Opinions on Zero Turns?

[Guest]

Time to move up to a zero turn. I have about 2 acres very slightly rolling terrain. Many folks have insisted that the ONLY ones worth considering are commercial grade, but honestly, I really don't want to tie that kind of $$ up in one. I'm cutting this yard weekly or every ten days or so. I've been looking at Rural King's Bad Boy ZT Elite 60", and they have the Kohler 747cc on it, and everybody say's "Nooo, you MUST buy Kawasaki, or you might as well just get a six pack of spare motors right now!"  Am I getting sage advice, or is there some middle ground between WalMart/Harbor Freight and $12k worth of rolling death?

Edited March 22, 2022 by OMCHamlin

[Omega]

All I am going to say is get a welded deck vs stamped, you will thank me later for it.

[Hozzie]

I am one of those that would always recommend a commercial mower and kawasaki engine.  That being said, my dad has had two Bad Boys and not had any issues with them.  They are not a John Deere, Scag, etc, but his have run just fine for many years.  He is pretty meticulous on maintenance.

Bad Boy has quite a few models now.  There is also a company called Spartan which was started by the guy that originally started Bad Boy that may be worth a look.

There are thousands of them out there.  If that was in the price range I wanted to stay in, I wouldn't be afraid of them.  

 

[Guest]

Okay, that was another thing I noticed and liked about the Bad Boy, it does have a fabricated deck, 7 gauge, so stout as heck. I can only find it locally with the Koehler engine though, are they really a bad motor?

Also so an Ariens Ikon XD 60", it had a fabricated deck and a Kawasaki motor, anyone have an Ariens?

Edited March 22, 2022 by OMCHamlin

[Hozzie]

6 minutes ago, Omega said:

All I am going to say is get a welded deck vs stamped, you will thank me later for it.

Yes and no.  It's more about steel gauge than just welding.  Welded decks are good, but they also have squared corners etc.  If you have to do any mowing in wet grass a quality stamped decked with rounded interior will clear (and not clump) and cut better than a square stamped deck.

I am of course talking commercial grade mowers.  That being said, the Bad Boy does have a welded deck on the mower he is referring to.  It will clump in damp mowing conditions, but many mowers will.

If I had to pick one thing I don't like about my Dad's, it has been the seat.  It leans way back.  Get the best seat they offer.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Hozzie

[Grunt67]

I've got a Hustler I've had for 6 years, heavy steel welded deck, 24 HP Kohler engine. I've had zero issues with the engine, or anything else. Service it myself. I've owned several Kohler engines, never had a problem with any of them. It's not commercial grade, mowing 1.34 acres, some of it rough.

[gregintenn]

It’s a competitive market. I honestly don’t think one brand is vastly superior to another within the same price point. 
 

You DO get what you pay for. If you plan to use it for 8-10 years, a bid box mower should do the trick. If you want to make a living with it, or use the same mower for life, a commercial mower is a vastly better mower.

Just like we all don’t need a dialog diesel pickup, we don’t all need a commercial mower.

I can say I have a commercial 61” Bad Boy with a Kawasaki engine, and it is a quality machine.

There are usually several slightly used mowers for sale on sites like LSN and Craigslist that are much cheaper than new. Sometimes you can catch one at a local estate sale as well.

Buy a brand you can easily and conveniently get parts for.

[Omega]

8 minutes ago, Hozzie said:

Yes and no.  It's more about steel gauge than just welding.  Welded decks are good, but they also have squared corners etc.  If you have to do any mowing in wet grass a quality stamped decked with rounded interior will clear (and not clump) and cut better than a square stamped deck.

I am of course talking commercial grade mowers.  That being said, the Bad Boy does have a welded deck on the mower he is referring to.

True, sort of, while a stamped deck does have good, possible better, airflow, most fabricated (welded) decks are just fine specially since most if not all have round baffles underneath to direct the airflow and increase suction.  My Kubota tractor's deck spits out grass very forcibly, and if the guard is lifted can chuck a rock quite a distance.   But the best feature of a fabricated deck is what you mentioned, the gauge of the steel, which will pay dividends down the road when you bump it against a tree or other hard object and it bounces vs fold in on itself like my JD's deck did.  

[jpx2rk]

I have a Ferris 48" ZTR, 19 hp Kawi, have had no issues other than normal maintenance since I purchased new in '07.  I've had the drive belts  and rear tires replaced 1x as the only big ticket items, total cost of those about $500.  the drive belts lasted 10 yrs or so, the rear tires just dry rotted after 12 yrs or so.  LOL  I did have a big crack/cut in one rear tire, and a couple chunks of drive belt missing (age related as well)  but this mower has never stopped while I have been using it.  I do the regular/annual maintenance myself.  Mows like a champ. 

I bought the entry level commercial grade one as I did not want to buy another mower for as long as I was able to mow my 3/4 acre lot.  Followed the "buy once, cry once" theory.  I clean the mowing deck a couple times a mowing season, it does accumulate clippings due to the design, but it has a couple curved sections to help with the air flow, etc.   

GL with your search.  

