# Need A Zero Turn!



## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Alright, so I sold my house and we close on a house next month on 1.6 acres. I previously reel mowed my 7k square foot lawn but am not going to have the time to do that here so the Tru-Cut is going up for sale.

I would love a commercial grade unit, I am familiar with the various hydro trans-axles and the differences between consumer/commercial - but I literally just need something that cuts quick and cuts nicely so don't want to spend a ton of money.

I know I can buy used commercial, but I don't want to spend $2k-$3k or more on something with 900 hours that looks like hell if a brand new residential unit will serve me just as well.

It'll be an hour of cutting 1-2 times a week on a pretty flat yard, one mild hill.

So, the John Deere z345m has some great reviews and feels good. Any thoughts on that one, or anyone with particular experience? Husqvarna or Cub have any other offerings? Are there any residential models around $2,600 that do not have the EZT hydros and have something more robust?

Any help is appreciated!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Or maybe a good commercial walk behind 30"??


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Do you really want to ditch reels altogether? (Say it ain't so! :lol.

There are riding solutions to reel mowing.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> Do you really want to ditch reels altogether? (Say it ain't so! :lol.
> 
> There are riding solutions to reel mowing.


No, I don't haha! But I don't want to cut grass every three days anymore with a yard this big. I'll miss it for sure, but I have a lot more home stuff and yard stuff to spend time on as well now.

I'd love a riding reel, but that's some serious $$$!!


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

I see a lot of pros using Gravely, but Gravely also has models for residential consumers. 
If you haven't looked into that option, you might want to - if nothing else you can compare with JD in terms of price and features.


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## TigerinFL (Mar 29, 2018)

I had a Bobcat Predator 61" I bought on line from a dealer up north. even with shipping I saved thousands. Had a 33hp Generac engine and I cut 5 acres per week with it. Zero problems and it came with a 5 year warranty.


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## Paul (Jul 17, 2017)

Take a look at the Bad boy brand zero turns. I have experience with the MZ model. It's marketed as a home owner model. The fully welded deck is thicker than the stamped decks. If your new yard is sandy, this might be something you want to consider. Tractor Supply carries the brand here in SC as well as some other dealers.


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

I recently went through the same thing and settled on a Kubota. I love it.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

social port said:


> I see a lot of pros using Gravely, but Gravely also has models for residential consumers.
> If you haven't looked into that option, you might want to - if nothing else you can compare with JD in terms of price and features.


Gravely's are nice - but more than I want to spend!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

TigerinFL said:


> I had a Bobcat Predator 61" I bought on line from a dealer up north. even with shipping I saved thousands. Had a 33hp Generac engine and I cut 5 acres per week with it. Zero problems and it came with a 5 year warranty.


Thank you! That s way more mower than I need though!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Paul said:


> Take a look at the Bad boy brand zero turns. I have experience with the MZ model. It's marketed as a home owner model. The fully welded deck is thicker than the stamped decks. If your new yard is sandy, this might be something you want to consider. Tractor Supply carries the brand here in SC as well as some other dealers.


https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/mz-lawn-mower

This is the closest to my budget, but after a little reading has the same hydros that the HD/Lowes JD units have. That's my main concern with them, but I guess if Bad Boy uses them in their mowers they cannot be THAT bad for residential use.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Rackhouse Mayor said:


> I recently went through the same thing and settled on a Kubota. I love it.


Yes, Kubotas are very nice - I need to do some reading on their offerings.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

I think after some reading and what I'll be using this for I have it narrowed down:

1. JD z345
2. Toro TimeCutter 42" with the larger engine
3. Bad Boy MZ 
4. Cub Cadet RZTL 42 in. 23 HP (looks like best bang for the buck)

They all use the same transmission, comes down to price/features.

Thoughts?


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Alright, going with this one!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-RZT-L-42-in-23-HP-Kohler-V-Twin-Gas-Dual-Hydrostatic-Zero-Turn-Riding-Mower-RZT-L-42/300214687

Has outstanding reviews and I learned I can rebuild the EZT hydros if I ever need to. Will do a full review once I purchase!


