Riding Mowers and Zero Turn Mowers

[SMC]

Does anyone have a Riding Lawn Mower or Zero Turn Mower?

I have ten acres of land and used to either rent tractors with bruxh hoggers and mow it myself, but the rental business doesn't

rent tractors and brush hoggers anymore.

Then I hired people to come in and brush hog the land occasionally, but they went out of business and the remaining guy

charges an arm and a leg and does a horrible job.

Now looking at prospect of having to purchase a riding mower or zero turn mower and want to know which ones are dependable, low maintenance and STURDY!

What should I be looking for?

air cooled, water cooled, diesel?

48 inch, 52 inch, 60 inch, 72 inch cut width?

seat with suspension system?

Is there a zero turn mower with a steering wheel as opposed to levers?

Are there better brands or are you just paying for the name and marketing hype?

Thanks in advance.

 

[vandy]

Does anyone have a Riding Lawn Mower or Zero Turn Mower?
I have ten acres of land and used to either rent tractors with bruxh hoggers and mow it myself, but the rental business doesn't

rent tractors and brush hoggers anymore.

Then I hired people to come in and brush hog the land occasionally, but they went out of business and the remaining guy

charges an arm and a leg and does a horrible job.

Now looking at prospect of having to purchase a riding mower or zero turn mower and want to know which ones are dependable, low maintenance and STURDY!

What should I be looking for?

air cooled, water cooled, diesel?

48 inch, 52 inch, 60 inch, 72 inch cut width?

seat with suspension system?

Is there a zero turn mower with a steering wheel as opposed to levers?

Are there better brands or are you just paying for the name and marketing hype?

Thanks in advance.

forget about the stearing wheel.

One to two days with the hand controls and you will be hooked.

stay away from the stuff you would get at a normal lumber yard like a lowes or home depot. with 10 acres you need to splurge and get something that will last. The diesels are good but expencive.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help but I just have a 1/3 acre lot. No need for a big machine by for me.

 

[bowhunter]

I Have 12 acres that I have kept mowed with my diesel tractor for the past 25 years. Last year I decided to get a zero turn mower since my dad had

gone on and on about his John Deere zero turn mower.

I did a considerable about of shopping around before I purchased a Hustler Super Z 60" mower. I have found it to be fun to mow with the zero turn

feature. You will quickly adapt to the joystick method of steering and you will find that the mower will allow you to almost eliminate the need to

pull out the weedeater.

My mower is gas with a Kawasaki motor. My dad paid $3000 more for his mower, and I prefer the on I bought to his.

One thing you will notice is that you will have to mow more ofter than you did with a bush hog since you are using a finish mower instead of a rough

cut mower(bush hog).

Hope this helps,

Bowhunter

 

[FatNakedGuy]

Do they make a riding mower w/ snowblower attachment for the winter?

 

[OhioFJR1300]

I've got a Dixie Chopper 60" air cooled 18 HP gas engine. Its a zero turn and will mow 4 acres an hour. Its very well made and has a super warranty. This thing will last a lifetime . Prices start about $4K, but well worth it.

Dixie Chopper link

 

[stormrider]

I have a John Deere garden tractor 48 inch deck.

I just wanted to be able to use attachments as needed, Ie. smowblower/plow/tiller etc.

I can certianly see the utility for zero turns, a tractor just served me better

 

[dbvolfan]

I've got a Dixie Chopper 60" air cooled 18 HP gas engine. Its a zero turn and will mow 4 acres an hour. Its very well made and has a super warranty. This thing will last a lifetime . Prices start about $4K, but well worth it. Dixie Chopper link

My neighbor just got one of those pupies. He talked his wife into it by saying he would mow some neighborhood lawns on the side to help defray the cost (and he does). That things zips around at like 14 mph!

 

[havocdog]

Does anyone have a Riding Lawn Mower or Zero Turn Mower?
I have ten acres of land and used to either rent tractors with bruxh hoggers and mow it myself, but the rental business doesn't

rent tractors and brush hoggers anymore.

Then I hired people to come in and brush hog the land occasionally, but they went out of business and the remaining guy

charges an arm and a leg and does a horrible job.

Now looking at prospect of having to purchase a riding mower or zero turn mower and want to know which ones are dependable, low maintenance and STURDY!

What should I be looking for?

air cooled, water cooled, diesel?

48 inch, 52 inch, 60 inch, 72 inch cut width?

seat with suspension system?

Is there a zero turn mower with a steering wheel as opposed to levers?

Are there better brands or are you just paying for the name and marketing hype?

Thanks in advance.

You need to decide what you want to do with the machine, and evaluate the terrain: how many obstacles, how rough and how steep. If it is strictly for mowing, not too steep and not too rough, a ZTR (zero turn radius) machine is a fine choice. ZTR's are good for volume mowing, particularly where there are lots of obstacles to mow around. If you want to do other chores, particularly with ground engaging attachments, a 'garden' or utility tractor may be more suitable ('lawn' tractors are lighter and not built for ground engaging tools). If you want maximum versatility, you may want to consider a 4WD compact utility tractor with a Catagory 1 3-point-hitch. I'm not sure if ZTR's can mount a snowblower or other attachments. John Deere makes a front deck mower that can mount a snowblower, broom, etc. and can also be fitted with a heated cab.

IMO, get the widest deck you can afford that will fit your structural openings (gates, garage doors) and between the obstacles on your property. The wider the deck, the faster you get done. For 10 acres, IMO, water cooled is essential, and diesel is good choice if you can afford it. Diesels sip fuel and require less maintenance.

