Which Zero turn to buy?

[jekjr]

I see various posts on here concerning zero turns and which ones to purchase.

In our area there are several different dealers. You can get about any commercial brand you can name and have been able to for several years.

There are a lot of people here who cut commercially and have been for years.

We had been looking at starting up a commercial lawn service for for several years as well but every time we started to do so we would have something else come along that we would do instead. Therefore we have been looking at mowers and other equipment for a while comparing to get a good idea as to what was out there and what to expect...

I finally fulfilled all obligations that were keeping me from starting up last July and set about in earnest starting up. Long ago I had made up my mind that I was either going to run Skag or Kubota mowers. I then started to notice the operators that were running those two.

I see many people that have bought the other brands and traded brands. I have never seen anybody running either of the two that traded for one of those others. Normally if they buy new equment they buy Kubota. I have never heard of a commercial operator that replaced mowers that had been running Kubotas that went back to any of the others. I have seen many of the others that bought new and got Kubotas.

Every operator that I have ever talked to that ran Kubota has said that they would not go back to anything else.

We bought a Kubota ZG 222 last Aug to start up and it now has 150 hours on it. We had to replace a deck belt that we damaged probably by a limb while mulching leaves last winter and we had a seal on a deck drive gearbox that had a vent plugged and blew a front seal a couple of weeks ago. Again probably from mulching leaves. It has been hammered in those hours.

We just bought a ZD 326 and it has less than 10 hours on it. If it gives us the service that I see other operators that have been running them for a long time we will be pleased.

Because we cut so many yards that are rough and have Bahia grass in them these mowers take a pounding every day. The Kubotas I have been observing some of which have been running for years are still hanging in there. Most of the others only last a while and they are ready for the junkyard.

I have heard the argument numerous times that to spend the money a Kubota commercial costs is a waste of money with all of the cheaper commercials out there and that all you are doing is paying for a name. After observing these others for a while and now buying the Kubotas I think that the people that say that really do not know what they are talking about.

If you are going to buy a mower to cut your yard then cheaper might be figured in. If you are going to cut 20 or more yards a Kubota is something you need to strongly consider. I know we did.

 

[djdicetn]

I see various posts on here concerning zero turns and which ones to purchase.

In our area there are several different dealers. You can get about any commercial brand you can name and have been able to for several years.

There are a lot of people here who cut commercially and have been for years.

We had been looking at starting up a commercial lawn service for for several years as well but every time we started to do so we would have something else come along that we would do instead. Therefore we have been looking at mowers and other equipment for a while comparing to get a good idea as to what was out there and what to expect...

I finally fulfilled all obligations that were keeping me from starting up last July and set about in earnest starting up. Long ago I had made up my mind that I was either going to run Skag or Kubota mowers. I then started to notice the operators that were running those two.

I see many people that have bought the other brands and traded brands. I have never seen anybody running either of the two that traded for one of those others. Normally if they buy new equment they buy Kubota. I have never heard of a commercial operator that replaced mowers that had been running Kubotas that went back to any of the others. I have seen many of the others that bought new and got Kubotas.

Every operator that I have ever talked to that ran Kubota has said that they would not go back to anything else.

We bought a Kubota ZG 222 last Aug to start up and it now has 150 hours on it. We had to replace a deck belt that we damaged probably by a limb while mulching leaves last winter and we had a seal on a deck drive gearbox that had a vent plugged and blew a front seal a couple of weeks ago. Again probably from mulching leaves. It has been hammered in those hours.

We just bought a ZD 326 and it has less than 10 hours on it. If it gives us the service that I see other operators that have been running them for a long time we will be pleased.

Because we cut so many yards that are rough and have Bahia grass in them these mowers take a pounding every day. The Kubotas I have been observing some of which have been running for years are still hanging in there. Most of the others only last a while and they are ready for the junkyard.

I have heard the argument numerous times that to spend the money a Kubota commercial costs is a waste of money with all of the cheaper commercials out there and that all you are doing is paying for a name. After observing these others for a while and now buying the Kubotas I think that the people that say that really do not know what they are talking about.

