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Hello I'm the process of deciding between a new Cub Cadet Z-Force S Commercial 48 or a Z-Force??? S 54. Pricing wise its about $500 more for the commercial model which used in a residential set has a 4 year warranty vs the 3 year on the Z-Force standard. They both sport 23 HP engines with a Kohler on the Commercial and Kawasaki on the non commercial version. Commercial version has Hydro gear 3100 vs 2800 on standard, and overall the seat looks to be a little more comfy on the commercial version. I currently have one acre where my current home resides and will be moving to a new home on a 3 acre parcel. The dealer has the 54 in stock and the commercial version in the 60, but hasn't actually saw the 48 in person. I was wondering thoughts on if the extra is worth it for the commercial even though I would be losing 6" inch on the deck. The land is little rough and slightly hilly so I like this steering wheel version here. My only concern is that with the 48 the larger tires would I lose what I call the "mowing edge of the deck" going around trees and such?

Welcome to the Forum!.. I would pony up the extra $500, and get the commercial model you will be glad you did.

deigo said:

Hello I'm the process of deciding between a new Cub Cadet Z-Force S Commercial 48 or a Z-Force??? S 54. Pricing wise its about $500 more for the commercial model which used in a residential set has a 4 year warranty vs the 3 year on the Z-Force standard. They both sport 23 HP engines with a Kohler on the Commercial and Kawasaki on the non commercial version. Commercial version has Hydro gear 3100 vs 2800 on standard, and overall the seat looks to be a little more comfy on the commercial version. I currently have one acre where my current home resides and will be moving to a new home on a 3 acre parcel. The dealer has the 54 in stock and the commercial version in the 60, but hasn't actually saw the 48 in person. I was wondering thoughts on if the extra is worth it for the commercial even though I would be losing 6" inch on the deck. The land is little rough and slightly hilly so I like this steering wheel version here. My only concern is that with the 48 the larger tires would I lose what I call the "mowing edge of the deck" going around trees and such?

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Is there a real reason you are not considering a regular Z-Force ZTR with the lap bars steering, instead of the S-Series with the steering wheel??? For mowing 3 acres the regular ZTR, in my opinion, would reduce your mowing time significantly more than the S-Series. I had a 54" lawn tractor(with steering wheel) and a 52" Zero Turn cut my mowing time by more than half!!!

deigo said:

Hello I'm the process of deciding between a new Cub Cadet Z-Force S Commercial 48 or a Z-Force??? S 54. Pricing wise its about $500 more for the commercial model which used in a residential set has a 4 year warranty vs the 3 year on the Z-Force standard. They both sport 23 HP engines with a Kohler on the Commercial and Kawasaki on the non commercial version. Commercial version has Hydro gear 3100 vs 2800 on standard, and overall the seat looks to be a little more comfy on the commercial version. I currently have one acre where my current home resides and will be moving to a new home on a 3 acre parcel. The dealer has the 54 in stock and the commercial version in the 60, but hasn't actually saw the 48 in person. I was wondering thoughts on if the extra is worth it for the commercial even though I would be losing 6" inch on the deck. The land is little rough and slightly hilly so I like this steering wheel version here. My only concern is that with the 48 the larger tires would I lose what I call the "mowing edge of the deck" going around trees and such?

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I too looking at cubs ZT "Tank" S- series. the reason you will need the steering wheel if you have hilly terrain and too you have power steering , less sliding with S series

bigJohn3 said:

I too looking at cubs ZT "Tank" S- series. the reason you will need the steering wheel if you have hilly terrain and too you have power steering , less sliding with S series

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that the Cub Cadet "S-Series"(steering wheels) ALL have the sealed HydroGear EZT trannies. That's a lot of money for a "non-serviceable" tranny. The Z-Force zero turns(lap bars" have the ZT-2800(maybe 3100) trannies up......serviceable and "commercial rated" beginning with the 3100). I, personally, would not spend several thousand dollars on a mower that has non-servicable trannies:0(

djdicetn said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that the Cub Cadet "S-Series"(steering wheels) ALL have the sealed HydroGear EZT trannies. That's a lot of money for a "non-serviceable" tranny. The Z-Force zero turns(lap bars" have the ZT-2800(maybe 3100) trannies up......serviceable and "commercial rated" beginning with the 3100). I, personally, would not spend several thousand dollars on a mower that has non-servicable trannies:0(

