# Zero turn cut quality



## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

I am considering getting a zero turn mower. My tractor does an ok job but it is difficult to stripe as turning around is a pain. Also the cut quality is lacking as it doesn't matter how sharp I make the blades it still doesn't make a real clean cut. My tractor is a lower level JD. L130 so maybe this might be a contributing factor.
So my next question is what zero turn mowers have the cleanest cut? Do I need to go commercial to get a better quality cut? 
My dealer availability is good my closest dealer is JD and Hustler about a mile away.
Next dealer about 12 miles away is Toro and Stagg. 
Any experiences or help would be appreciated. My biggest motivation on getting a new mower is to improve the quality of the cut.
EDIT: Budget 5/6k or higher if needed for a better cleaner cut.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Do you have a budget?


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

I'm going through the same dilemma right now. As long as my blades are sharp and deck is properly leveled my tractor gives an acceptable cut on my SA (but wish the deck went higher). I had my heart set on a zero-turn the past few years but that recently changed. I've been slowing down to get a better cut as my grass is getting thicker. I'm also enjoying the mow for a change. I was out mowing the other day, with a beer in my hand and Pandora playing on my cell. I realized I can't sip a beer, skip songs on the cell, or lift the overhanging bamboo branches out of my way while mowing with a zero-turn.

Pro's and con's:

Speed, low importance to me: The ZT wins in the tight areas.

Quality of cut, high importance: Dollar for dollar, the rider may actually win out. Most homeowner ZTs use the same stamped steel deck the tractors use, so they would cut the same, but the ZTs can leave some nasty ruts if not careful on the turns. If you spend ~$5k and up you can get a thicker welded steel deck on the commercial ZTs but I'm not sure if they will cut better? I guess a bigger engine/faster blade rpms might help give a better cut?

Maneuverability, medium importance: ZT wins big, but some of the newer tractors have a much tighter turning radius than our old cheap tractors. Some even have 4-wheel steering.

Reliability/ease and cost of repair, high importance: Tractor wins, they have half the amount of expensive hydros and don't constantly use those hydros to turn.

Versatility, medium/high: Tractor wins easily. It is not recommended to tow with a ZT. A sprayer may be doable but a loaded yard cart full of dirt is a no-no. I use my tractor to move my empty 22' boat trailer around the yard, tow carts full of mulch/dirt, and when I lived up north I put chains and a plow on it to clear snow from my parking lot.

Hills, high for me: I have a steep canal bank I have to mow across and don't want to end up in the canal. Turns can break the rear wheels of a ZT loose causing it to slide down the hill. On my tractor I move my butt ll the way to the high side fender and lean to keep from tipping, can't do that with a ZT. ZT's are also backheavy, so can wheelie climbing hills, and supposedly have a hard time steering going down hills.

Fun, medium: Tie. A ZT is like driving a stick shift car. It's fun when you want to do some spirited driving, but gets old when you are trying to relax and eat your Big Mac. If you have long straight stretches, having to hold both arms outstretched gets old, and you can't even scratch your nose.

I'm leaning towards a newer tractor with tighter turning radius, higher HOC settings, and a cup holder .


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

To clarify I already have a JD 1025r sub compact tractor for all tractor related tasks. This mower would be strictly for cutting. My budget, I was thinking around 5/6k but could go up if I need to if that means a better cleaner cut.
My land is very flat but I do have some trees flowerbeds etc to cut around.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I wonder if you could find something like a nice used Toro 3500D in that price range...

https://youtu.be/nF27HJT11yo


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@LawnRat I drive my zero turn with one hand and drink a beer with the other. It tows better than my old riding mower, had no problems pulling gorilla carts full of sand and plowing down piles of sand with my jerry rugged contraption (see my lawn journal if you're interested) when I leveled this spring. It's a little awkward getting it down in my ditch but it has plenty of power to pull itself out. Everything my rider did my zero turn does it way better


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

@Cory Did you notice a cut quality upgrade when you upgraded?


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@JDgreen18 It definitely doesn't scalp as bad with the zero turn because the way the deck is attached to the mower is much more stable. Kick the deck on a rider then kick the deck on a zero turn, most zero turns are way more stable. I also could never really get the deck level on the rider, for some reason the cut was already uneven, I don't have that problem with the ZT. The ZT does a better job but I'm not sure how much of it is because I put a lot of sand down so it's a little more level than when I was using the rider. But My backyard is still very bumpy even after putting 17ish yards of sand on it, maybe I should put the deck back on my rider and compare them.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

Cory said:


> @JDgreen18 It definitely doesn't scalp as bad with the zero turn because the way the deck is attached to the mower is much more stable. Kick the deck on a rider then kick the deck on a zero turn, most zero turns are way more stable. I also could never really get the deck level on the rider, for some reason the cut was already uneven, I don't have that problem with the ZT. The ZT does a better job but I'm not sure how much of it is because I put a lot of sand down so it's a little more level than when I was using the rider. But My backyard is still very bumpy even after putting 17ish yards of sand on it, maybe I should put the deck back on my rider and compare them.


