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what kind of zero turn mower is best?

brianmanahan

brianmanahan

Lifer
i am looking into zero turn mowers for a family member and wondered if the H&G pros had any positive or negative experiences.

considering country clipper for the single joystick control and front-liftable deck.
 
I've had an Exmark Quest with a 50" cut for over three years. No complaints. It was the higher end of the homeowner's version when I bought it. It was also available with a fabricated steel deck versus the stamped deck I have. I didn't see much point in spending more for the higher end cutting deck to mow the lawn once a week or so.

It has a Kawasaki twin on it.
 
You open a can of worms asking this question lol. ZTR mower crowd is more loyal than truck guys!

What's the budget. Gotta know that first. These things run from $2999 to $20k.
 
How many acres are you cutting?
What type of terrain?
Budget?

I shopped all the major brands 6 or 7 years ago, and have never even heard of Country Clipper.
 
my dad has the exmark zhp with a 52 in deck and 23 hp air cooled kawasaki. it has a few hundred hrs on it and has been great. he bought it used from a commercial guy and has just had to replace the deck bearings once, otherwise great. He mows 3 acres of grass at about 9 mph and it looks great when he is done.
 
Think really hard about whether you need a zero turn. The cost of a high-end ZTR could also put you into a nice garden or sub-compact tractor - which can mow grass just fine as well as upgrade to a front end loader, backhoe, post-hole digger, woodsplitter etc.

A quality ZTR is a huge price to pay for a single-purpose machine, and unless you do it professionally where speed is money I think it's a huge waste.
 
A decent SCUT is $15k. With attachments they are $20k+. A decent ZTR mower for 3-5 acres costs $5k. They are pretty far a part price wise.
 
Zero turns and compact tractors are completely different beasts that serve different purposes. Even a compact tractor with a finishing mower will take longer to cut a big yard than a zero turn. Zero turns are about cutting grass fast and easily maneuver around obstacles.

My Hustler was around $4K and is suitable for my 2 acres. My father in law has a Ferris which is much nicer with its full suspension, but he mows 5+ acres with it and has a bad back. I believe he is in $10-12K on that Ferris.
 
Yea, I'm just saying ... 10-12k buys a whole lot of tractor. I see nice Deere 1025s and Kubota BX series in that range all the time, and a front end loader is a wonderful thing to have when you need it.

Spending 5 figures on the ferrari of lawn mowers hurts the first time you have a fallen tree to clean up or a pile of mulch to move.
 
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I can't really give a recommendation under $5k. They are all pretty much the same at that price point. Just using brand I'd probably recommend a Toro at that price point.

A new brand called Spartan sells a ridiculously beefy ZTR for $4999. Its 54". It is 10x the mower that you'd get at a box store. It may be too much mower though. They designer from Bad Boy mowers broke off and started his own mower company after a disagreement with the owner. I own one and it is a beast. I've got the 61" model.

800_c57f143f5b0e385beb854d358e0a3db411dc8405.jpg


https://spartanmowers.com/mower/rt-series/
 
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Those Spartans look like nice machines. The seats look very comfortable and like the deck edge guards.
 
My local dealer said Spartan is pretty much selling them at cost right now to get their name out there. I can believe him. Looking at them in person puts the other brands to shame for the price. They are made in Arkansas.
 
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