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All the RZT-S's have EZT's.
Z-force S- 48 EZT
Z-force S-54, 60 ZT-2800
Z-force S Commercials both have ZT-3100

The Z-force S 54 was my next choice, if the Big Dog I'm test driving was a dud. They are all zero turn, in spite of having a wheel in lieu of lap bars. Pretty neat how they implement the steering, I test drove a 48 on Thursday.

RatRacer said:

All the RZT-S's have EZT's.
Z-force S- 48 EZT
Z-force S-54, 60 ZT-2800
Z-force S Commercials both have ZT-3100

The Z-force S 54 was my next choice, if the Big Dog I'm test driving was a dud. They are all zero turn, in spite of having a wheel in lieu of lap bars. Pretty neat how they implement the steering, I test drove a 48 on Thursday.

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RatRacer,
Got it, thanks for the constructive criticism and clarification. Personally, I would not want the 48" and would not be crazy about the 54" with the ZT-2800. How much $ are you looking at to go to the Commercial series with the ZT-3100? I'm thinking, because of the "S steering technology" more $ than a comparable "regular zero turn", like the Big Dog(but you would "really" need to compare to the price of a "commercial" ZTR like the Cub Tank,etc.). At least the Big Dog R Series has a 1 Year Commercial Warranty that is a good sign for high-end Residential models and user Old Goat is passionate about the positive experience he is having with the R754.

djdicetn said:

RatRacer,
Got it, thanks for the constructive criticism and clarification. Personally, I would not want the 48" and would not be crazy about the 54" with the ZT-2800. How much $ are you looking at to go to the Commercial series with the ZT-3100? I'm thinking, because of the "S steering technology" more $ than a comparable "regular zero turn", like the Big Dog(but you would "really" need to compare to the price of a "commercial" ZTR like the Cub Tank,etc.). At least the Big Dog R Series has a 1 Year Commercial Warranty that is a good sign for high-end Residential models and user Old Goat is passionate about the positive experience he is having with the R754.

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Z-force S 54=$4.5K, 60= $5K, add $1K for commercial series. This is all published, current "sale" MSRP prices, before you get to haggle with your dealer.

My test drive was not a dud, and it is a R754. AND, it does not have lap bars either, hence my interest in the S series. Review will be forthcoming.....:thumbsup:

RatRacer said:

Z-force S 54=$4.5K, 60= $5K, add $1K for commercial series. This is all published, current "sale" MSRP prices, before you get to haggle with your dealer.

My test drive was not a dud, and it is a R754. AND, it does not have lap bars either, hence my interest in the S series. Review will be forthcoming.....:thumbsup:

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RatRacer,
That's right.....now I remember you telling user Old Goat that the Big Dog you were looking at had the different "doey"......not the lap bars. Let us know what you think...could you post a pic while you stillhave it so we can see what it looks like????

djdicetn said:

RatRacer,
That's right.....now I remember you telling user Old Goat that the Big Dog you were looking at had the different "doey"......not the lap bars. Let us know what you think...could you post a pic while you stillhave it so we can see what it looks like????

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You can count on all of that....
In case you missed it: http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/new-members/15318-howdy.html

So guys just a couple points of clarity from the posts, is what I'm reading is that the mowers I'm looking at from my starting post here have serviceable hydros? It's the EZT type that are sealed.... not serviceable from the one posters comment?

Z-force S-54, 60 ZT-2800
Z-force S Commercials both have ZT-3100


Any one have an idea of how much haggle room these dealers have? I have called around for some pricing but pretty much been quoted the prices on the cub site

Z-Force S-54 = $5k
Z-Force S Commercial 48 = $5,500

deigo said:

So guys just a couple points of clarity from the posts, is what I'm reading is that the mowers I'm looking at from my starting post here have serviceable hydros? It's the EZT type that are sealed.... not serviceable from the one posters comment?