Thanks for the reply. I'm not really worried about scaping my land is pretty flat plus I usually cut no lower than 2.5" but more often 3" plus. The quality of the cut I'm looking for is it being even and not tearing the grass blades. My current rider tears the grass blades no matter how often I sharpen the mower blades.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@JDgreen18 I have common Bermuda in the backyard and Tifway in the front so not sure what any other grass cut with it would look like. But I just mowed the back last night at 2.75" here's a picture



No matter what it's still a rotary, you're never gonna achieve a cut like a reel mower gives. All rotary mowers tear the grass instead of cut it, some just do it a little better than others.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

My stander cuts way better than my John Deere lawn tractor for sure. I think it's more of a leveling with sand thing.

@Cory 17 yards of sand my god. I know I have a long way to go on sand though.

Also it may be a type of blade thing as well. Some people run gator G6 or high lift blades. Results may vary.


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@CenlaLowell I ordered 20 but I used some on the front. The back still could use another 20. But not sure that's gonna happen :lol:


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## BHopper (May 28, 2019)

I have a Hustler SD with the mulch kit and block off baffles. The mower had been perfect for the past 3 years and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a high end home consumer grade mower. It cuts smoothly grass looks good after a mow and the mower handles the differences in slopes of my yard excellent.

Make sure to get the SD as it has the larger wheels which help greatly.... and check the hydro static fluid often


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## bassadict69 (Apr 2, 2018)

I have a Gravely HD 52 and love it. It has many of the commercial qualities without the commercial $$ tag. It has the solid, thick welded deck and not stamped. It is solid and can be used as a step to get on the mower...try that with a stamped deck. It also has the bigger hydros like many of the commercial mowers.

I would not buy a homeowners mower unless you have a smaller, smooth, well manicured lawn. My yard is large and far from well manicured. The heavier components should hold up better than a smaller homeowners model.

Let me add that I would go with a Kawasaki motor on whatever you buy. Most commercial guys I know INSIST on Kawasaki.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@JDgreen18 At your HOC, you can get decent results with a good quality ZT but have you considered a walk behind? With sulkey they are almost as fast as a ZT, much lighter and may have slightly better cut quality. Probably cost you less if you buy a good used commercial model like a Scag, Toro, Exmark, etc.


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

I had a Hustler Raptor and gave it to my son when I purchased an X-One last year. Most ZT's have a much higher blade tip speed which will lead to a smoother cut. Both of my Hustler's left a very nice cut. I also added G6 Gator blades to the X-One and for some reason they stripe much better than the factory blades if you're into that sort of thing.


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## NightShiftNinja (Jun 15, 2019)

I have a John Deere Z465 (about 10 years old now) with a 62C deck on it, the 62" deck is nice to cut the approx 2 acres I do but it is far from the best quality, i am constantly fighting to try and keep my deck level, it seems to find a way to get itself unlevel about every 5-6 weeks, my property is very rough though so it does get bounced around a decent amount.

Also the mulching kit that I bought this year from JD for this deck has to be one of the stupidest designs that JD could have come up with... (need to remove deck from the machine and remove blades to switch between mulch and discharge)

That being said it is great for getting around the trees, flowerbeds, and kids playsets.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

cglarsen said:


> @JDgreen18 At your HOC, you can get decent results with a good quality ZT but have you considered a walk behind? With sulkey they are almost as fast as a ZT, much lighter and may have slightly better cut quality. Probably cost you less if you buy a good used commercial model like a Scag, Toro, Exmark, etc.


I am not opposed to this a d was considering this option. What makes a walk behind have a better cut quality?


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

You are perfect candidate for zero turn.

If you want to do tractor stuff, you need a tractor that is heavy which not good for a lawn (you already have this). Example, don't mow your grass with a Kubota BX series!!!

Also zero turns are good for flat areas, not hills and you said your yard is flat.

Personally I like sitting so I would not get a stand up. I had a stand up aerator and it was not as comfortable as sitting but I never had a standup mower to compare.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

I think you will find most people in the turf/lawn industry will tell you a John Deere with the 7-iron deck or a Scag with the velocity deck are the two best cutting decks overall especially when it comes to stripes. A lot of it also depends on what type of grass your cutting and certain decks handle wet grass better then others, etc.

In the end any of the major brands like JD, Scag, Toro, Exmark, Gravely, Ferris, etc will produce a good cut. It's really about which dealers you form the best relationships with.


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