Guess what - need help deciding on zero turn

[Shughes717]

I guess as long as there aren't pow pows involved all is well. Don't let me stop the debate though!! You can actually learn a little from those if you look beyond the rhetoric. Thanks for the lead on Diamatron and Mackie, ill shoot em a note. I really do appreciate all the info and entertainment!!! LOL

Lol, it never comes to blows. Ric and I have to let people know it is all in good fun from time to time. I know it may seem otherwise, but we actually don't get angry at each other. It sounds as though you are doing your homework before you make a purchase. That is the best way to find what you want. You should get a great mower no matter what brand you go with. Don't forget to try and negotiate a suspension seat or lights in the deal if you can. Dealers in our neck of the woods are often disparate to move mowers out this time of year and will give better deals than they would in the spring.:thumbsup:

 

[Mad Mackie]

All of my personal machines are Briggs powered, it just turns out that way. My Hustler X-One is Kawasaki FX powered, but a crew at the cemetery operates it most of the time. My oldest is a Briggs powered generator that I bought new in 1994 when I retired from the US Army.
I feel about GM trucks like Ric feels about Briggs engines. When I was in the light hauling business, the only new truck that the company bought was a 1995 GMC 3500 super cab diesel duelly which chucked a connecting rod thru the side of the engine block at 135,000 miles. GMC replaced it and we sold the truck. One of our used Ford diesels had 300,000 on it when we bought it and retired it at 700,000 miles. Before the diesel Fords, we had GM trucks with 350s and 454s, I kept new 454s in stock as I could buy premium long block 454s from a local boat yard, never got more than 80,000 from a 454 and then the transmissions and then the ball joints, shall I go on?? Naaaah!!!
Anyway, enough of that stuff, still got lots of leaves to cleanup and they are still coming down, stubborn oak trees!!! Tomorrows winds will again redistribute the leaves.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

 

[Dave1954]

Ive never had a "commercial grade" briggs motor but have owned many of their home grade and to put it honestly they were only in the fair range, had several blow doing normal light work. I would hope the commercial grades are built better than their cheap stuff. I have owned several mowers with the kawi motors and several kawi motorcycles and atvs and can say I never had a single issue with any of them, they ran as good day one as the day I sold them and I see from others the reviews are very good. Also you can go to the kawaski small engine sight and see they are built with good quality parts. So to me and my purchase to spend in my case about 200.00 more to get a kawi over a briggs was a no brainer. If I had a third choice the kohler is a good motor that's better than briggs but still not at the leverl of Kawasaki.

 

[Emptyjones]

Here's another one I've considered: Cub Cadet Z-force SZ 48 commercial....? Any opinions? It has the Kohler confidant and ZT-3100's, slope nosed deck, 4 yr/500 hr warranty, blah blah blah. I tried the one with the 2800's (it was ok, kinda herky-jerky in reverse) but they didn't have the next model up at the time. Not real crazy bout dealer and he's not as close as the other contenders - but not a deal breaker. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Shughes717]

Here's another one I've considered: Cub Cadet Z-force SZ 48 commercial....? Any opinions? It has the Kohler confidant and ZT-3100's, slope nosed deck, 4 yr/500 hr warranty, blah blah blah. I tried the one with the 2800's (it was ok, kinda herky-jerky in reverse) but they didn't have the next model up at the time. Not real crazy bout dealer and he's not as close as the other contenders - but not a deal breaker. Thoughts anyone?

There are some on here who are not fans of cub cadet. I don't see any issues with them. The tank is a well built machine. They have the same hydros and engine options. You need to decide which engine/transmission combo you want, and which brands that you like the feel of and go with the best deal. It sounds as though you have decided on zt3100 hydros. I think you will be fine with whatever mower you go with.

 

[Emptyjones]

There are some on here who are not fans of cub cadet. I don't see any issues with them. The tank is a well built machine. They have the same hydros and engine options. You need to decide which engine/transmission combo you want, and which brands that you like the feel of and go with the best deal. It sounds as though you have decided on zt3100 hydros. I think you will be fine with whatever mower you go with.

