looking for a zero turn 3.27 acres

[Parkmower]

My Wife mows the Lawn and she went from 4 hours with a 60" Graden Tractor to 1.75Hours with a 52" Commercial Zero Turn. Most of my customers have come back and said that it cut about 50% off their mowing time. The first time people mow with a zero turn they do dig up the lawn. Most people need a couple of hours on a machine to get used to it. I don't remember Ever having a customer trade in a Zero Turn on a Tractor. It seems once someone gets a Zero Turn they will Always use a Zero Turn.

Yeah buddy!!!

 

[Ric]

My Wife mows the Lawn and she went from 4 hours with a 60" Graden Tractor to 1.75Hours with a 52" Commercial Zero Turn. Most of my customers have come back and said that it cut about 50% off their mowing time. The first time people mow with a zero turn they do dig up the lawn. Most people need a couple of hours on a machine to get used to it. I don't remember Ever having a customer trade in a Zero Turn on a Tractor. It seems once someone gets a Zero Turn they will Always use a Zero Turn.

I also started my business in 2006 with a lawn tractor and shortly found out it wasn't the way to go and replaced them with ZTR's. I went from a 46" cut Cub Cadet to a 44" CC on the ZT and cut mowing times by at least 50% and I'll never go back to a tractor. I hope at the start of next season to buy the CC Tank in a 48"

 

[earthworm]

Ric, slow progress is still progress; I offer to you that when you operate a zt in the required manner so as to avoid turf damage that in the end, a quality tractor will mow in a time so close so as to make it virtually a draw.
Tractor one, zero turn, well- zero.

This, I find to be very hard to believe....again from having watched professionals and from my own experience...the tractor is good in the open field, the ZT is good on the large lawn.
As to "turf damage", its a poor operator who blames his tool...
Robert, you have lost objectiveness and credibility....hatred and fear will do that.

 

[earthworm]

This, I find to be very hard to believe....again from having watched professionals and from my own experience...the tractor is good in the open field, the ZT is good on the large lawn.
As to "turf damage", its a poor operator who blames his tool...
Robert, you have lost objectiveness and credibility....hatred and fear will do that.

In the future, look for agricultural equipment to change, or for the changes to continue.. Someone may just use this zero-turn technology in the huge hay fields...time is money....the future will be interesting.

 

[robert]

Kevin, you are opting out of the question?

Ric, so we agree on two important points, the first for those that don't recall is that no one can make a true zero turn on turf without causing damage; I will also include that no one can even make a tight turn without damage but thats just me.
The second important point that we both agree on is that very very few, if any operators on zt's are able to mow anywhere near the maximum speed of the machine and the same holds true for any operator on a tractor as you rightly state the conditions and lay of the land determine how fast one is able to mow-in spite of the nonsense that the manufacturers would have us believe.

Am I correct in typing that the only remaining variable is now the difference in turn time? lets leave the 'trimming' out for now-

 

[Mad Mackie]

And the debate over who struck out at "T" ball continues!!!!
I just ordered an new Hustler X-One with a 54" rear discharge deck for spring 2012 delivery. This machine will be used for cemetery work. The cemetery is over 200 years old, almost as old as this GT verses ZTR thread is getting!!!!
I service machines for several cemeterys, one of which has 5 ZTRs. Unfortunately for me no two are the same make, however fortunately I get to play with them periodically which gives me the ability to evaluate them. This same cemetery had one ZTR 10 years ago and high end GTs, they have made a complete turnaround and now mow more area in about two thirds the time. All their machines were in the $9,000 to $12,000 bracket when new, several were bought used. The Kubota has a stamped deck, not easy to straighten, but a sweet running diesel engine. The rest have fabricated decks, easier to straighten and weld on to repair. They also have two larger loader/hoes and an aircompressor with several jackhammers for winter grave openings. They also have a hydraulic lift for easy cleaning and blade replacement on the machines. I do road service calls and make quick evaluations of the service problem, sometimes they fix, sometimes I fix, sometimes the dealer fixes, all performed in a timely and cost effective manner. As this business has increased for me, I have dropped my problematic lawn customers and kept the nice, good paying customers.
Now you all have an idea possibly about how trivial I feel about what appears to be a never ending back and forth about GTs verses ZTRs and I still have both in my own inventory.
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::laughing:

 

[Sammy the Red]

In the future, look for agricultural equipment to change, or for the changes to continue.. Someone may just use this zero-turn technology in the huge hay fields...time is money....the future will be interesting.

I have mowed with a 9 foot mower and could not go fast enough to plug/jam it up.
Had to make wide turns and slow the tractor way down turning so as not to leave bare earth spots.

 

[Ric]

Kevin, you are opting out of the question?

Ric, so we agree on two important points, the first for those that don't recall is that no one can make a true zero turn on turf without causing damage; I will also include that no one can even make a tight turn without damage but thats just me.
The second important point that we both agree on is that very very few, if any operators on zt's are able to mow anywhere near the maximum speed of the machine and the same holds true for any operator on a tractor as you rightly state the conditions and lay of the land determine how fast one is able to mow-in spite of the nonsense that the manufacturers would have us believe.

Am I correct in typing that the only remaining variable is now the difference in turn time? lets leave the 'trimming' out for now-

This user does not have permission to use the HTML BB code.If your tractors are so great and faster than and cut better than a ZTR explain to me why myself and all the Professionals in the Lawn-Care business aren't using them?

I said I agree with you as far as making a zero turn on turf without doing some type of damage but I also know that anyone with any common sense knows you don't operate a zero turn that way, that was not the design or intention of a ztr.

As far as mowing speeds 8 and 10 mph cutting a lawn is too fast on any mower, again any idiot knows you can't mow that fast and get a decent cut, those speeds are for transport only, so if you mow the correct speed for your tractor the ztr will be faster.

 

[EmerichSales]

Kevin, you are opting out of the question?

Ric, so we agree on two important points, the first for those that don't recall is that no one can make a true zero turn on turf without causing damage; I will also include that no one can even make a tight turn without damage but thats just me.
The second important point that we both agree on is that very very few, if any operators on zt's are able to mow anywhere near the maximum speed of the machine and the same holds true for any operator on a tractor as you rightly state the conditions and lay of the land determine how fast one is able to mow-in spite of the nonsense that the manufacturers would have us believe.

Am I correct in typing that the only remaining variable is now the difference in turn time? lets leave the 'trimming' out for now-

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Most Commercial Grade Zero Turns have a higher Blade Tip Speed than a lawn tractor. which means they can mow at faster speed than a lawn tractor.
A Pro Landscaper Can answer the Zero Turn Question better than I. I would agree that you can Not leave one wheel stationary and turn without tearing up the lawn. If you have one wheel turning slightly in reverse and the other forward, you shouldn't tear up the Grass.

 

[Parkmower]

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Most Commercial Grade Zero Turns have a higher Blade Tip Speed than a lawn tractor. which means they can mow at faster speed than a lawn tractor.
A Pro Landscaper Can answer the Zero Turn Question better than I. I would agree that you can Not leave one wheel stationary and turn without tearing up the lawn. If you have one wheel turning slightly in reverse and the other forward, you shouldn't tear up the Grass.

Pretty much every person on the ZT side of the argument is a professional mower running commercial equipment.
I run commercial equip and have a residential ZT.