Riding mower vs ZT
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bertsmobile1
Lawn Royalty
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The biggest advantage of a ZTR is you can mow backwards.
Apparently you can only run over small children if you are using a tractor style mower .
This alone cuts down the mowing time on complex lawns by a very large amount.
They are a lot more manouveable and thus quicker than a tractor
OTOH on a yard of your size that could be less than 15 minutes a mow.
One of my commercial customers sold his Greenfields Fastcut tractor & replaced it with a Scag.
He has just sold the Scag & bought another Greenfields because he mows a lot faster with the tractor , particularly on damp lawns.
We do not have compulsory reverse cut outs down here .
Why are they so expensive
1) 2 hydro pumps = double the power drain so they need bigger engines for the same size deck
2) 2 hydro pumps & 2 hydro motors @ a grand a hit Vs 1 pump & motor
3) wanker premium , ZTR's are now considered the bees knees so a premium is added to the price
Compare Spartans to any other mower with the same specs.
For my money, if your yard is flattish and you mow before the grass gets to 8" tall, then you can not go past the articulated mowers.
The imported European ones are substantially better than the USA made ones but even these are head & shoulders over any ZTR on the market.
Out front mowers are a lot better than underbelly mowers on complex lawns because they mow closer to edges & you can see exactly where the deck is all the time.
Apparently you can only run over small children if you are using a tractor style mower .
This alone cuts down the mowing time on complex lawns by a very large amount.
They are a lot more manouveable and thus quicker than a tractor
OTOH on a yard of your size that could be less than 15 minutes a mow.
One of my commercial customers sold his Greenfields Fastcut tractor & replaced it with a Scag.
He has just sold the Scag & bought another Greenfields because he mows a lot faster with the tractor , particularly on damp lawns.
We do not have compulsory reverse cut outs down here .
Why are they so expensive
1) 2 hydro pumps = double the power drain so they need bigger engines for the same size deck
2) 2 hydro pumps & 2 hydro motors @ a grand a hit Vs 1 pump & motor
3) wanker premium , ZTR's are now considered the bees knees so a premium is added to the price
Compare Spartans to any other mower with the same specs.
For my money, if your yard is flattish and you mow before the grass gets to 8" tall, then you can not go past the articulated mowers.
The imported European ones are substantially better than the USA made ones but even these are head & shoulders over any ZTR on the market.
Out front mowers are a lot better than underbelly mowers on complex lawns because they mow closer to edges & you can see exactly where the deck is all the time.
gotomow
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With many trees how do you take care of fall cleanup? A lawn tractor is a better choice for leaf pickup than a ZTR
tom3
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My take on this. If you somewhat enjoy mowing the lawn, get a lawn tractor, nice sounding smooth running V-twin with a decent hydro. If you just want to get it done and get off the thing as quick as possible, get a zero turn and learn the tricks.
ONLY reason we got rid of our garden tractors. Was because of health issues. Wife & myself picked up 2 zero turns. Our property that's mowed is between 5 & 7 acres. Garden tractors were 48 inch. The zero turns are 54 inch. They may mow a little faster but are a lot easier to operate over the garden tractors. Fuel usage is no difference but the zero turns are 7HP over garden tractors so they do go through the heavier grasses with ease. Also had to mow different compared to tractors. Probably more due with the bigger decks. With the higher blade tip speed zero turns grinds grass up alot finer. We do not have to mow as often. This is my observation from 5 years of usage.
We have a smallish property now at about an acre, but there's lots of things to mow around, and very little level ground, and some is at the limit of what you can traverse side to side. Our riding mower was very uncomfortable to use, and was an older model with out the reverse mowing ability. I switched to a ZT because it not only has a wider stance which helps stability, but it's also far easier to use when mowing up or down or even sideways on hills. They also tend to have much larger tires which is great on rough lawns, but in my case, they are actually smaller. Turns out it still is more comfortable to ride in spite of that.
JoeFriday
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I know this is an old thread.... but I went to a zero turn from a JD Dealer Grade lawn tractor.... and I will never go back..... they cut faster, they cut better.... and they are much more maneuverable. PLUS..... it is almost like you are riding a roller coaster at the amusement park.... they are so FUN to use !