Discussions

We are currently looking for a zero turn mower but have no idea where to start. We are looking for something good quality that will last awhile but is still affordable. Any recommendations?

John Deere comes to mind. Keep in mind you get what you pay for applies.

We have a cub cadet 54" zero turn mower. Love it.

I bought a Gravely (Ariens) ZT HD60. It is near commercial quality, so it is well built. Kawasaki engine, heavy transaxles, heavy cutting deck. I got the 60" so that it would be easier to cut under trees/shrubs. It is great.  
 
When I was looking to upgrade from a lawn tractor, the biggest complaint I read about going to a zero turn was that they should have done it sooner.

I had one when I lived on an acreage a few years back and I had a 54 inch garden tractor and ended up buying a 46 inch Toro zero turn and the quicker turning and less need for trimming after I was done faster even though the deck was smaller so that can offset the price difference too

Nice mower, smooth operation, no issues so far. Less $$ than John Deere but happy with the quality. And we can mow our whole acrage in less than 3 hours.

Cub cadet. Excellent quality. Have a steering wheel on ours which was cheaper then the John Deere s cheaper one

We bought a 46" Zero turn mower, our old lawn tractor was a 54" craftsman.  
I agree we should have done it sooner.  
Runs and rides great.

My yard isn't anywhere near large enough to warrant a ride on, so I'm not the most knowledgeable. The only knock I have heard on them is when you do a full zero turn with them it can be quite hard on your lawn as the inside wheel is a pivot point rather than turning.

if you have a lot of grass it while be twice as fast to cut with a smaller cut deck as they travel faster. I have toro that got from lindenbergs on 1st by pacific he is the dealer in Brandon who does do repair on them and al is a good guy to deal with compared to home depot or wal mart so stay with someone who repairs that make.

We have a lever steer cub cadet 54" very nice mower. Colleyer's had the best price around westman when we bought it. We now 5 acres and it cut an hr and a bit off the mowing time compared to our previous 46" conventional garden tractor deck. Well worth the money to upgrade to a zero turn. Gravely, cub cadet, John deer, Ferris are all good mowers but can vary in price. Ferris have a nice suspension system but are double the price at least.

We have a lever steer cub cadet 54" very nice mower. Colleyer's had the best price around westman when we bought it. We now 5 acres and it cut an hr and a bit off the mowing time compared to our previous 46" conventional garden tractor deck. Well worth the money to upgrade to a zero turn. Gravely, cub cadet, John deer, Ferris are all good mowers but can vary in price. Ferris have a nice suspension system but are double the price at least.

ZachT said "I bought a Gravely (Ariens) ZT HD60. It is near commercial quality, so it is well built. Kawasaki engine, heavy transaxles, heavy cutting deck. I got the 60" so that it would be easier to cut under trees/shrubs. It is great.     When I was looking to upgrade from a lawn tractor, the biggest complaint I read about going to a zero turn was that they should have done it sooner. "

My vote for Gravely from Collyers too. My ZT50 has performed flawlessly for three years now. I looked at the Cub Cadet but chose the Gravely as it is built stronger. John Deere is good quality overpriced and their shop rates are very high.  
You won't regret going zero turn. It cut my time down considerably.  
 
Edited by bigmoe, 2017-01-30 09:01:38

Trevor said "My yard isn't anywhere near large enough to warrant a ride on, so I'm not the most knowledgeable. The only knock I have heard on them is when you do a full zero turn with them it can be quite hard on your lawn as the inside wheel is a pivot point rather than turning. "

I've heard that complaint as well. If you are impatient and going too fast on turns that is definitely a problem but once you catch on to it and gain a little skill it is possible to avoid any tearing.

Yes, tearing up the grass on turns is very likely. However, wider turns, easing into a turn or 3 point turns pretty much eliminate that.  
 
One thing to consider if you live on an acreage is whether you will need a small tractor or not. A loader or 3 pt hitch may be very useful. Mowers are often included with those.  
 
The city and/or highways use Gravely too.

HI we have a John deere Z950R that we bought new from Enns brothers last year for my Dad to mow with. He passed away in the fall, and we dont have a use for it. it is a very nice 0 turn mower, with 3 blades. and deck is 60" It has about 75 hours on it and always shedded. i think it retailed for about $17,000, and we would sell it for $12,000. it is a gas motor. Contact me if you are interested. it tried to load a picture, but no luck.

I bought a John Deere in 2010 and have never been sorry. The Zero turn certainly reduces the time especially if you have a lot of obstacles to trim around. I tore my share of lawn at first. We have very light soil (SAND) so ground rips easily especially after a recent rain. I learned less is more. I slow to turn but never pivot on a stalled wheel. As another poster mentioned using a two or three point turn helps.  
 
I chose John Deere because I liked the solid deck. The Blades last three times what my sears ride on. I have a full hydrostatic wheel system which has remained trouble free. I am very satisfied with service from Enns Brothers