Z-force S-54, 60 ZT-2800
Z-force S Commercials both have ZT-3100

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Correct- EZT is non-serviceable.

deigo said:

Any one have an idea of how much haggle room these dealers have? I have called around for some pricing but pretty much been quoted the prices on the cub site

Z-Force S-54 = $5k
Z-Force S Commercial 48 = $5,500

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From my recent conversations with 2 different dealers, I got them to come off $200 for the 48 and $300 off the 54 from published pricing. But I will no longer be pursuing further conversations with them, due to purchasing (haggling for) a mower.

Hey guys. I just ordered a new ZForce S Commercial 48" after spending over a month of investigating & trying out several different brands of mowers. CC wasn't even on my radar until I went in to look @ Toro & Dixon mowers @ one of my local dealerships. Knowing my background & my lawn, he recommended I look @ the S series mowers from CC. I've run Deere, Simplicity, Gravely, Toro, and a couple of others over the years and unless I'm terribly dissapointed after owning this new Cub for a season, I do believe I'll be a 4 wheel steer Zero Turn convert for life. All I did was drive it in an empty parking lot, but WOW, how do you even sell a lap bar ZT after letting someone try the S series?

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after getting it home & mowing with it. If so I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. My dealer says it should be here by the end of next week. I'll get back to you after I've actually mowed with it a few times... :thumbsup:

Jon

Big Jon said:

Hey guys. I just ordered a new ZForce S Commercial 48" after spending over a month of investigating & trying out several different brands of mowers. CC wasn't even on my radar until I went in to look @ Toro & Dixon mowers @ one of my local dealerships. Knowing my background & my lawn, he recommended I look @ the S series mowers from CC. I've run Deere, Simplicity, Gravely, Toro, and a couple of others over the years and unless I'm terribly dissapointed after owning this new Cub for a season, I do believe I'll be a 4 wheel steer Zero Turn convert for life. All I did was drive it in an empty parking lot, but WOW, how do you even sell a lap bar ZT after letting someone try the S series?

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after getting it home & mowing with it. If so I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. My dealer says it should be here by the end of next week. I'll get back to you after I've actually mowed with it a few times... :thumbsup:

Jon

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Congrats Jon!
I know what mean about the lap bar thing, take a look at my avatar. Could tell me or pm me your final price? My dealer has my money, and I have his mower, but is trying to pull a shady deal now before finalizing.

Big Jon said:

Hey guys. I just ordered a new ZForce S Commercial 48" after spending over a month of investigating & trying out several different brands of mowers. CC wasn't even on my radar until I went in to look @ Toro & Dixon mowers @ one of my local dealerships. Knowing my background & my lawn, he recommended I look @ the S series mowers from CC. I've run Deere, Simplicity, Gravely, Toro, and a couple of others over the years and unless I'm terribly dissapointed after owning this new Cub for a season, I do believe I'll be a 4 wheel steer Zero Turn convert for life. All I did was drive it in an empty parking lot, but WOW, how do you even sell a lap bar ZT after letting someone try the S series?

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after getting it home & mowing with it. If so I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. My dealer says it should be here by the end of next week. I'll get back to you after I've actually mowed with it a few times... :thumbsup:

Jon

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Hi Big Jon -

Curious if you could let us know what you ended up giving for the more tax excluded and such, trying to see if Im getting a good deal.

Big Jon said:

Hey guys. I just ordered a new ZForce S Commercial 48" after spending over a month of investigating & trying out several different brands of mowers. CC wasn't even on my radar until I went in to look @ Toro & Dixon mowers @ one of my local dealerships. Knowing my background & my lawn, he recommended I look @ the S series mowers from CC. I've run Deere, Simplicity, Gravely, Toro, and a couple of others over the years and unless I'm terribly dissapointed after owning this new Cub for a season, I do believe I'll be a 4 wheel steer Zero Turn convert for life. All I did was drive it in an empty parking lot, but WOW, how do you even sell a lap bar ZT after letting someone try the S series?

