I 'was' looking at a 'garden' type tractor. The reason being is I live in the mountains, so to speak, and my 1/2 acre of mowable area needs a machine that can handle the inclines. In my attempt to measure the slope, using the page in an owners manual, I have just less of 15 degrees mostly with one area that might be the 15 degrees and maybe a tad more. I was told by the John Deere dealer NOTto consider a zero turn mower. He said I needed at least a X320. So for the last week or so I have been investigating Cub Cadet, Sears 'garden' type tractors....due to the heavier duty transmission.
I went to the ExMark dealer who also handles other brands and told him about my incline and he immediately shows me the Zero Turn!!!! I said why are you showing me this? I was told NOT to look at these and I did tell him by whom. He kinda chuckled and said he would not say anything negative about the JD folks. His reasoning sounded legit about why a zero turn. 1) the engine is in the rear which puts the weight where it is needed for inclines. 2) the machine is built with a low center of gravity (the John Deere place was going to put fluid in the tires to keep the center of gravity low?) 3)the driver is in the middle not at the end of the machine.
So what do ya'll think? With my incline is the Zero Turn a good choice? The eXMark is kinda expensive but maybe not that much more than other 'good' ones?
I look forward to the responses.
I went to the ExMark dealer who also handles other brands and told him about my incline and he immediately shows me the Zero Turn!!!! I said why are you showing me this? I was told NOT to look at these and I did tell him by whom. He kinda chuckled and said he would not say anything negative about the JD folks. His reasoning sounded legit about why a zero turn. 1) the engine is in the rear which puts the weight where it is needed for inclines. 2) the machine is built with a low center of gravity (the John Deere place was going to put fluid in the tires to keep the center of gravity low?) 3)the driver is in the middle not at the end of the machine.
So what do ya'll think? With my incline is the Zero Turn a good choice? The eXMark is kinda expensive but maybe not that much more than other 'good' ones?
I look forward to the responses.