Zero Turn Mowers - Have or Use One?

[Abraham]

100 Hours ago on the mower, last year, I think...? I bought a Toro MX5060 23 hp, Kawasaki 23 hp, 50" mower deck, Zero Turn mower.

I love it.

I have 1 1/2 acres to mow.

What do you have?

Do you love it or hate it?

Previously, I bought a Craftsmen mower, 46" deck, with a Briggs & Stratton motor that NEVER let me down.

I changed ONLY because my shoulder was /is giving me pain/problems.

I sold this machine to my next door neighbor who knows I'm fanatical about proper maintenance) for less than it was worth...because I can...without being hurt...

[anygunanywhere]

100 Hours ago on the mower, last year, I think...? I bought a Toro MX5060 23 hp, Kawasaki 23 hp, 50" mower deck, Zero Turn mower.

I love it.

I have 1 1/2 acres to mow.

What do you have?

Do you love it or hate it?

Previously, I bought a Craftsmen mower, 46" deck, with a Briggs & Stratton motor that NEVER let me down.

I changed ONLY because my shoulder was /is giving me pain/problems.

I sold this machine to my next door neighbor who knows I'm fanatical about proper maintenance) for less than it was worth...because I can...without being hurt...

Right now I have a ExMark Turf Tracer 48" zero turn walk behind with a sulky that I ride on to cut my 5 acres. I do not cut everything every week. Weekly I cut about 3 acres and it takes me about 4.5 hours and is a decent workout given the elevation differences on our homestead.

Mrs Anygunanywhere has promised me a riding mower after we retire. I am looking at one of the ExMark 60 inch commercial grade or a Scag. My current ExMark I bought used and has been trouble free for two years except for two springs and one belt which I consider normal wear since it had 800 hours on it when I bought it. The ExMarks and Scags are not cheap but I want quality and durability.

A salesman gave me some advice while I was looking at the ExMarks. He asked me what I had been looking at and I told him I was focused (then) on Bad Boy mowers. He told me to look at what the professionals had in their trailers. Had I ever seen a Bad Boy in a landscapers trailer?

I had to reply no.

Anygunanywhere

[ssnstump]

We have a Skagg Cheetah 60" zero turn. We cut about 2 acres and have used it to cut the pasture.
We have 10 total. My son who is a speed deamon can whip out the front in 45 minutes. Takes me
a bit longer....like twice that at least. I love it. Besides it is one of the most comfortable seats on
a mower or small tractor I have ever used.

[Abraham]

How long do you let your grass grow before cutting?

I used to wait 8/10 days, but no longer.

Why?

If I used the entire 50" deck, I think that very long grass (though I never felt it bog down) would be extra hard on the equipment, so I'd only use half the deck width to cut.

Now, I wait an absolute maximum of 7 days (often less). I can cut with the entire deck width at a very fast speed as the grass hasn't had time to get extra tall.

I also cut with the deck only 2 notch's down from it's highest elevation.

What are your tips?

[anygunanywhere]

I try not to wait longer than 1 week on certain areas because it grows faster. Some areas can last 3 weeks between cuts. I have found that if the grass gets too tall the desk just lays it tdown and the blades do not cut well and I have to go over it again.

Not sure how high my deck is set - high enough to minimize scalping even with the deck anti-scalp rollers. Even with this setting the earth at our place seems to spit rocks up over the course of the seasons. Seriously.

I typically overlap about 6 inches and use the deck support wheel as a guide (not the anti-scalp roller).

I was unable to cut last weekend since we had our 14 month old grandson all weekend. I am headed there to cut on Friday and Saturday. If I wait until the following weekend I might as well buy a hay bailer.

The biggest issue I face is keeping blades sharp. I also clean the deck after each session which helps the deck maintain a high vacuum to pull the blades up for cutting. I have to vary my speed as the deck does bog in the really thick bermuda.

Anygunanywhere

[Abraham]

anygunanywhere,

Yes, keeping blades sharp was a problem until I rigged up an old swing A frame
with a light chain hoist.

Now, if the blades need sharpening, I pull the deck up high enough for me to easily get to the blade nuts, remove blades, put in vise, and file them until I'm satisfied. I can also remove any stubborn / stuck grass debris while I'm under there.

The manual or U-Tube advises removing the entire deck and turn it over to get at the blades. This would be a gigantic hassle for me, plus it's a two man operation. It takes me all of 5 minutes to hoist up the deck. My method is safe, simple and very efficient one man job.

P.S. Pat's Small Engine has the blades I need for my mower at less than half the dealer cost, plus they sell most everything else I need like filters, etc.

Also, they have a flat $7.95 shipping rate and they're out of state...

[anygunanywhere]

anygunanywhere,

Yes, keeping blades sharp was a problem until I rigged up an old swing A frame
with a light chain hoist.

Now, if the blades need sharpening, I pull the deck up high enough for me to easily get to the blade nuts, remove blades, put in vise, and file them until I'm satisfied. I can also remove any stubborn / stuck grass debris while I'm under there.

The manual or U-Tube advises removing the entire deck and turn it over to get at the blades. This would be a gigantic hassle for me, plus it's a two man operation. It takes me all of 5 minutes to hoist up the deck. My method is safe, simple and very efficient one man job.

P.S. Pat's Small Engine has the blades I need for my mower at less than half the dealer cost, plus they sell most everything else I need like filters, etc.

