Zero Turn Mowers - Please Share Your Experiences

Nugs on 17/06/2022 - 17:32
Last edited 17/06/2022 - 17:35

Hi all,
I'm hoping to find that some of you have had or still do have a zero turn and can compare to other grass maintenance equipment.

I'm currently contemplating the purchase of a zero turn but have not used one. None of our neighbours have one either, most use animals.

The cut area is 50/50 flat and sloped, I am able to drive the tractor across the steepest area.

We have a 42" cut John Deere ride on mower and a 1960's MF35 tractor with a 5ft slasher to cut around 5 acres of 'grass'. The tractor/slasher is cumbersome for turning but is good for the open back & forth. The ride on takes an age to cut large areas given it's relatively narrow cutting width, but is fairly tight turning without digging gouges.

I'd be looking at around a 54" zero turn to hopefully deal with the open areas with fewer passes than the ride on but maybe still be able to cope with obstacles

Home & Garden Lawn Mower

Comments

  • MS Paint on 17/06/2022 - 17:40
    +1

    Zero turn would be perfect for this application.

    Super fun to drive - will take about 20 minutes to be half confident with its controls in an open area.

    Are you looking at the Husqvarna? That would be my recommendation anyway.

    1960's MF35 tractor

    I've got a 60's super dexta and the turning circle is shite but I can slash overgrown paddocks with no obstacles pretty quick.

    • Nugs on 17/06/2022 - 17:53

      no brand in particular. It might be second hand.
      I do less than 40hrs per year between the two we already have, so a low hour second handy would suffice
      I've been looking for two weeks and there's already been two that I had some interest in
      .

  • pegaxs on 17/06/2022 - 18:35
    +1

    I use a Husqvarna MZ54 at work regularly. I like that I can turn it on it's own axis. but when doing slopes, it feels unstable as (fropanity). I will do all the other flat areas and any of the sloped areas, I just use the push mower after almost flipping the Husqvarna one time. If I do slopes on the zero turn, I always go down feet first and never backwards and never across.

    The size area I have to mow is about 400m x 400m and is pretty quick for the size. I think it is a tad small and if I was going to have any into into the next one, I would urge them to get the biggest zero turn they could get their hands on. On a field that size, the 54" just takes forever, but for the smaller areas, it is awesome. It excels in areas around buildings and other obstacles. What it doesn't do well is large open spaces. For that, a tractor with a massive slasher would work better.

    If I had the choice between a normal ride on and a zero turn of the same size, 100% the zero turn wins hands down.

    • MS Paint on 17/06/2022 - 19:10
      +1

      400m x 400m

      That's nearly 40 acres.

      That's definitely beefy tractor and minimum 8ft slasher territory.

      • pegaxs on 17/06/2022 - 21:39

        It literally takes me all day to cut it. It has buildings on it and a wooded areas, so cutting around those areas is much better to do with the zero, but yeah, the massive open areas I would love a massive slasher. (And I may have exaggerated the size of the property. Just feels like 40 acres when the mower feels so undersized.)

        • MS Paint on 17/06/2022 - 22:36
          +1

          Probably not far off. A 54" deck will get you close to 4 acres an hour. A full day of mowing will get you 30 acres (or about 15 acres if you keep stopping to check ozbargain*)

          *Source - me

    • Euphemistic on 17/06/2022 - 19:10
      +1

      Agree on feet facing down for slopes. I’ve slipped sideways going across a couple of times on wet grassy slopes. Much prefer to go up and down not side to side. Although, if i take it real slow there’s a couple of sections I’d rather do with a ride on than get the push mower out - but only when dry, which includes waiting for later in the day at times.

  • Euphemistic on 17/06/2022 - 18:46
    +1

    I’ve used a couple of different ones. Not sure if deck width, but around 50”.

    2x toro were hard to control accurately. Fine control wasn’t there. Slight adjustment has it darting in one direction or the other. Keeping it in a straight line was difficult. They also felt lightweight, not as sturdy as the other two I’ve used but went OK. Cut grass evenly when adjusted and with decent blades. Parts took ages for one repair.

    Scag Tiger Cub is a good solid machine. Fine control is good, can use one hand to steer, easy to track straight. Cuts well. Recently took around 6 weeks to get a belt for it - couldn’t mow over summer (possibly covid delays)

    Tried a new Ferris a couple of times. Similar controls to the Scag. Good control, tracked straight. Good solid machine. Suspension too, but not sure how much difference it really made. Rough stuff still bounced it around but the suspension in the seat meant it was a smoother ride. On the same patch I’d bounce off the seat on the toro and it would cut out.

    Overall zero turn is great to use. Easy to manoeuvre, but really tight turns can scuff the grass up a bit. Great if you’ve got obstacles to avoid.

  • Peter Enis on 17/06/2022 - 20:16
    +1

    Surely Nugs account has been hijacked because the OP does not end with a:
    .

  • Nugs on 17/06/2022 - 20:27

    Thanks for all the responses. Parts availability is something that would steer me towards husky being a bit more mainstream.
    I'm sure a 54ish inch will be the right size and it will be suck it and see as far as the steepest areas goes.
    .

  • Bargain Blesser on 18/06/2022 - 07:01

    Nugs I managed to kill a husky ride on and thought upgrading to zero turn would be great. Well, after sliding down a slight incline, having to,take off the ejector plastic that they assured me would be fine if I just attached a bungee cord and pulled it up when near trees on the right, and generally making a display of myself that should win me a prize in funniest home videos I have the following conclusions
    1. Zero turns great for sports ovals and large flat areas
    2. Do NOT lose traction going downhill as gravity tends to make you lean forward and that is not conducive to avoiding barbed wire fence
    3. I am uncoordinated
    4. I will learn, but it’s a steep curve.
    I wish you all the very best, perhaps see if you can hire one first, assess it on your block, then decide.
    Good luck

  • Chris Topher on 18/06/2022 - 20:22

    Toro 52" Zero Turn with mulching kit fitted. Looked after, regular cuts 1.5 acres all flat, about 0.5 acre of it is treed and some bushes elsewhere. I feel that for any property needing 0.5 acre cut or more the 52" is a good size up to ~3 acres.

    I've had the Toro about 8 years and as above, looked after and maintained. The deck has dropped a couple of times so a quick modification added and no longer a problem. Blades have been removed, sharpened and replaced a couple of times so that the snails and worms don't suffer for long.

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