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after getting it home & mowing with it. If so I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. My dealer says it should be here by the end of next week. I'll get back to you after I've actually mowed with it a few times... :thumbsup:

Jon

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John, where ya at in Iowa? The local CC dealer in Indianola has one o those in the 48 and 52" deck i think they are really wanting to unload. It may be too late but you could check it out-Vetter Equipment ask to talk to Troy.

deigo said:

Hi Big Jon -

Curious if you could let us know what you ended up giving for the more tax excluded and such, trying to see if Im getting a good deal.

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I'm @ $5500, including a mulching kit for the mower, if I buy it straight out. We're still negotiating on a trade. My dealer also sells Kawasaki Motorcycles & I've got an "08" model KLR650 that I purchased from him new. I still have the option of selling it outright or trading it in for the Cub. Right now I have 2 guys interested in my bike, but if neither one of them comes up with the money, I'll probably trade with him. I've bought a lot of things from him over the past 20 years or so & trust him completely...

SCMCG said:

John, where ya at in Iowa? The local CC dealer in Indianola has one o those in the 48 and 52" deck i think they are really wanting to unload. It may be too late but you could check it out-Vetter Equipment ask to talk to Troy.

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I'm in Harlan. I'll definately trade locally in Avoca. The dealer is a friend of mine & is a man of integrity. :thumbsup:

Big Jon said:

I'm in Harlan. I'll definately trade locally in Avoca. The dealer is a friend of mine & is a man of integrity. :thumbsup:

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Ah I see. That is good to have someone you can trust to take care when you need it. Congrats!

Thanks for being candid. I appreciate it.

Big Jon... I had to laugh!! Your comment about lapbars vs the steering wheel on the "S" ... that exactly how i feel about using the "joystick" on my 1st Snapper ZTR and now my country clipper ZTR. I watched a guy mowing the yard across the street he stopped every time he wanted to take a drink of water. I tipped my glass to him as I made a pass w/o stopping.

txzrider said:

Big Jon... I had to laugh!! Your comment about lapbars vs the steering wheel on the "S" ... that exactly how i feel about using the "joystick" on my 1st Snapper ZTR and now my country clipper ZTR. I watched a guy mowing the yard across the street he stopped every time he wanted to take a drink of water. I tipped my glass to him as I made a pass w/o stopping.

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I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way! I would have considered the Snapper or Clipper with the joy stick, but there are no close dealers to us. The thing that really pushed me over the edge on the Cub "S" was that my wife also test rode the Cub and told me "Don't even consider anything else" Ha! That really made it easy...:thumbsup:

Big Jon said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way! I would have considered the Snapper or Clipper with the joy stick, but there are no close dealers to us. The thing that really pushed me over the edge on the Cub "S" was that my wife also test rode the Cub and told me "Don't even consider anything else" Ha! That really made it easy...:thumbsup:

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nuff said about that.:confused2:

RatRacer said:

nuff said about that.:confused2:

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Just being polite RR...

Big Jon said:

Just being polite RR...

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Trust me, I can relate.....:laughing:

I own a Z force S 54. It has had problems since day 1. It initially smoked severly. It took 3 trips to the dealer and loss of half the engine oil before they were convinced there was a problem. That problem eas finally fixed. Since then it has had a problem with the transmission drive belt jumping the pulleys and getting cut. I am at 100 hours of operation in 2 years and have had 6 drive belts installed. I would prefer to just get my money back.

Welcome JW.
I can sympathize with your plight, as I understand that earlier models had developmental engineering issues. Be strong, and protest hard. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Wow, I sure hope mine will be better than that. Like RR stated, "the squeaky wheel get the grease." The belt thing should have been sorted out after the second one went belly up. :thumbdown: Maybe it's time to contact Cub Corp...