Some good sites for info:

The Small Tractor FAQ answers many of the questions you ask above: https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/kb13/TF_home.htm

Garden Web Lawnmower forum: https://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/lmower/

Garden Web Tractor forum: https://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/tractor/

John Deere has a good selection tool for their equipment, but it might help in your decision making even if you buy another brand: https://www.deere.com/en_US/groundscare/pro...?link=comm_home

I happen to be a Deere fan, but there are a number of good brands out there (Cub, Kubota, Snapper, DR, Walker, Dixie Chopper, Toro, etc.). Also, the Small Tractor FAQ lists some lesser known alternatives.

I mow 1.5 acres with a 2WD diesel John Deere garden tractor with a 48" deck that I bought new 20 years ago. I also use it to clear snow from a 100 foot long driveway. At least some of the brand hype is true - other than routine maintenance (battery, belts, filters, fluids), and replacing a power steering cylinder, it has required no repairs. Parts are readily available despite its age. It sips fuel. It has a front end loader (I haven't used a wheelbarrow in years), a hydraulic blade, hydraulic deck lift and split rear brakes (for tighter turns).

Hope this helps. Good luck with the search!

 

[RonBB]

I've used a couple of different John Deere small "real" tractors not lawn types & am totally sold on them for ten acres. I would note that I do disagree with the above phrase that said to get the widest mowing deck. My reasoning is that if you have hilly or bumpy land the wide decks (even though they float) do not mow as evenly. Another consideration would be, would you have any other uses for the machine? Mowing & rough cutting (bush Hogging) are different animals & require different decks. For what it's worth I much prefer diesel to gasoline in the small tractors. Best of luck in whichever choice you make. PS After ten years plus of use I couldn't believe how much they valued (good) it on a trade to the second machine.

 

[phil]

ZTR mowers do not do a good job if your terrain is hilly. Also, with a ZTR you must use both hands, which precludes drinking beer while driving.

 

[Slow Ride]

I have looked at the Cub Cadet ZTM Link

And for our use this is better than the

other stick steering type.

My .02

Chuck

 

[user 8909]

I use a Scag, very tough machine and hugs hills as long as it's dry.

For 10 acres I'd get a 60" or 72" deck, air cooled is fine but if expense is no worry look at Kubotas F3680 water cooled Diesels tractors. B)

https://www.scag.com/

https://www.kubota.com/f/products/F2680Eside.cfm

 

[Geezer]

Dixie Chopper is the way to go if you want a nice finish mower. It is fast and reliable. It is not good if you mow sideways along a hill because the front wheels are casters and you can't control them. If you don't need a nice finish cut then a mediun size tractor with a bush hog is very fast and a tractor is handy for many other things around the yard. A finish mower is a single purpose machine.

I used to mow a few acres with a small 20 hp farm tractor dragging a Woods 60" run off the PTO. It was fast and reliable. I only mow about an acre these days and I use a cheap lawn tractor.

 

[2wheelingdawg]

I have been doing lawns for a couple of years now as a side business. I prefer exmark. But either exmark or scag is a good brand. right now i use a walk behind, but the speed of a zero turn cannot be beat. Buy commercial grade. Don't buy the Zero turns at Home depot or lowes, they are not made for that heavy duty of work. fine for a normal residential, but not mowing 10 acres/day. type of terrain is going to be your deciding factor. z turns don't do good on hills, but if it's flat, you can sure fly on them. With good lawn equipment, you get what you pay for.

 

[SMC]

Wow, isn't this a kick in the pants. Have been away from this website for about five years as I turned around one day in 2008 and realized I had no more disposable income and had been eating away at the savings accounts....went from 3 rides a year on my FJR from 2,000 miles to 5,000 miles to zip nada nothing...and just riding the FJR to and from work once every so often.

I ended up selling the mutual funds and bought a Kubota B3030 diesel with a front-end loader and a 72" finish mower in the back in 2009. Wow there was life before tractor and life after tractor. Now I maintain the land myself, keep over 200 trees alive, mow ten acres, maintain my 600' driveway, built a combat pistol range with reactive metal targets and grow all my own produce: asparagus, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, string beans, straight neck yellow squash, zuchinni squash, bitter melon, bok choy, nappa cabbage, sugar baby watermelons, and strawberries.

Thanks guys for all the input and I miss my long rides every year and getting together with you all for SFO gatherings....still with you all in heart and soul, and still have my FJR...wow, just looked up the Yamaha website looks like the 2013 model has some big and much longed for improvements....cruise control, YEAH!!!

 

[SacramentoMike]

I just KNEW if I read through this whole thread, sooner or later I'd find something FJR-related.

 

[edporch]

Grasshopper makes some good zero turn mowers.

https://www.grasshoppermower.com/

Where I'm from, a lot of the local farmers use them and put MANY hours on them every week.

The family that farms my gound have been using them for years, and even loaned it to me to mow.

It was a great mower!

Even when they're traded in, people jump on the used ones, and they give years more of service..

If I was buying a zero turn mower, I'd look at a Grasshopper first.

 

[gray ray]

I bought a used Cub Cadet 3200 series off of E bay about 7 years ago for $2,800.00. It has a 47 inch mower deck deck and a 48 inch snow blower. It all hydraulic with power steering and shaft drive. I have 3.5 acres and 200 feet of circular driveway in the snow belt of Ohio. I love it. It hasn't given me a moments worth of trouble. Gas and oil only, no insurance, no license plates, no new tires twice a year, no wife telling me I can't ride it today, no kids telling me that I'm going to kill myself on it. Hell, the dog even rides with me. What could be better then that.

 

[Jeff F]

Dixie Chopper here too. I bought it as a demo 5 years ago.

It gets a lot of use and has stood up real well. Maintenance is fairly easy and parts like filters and belts can be bought most places.

I'd buy it again. (72"/32hp gas)