Back story:
I spent last weekend going to dealers and test driving ZTRs as we are in definite need of a mower. We recently planted grass on our new property, currently being cleared by a borrowed lawn tractor for the yard and tractor w/ bush hog for the rest. We probably have 1.5 acres we are mowing now but we could see this expanding to 3+ as we extend the yard later on. We have some slopes in places but under 15 percent except for one small section of 16 percent. Luckily it is almost entirely open, so obstacles aren't really a concern.
However, our property used to be a corn field, so the field is a bit rough. We are prioritizing smoothness of ride, speed (because who the heck has time anymore), and longevity.
That being said, the two front runners based on what I had available at local dealers are a Cub Cadet ZT3 60 in and a Exmark Radius E 52 in.
The Exmark definitely felt like a tighter, more solid machine when driving and has a suspension seat available (though I didn't get to demo that). I really liked the relatively big tires and the ease of access for maintenance and sturdiness. However, it is about $1k more (w/ suspension seat upgrade) out the door than the Cub Cadet.
The ZT3 is brand new model, so I couldn't read much about this model. It has the suspension fork which help with the ride. It has the larger deck, albeit lower gauge. Other than the "feel" of the machine, I'm getting really torn if Exmark is really $1k better. Exmark has the better warranty, seems to have a very good track record, and has some higher end features. I feel that both are probably acceptable for my application.
Anyone have experience with these models or insight that may be useful?