Mine is a 2011 model. I am told the RZT's have a similar drive system. I am trying to figure out how much I am being jerked around. The dealer has disabled the rod that causes the tension to go slack in the transmission drive belt. They say they have done this now on several RZT's. They also said that until about two years ago activating the brake did not cause the transmission belt to go slack. They siad that all of the commercial model mowers maintain tension in the hydro drive belt all the time. My concern is with the hand brake set if you put your foot on the forward or reverse pedal you can hear the hydro's strain. They insist that the rod is locked and there is only a slight amount of movement that causes the straining sound. I have not gotten underneath the mower to study the rods to confirm this. If this info is incorrect and someone got on the mower with the hand brake set and pushed the forward pedal all the way down what damage would occur. The dealer says a Cub Rep is suppossed to be in next week and they will contact me so that I can bring the mower out and talk to them. If that doesn't happen I will probably go ahead and contact Cub direct. The shame of this is that 4 times I have had to use my 27 year old John Deere 420 to go and retrieve the mower from the bottom of my yard. Most of my neighbors have seen this. Not good advertisement for Cub.

jworkman said:

Mine is a 2011 model. I am told the RZT's have a similar drive system. I am trying to figure out how much I am being jerked around. The dealer has disabled the rod that causes the tension to go slack in the transmission drive belt. They say they have done this now on several RZT's. They also said that until about two years ago activating the brake did not cause the transmission belt to go slack. They siad that all of the commercial model mowers maintain tension in the hydro drive belt all the time. My concern is with the hand brake set if you put your foot on the forward or reverse pedal you can hear the hydro's strain. They insist that the rod is locked and there is only a slight amount of movement that causes the straining sound. I have not gotten underneath the mower to study the rods to confirm this. If this info is incorrect and someone got on the mower with the hand brake set and pushed the forward pedal all the way down what damage would occur. The dealer says a Cub Rep is suppossed to be in next week and they will contact me so that I can bring the mower out and talk to them. If that doesn't happen I will probably go ahead and contact Cub direct. The shame of this is that 4 times I have had to use my 27 year old John Deere 420 to go and retrieve the mower from the bottom of my yard. Most of my neighbors have seen this. Not good advertisement for Cub.

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Pictures speak louder than words. Hope you had Kodak moments during these times, since that kind of PR wins customers.
If true , and provable with viable affidavits, it ain't defamatory on product quality. Squeak, squeak, squeak.......

No I didn't take pictures. Each time the failure occurred I was more interested in getting the mower back to the shop and on a trailer to the dealer. That being said I have all of the shop tickets from the dealer. So I can document the failures. Mean time between failures (MTBF) is getting shorter. The last failure occurred this past Friday. I went to the dealer on Saturday morning and made them give me a new belt and I installed myself. I have some ideas about what is causing the failures and I am on the verge of implementing a fix. But I am sure if I implement repairs it will void any remaining warranty so I am hesitating.

Well I may have finally solved the problem with the belts breaking. After the dealer removed the rod that puts tension in the in the hydro drive belt I failed one more belt. I removed that belt myself and put the new belt on. Before I ran the mower I decide to remove the guards that were placed around the sheaves to keep the belt in place when there was slack in the drive belt. Of the three guards I removed two of them have been riding hard on the belt. I suspect the belt was getting hot and brittle and coming out in chunks. The guards were all rubbing on the outside edge of the belt. Also noticed that the PTO belt has enough belt slap due to its long unsupported length that it periodically rubs on the control rods for the hydro on the right side of the mower.

