Zero turn mowers

I'm about to sell my JD LX277 and buy a Zero Turn unit like an Exmark Lazer Z HP. The JD works perfectly, but I'd like to shorten the time I mow and the Exmark should reduce it by about 50%. Anyone here have a ZTR and care to comment on whether you like it or not or any other general comments?

thanks

If you have tender grass, the zero turns will tear it to shreds when you turn.
If you have steep areas, don't mow when wet, you'll do more sliding than mowing.
Other then that they are great.

tsb wrote:If you have tender grass, the zero turns will tear it to shreds when you turn.
If you have steep areas, don't mow when wet, you'll do more sliding than mowing.
Other then that they are great.

My yard is field grass that has been mowed for years...I don't fertilize it, in fact I'd put down growth retardant if they made it! No real hills other than a gentle slope in the front and back.

Do you own one?

tsb wrote:If you have tender grass, the zero turns will tear it to shreds when you turn.
If you have steep areas, don't mow when wet, you'll do more sliding than mowing.
Other then that they are great.

Agreed. A lot of my friends have them and they love 'em. Cuts the mowing time.

I have an old scag zero turn that I`ve been nurseing along for three years now, don`t think I will ever buy a regular rider again, you will tear up some turf until you get the hang of it, I rarely do any now unless I`m in a real hurry & its best not to be in too much of a hurry in tight spaces, banged my shins up getting too close to the back deck several times. I know J.D. makes a nice one that I was looking at the last home show. Now with me its just a matter of seeing how long I can keep the old one running, when my son gave it to me he said I might get to the end of the season, this is going on the forth now.

I've got a commercial grade Grasshopper brand zero turn. Diesel with 52" deck with vacuum. It's heavy and it's weight will tear up the grass if you let the wheels spin. It doesn't normally tear grass when turning. You need to be gentle on the controls when turning. Takes some time to learn how to run it. Always cutting grass in the same direction and/or way will make a slight rut. You need to mix it up.

these are fun in winter

Get it going full clip

then

throw one handle into full reverse and hang on

tsb wrote:If you have tender grass, the zero turns will tear it to shreds when you turn.
If you have steep areas, don't mow when wet, you'll do more sliding than mowing.
Other then that they are great.

I worked for a landscaper when I was 16, about 21 years ago before anyone knew what a zero turn was. He had a zero turn grasshopper and you NEVER did a 180 degree turn, always a 3 point turn to prevent tearing up the lawn. I believe any model would do that. They are great mowers( the grasshopper ) I would like a diesel, but don't see spending the $$$, maybee ebay will have one that's been around the block a time or two.

My mowing time decreased by 1/3 when I got my Grasshopper. It could have reduced to 1/2 but like everyone else notes you really can't turn the 180's wide open like the advertisements show without tearing up the grass. The one thing I'd change is have them trade out the turf tires for chevron tread before I ever brought it home. Mine is a pro front deck model which is great for mowing under pine trees and the like without getting scratched up. I've used a mid mount and prefer the front mount although they are more expensive. Mine's just a gas model, but I can work on it better than diesel.

I got a Husqvarnia ZTR4817 about 4 years ago. It convinced me; I'll never own anything but a Zero-turn from now on. I mow a 4-acre field in 2 hours. 48" deck.
I got steep hills, and if the grass is wet, the front simply points downhill all by itself and it would just slide nose-first down the hill. Took care of that problem after I slid thru a pricker bush one wet day. I put Ag-tread tires on the back. Solved all the slidding problems.
Yes Sting, with the Ag tires, I tow the kids sleds thru the snow in the winter time. Just raise the pan all the way up.

I own a Cub-Cadet RZT-22. Love it. Only thing I suggest is if you cut more than 2 acres regularily, go with the commerical models. You won't know the difference if you haven't tried them both. If you can't swing the price of a new one, hunt down a good used. They're out there - you just have to find them. You'll be so glad you did.........

My dad has a John Deere zero turn for the farm lawn. I forget the model, but it has a 72" deck and a serious diesel engine...it is a pleasure to mow with.

Well..I found a 2 yr old Exmark Lazer Z HP 52" cut. 140 hours. Like new. Works great and mowing now takes me 45 minutes vs 2.5 hours

Yes to all your questions about the Lazer Z HP. Mine is 6 years old now, 455 hrs, just replaced the left and right arbor bearings and seals. No grease fittings on mine. Sad, can't add them.
The factory guys say folks grease them too much causing overheating of the cavity and seal failure.
Fortunately some of us are smart enough to not pump a tube into each fitting every time we use the machine.
I know this will sound foolish, but buckle the seat belt as you get more familiar with the mower, you can get soooo good that you can throw yourself right out of the seat when doing a steep grade turn at 11 mph.

I use synthetic oil and change the oil twice a season. It's only 3 quarts. grease it every 20 hrs....just two pumps... air filter and hydro filter each season....
I always add an once of fuel stabilizer to both tanks when it gets filled up. The Ethanol addition in gasoline sure seems to shorten the useful life of gasoline. (another way to say: corn is much better as a food or whiskey product, not a fuel additive.)
It cuts my mowing time by 2/3 rds....no negatives to mention.....except that 'Walker' now has a suspension like a Lexus, so 'the back' is much happier in rough, high speed mowing. Maybe next time......
A friend just bought a 72" diesel and it is faster, more economical and more comfortable....but over 12K. Like my brother always says: I don't want to make love to it, just mow the damned lawn! Lazer and Toro are very good products, and all the other folks do a good job also. Like all other technology, it just gets better with time and experience. PS: It is all made in the USA, too.

av8r wrote:Well..I found a 2 yr old Exmark Lazer Z HP 52" cut. 140 hours. Like new. Works great and mowing now takes me 45 minutes vs 2.5 hours

Nice machine!!