Thoughts on Redesigned ZT XD?

tiburon

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After months of research I went home a few weeks ago with a brand spankin' new 2017 ZT XD. Looking for impressions from other owners, or folks that considered purchase.

Personally I am very impressed with the new design. Kudos to the Ariens/Gravely engineers. They obviously put a lot of thought into this one. It looks like they flowed down a lot of the ideas they incorporated into their Pro-Turn line a couple years ago. I really did not see much that competed with it at this price point.

Bruce
 

Mr. Ed

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Same here. I spent literally months online doing research, watching youtube videos, visiting dealerships, speaking with folks who owned various machines, and volunteering at a church so I could use their machines (a Gravely 252Z and Kubota 60" diesel ZT).

Pretty much every machine on the market will do a decent job of cutting grass, and all would have been more than adequate for my needs initially (my small yard plus about 5 acres of community property that I love to maintain). Factors that swayed my decision to buy the 48" ZT HD with the Kawasaki engine:

Gravely reputation and dependability
Good dealer nearby, willing to work with me on price. Still expensive, but we get what we pay for in this case... quality doesn't come cheap.
Choice of good engines
Sold by servicing dealers, not big box stores
and by far the biggest factor was periodic maintenance requirements.

The Kubota that I use at the church has 11 zerk fittings! That's a heck of a lot of greasing almost every time we use it (yes, I know we probably go overboard, but grease is cheaper than replacement parts), and it's a pain in the neck. My own Kubota BX1860 with a 60" MMM has a bunch of zerk fittings too, and it's also a pain to maintain. The Gravely's spindles are sealed, and (theoretically) maintenance free. I've read through the owner's manual and cannot find a single grease fitting, anywhere. I'd be grateful if somebody would point out any that I've missed, and thanks in advance for that.

It wasn't an easy choice, but I'm very happy with the purchase. I've been able to use it for a total of .5 hours so far (it just showed up yesterday), and I'm looking forward to spending lots of quality time on it.

edit:

I forgot to give a big shout out to Annapolis Lawn & Garden. :thumbsup::thumbsup: Super nice folks to deal with.
 
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