I too am considering buying either the commercial 48 or the z-force s 54 since they both have servicable transmissions which i have read is the way to go. I also have a large sloping hill in my front yard that is probably around 20 to 25 degrees that is why I like these cub cadet models over standard ZTR, they are supposed to hold hills better. I am also at large guy 375 lbs pounds so I think the tilt steering wheel will help keep the wheel from rubbing against me. Is it worth the extra $500.00 dollars for the commerial 48, $5,499.99 vs $4,999.99 for the force z 54. I don't really need the extra cutting area of the 54 because I and only mowing 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 acres and currently use a 42 tractor and can do it in 1hr 45 mins. I was originally looked at the z force 48 but saw it had a sealed transmission used in the cheaper s series. I also am concerned about all of the belt wear problems I have read about on these mowers, however most of these seemed to be on earlier verisons when the first came out. I wonder if the have fixed this problem my dealer said they will ware out belts quicker than my 12 year old craftsman tractor because the blades now days turn much faster, is this true or is he blowing smoke at me. I haven't actually sat or drove either one, he is out of stock and only has the cheaper rtz s series and would have to order one for me, because its the end of the year model wise for him in sales and he won't be getting any more till next years comes out, unless I want to buy one. I want to get the best mower for the least amount of money thats why I am looking at these 2 vs a John Deere x534 with 54 in cut for 6,995.00. Can any of you guys give me an idea for what I should do not a lot of choices on different mowers in my area Philpot, KY, at least the cub dealer is only 2 miles from my house. Thanks for any help you can give me.

sdukfan said:

I too am considering buying either the commercial 48 or the z-force s 54 since they both have servicable transmissions which i have read is the way to go. I also have a large sloping hill in my front yard that is probably around 20 to 25 degrees that is why I like these cub cadet models over standard ZTR, they are supposed to hold hills better. I am also at large guy 375 lbs pounds so I think the tilt steering wheel will help keep the wheel from rubbing against me. Is it worth the extra $500.00 dollars for the commerial 48, $5,499.99 vs $4,999.99 for the force z 54. I don't really need the extra cutting area of the 54 because I and only mowing 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 acres and currently use a 42 tractor and can do it in 1hr 45 mins. I was originally looked at the z force 48 but saw it had a sealed transmission used in the cheaper s series. I also am concerned about all of the belt wear problems I have read about on these mowers, however most of these seemed to be on earlier verisons when the first came out. I wonder if the have fixed this problem my dealer said they will ware out belts quicker than my 12 year old craftsman tractor because the blades now days turn much faster, is this true or is he blowing smoke at me. I haven't actually sat or drove either one, he is out of stock and only has the cheaper rtz s series and would have to order one for me, because its the end of the year model wise for him in sales and he won't be getting any more till next years comes out, unless I want to buy one. I want to get the best mower for the least amount of money thats why I am looking at these 2 vs a John Deere x534 with 54 in cut for 6,995.00. Can any of you guys give me an idea for what I should do not a lot of choices on different mowers in my area Philpot, KY, at least the cub dealer is only 2 miles from my house. Thanks for any help you can give me.

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Your size should not be a problem I am larger. The manual states that you should not mow slopes steeper than 15 degrees. I have mowed cross ways on slopes greater than 25 degrees. I have one slope I mow that is 45 degrees I mow it up and down. Coming down is easy going up is tricky. My yard is 2 acres with lots of trees and slopes. I can mow it with this mower in 1 1/2 hours. It is the weedeating that takes so long. I chose the S 54 because of the servicable transmission. I replaced a 24 year old John Deere with this mower. The belt wear problem appears to be solved. This is what was done. When you set the hand brake on this mower it causes the transmission drive belt to go slack. The belt has guards that prevent the belt from falling off the pulleys when it is in this slack mode. The commercial mowers do not have this feature there is always tension in the drive belt. The local dealer removed the rod that slacks the drive belt when setting the hand brake. In addition I removed the belt guards. The guards showed obvious signs of rubbing the belt. Since these adjustments I have not had a failure. I now have 12 operating hours since this adjustment and 112 hours on the mower. I have enjoyed all other aspects of this mower. My major gripe was the belt failures. Now that this problem is behind me I am going to add a light kit to the mower. The mower needs handles on the outside sloped faces. I am looking around at different mowers and tractors and when I find a set that I like I will add them myself. The handles will help keep you steady in the seat when mowing crossways on the steeper slopes. The only reason for getting a smaller deck size is for 4 foot gates. 2 miles or 15 miles to the dealer doesn't matter. You should not have to take a brand new mower back to the shop 9 times in the first two years. But now all of that is behind me. My other mower is a Kubota BX 25 D.

