap machines.

    If you do your own servicing or have a place to get it serviced buy whatever, if not buy from a good dealer.
    A lot of corporate combinations out there, Gravely is owned by Ariens, Exmark is Toro, Stanley/Black and Decker own MTD (Cub Cadet among other brands) and Hustler.
     

    Jaybird1980

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jan 22, 2016
    11,929
    113
    North Central
    A lot of corporate combinations out there, Gravely is owned by Ariens, Exmark is Toro, Stanley/Black and Decker own MTD (Cub Cadet among other brands) and Hustler.
    Yep. They get bought up pretty quick nowadays.

    Good thing is there is not a lot of difference between them. Frame and deck design really. The rest of the parts are all sourced from the same manufacturers. Spindles, engines, hydraulics, safety switches, ptos etc etc.

    They end up all being pretty similar.
    Sometimes something different comes along though, like Toro's my ride or Country Clipper's flip up deck and joystick control.

    Oh yeah, add Country Clipper to my previous list.
     

    ditcherman

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 18, 2018
    7,608
    113
    In the country, hopefully.
    Surprised Grasshopper hasn't been mentioned, love the suspension on mine, the deck that floats independently of the machine, and is out front. Great to trim with and easy to move under trees.
    I've had two 62" ones, current one is a diesel which is really nice.
    They just don't need much work, been very reliable.
     
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