If you are going to buy a mower to cut your yard then cheaper might be figured in. If you are going to cut 20 or more yards a Kubota is something you need to strongly consider. I know we did.

jekjr,
IMHO, brand dominance is regional(Kubota must be an Alabama thing:0) No offense intended(my daughter & grandson lives in Huntsville). Here in Middle TN, where Kentucky Fescue is the most prolific type of grass, 70% of the commercial trailers I see have Ex-Marks, 10% have Toros, 5% have Hustlers, 5% have Cub Cadets, 5% have John Deeres and 5% have a mix of other brands(Husqvarnas, Dixons, Kubota, Grasshopper, etc.) And your advice, for serious Commercial operators makes sense to those type users, but a majority of users seeking advice on buying here are homeowners where the price of a Kubota(especially before they came out with the Kommander) is pretty well out of their reach. I have had a back-and-forth with another Kobota fan(I think he works for a Kubota dealer) and I asked the loaded question...."last September, when I walked out of my Scag/Gravely/Ariens dealer with a Commercial-rated Gravely Pro-Turn 100XDZ(if interested you can peruse the "features" in the link below) for $6,800 saving $1,000 from the MSRP plus taxes, what ZTR could I have walked out of a Kubota dealer with for that same money". Of course his answer was...."you know last fall the Kommander wasn't available so there was no Kubota ZTR you could buy for that much money. So, even today, wouldn't you agree that idf a "regular homeowner" wants a real good quality ZTR that aside from a single model,the Kommander, Kubota just doesn't have anything to offer comparable to say my Pro-Turn "quality-for-price"?

Pro-Turn 100 Zero Turn Mower

 

[reynoldston]

For sure look at Ferris.

 

[jekjr]

Like I said for a person cutting 20 or more yards.

I do know that those Kommander mowers are selling here like hoecakes as well to home owners.

The big 300 series and even the smaller 200 series are like tanks.

Two major selling points for me any way are there is only one belt and it is a power band on the entire mower. Also there are no electric clutches.

 

[Ric]

Like I said for a person cutting 20 or more yards.

I do know that those Kommander mowers are selling here like hoecakes as well to home owners.

The big 300 series and even the smaller 200 series are like tanks.

Two major selling points for me any way are there is only one belt and it is a power band on the entire mower. Also there are no electric clutches.

You talk about selling points, Personally I wouldn't own a Kubota because of three draw backs to there machines. For one they are way to expensive for what they are #2 there way to heavy for residential work with their weights running from 1100 to almost 1700 lbs and #3 their Blade tip speeds are on the low side. The ZG 222 comes in at 1100lbs with a Blade Tip speed of 15800 in comparison to my Toro Grandstand at 756lbs with an 18500 blade tip speed the Kubota just doesn't do it.

 

[djdicetn]

You talk about selling points, Personally I wouldn't own a Kubota because of three draw backs to there machines. For one they are way to expensive for what they are #2 there way to heavy for residential work with their weights running from 1100 to almost 1700 lbs and #3 their Blade tip speeds are on the low side. The ZG 222 comes in at 1100lbs with a Blade Tip speed of 15800 in comparison to my Toro Grandstand at 756lbs with an 18500 blade tip speed the Kubota just doesn't do it.

Ric,
It's interesting that the new Kommander Residential series has a much higher 18,100 fpm than the ZG 222 does for less money. User Old Goat would have a heydey in this thread because of his emphasis on BTS being the primary cut quality indicator:0)
Maybe an interesting rebuttal from Kubota fans will add some additional clarity to that emphasis!!

 

[jekjr]

Ric,
It's interesting that the new Kommander Residential series has a much higher 18,100 fpm than the ZG 222 does for less money. User Old Goat would have a heydey in this thread because of his emphasis on BTS being the primary cut quality indicator:0)
Maybe an interesting rebuttal from Kubota fans will add some additional clarity to that emphasis!!

All I know is they cut smooth. I believe the ground speed on the 222 is 9 mph and the 326 is 15 mph and they do a pretty good job cutting when running wide open.