Big Jon said:

Hey guys. I just ordered a new ZForce S Commercial 48" after spending over a month of investigating & trying out several different brands of mowers. CC wasn't even on my radar until I went in to look @ Toro & Dixon mowers @ one of my local dealerships. Knowing my background & my lawn, he recommended I look @ the S series mowers from CC. I've run Deere, Simplicity, Gravely, Toro, and a couple of others over the years and unless I'm terribly dissapointed after owning this new Cub for a season, I do believe I'll be a 4 wheel steer Zero Turn convert for life. All I did was drive it in an empty parking lot, but WOW, how do you even sell a lap bar ZT after letting someone try the S series?

Maybe I'll be singing a different tune after getting it home & mowing with it. If so I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. My dealer says it should be here by the end of next week. I'll get back to you after I've actually mowed with it a few times... :thumbsup:

Jon

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Big Jon since I am also considering a commerical z force 48 how do you like it? I am still not sure because $5,500 is a lot to pay and not have one to test drive or sit on, my local dealer is out of stock and since its the quote end of his sales season and next year models coming out soon he won't be ordering anymore, unless I want to purchase one. Jworkman said that his belt problem is fixed and from what he said in his response sounds like the commerical z force s didn't have the same problem since they always have tension on the belt. Another point I like about the commercial z force s48 over the z force s54 is that the transmission is a set up and had metal cut gears not composite like the 2800 in the s54, according to what I read on another site, besides I don't really think I need a 54 inch cut might be to large to get in between some places. Any input you could give me would be great in making this major purchase, Jworkman had already made me feel better about the belt problem. One final throught the z force s54 comes with a professional grade kawasaki while the commerical z force s48 has a kohler command, which is the better engine? I have had kohlers in last 3 mowers over the last 25 years with never one of them failing, the mowers usually wear out before the engines thats the problem I have with my craftsman now. Thanks everyone.

sdukfan said:

Big Jon since I am also considering a commerical z force 48 how do you like it? I am still not sure because $5,500 is a lot to pay and not have one to test drive or sit on, my local dealer is out of stock and since its the quote end of his sales season and next year models coming out soon he won't be ordering anymore, unless I want to purchase one. Jworkman said that his belt problem is fixed and from what he said in his response sounds like the commerical z force s didn't have the same problem since they always have tension on the belt. Another point I like about the commercial z force s48 over the z force s54 is that the transmission is a set up and had metal cut gears not composite like the 2800 in the s54, according to what I read on another site, besides I don't really think I need a 54 inch cut might be to large to get in between some places. Any input you could give me would be great in making this major purchase, Jworkman had already made me feel better about the belt problem. One final throught the z force s54 comes with a professional grade kawasaki while the commerical z force s48 has a kohler command, which is the better engine? I have had kohlers in last 3 mowers over the last 25 years with never one of them failing, the mowers usually wear out before the engines thats the problem I have with my craftsman now. Thanks everyone.

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Interesting info about the transmission. My S 54 has the Kohler Command Engine on it. I am pleased with its performance. When you read through the manual you will see an interesting tidbit about the EPA considers the life of the mower to be 7 years for the average home owner. I think that life expectancy is based on emissions compliance. I am hardly the average homeowner and I have a tendency to keep my equipment for 20 to 25 years. I was a maintenance engineer for most of my career and I find that if you do the proper maintenance the equipment will last. I bought this lawnmower with the thinking that it would last me until I was to old to do the lawn maintenance.

jworkman said:

Interesting info about the transmission. My S 54 has the Kohler Command Engine on it. I am pleased with its performance. When you read through the manual you will see an interesting tidbit about the EPA considers the life of the mower to be 7 years for the average home owner. I think that life expectancy is based on emissions compliance. I am hardly the average homeowner and I have a tendency to keep my equipment for 20 to 25 years. I was a maintenance engineer for most of my career and I find that if you do the proper maintenance the equipment will last. I bought this lawnmower with the thinking that it would last me until I was to old to do the lawn maintenance.

