Dockside Chat - ZTR mowers

I know its a subject we all hate to discuss but it has to be done. Cutting the lawn. I am looking into getting a ZTR mower. Some of these units a very expensive. Some are not so bad. I have lookid at snapper, gravely, dixxie chopper etc. They are pretty expensive for my blood. One that i did look at at lowes is the husquavarna ztr. (sp?) Any of you thters have one or know someone thtat has one of these units. it is the 42" 17hp model. It cost around 2700.00. Are they junk or not. I need help on this one...*

Just out of curiousity, what type of grass are you cutting and how much? if it is a warm season grass, which based on your location I would bet highly on, you would be surprised the difference a reel mower can make on it. You would also be amazed at how inexpensive a used unit for a golf course can be found (ebay).

I would stay far away from inexpensive zero turn mowers all together, the hydrolic components aren't usually up to the challenge. If you are set on a zero turn, I would try to find a exmark lazer Z or kubota that is used, IMO a used comercial mower is always better than a new residential mower.

at my parents house we cut 4.5 acres of hybrid bermuda. My fathers brother lives next to us, a cousin next to him, and my grandfather across the road, all large yards. we always buy a top of the line mower and share it, currently running a Kubota GF1800, 60" deck, and a john deer 305 pull behind fairway mower that is 5 gangs & 138" cut.

IMO the main things to stay away from are:

1. anything with a briggs or honda motor over 11hp, anything with an Onan motor of any sort, and I personally dont' care for the kohler motors either, although the seem to work quite well in the exmark/toro line. Kawasaki seems to be the hot ticket on gas motors, & kubota for the diesels.

2. "residential" grade zero turn mowers, residential grade lawn tractors are fine if you are only cutting your yard, but the zero turns are full of shortcuts and cheap/undersized hydrolic components.

3. mulching decks, unless you have got a ton of extra HP, hp cuts grass, and a mulching deck only compounds the amount needed to accomplish the task at hand.

if you do go the zero turn route, make sure that it has a large hydrolic system, and a filter that can be changed. service this at least as often as recomended, and be sure to use good hydrolic filters. also, any good mower should have grease fittings on every spindle as well as on wheel bearings and swivels.

I am cutting about 1 acre of san augstine and cenetepede. Very good advice you gave there. Thats what i am afraid of on the residential mowers. Cheap componets and their avialability should and WHEN they do break. Like they say, you get what you pay for.

for that amount of grass, I would look at either a john deere or snapper with an offset belly deck, high HP for it's size. snapper is now owned by the same company that makes toro and exmark, and parts are easy to get. Of course it is tough to go wrong with a deere, I would highly recomend you get either from a dealer and not a box store, the price may be a little different, but they can get parts and will be willing to service it in the future. Im not sure what motors snapper is running right now, probably kohler, which is fine as long as they get enough air flow. deer uses kawasaki for the most part, which is an really good gas motor. whatever you get, check the manual to see if it requires the valved being adjusted after breakin, and have this done, as it is very improtant to the longevity of the motor.