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

My parents just bought a Hustler Raptor SD 48". That thing seriously impressed me. I used to run an old Dixon 5022 and the Hustler puts it to shame. I borrowed it this weekend to mow a property I take care of and the grass was probably a bit to high and I was cutting a bit to low but the thing never even bogged down and did a great job dispersing the clippings.

The Hustler dealers around here will finance 0% down and 0% interest for 48 months.


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

Kustrud said:


> Alright, going with this one!
> 
> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-RZT-L-42-in-23-HP-Kohler-V-Twin-Gas-Dual-Hydrostatic-Zero-Turn-Riding-Mower-RZT-L-42/300214687
> 
> Has outstanding reviews and I learned I can rebuild the EZT hydros if I ever need to. Will do a full review once I purchase!


I would buy a used commercial deck before I bought a new mower from a big box store. The mowers at big box stores are often made by the same place (MTD) and different branding stuck on it. The most important things to consider in a ZTR, IMO, are motor/hydros, thickness and type of deck (welded/fab'd), and warranty. Not that warranties mean a lot to some, but they can give you insight in to estimated reliability. Trust me, these companies put a lot of math in to their warranties. The Kubota I purchased was 4 year/300 hour and the equivalent JD was 2 year/120 hour. It just gave me peace of mind.

Another thing I considered when buying a mower was repair return time. Some dealers around here have the bulk of their repair business as tractors. As a result, a residential mower isn't top priority when an $85k tractor comes in and a farmer is out of work until it's fixed. Next thing you know you're waiting weeks.

Don't get caught up in features. Those should be an after thought.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

Kustrud said:


> 2. Toro TimeCutter 42" with the larger engine
> 
> Thoughts?


Not sure what TimeCutter model you had it mind, but I would consider the 42" TimeCutter® MX4200 (74766). It has a 10-gauge fabricated deck.


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## windycityrider (Mar 9, 2018)

I am in a similar situation. I have narrowed down my decision to two models:
Toro Timecutter MX4250 or the Scag Liberty Z 48.


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

If I've been paying attention to his videos lately @wardconnor uses a combination of mowers at different heights for his yard.

Would it be feasible for you and your budget to not sell the reel mower, do a smaller part of your yard (say the front) reel low, and the zero turn for the majority?


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

Different mowers for different things. A rotary mower is a must for vacuuming or cutting tall(er).


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## Austin (Apr 30, 2018)

I have a Hustler Raptor SD 54" with the Kawasaki FR691V. I bought about one month ago. It has 2.2 hours on it as of today that I will be selling soon. It has the mulch kit installed and I just installed a set of Gator G5 blades last week. There is nothing wrong with it, starts on a dime with little effort. I do not like the way it cuts my tall fescue. Only reason for selling.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Alright, thanks everyone for the input first of all!

I'll tell you what I have learned and what I ended up with!

1. Box-Store zero turns will cut your grass and may last years for some people, but they are just made much cheaper than commercial units. The hydros, frame, and deck (minus some with a fab deck) are in a completely different league. I always research this stuff too much and then end up where I would be unhappy with anything other than the "best."

2. My New Mower - Picked Up Today! It's a John Deere 325. (somewhere from 1998-2000 - need to check serial number). 544 hours and it literally looks new. 10 Gauge deck, Tuff Torq K70 hydro, hydraulic deck raise, etc. It's a beast. Deck has casters all around, full floating, and front casters too. 48" 3 blade deck. This should outlast my kids if I take care of it, and I don't have any yet! They are supposed to cut really nice and it has a forward pedal and a reverse pedal - not quite as quick as a zero-turn but still very nice to use. Has an actual steering box as well - nice and tight like a car. I figured I could also use it to pull things without worry and any other yardwork I could not do with a zero-turn or cheap tractor. The deal popped up out of nowhere and I only paid $1,200 for it, which in this shape is a STEAL!


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

Congrats on the JD 325!

Here's some info for you - http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/5/8/584-john-deere-325.html


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

Here's a JD Family Tree..










