Zero turn

[Cussin' Gus]

This is going along the lines of Tom4018 question, I have found a Craftsman, and Cub cadet zero, and a Cub Cadet rider. The CC rider is $1300 or so, the two zero turns are something like $2200. All of those have Kohler Courage engine. Never run, owned a zero turn. The guy down the road has an exmark dealership, and can get me 42" exmark zero turn for $3300 with a kawasaki engine. The maintenance director at work swears it will be the last mower i will own. Cash will be paid for what ever i buy, that off the table are those exmarks that good?? Will be mowing 1.5 acres and about 1 -1.5 at the landlady's house. Opinions please.

 

[M5farm]

Yes exmarks are good. Most lawn business on our area run them.buy a Welded deck only. Cowasocke is a great engine.

 

[tom4018]

Gus,
Drive all of them first. I can tell a big difference in how they handle. The better drive motors are a lot smoother.

I am still plugging along on my old rider. Hard to spend much money to cut grass, but there will be a day when I have to do something. Most of the mowers that I like are $4000 or so, they have 0% for 48 months.

I looked again at Cub Cadet and they seem to be pretty cheap for the RZT model, but they make a better model.

 

[Jogeephus]

Mechanic I know suggested the Bad Boy brand. Really sturdy and thick metal deck.

 

[cmf1]

Had a Skag with a kohler. Very good machine. Heavy for my soft ground though. Not hard to see my cutting pattern after a season.
Sold it got a Dixie Chopper with a Generac 5-6 years ago. Much lighter, little less manueverability, but still a hoss and very fast and clean.
If I ever change I'll go with a diesel.
I hate getting gas 5 gallons at a time when I've got a tank full of diesel here.

 

[Grandpa]

Yes exmarks are good. Most lawn business on our area run them.buy a Welded deck only. Cowasocke is a great engine.

Agreed on the welded deck. It will last you. Don't try to save money with a stamped deck; you'll be messing with it or fixing it all the time. I have a Toro Titan Z with a welded deck. Cut my mowing time to 2 1/2 hours on 2 1/2 acres. Used to take me 5 hours or more with a 42" lawn tractor. Cub Cadet now makes a zero turn with a steering wheel but once you get used to the yokes, you will like them better.

 

[skyhightree1]

Mechanic I know suggested the Bad Boy brand. Really sturdy and thick metal deck.

I gotta agree with Jo I checked them out yesterday and I love them but cant bring myself to spend 5,000 on one yet.

 

[tom4018]

Sky, That is the reason I don't have one yet. Missed a deal on a regular rider on Craigslist that I have been kicking myself about. Oh well.

 

[skyhightree1]

tom my yard was 5 acres total but I turned it into 3/4 acre yard and a calf pen so with 3/4 acre yard i have a 12hp 38" cut craftsman rider but I dont use it and I use my farmall cub to mow my yard which takes maybe half hour. tom keep looking you will find one.

 

[Brute 23]

One of my uncles bought a Cub Cadet a couple years ago and he is on his 3rd Kohler motor. I'm about to buy a Scag for the ranch.

 

[tom4018]

One of my uncles bought a Cub Cadet a couple years ago and he is on his 3rd Kohler motor. I'm about to buy a Scag for the ranch.

Wow, makes me question buying one with a Kohler.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Kubota makes a fine mower too.

 

[circlew]

Kubota makes a fine mower too.

wers
I agree, go look at a kubota zero turn and you'll turn your nose up at the mention of any of them other cheap mowers.

 

[High Cotton]

In my opinion they only make two awesome zero turns Exmark and Toro Commercial. The commercial's runs about the same price as exmark but also has heavier spindles, deck, and pumps like an exmark. Walker rank up there also but are for fancy manicured yards. I have run a little bit of every thing. Cub Cadets are junk. You will wear the deck spindles out or bend the deck. About the time you rework the deck the pumps will start giving you problems. I know two people who own bad boys. They only cut their own yards with them and thats less than 2 acres each. They haven't had any problems with them but I haven't seen one used commercially. I didn't care for the gravely's I ran. Buntons and Skags were ok but not very user friendly. I have a exmark walk behind that still have from when I did lawn care. I've only had to replace the normal wear parts. This mower hasn't had an easy life by any means. It lived outside on a trailer and probably cut 5-7 acres a week for almost 3 years. I still use it to cut my yard.

 

[Brute 23]

Kubota makes a fine mower too.

wers
I agree, go look at a kubota zero turn and you'll turn your nose up at the mention of any of them other cheap mowers.

I dont own any but have been researching them. Supposedly the Scag is #1 and the Kubita is a very close 2nd. Problem is you will pay a grand or two more for a Kubota than the Scag equivelant. Again, just my research.

 

[shaz]

Does anyone have a JD zero turn? I'm looking at the ones under 4k.

 

[tom4018]

Does anyone have a JD zero turn? I'm looking at the ones under 4k.

Guy that lives about a 1/4 mile from me has one. He loves it, I keep telling him I want to drive it and see how it feels, he says I can mow all of his yard to test it. :lol2:

His yard looks good, and he lets the grass get really tall before he mows and he moves on. To me they seem to have about the heaviest of the stamped decks.

 

[skyhightree1]

Kubota makes a fine mower too.

my buddy has a kubota diesel that thing runs good and fast

 

[circlew]

Kubota makes a fine mower too.

I agree, go look at a kubota zero turn and you'll turn your nose up at the mention of any of them other cheap mowers.

I dont own any but have been researching them. Supposedly the Scag is #1 and the Kubita is a very close 2nd. Problem is you will pay a grand or two more for a Kubota than the Scag equivelant. Again, just my research.

Brute that is probably right. I would give the kubota diesel mower the edge. It would most likely be the last mower you ever buy.

 

[High Cotton]

Something to think about with diesel mowers are their weight. Do you cut on slopes or wet and or soft ground?