I feel like a one-eyed cat in a fish market...which one do I want, which one do I want, which one do I want.... I liked the idea behind the steering wheel but i didn't like the 2800's on the one I tried. The one with the 3100's is quite a bit more so I guess I dhould turn away while the gettin is good.

My gut's telling me the snapper. They're supposed to be getting the kawi version in soon. Gotta wait til then

 

[Shughes717]

I feel like a one-eyed cat in a fish market...which one do I want, which one do I want, which one do I want.... I liked the idea behind the steering wheel but i didn't like the 2800's on the one I tried. The one with the 3100's is quite a bit more so I guess I dhould turn away while the gettin is good.

My gut's telling me the snapper. They're supposed to be getting the kawi version in soon. Gotta wait til then

Lol, the Kawi is a great engine. I know I really like mine.

 

[Ric]

I feel like a one-eyed cat in a fish market...which one do I want, which one do I want, which one do I want.... I liked the idea behind the steering wheel but i didn't like the 2800's on the one I tried. The one with the 3100's is quite a bit more so I guess I dhould turn away while the gettin is good.

My gut's telling me the snapper. They're supposed to be getting the kawi version in soon. Gotta wait til then

I'll take Lap bars over a steering wheel any day, but as far as the 2800 drives are concerned there good drives for the weight of those machines. CC uses them on there High end residential units along with the commercial grade Kohler engines which IMO are a great engine. I ran both for four years and put over 1400 hrs my Z Force mowers and Never had an issue with either drives or engines.
Basically there's very little difference between the 2800 and 3100 drives, they both use the 10cc variable displacement seven piston pump and a 16cc fixed displacement seven piston motors, they both use or turn a 1 inch axle shaft and there GVW and torque ratings are so close it's not worth mentioning.

 

[Emptyjones]

I'll take Lap bars over a steering wheel any day, but as far as the 2800 drives are concerned there good drives for the weight of those machines. CC uses them on there High end residential units along with the commercial grade Kohler engines which IMO are a great engine. I ran both for four years and put over 1400 hrs my Z Force mowers and Never had an issue with either drives or engines.
Basically there's very little difference between the 2800 and 3100 drives, they both use the 10cc variable displacement seven piston pump and a 16cc fixed displacement seven piston motors, they both use or turn a 1 inch axle shaft and there GVW and torque ratings are so close it's not worth mentioning.

Good to know, thanks Ric. Do you know the diffs btw these and the 3400's?

 

[Ric]

Good to know, thanks Ric. Do you know the diffs btw these and the 3400's?

The 3400 drives use larger pumps, They use the 12cc variable displacement seven piston pump and the same 16cc fixed displacement seven piston motor with a 1.125 inch shaft. there GVW and torque ratings are some higher. The GVW is greater because there set up for use with a heavier mower along with the rider. I said it before that this drive thing is over rated and doesn't matter as much as people think.

Speed in a ZTR is irrelevant because blades are going to cut at what there rated for and with a commercial unit that's going to be somewhere between 17 an 19000 fpm @ a certain speed and that's all there going to do and any thing any faster is too fast for the blades to keep up with and will only hurt the quality of your cut. The greatest percentage of operators that buy the larger drives like the 5400 and the big Parker drives are the guys that start at 8:00 am and don't finish until 8:00pm the big commercial outfits because they run them extended periods of time, that's what they were designed for. There heavy duty.

A person should buy there mower based on what and the conditions it will be used for and regardless of what some say and do with a ZTR it was designed for mowing and increasing productivity and nothing more. I was doing 70 plus lawns a week with the 2800 drives and they worked flawlessly, the reason I left them and went to the Toro was because of cutting height of the mower, most residential units top out and 3.75 to 4.00 inches with the Commercial I can go 5.25 if I mow in transport and I need the extra cutting height for some of my St. Augustine lawns.