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Well when to dealer to see about ordering mower said that wasn't showing he could order the commerical z s48 said it might be that cub cadet was done with the production for this years model, in that case his rep would have to fine one at another dealer and get transfer, doesn't sound good its the same situation for z force s54. Since I can't wait should I take a chance on a z force s48 with sealed ezt transmission it does have the professional kawaski engine and dealer said they haven't had any issues with the sealed transmissions and I would only be putting 50 to 60 hrs a year on the mower by my est. mowing about 2 acres most of it is pretty smooth few bumps here and there, this mower is a lot more heavy duty build that my 12 year old craftsman 42 in cut I have been using?

someone posted some numbers about the ETZ's versus others with regard to max hp and weight, etc... When I found out my prospective mower had ETZ's I made note of the fact that is had less hp and the weight of the mower was less. Other than that I am expecting many years of service. Also there was a recent post from a guy who hit 300 hours on his EZT equipped mower... he managed to replace his fluid and restore his EZT's normal operation for like $25. So worst case is... down the road I do that.

I know this thread is old, but would like to hear your experience on the Z-Force S series after 2-3 years of use. Is the belt problem fixed? Do you have any issue with your steering wheel mower? I am also looking for a zero turn with steering wheel and unfortunately only CC and Toro make it (Exmark's Quest S is very much similar to the Toro SWX5050. I have a fairly steep slope and the Toro SWX5050 handles it pretty well (much better than the commercial zero turn with FX Kawa and ZT4400 and another stand on with similar engine and ZT3400). I looked at the Cub ZForce S today (commercial one with Kawa FR engine and ZT3100) and the new Pro Z (with Kohler Confidant EFI and ZT3400) and was impressed with the build of those mower. But since I saw mixed reviews about the belt issues of CC, hopefully someone can share their experience after 200 - 300 hrs of use.

ntran said:

I know this thread is old, but would like to hear your experience on the Z-Force S series after 2-3 years of use. Is the belt problem fixed? Do you have any issue with your steering wheel mower? I am also looking for a zero turn with steering wheel and unfortunately only CC and Toro make it (Exmark's Quest S is very much similar to the Toro SWX5050. I have a fairly steep slope and the Toro SWX5050 handles it pretty well (much better than the commercial zero turn with FX Kawa and ZT4400 and another stand on with similar engine and ZT3400). I looked at the Cub ZForce S today (commercial one with Kawa FR engine and ZT3100) and the new Pro Z (with Kohler Confidant EFI and ZT3400) and was impressed with the build of those mower. But since I saw mixed reviews about the belt issues of CC, hopefully someone can share their experience after 200 - 300 hrs of use.

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Just curious but what commercial zero turn with FX Kawasaki engine and ZT4400 and another stand on with similar engine and ZT3400 did you look at? I'm also curious to know what Cub Z Force S today (commercial one with Kawasaki FR engine and ZT3100) did you looked at?

I have a dealer brought the Ferris F160z and SRS2 over to my lawn for demonstrstion. They are solid mowers and I like everthing about them. Except I don't feel comfortable to drive them across my slope (possibly I am not experienced enough). I looked at Toro, Scag, Exmark, Hustler and Ferris seems to offer the best bang for the buck. The F160z does not have suspension, but I am mot looking for it though. The F160z have non-flat front caster wheel and wide rear wheel. I tried the Toro SWX5050 on my slope and it handles so much better with its front steering wheel. My only concern is if the new Toro engine will give me trouble down the road as it's fairly new. The machine is new, but it didn't seem to turn on with one key turn. I had a hustler raptor sd with kawa fr and it starts with a key turn every single time.

I looked at CC ZForce S 48" with Kawasaki FR and ZT-3100 priced at $5400 and the new Pro Z 54" with ROPS, Kohler 27hp EFI and ZT3400 for $6700 otd. The Pro Z looks very well built.