[10-Ring]

I've had a few zero turns.  I'm my opinion they are absolutely the way to go.  I had an Ariens Zoom 50, that lasted about 6 years, but I was cutting 5 yards for about a year of that.  I decided to move on to something else when small things on that machine (starter, safety switches, etc) started going bad.  

I am not a fan of Kohler engines at all.  The Ariens had one and the John Deere I had before it had a Kohler.  Both had leaky valve covers, and I had to replace the starters on both.  Also the frame on the Ariens snapped in two where the frame meets the casters.  I was able to weld it back together.  

Last year I bought a new commercial Hustler Fastrak 54" with a Kawasaki.  And I have zero complaints.  I went with Hustler because a neighbor had one that was absolutely abused and it took the abuse well.  I bought it with the intention of not having to buy another lawnmower for 30+ years.  

Things that are must haves for me when lawnmower shopping:

- fabricated deck

- suspension seat

- Kawasaki (or at least not Kohler engine)

- parts availability

I was going to go the Bad Boy route, but walked into my local dealership and was repeatedly lied to and I did not receive good customer service by a long stretch.  Our Hustler dealership had closed down, but I found that another local shop had picked them up.  I won't blast the dealership by name, although I received great customer service on the front end, I had a really hard time getting some accessories that I purchased with the mower.  The accessories were not in stock and had to be ordered.  It wound up taking a couple of months to get my stuff, and a heated conversation with the service manager when they tried to charge me pickup/delivery fees and shop labor to install said accessories after my salesman assured me that the machine would be picked up, dropped off, and the accessories installed free of charge.  I also never received the complimentary set of blades that the service manager promised me.  Great machine, horrible customer service experience. 

 

[gary_boom]

I have Scag Tiger Cub I have had for 18 or so years. I have put 2 sets of belts and 2 batteries on it over the years. It was the cheapest ride on mower they had at the time. If I were buying a new mower I would probably get another Scag but would look at Bad Boys and other brands.

[analog_kidd]

We have 5 acres to mow, and love it for the flat parts.

However, we have a pretty good slope at the back of the property, and it ends at a fence or tree line. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pull it out with a truck or ATV  because it couldn't make the turn while going down hill. Once it's stuck, it won't come out, the tires just spin. I bought super aggressive knobby tires, but that didn't help either.

[chances R]

If you mow up a slope, hold on, it may pop a wheelie.  Can't pull implements and control from driver's seat.  If you have large, flat acreage probably the way to go.  I like the big Deeres, 350 and up, especially if you need to fertilize, etc with it.

[Guest]

I had tended a friends HUGE yard in VA for several years, using his Toro commercial grade with a full 72" deck, that was a nice machine, but I do recall it side slipping down into a roadside ditch (not even a steep angle), and had to get a neighbor to pull me out, so I am concerned even with these slight slopes on this property, I'll educate myself on zero turns and slope mowing. You guys are not surprising me with bold new proclamations, but rather pretty much reinforcing what I have been hearing from other folk. In a sense, that's good, I am centered up on a Bad Boy ZT Elite (or an Ariens Ikon X), both 60", & technically residential, but both have certain commercial features. The Ariens has a Kawasaki motor, the BadBoy, a Kohler...

 

[gary_boom]

Kioti ,the tractor people has a new line of mowers. If you have banks you may want to look at walk behinds they will stay on a bank much better.

[hlb14]

I sprung for an exmark radius 4 years ago when we moved to the house we're in now where I mow just over 3 flat acres.  While it's not a full bore commercial unit, the x-series has many of the features found on the Lazer z's.  The suspension seat is fantastic!  The fabricated deck is also commercial grade and cuts fantastic in both wet and dry conditions. Get the best hydros you can afford.  The FX series kawi is rated for a service life of roughly 1250 to 1500 hours I believe, I clock about 50 hours per season. 

I wouldn't be afraid of a slightly rolling terrain,  I just wouldn't mow it while it's wet. 

[No_0ne]

On 3/22/2022 at 11:47 AM, OMCHamlin said:

I had tended a friends HUGE yard in VA for several years, using his Toro commercial grade with a full 72" deck, that was a nice machine, but I do recall it side slipping down into a roadside ditch (not even a steep angle), and had to get a neighbor to pull me out, so I am concerned even with these slight slopes on this property, I'll educate myself on zero turns and slope mowing. You guys are not surprising me with bold new proclamations, but rather pretty much reinforcing what I have been hearing from other folk. In a sense, that's good, I am centered up on a Bad Boy ZT Elite (or an Ariens Ikon X), both 60", & technically residential, but both have certain commercial features. The Ariens has a Kawasaki motor, the BadBoy, a Kohler...

 

There are zero turns made with conventional steering wheels which turn and hold traction much better on slopes.  While they won't make quite as sharp a turn as conventional lap bars, they are much easier to steer and control on hills and slopes.  Many of these are non-commercial types of mowers, but there are a few commercial options as well.  As to your original question, if you're only mowing 2 acres once a week, a good quality homeowner mower should last you a very long time with proper maintenance.