JD 325 would be similar to an X5xx model today. :thumbup:


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> Congrats on the JD 325!
> 
> Here's some info for you - http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/5/8/584-john-deere-325.html


Yes - I've seen this haha! I have looked for a nice 318/316 for a while so I know a decent amount. I never really knew much about the 325 and I saw it pop up on FB yesterday, I could tell from the pics it was taken care of. So i read as much as I could last night and made up my mind!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> Here's a JD Family Tree..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's pretty neat! And yes, I agree - I compared it to today's 500 - so that's nice to hear! I think I did alright!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Kustrud said:


> ericgautier said:
> 
> 
> > Congrats on the JD 325!
> ...


318s are great tractors. Unless you want to mow with one! They aren't bad at all but man, newer mowers are so much better at mowing. But a 318 will usually out-pull one!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> Here's a JD Family Tree..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That tree is interesting but comes up short by over-generalizing the different models. I would not lump the RERs in with the Lightning platform tractors (HD/Lowes) as the RERs cost quite a bit more than the bottom half of the box-store line and were built to last.

And where is the STX series? Of which they sold tens of thousands! And same for the the 100 series, 160,165,170,175,180,185 etc. and the LTs. LX series tractors lumped in with the GT series? :lol: same frames, engines and decks, world of difference with the transmissions however! And no X300 Machine has ever gotten close to what a GT was, let alone the old 200 series. A 216 would pick it's teeth with an X300! :nod:

Life sure was simpler when you just had to pick a 100, 200, 300, or 400 series model. :bandit:


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

MasterMech said:


> That tree is interesting but comes up short by over-generalizing the different models. I would not lump the RERs in with the Lightning platform tractors (HD/Lowes) as the RERs cost quite a bit more than the bottom half of the box-store line and were built to last.
> 
> And where is the STX series? Of which they sold tens of thousands! And same for the the 100 series, 160,165,170,175,180,185 etc. and the LTs. LX series tractors lumped in with the GT series? :lol: same frames, engines and decks, world of difference with the transmissions however! And no X300 Machine has ever gotten close to what a GT was, let alone the old 200 series. A 216 would pick it's teeth with an X300! :nod:
> 
> Life sure was simpler when you just had to pick a 100, 200, 300, or 400 series model. :bandit:


I believe that family tree has been revised a million times to add/delete lineage. :lol: I just posted the first tree I saw.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@Kustrud Now you have me scanning CL for older JD's near me and it's not good....not good at all. I found some beauties! My wife just rolled her eyes when I casually brought it up. Worth a try.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> @Kustrud Now you have me scanning CL for older JD's near me and it's not good....not good at all. I found some beauties! My wife just rolled her eyes when I casually brought it up. Worth a try.


 :lol: old JDs are awesome. I really want a 110 RF.










:bandit:


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

ericgautier said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > @Kustrud Now you have me scanning CL for older JD's near me and it's not good....not good at all. I found some beauties! My wife just rolled her eyes when I casually brought it up. Worth a try.
> ...


Those are awesome! Sometimes I wonder about those hard seats though. I will seriously consider an older John Deere for my next tractor and I want an actual garden tractor for the heavier frame so I can do more with it if I want to.


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Did some cutting today, cuts the lawn beautifully!! Deck has four casters on corners and one in the front, does great!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> @Kustrud Now you have me scanning CL for older JD's near me and it's not good....not good at all. I found some beauties! My wife just rolled her eyes when I casually brought it up. Worth a try.


Hahaha yeah! I just wanted something that cuts well and I know will last! Think I found it!!


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## Kustrud (Jun 23, 2017)

Just ordered the new hi-lift Gator Blades for the 325!


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## Grass Whisper (Jun 13, 2018)

Hey friend, I have a Hustler Fastrak 54 and traded up from a Raptor SD 54. For me, I feel like it rides better, cuts better and makes me happy every time I get on it. I had the no finance deal for 60 months. Just paid it off actually. I looked them all over and chose the Fastrak in the end. My mower has the mulching kit installed from day one and mows my Empire Zoysia well. (Dulls blades though like a champ) I have no regrets at all. I like to buy commercial equipment due to buy it once thinking. Best of luck in your choice.


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