Zero turn purchase

Black angus

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I’m new to this forum. Looking for information or guidance. I mow about 7 acres with some hills. I run a kubota tractor with a woods 84 inch finish mower but can only cut about 1 1/2 acres. The rest is done with my old but true John Deere 335 garden tractor. ? 1500 hours. I have 2 kubota dealers near me. One has a 400 series zero turn and the other has a zg 327. They say it has a kubota engine but have read it’s a Koehler that’s made for them. Not much info on the zg 327. It’s expensive but with 0 percent it’s doable. A little nervous about this purchase. I’ve looked at John Deere z950. They dropped their financing for 48 months at 0 percent. Any thoughts on the zg327 ???
 

lugbolt

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the ZG327 engine is a good engine as long as it has oil in it and the flywheel screen doesn't get plugged up (overheat). It's not a Kohler. It's not a Kawasaki. It's a Kubota gas V-twin, which was a design joint effort by Kubota and Robin (aka Subaru). Kubota supports it fully instead of the kawi engines having to go to a kawi dealer to get any work done on them.

They only down side, which I think is about all of the small V-twins now, is that it requires a valve adjustment every, what, 500 hours? I forget the interval but it does need to be done. I've worked on them in the past and they've had 2000+ hours on 'em without adjustment but they get noisy, harder to start, etc. if the valves are not adjusted once in a while.

The ZG327 is basically a modified ZD326 but with a gas engine. It likes gas. If you can swing the diesel version, get it--it's worth getting. They don't make the ZD326 anymore (I don't think) but they do make a ZD1211 and ZD1011. Although diesel does cost a little more, on a lawn mower, if you compare a 27hp gas to a 27 or 28hp diesel, the diesel will use half the fuel, runs smoother, quieter, and lasts longer so long as it's not overheated, run out of oil, or the air filter is neglected. I would own another one if I had more property to cut. They really are that good. Not taking away from the 327, it just likes fuel that's all.
 
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