[Guest]

On 3/24/2022 at 9:47 AM, No_0ne said:

...As to your original question, if you're only mowing 2 acres once a week, a good quality homeowner mower should last you a very long time with proper maintenance.

I am beginning to feel that way. As to my own previous mowers, I had a 42" Craftsman (for my 1/3 acre in VA), and I bought it in 2006, sold it to a friend for $50 and it's still cutting for him. Only did oil changes, plugs, a few blade spindle replacements, greased the zerk fittings and used 0 ethanol gas +fuel stabilizer and kept her going that long. I DO realize there is MUCH more to maintaining a zero turn, but I kept that one of my friends going while he was away, I changed a belt on it and such. Things tend to vibrate loose on a zero turn, so I was always checking that stuff too.

[tercel89]

We've got a Kabota 48 inch with a Kawasaki engine. It's nice but the ground needs to be level and dry. I hate any zero turns when it comes to wet ground. They get stuck all the time on the slightest bit of hill with wetness. On my old conventional John Deere (engine in front and rear wheel drive) I never got stuck.  I get stuck quite a bit with this zero turn. I have an acre but I mow my mother-in-laws place too but its several acres. The speed is the only thing that helps with lots of land.  

[Hozzie]

I can't say that I have ever had mine stuck simply because of wet grass on a hill.  Typically when you see zero turns stuck, I think it is more operator error.  I don't know how many times I have seen guys trying to go through a ditch of some sort straight on.  They get the rear stuck on the downslope.  

The biggest issue I think many have is thinking if I push the lever farther forward it will give me more power.  Wrong.  These things have plenty of torque, just keep the wheel moving and not spinning.

I guess we all have our own experiences with them, but I don't know anyone personally who has bought a good zero turn and regretted it.

[Protongunner]

I have never owned a zero-turn mower but they look pretty fantastic for getting things done quickly. Sadly, there were a few zero turn related  accidents back in my hometown last year. One where a farmer broke his back when his trailer came unhitched while loading his zero turn and it flipped over on him backwards. Unfortunately another gentleman who had been mowing with one for 20 plus years died when his somehow ended up in a creek on top of him and pinned him under the water,  his face only a few inches from the surface. The third incident was where a guy rolled his off into a dry creek bed, fortunately he was not injured badly. Im not saying these three things couldn't and don't  happen with a standard garden tractor mowers but it does appear that you need to be extra careful on uneven and wet terrain especially when new to the zero turn mechanics. Be safe out there.

[Grunt67]

3 hours ago, Protongunner said:

I have never owned a zero-turn mower but they look pretty fantastic for getting things done quickly. Sadly, there were a few zero turn related  accidents back in my hometown last year. One where a farmer broke his back when his trailer came unhitched while loading his zero turn and it flipped over on him backwards. Unfortunately another gentleman who had been mowing with one for 20 plus years died when his somehow ended up in a creek on top of him and pinned him under the water,  his face only a few inches from the surface. The third incident was where a guy rolled his off into a dry creek bed, fortunately he was not injured badly. Im not saying these three things couldn't and don't  happen with a standard garden tractor mowers but it does appear that you need to be extra careful on uneven and wet terrain especially when new to the zero turn mechanics. Be safe out there.

Hardly put the blame for the above on the mower. Don't put yourself in harm's way. If you're mowing on a slope, a more aggressive tire would be a good start, plus a wider stance. I DO NOT mow when wet, for several reasons.

[gregintenn]

I always heard a zero turn wasn’t any good for bills and slopes. I’ve been on some that proved that true. The one I have now will pretty much go anywhere I can take my tractor and bush hog. There is a learning curve involved in figuring out what one will and won’t do and how to best do it.

Edited March 26, 2022 by gregintenn

[10-Ring]

47 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I always heard a zero turn wasn’t any good for bills and slopes. I’ve been on some that proved that true. The one I have now will pretty much go anywhere I can take my tractor and bush hog. There is a learning curve involved in figuring out what one will and won’t do and how to best do it.

Agree.  A lot of it depends on the mower.  My FIL has a steep ditch in his yard, I don't even flinch when I cut it on my Hustler.  My old homeowner grade Ariens would have been all over the place.  The Hustler has a wider wheelbase and is a lot heavier.  The fact that it has a ROPS probably gives me a little more confidence as well.  Point being, if you have a slope, some ZTRs are better than others on slopes. 

[Guest]

Well, here's another thought; Of course I want one right now, BUT, I'm a month + away from having the old, open (as in unlockable) three sided carport replaced with a proper garage with locks, so, I'm going to have the guy that's been cutting it give me a few more cuts, only I'll be watching him like a hawk, seeing how he approaches the sloped areas with his commercial machine.  I've heard of folks getting hurt on one, I will endeavor to not become someone else's cautionary tale... I STILL think it's going to be that Bad Boy 60" ZT Elite, if they are available when I am ready for one. I think it's the right compromise (for me) between a residential with some commercial features and a "Lamborghini grade"zero turn.

Edited March 27, 2022 by OMCHamlin