Also, they have a flat $7.95 shipping rate and they're out of state...

I have four sets of blades and do an annual blade sharpening marathon with electric grinders and files. I can lift mine up by hand and put a jack under the front end.

Anygunanywhere

[Abraham]

Anygunanywhere,

Do you ascertain if the blades are balanced? I never bothered with my other mowers. I just sharpened and bolted on.

Do you use synthetic oil?

I have a Honda 22" mower that I use for some of the very small areas my large deck mower has trouble getting to. It's about 20, yes, 20 years old and is still going strong. I change oil and air filters regularly, with the occasional spark plug...

BTW, I use Mobil 1 10W30 in my zero turn.

[anygunanywhere]

I don't have one of those balancing jigs like I have seen. I just chuck up a bolt in the vise and slide the blade onto the bolt. If it tilts any I will grind off more until it stays level. Blade balance is not all that critical seems to me.

My ExMark uses Mobil 1 synthetic in the hydraulic drives.

I use 30 weight for older engines in the Kawasaki engine. Right after I bought the mower the fuel pump diaphram blew and filled the crankcase with gasoline. I neglected to shut off the fuel cock valve. I cranked the starter and hydraulicked a piston ring. It blew the oil dipstick clean out.

The ring wound up reseating luckily but it burned oil for a bit. Not so much now.

I have a Craftsman with a Honda engine for the small areas of the yard I can't get to with the ExMark.

AGAW

[anygunanywhere]

Update on mowers.

I bought a new Kubota Kommander 54" zero turn mower last week. I also bought Mrs. Anygunanywhere a Snapper rear engine riding mower since she wants to help mow. Who am I to argue?

The Kubota is a grass eating machine. Nothing bogs it down. 25 HP Kohler engine, nice seat, two cup holders, adjustable cut height from the seat, roll bar.

The snapper is a pretty good mower.The Mrs likes it. Together we cut the mowing time from 6 1/2 hours for all 4 acres to 3 hours.

Now if I can do something about the trimming…….gotta be a robot somewhere. Can't use Roundup on everything.

Anygunanywhere

[bryan1980]

My pops is thinking about getting a zero-turn for his 1.5 acres around the house. He's a little unsure about how he'll like the transition from a steering wheel to levers, but he also likes the fact that a zero-turn could cut his weedeating time down, too. Right now he's using a 14 year-old Cub Cadet rider with a 54" deck (a real CC from a dealer, not a Home Depot cheapo). It's served him well, but he's starting to have more and more minor issues with it every season. He's looking to get something with at least a 60" deck. His favorites so far have been the exMark, Scag, and Hustler. He probably should give the Kubota a look, too.

As for me, my yard is of a size where a self-propelled mower is probably overkill

[Abraham]

anygunanywhere,

Wow, you don't fool around when it comes to mowers. Very impressive!

bryan1980,

Your Pops will have absolutely no problem transitioning to a zero turn mower. I was shown in about minute how to run one. After that, I hopped on and was able control it immediately. Plus, it's fun.

Now, I'm not some super vehicle jockey like some guys I know who can run almost any mechanical vehicle. Nope, just average.

Assure him, if he gets a zero turn mower, the only regret he'll feel is that he didn't get one sooner.

[anygunanywhere]

Before I bought the Kubota I had looked at a neighbor's Bad Boy mower, a 54" cut. Nice mower and heavy duty. His has the electric deck lift which is major cool but if you hit something the electric is slow. My Kubota has a foot lever to raise the deck immediately. When I am mowing in thick stuff I keep my foot on the lever and can raise the deck quickly. With the Bad Boy you have to reach for the switch and raise it.

Zero turn mowers are the best. With a little practice you can operate it with one hand. Slower is good. With the wide decks it cuts faster. My Exmark 48" walk behind bogs down in the thick stuff which impedes cut time. The Kubota just plows right through.

I think if you want a Kubota in 60" you will have to step up to the commercial grade.

Anygunanywhere

[Abraham]

anygunanywhere,

Do you overlap your cuts, if so, by 50% or ...,

Do you use synthetic oil (I do Mobile1 / 10W50) When I mow, I go like a bat out of hades when reasonable, you like slower and I wonder why?

Also, my mower is probably something of a hybrid, (no, not in the PC sense...) in that it's not a fully commercial quality mower, but it has some commercial qualities, i.e. a fully welded deck. It has a 23 hp Kawasaki 23hp motor and nothing slows it down except me. Plus, I really pay attention to the air filtration system.

My mowing time has been reduced by 50% from when I used the old steering wheel system. I sold my old tractor style mower to my next door neighbor and he's quite happy with my old mower, who, if my shoulder didn't give me pain, I would'nt have sold. He also knows I'm a maintenance fanatic and would get a good machine.


However, if I had to mow your acreage, I'd definitely have my wife helping. My wife's very kindly offered to mow, but I'm reluctant to let her as she's not very skillful as evidenced by her damaged car...

[CoffeeNut]

Having used a regular craftsman riding mower to cut 10 acres of land and then switching to a New Holland zero turn I can say that zero turns are phenomenal. If I could have blown up that old craftsman for taking so long and tiring me out in the process I would have. Thankfully my days of cutting 10 acres of land on any kind of mower are over. I'm back to using a Toro push mower.