looking for a zero turn 3.27 acres

[Sammy the Red]

Again, Robert has shown us that he was unable to learn how to operate a Z-turn in the proper manner.

He has now embarked upon a Witch Hunt so as to hide the fact of his inability and lack of common sense.

Sorry I Quoted you Sammy but it seemed to fit. As earthworm stated, It still stands...its a poor mechanic who blames his tools.

Ric, No problem....... As long as it is not distorted and twisted like another has done.

 

[Ric]

Ric, No problem....... As long as it is not distorted and twisted like another has done.

Anytime I use or quote someone else it will not be distorted or twisted it will be exact, I don't put words into someone else's mouth like someone else does. :thumbsup:

 

[robert]

Boys my job here is almost done and having people know that Scag utilizes alot of bandwidth painstakingly telling folks how a zero turn must be operated in order to -minimze- turf damage would be a great place to end this impartial-fact filled thread, fact filled from me anyway.

 

[earthworm]

Ric, so I needn't bother asking you to be my Facebook bud?:confused3:

I do not think this discussion should become personal.
But, I still cannot figure out Facebook, nor its popularity.
As to the ZT turning performance, and having watched a pro do this ...its so fast and smooth...scaplping - I do not know about this....its a Catholic church lawn and on quite a slope.. from a distance, it looks great..
Again, I feel that a so-called amateur can do nearly as well....And, in my 71 years, I have seen many "amateurs" do as well as the pro.
So.....
which ZT for a large lawn ?
IMO, anyone of ten....Craftsman is out, I cannot trust Sears any more.
I think Toro has a good line up, yes! some prejudice here, as I own a LawnBoy using the Toro personal pace design.

 

[earthworm]

I settle on my house this Friday, 3 days !!!. Well I'm going to need a lawn mower. The property is 3.27 acres all open. There are 3 trees, 2 of which I will have to remove. The one tree is to close to the septic tank. The second being two close to the underground power lines... Idiot previous owners. Well I digress..

The yard is open virtually no grade, well a tiny one not enough to call it anything. I'm looking for a zero turn mower and can't figure out what I want. I have been looking online at scag, Husqvarna, Cub Cadet and a few others I cant remember. Is there a guide one would follow to choose. What size deck do I want, how many ponies, diesel or Reg gas..

I look forward to a good discussion.

Ha!
Spend time planning your dream estate, even secure pro help, this will affect your mower choice.
Very serious about the exterior design - this is a permanent thing - the dream can be possible..The two "tree-mis-plants" result in lost time and money.
And heavens forbid, you may not even need a ZT, as much as I like them.
Good luck

Do you use your email as a reminder for new messages ??
I'm on SaabCentral, another excellent forum, the people there are very smart and humble at the same time - an excellent combo.

 

[Sammy the Red]

So.....
which ZT for a large lawn ?
IMO, anyone of ten....Craftsman is out, I cannot trust Sears any more.
I think Toro has a good line up, yes! some prejudice here, as I own a LawnBoy using the Toro personal pace design.

That would be a whole new thread. Lots of manufactures have jumped on the Z-turn band wagon. And most have different levels of them, from the el cheapos to the very expensive.

 

[jenkinsph]

Scag Power Equipment - Frequently Asked Questions



Experienced operators of zero-turn riding mowers can often perform the zero-turn maneuver without causing turf damage. However, while zero-turn mowers can turn on a dime (or in very tight circles), it may not always be the best practice to do so on grass. Robert. Even tight turns have the potential to cause turf damage in some situations and conditions. The best way we have found to prevent and/or greatly minimize turf damage is to:

Use 3-point / Y-turns at the end of a mowing row rather than zero-turns to change direction. It is still a fast maneuver and will reduce the potential of turf damage greatly.

• 1. At end of mowing path, turn toward next mowing path.
  2. Reverse while turning slightly in opposite direction to align mower with next mowing row.
  3. Proceed into next mowing path.

On "tight" turns, pay special attention to the inside drive wheel. This wheel will naturally spin slower than the outside drive wheel. It is important to keep the inside wheel turning at all times. If the turn is made to cause the inside wheel to stop turning, this is when turf damage can occur.
We have found that by using both of these methods, turf damage is all but a thing of the past. Over a short period of time, it becomes second nature and overall productivity can be increased.




Sorry I Quoted you Sammy but it seemed to fit. As earthworm stated, It still stands...its a poor mechanic who blames his tools.

These 3 point or "Y" turns are what I use to turn my riding mower around without damaging the lawn. Works well for me and is a quick manuever. That said I don't see how this is accomplished faster with a zero turn than my 4x4ws garden tractor (Deere x749). Not trying to be arguementative but just asking. I have a small 48"deck and in a tight turn leaves about a 12" circle uncut. If I had a wider deck such as the 62" it would leave a 6" circle uncut.

I prefer to not get too close to the tree bark with the mower deck as it is easy to ring the tree with repeated mowings. If I can cut within a couple of inches I can use a light weight string trimmer to finish up. Safer for the trees imo.

Still think a zt is more manueverable than a 2 wheel steer garden tractor by a wide margin.

 

[KennyV]

All wheel steering is Very handy, and will allow great maneuverability... But if you were to perfect your turns on a ZT mower, you would notice the ZT has just a bit more maneuverability than even the AWS mower...
And Large front mounted decks are easy to negotiate...
:smile:KennyV

 

[robert]

kenneyV, so the front mount zt is more nimble than the mid mount zt? and if so why don't all the pros use the front mount??

 

[Mad Mackie]

dollars!!!
I would love to have a front mount and be able to raise the deck for easy cleaning, but it is all about the money. I have ordered a new Hustler X-One with a 54" rear discharge deck for use in an old cemetery, front mount machine is $5,000 more. I have chatted with many cemetery maintenance folks and found that they will not buy ZTRs that have hydrostatic drive systems. The problem is that in cemeterys there is much more maneuvering of the machine than in normal lawn care and overheating which leads to other problems shortens the life of the machine.