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I am in the market for a new machine as my Cub Cadet LTX 1046KW finally crapped the bed. I am thinking of jumping ship to a zero turn for my property which is pretty flat and about 20K square feet of grass. My friend has a ZTX from a few years back and seems to love it so this model shot up my list of top picks for under $5K. So I am hoping for a few questions to be answered:

1. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the '23 models and if so what are your thoughts? I know a lot changed and I haven't been able to find much about it being so new.
2. Is 48/52 deck size just preference or is there a benefit jumping up to a 52 with the "bigger" motor, even though its really the same torque I believe. I was originally looking 42" as my property is small enough, but I prefer the deck sticking out past the wheels for edges and the 42" looks way to close to the edge of the wheel line for that.
3. How is the mulching on this mower/side discharge? I would rather mulch/side but would need to probably cut 2x a week for that to work (thick KBG) which is fine, I have always just bagged though because my CC sucks at it. I do plan to buy the non-motored bagging kit for it though.
4. Any hard no people out there for this model?

dalcombright said:

I am in the market for a new machine as my Cub Cadet LTX 1046KW finally crapped the bed. I am thinking of jumping ship to a zero turn for my property which is pretty flat and about 20K square feet of grass. My friend has a ZTX from a few years back and seems to love it so this model shot up my list of top picks for under $5K. So I am hoping for a few questions to be answered:

1. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the '23 models and if so what are your thoughts? I know a lot changed and I haven't been able to find much about it being so new.
2. Is 48/52 deck size just preference or is there a benefit jumping up to a 52 with the "bigger" motor, even though its really the same torque I believe. I was originally looking 42" as my property is small enough, but I prefer the deck sticking out past the wheels for edges and the 42" looks way to close to the edge of the wheel line for that.
3. How is the mulching on this mower/side discharge? I would rather mulch/side but would need to probably cut 2x a week for that to work (thick KBG) which is fine, I have always just bagged though because my CC sucks at it. I do plan to buy the non-motored bagging kit for it though.
4. Any hard no people out there for this model?

Click to expand...

buy you a new zero turn with extended warranty instead of buying someone elses troubles

ragain's repair service said:

buy you a new zero turn with extended warranty instead of buying someone elses troubles

Click to expand...

Reread his first statement: "I am in the market for a new machine"

Bought a 2020 Gravely ZTHD 48" as I understand many of the changes are cosmetic.
I do like the accessibility of the belts. Mine has thrown the drive belt twice. Once cutting 14-16" pasture grass in the front half of house and the other was engaging PTO with RPM to low.
Used rope to make a spring pulling tool. Removed tension spring, installed belt and off to cutting.
The 48 deck is past the wheels and helps cutting close to the edges of sidewalks, trees etc.
Ask dealer if he can show you the belt drive underneath.
Everyone gets busy and if the grass gets really tall, throwing the belt is just a matter of when it will happen.
I don't bag nor mulch, but just replaced OEM blades with high lift and it really chews up the grass well.
I normally make two passes. The second pass I drop 1/4 inch at 90 or 45 degree for the baseball field look and have zero clumping or piles.
But do not have residential lot. Rehabing a 8 acre pasture and two acres of heavy grasses/weeds with coastal bermuda.
A lost cause. My neighbor south of me has 13 acres of King Ranch blue stem and i get all his seeds. So every year spring growth is oat grass, or KR blue stem on occasion even our coastal Bermuda comes up Ha.
The Gravely with the FR691 engine really just slices though it all with ease. And like this year with all the rains; first cut was at 14 inches or better.
Set to 4.75 inches, second pass to 4.5 and the front part of pasture/yard looks really good.
Having helped try reinstall a belt on a bad boy and wow. No chance without a lift!
You'll enjoy the Gravely.

That's funny that you bring up changing a drive belt on a Gravely. I've got a 60" HD ZT & wore through a drive belt. Went to pull the tension spring, no way! Lowered the deck, watched the man easily disengage the spring on Youtube....not with my machine! I swear that spring could be used as the coil springs for a car. Stretch that thing? Ha! Even had my grandson who works out every day try it. Finally gave up. And guys I'm no wimp. Gave my local dealer a call, they picked it up last Friday. Still haven't heard from them. Got a funny feeling they're fighting with it too........

bullet bob said:

That's funny that you bring up changing a drive belt on a Gravely. I've got a 60" HD ZT & wore through a drive belt. Went to pull the tension spring, no way! Lowered the deck, watched the man easily disengage the spring on Youtube....not with my machine! I swear that spring could be used as the coil springs for a car. Stretch that thing? Ha! Even had my grandson who works out every day try it. Finally gave up. And guys I'm no wimp. Gave my local dealer a call, they picked it up last Friday. Still haven't heard from them. Got a funny feeling they're fighting with it too........

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Now come on they are not that hard to change the drive belt on. I just did one a month ago. It was more of a pain to put the drive belt back on the Bad Boy as I had to drop the hydros to get belt back on their pulleys. But maybe I just got the right tools and knowledge.

I actually got three of the Gravely ZTRs plus the Ariens version under my wing. It was more of a pain to change out the starter solenoid.

