Zero turn vs lawn tractor

[ElevatorGuy]

Alright guys and gals, Getting really close to pulling the trigger on my new machine but would like some input. I’ll start by saying I have a sub compact tractor so this will only be a grass machine, I know what you’re thinking zero turn! Hold on though, I do have a few steep areas. After reading a lot about zero turns I’ve decided that as long as the drives are bigger and built well it won’t be an issue. I’m currently comparing a jd x380 to a scag liberty z zt. Pricing is close enough not to matter, the jd has the k58 trans which I consider the minimum trans, The k46 trans is junk. The scag has hydro gear 2800 drives that are way better than box store 2200 drives. Both are Kawasaki engines which is also a requirement, Not interested in any Briggs or Kohler engine. Planning on 6k out the door maximum, Which way would you go?

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I’ll add the tractor sites go full bore crazy with x7 series suggestions, I have no need for that or even an x5 machine.

 

[Lnk]

Alright guys and gals, Getting really close to pulling the trigger on my new machine but would like some input. I’ll start by saying I have a sub compact tractor so this will only be a grass machine, I know what you’re thinking zero turn! Hold on though, I do have a few steep areas. After reading a lot about zero turns I’ve decided that as long as the drives are bigger and built well it won’t be an issue. I’m currently comparing a jd x380 to a scag liberty z zt. Pricing is close enough not to matter, the jd has the k58 trans which I consider the minimum trans, The k46 trans is junk. The scag has hydro gear 2800 drives that are way better than box store 2200 drives. Both are Kawasaki engines which is also a requirement, Not interested in any Briggs or Kohler engine. Planning on 6k out the door maximum, Which way would you go?

Knowing just how steep the steeps are is the most important thing to consider. can you drive the subcompact across the hill comfortably? Or is there some pucker factor. If pucker, I would skip the zero turn. Take a board 8' and a level, and measure the hill. Hold the 2x4 level with one end on the ground and measure how high off the ground the other side is. A little math and you will know which machine to get. Safety first!

 

[Dub11]

I'll share the 2 cents my buddy gave me years ago.

"Can't hold a beer on a zero turn."

 

[ElevatorGuy]

With just the mower deck and loader on the hills are fine for the 1025. I drop the bucket for clearance reasons and it’s a lot quicker than dropping the loader. The tires are r4s and filled. I love it for tractor work but it’s too heavy for weekly mowing.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I'll share the 2 cents my buddy gave me years ago.

"Can't hold a beer on a zero turn."

My buddy upgraded to a bad boy zero turn last year and said the same thing initially. Then he realized you can drink a lot more beer in the 2 hours it shaved off his mow time while not on the tractor lol.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

This area is a grade I fixed up last spring. It was scary before from years of erosion. I brought the left side up 18-24” packed, leveled and seeded.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

You can get an idea of the slope here, The other is the drainage ditch out by my mail box.

 

[Steve]

You can use a zero turn on those slopes. It will just take some time to learn how to without rutting it up. Zero turns are hard on the ground, exspecially going across hillsides. The 2800 units are a decent unit. I have the 3400's in mine. The Kawasaki FR engines are a nice reliable engine. Just keep the cooling fins clean or the heads can overheat and drop the valve guides. I have the Kohler confident Zt730 on my unit and it has proven a very reliable and strong engine so far at 3 years and 160 hours.

Your yard is probably better suited for a lawn tractor in my opinion. there are not many well built units out there unless you go with a high end john deere. I think cub has the XT3 series that is shaft driven and stuff. I'm not real up to date with the lawn tractors. It's true, once you get a decent zero turn, you will never touch a lawn tractor again.


I am a toro guy.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

My dealer is also a toro dealer, The only thing I don’t like is the engine. The titan is about the same price as the x380. My thought is for only cutting grass and within 1k price, I’ll just buy the fastest machine capable of doing the yard.

 

[Steve]

My dealer is also a toro dealer, The only thing I don’t like is the engine. The titan is about the same price as the x380. My thought is for only cutting grass and within 1k price, I’ll just buy the fastest machine capable of doing the yard.

Yeah, they put that toro branded engine on everything below full commercial grade. My dad has that engine on his ztr which is the same machine as mine. It runs very well and has been reliable this far at 75ish hours.

 

[PissRev]

I have the Scag Freedom Z and it holds a hill like that just fine.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I have the Scag Freedom Z and it holds a hill like that just fine.

Is that the next model up with the 3100 drives?

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Yeah, they put that toro branded engine on everything below full commercial grade. My dad has that engine on his ztr which is the same machine as mine. It runs very well and has been reliable this far at 75ish hours.

Yeah, The engine is a deal breaker. My pops had a toro (mtd) rider he paid good money for probably 20ish years ago now. It had the horrible k46 trans and surprisingly it climbed his hills well and did that until after its failure. He called me one day and said come drive this pos, it will go up hill fine but comes down it at 100 mph. I didn’t believe him until I drove it, held up hill fine but down hill was a roller coaster ride lol.

 

[Duce]

Neighbor has a Cat powered Ferris, great zero turn. I have run it on some steep areas.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Neighbor has a Cat powered Ferris, great zero turn. I have run it on some steep areas.

Now that sounds awesome but way more than 6 grand lol.

 

[USMC615]

@Stump Shot ain't long bought a pretty nice lawn tractor/mower. Maybe he can sling up a pic or two and tell ya a little about it spec-wise.

 

[MACHINE]

Zero turn

That's nothing

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Steve]

Yeah, The engine is a deal breaker. My pops had a toro (mtd) rider he paid good money for probably 20ish years ago now. It had the horrible k46 trans and surprisingly it climbed his hills well and did that until after its failure. He called me one day and said come drive this pos, it will go up hill fine but comes down it at 100 mph. I didn’t believe him until I drove it, held up hill fine but down hill was a roller coaster ride lol.

It is for me too. That's why I was lucky and got one of the last ones with the Kohler.

 

[Maintenance Chief]

As far as hills go it can vary greatly on how the zero turns center of gravity is. A big desiel Kabuto sits high and feels terrible on hills also fantastically heavy so it slides down easily with any moisture.
The old Exmark lazers and new Hustlers sit you lower in the machine and feel alot better on hills ,but also their center of gravity is lower also.
I mowed commercially for about ten years ,yards and big acres zero turns are the way to mow and big money doesn't always make the best mower.
Things like how easy is it to change a belt can make your life alot better or worse.