StarTech said:

Now come on they are not that hard to change the drive belt on. I just did one a month ago. It was more of a pain to put the drive belt back on the Bad Boy as I had to drop the hydros to get belt back on their pulleys. But maybe I just got the right tools and knowledge.

I actually got three of the Gravely ZTRs plus the Ariens version under my wing. It was more of a pain to change out the starter solenoid.

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I agree. Popped off many a tensioner spring over the years. That's what gets me. Man, am I loosing it?

bullet bob said:

I agree. Popped off many a tensioner spring over the years. That's what gets me. Man, am I loosing it?

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Maybe the way someone trying to get the spring off. Here I used one of the spring hook tools I made to get release the springs. Now there are mowers where the springs are nearly impossible to detach but they usually have a place in the idler arm for a square drive to be inserted and used..

I have used spring hook tools most of my life as a mechanic and learned how to make them fit a particular application. Now going on 64.

I admit there are times it takes both hands and feet to get a spring off and on.

StarTech said:

Now come on they are not that hard to change the drive belt on. I just did one a month ago. It was more of a pain to put the drive belt back on the Bad Boy as I had to drop the hydros to get belt back on their pulleys. But maybe I just got the right tools and knowledge.

I actually got three of the Gravely ZTRs plus the Ariens version under my wing. It was more of a pain to change out the starter solenoid.

Click to expand...

Has there been a change to belt-pully routing design over the years? I have a Hustler FastTrack ZTR, almost 20 years now, and the belt has never jumped. The only time I have had problems is when an idler pully bearing has frozen and the belt thrashed it, then the belt sometimes would get thrashed itself, or make so much noise that it would be caught before getting too damaged. All the idler pullys (ones with the backside of the belt against them) are polymer with sealed BB so I keep spares of those. Otherwise no jumping.

My Dad has a Husquvarna that is on its second belt and and then it jumped off, and the mower is only two years old.

bullet bob said:

That's funny that you bring up changing a drive belt on a Gravely. I've got a 60" HD ZT & wore through a drive belt. Went to pull the tension spring, no way! Lowered the deck, watched the man easily disengage the spring on Youtube....not with my machine! I swear that spring could be used as the coil springs for a car. Stretch that thing? Ha! Even had my grandson who works out every day try it. Finally gave up. And guys I'm no wimp. Gave my local dealer a call, they picked it up last Friday. Still haven't heard from them. Got a funny feeling they're fighting with it too........

Click to expand...

Just for reference, there are two springs; from the operator station the left belt for the hydros is not bad.
Now the one on the right.
Ah yeah all four appendages engaged against mower deck, sweat pouring out burning your eyes while trying to remove/install that one!
The hooks are not part of the spring but rather individual hooks that wobble around once removed. Fun time....heh..... No did not have any issues with it. Removed it because I heard a unfamiliar noise and wanted to pinpoint it.
Yeah never discovered source of sound and reinstalled.
Will not removed it again unless belt needs replacement.....oh yeah....that one is a bear...

dalcombright said:

I am in the market for a new machine as my Cub Cadet LTX 1046KW finally crapped the bed. I am thinking of jumping ship to a zero turn for my property which is pretty flat and about 20K square feet of grass. My friend has a ZTX from a few years back and seems to love it so this model shot up my list of top picks for under $5K. So I am hoping for a few questions to be answered:

1. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the '23 models and if so what are your thoughts? I know a lot changed and I haven't been able to find much about it being so new.
2. Is 48/52 deck size just preference or is there a benefit jumping up to a 52 with the "bigger" motor, even though its really the same torque I believe. I was originally looking 42" as my property is small enough, but I prefer the deck sticking out past the wheels for edges and the 42" looks way to close to the edge of the wheel line for that.
3. How is the mulching on this mower/side discharge? I would rather mulch/side but would need to probably cut 2x a week for that to work (thick KBG) which is fine, I have always just bagged though because my CC sucks at it. I do plan to buy the non-motored bagging kit for it though.
4. Any hard no people out there for this model?

Click to expand...

I just took delivery of a 2023 ZT X 48". I've only been able to put a couple hours on it because of the extremely dry weather we've been having. I like many of the features on this mower, but still feel I've taken a downgrade from my old Cub Z-Force. My biggest concern is the downsizing of the blades and spindles compared to my old Cub. I'm also not thrilled with the weird design of the deck's exit chute. My guess is it is designed to enhance the effectiveness of a grass/leaf bagger. We'll see soon, as leaves are starting to fall. I have several areas with narrow access and need to run without the plastic chute, so I made a mod with a piece of HDP sheeting that terminates at the edge of the deck. Works well for my normal mowing.



I bought the mulching plate to go with it, but haven't had a chance to try it yet. OP, do you have any feedback on how you've made out?

I'm 70, but it would have been iffy even when I was younger. My Dad taught me to work smarter, not harder. I use either a ratchet strap that I tie down eqpt with, or my favorite has been an old boat winch I have. Mount it to a suitable board clamped to the deck, so easy! Use a 2-3' long board so you have room to move the strap lateraly to get the spring on/off the attachment doodad. I use a spring hook between the winch strap and the spring.