Why buy a zero turn mower

Bethieboo

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Hey there, I was just a little curious as to why a person would buy a zero turn mower. What are some of the benefits of this kind of mower and in what places/situations are they useful.
 

Walt 2002

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Hey there, I was just a little curious as to why a person would buy a zero turn mower. What are some of the benefits of this kind of mower and in what places/situations are they useful.

They are a lot more maneuverable than the typical lawn mower/tractor. Especially helpful around trees, bushes, flower beds and other obstructions.

Also a heck of a lot more fun to run.

Walt Conner
 

173abn

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Bethieboo,I cut approx.2 of my 10 acres.I used to cut it with cheap riders,can't tell you how many I wore out.Then I bought a Yanmar compact tractor and a 4' finish mower.Took me about 3 hrs to do because I have a number of trees and such to mow around.This year I made my mind up I was going to save my pennies and get me a ZTR. I was going to get the BadBoy with the Cat diesel but I found a good deal on CraigsList for a Grasshopper front mount deck with a 28hp Kubota diesel and a 3hr. job has turned into less than an hour.I cut my ditch and never felt safe on my Yanmar so it was push mower on it,now with the 61"deck I don't have that pucker factor.plus it so much more fun to cut I find myself looking for more areas to cut. russ
 

noodle

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Zero turn mowers are very durable. So while you would expect to pay more for it you are going to get something that is going to be able to get the job done AND offers maneuverability.
 

DakotaMM

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I have never understood the difference between a zero turn mower and a regular mower. Where does a zero turn mower get its name from. Does that mean it can turn around in the same spot?
 

mowsby

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The zero turn mower was designed and first used to cut the grass in large stadiums. They cut grass quick and do a nice job. A zero turn mower does not leave those ugly patches behind that a regular mower sometimes leaves.
 

Wayne195

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We have had a zeroturn for years and every time I drive a lawn tractor I wonder why everyone has lawn tractors, they're so hard to manuever around trees. Zeroturns are+++++
 

stanley

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I have never understood the difference between a zero turn mower and a regular mower. Where does a zero turn mower get its name from. Does that mean it can turn around in the same spot?


You can basically keep going around in circles all day long without going anywhere. It's perfect if you have a large yard with a lot of tree's. In a couple of years, I want to have one myself.
 

RobertBrown

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My neighbor has a zero trun mower and he can cut grass faster than I can walk, and I can walk pretty fast. As long as the grass is not too high you can really go on a ZTR. In Florida you can't be in the lawn business without one. Most people who want to be competative use a "Dixie Chopper" brand. They come with comparatively huge engines(up to 40hp), you can get then with kubota diesels if you choose. They can easily cost 10k in a good market, but they cut 74" wide and they say you will cut 8.9 acres an hour.
I personnally would want a liitle more versatility if I were to spend that much money, so a compact tractor makes more sense to me. I might spend a little more time mowing but you can't hook a boxblade to your ZTR:wink:.
 
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Ric

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My neighbor has a zero trun mower and he can cut grass faster than I can walk, and I can walk pretty fast. As long as the grass is not too high you can really go on a ZTR. In Florida you can't be in the lawn business without one. Most people who want to be competative use a "Dixie Chopper" brand. They come with comparatively huge engines(up to 40hp), you can get then with kubota diesels if you choose. They can easily cost 10k in a good market, but they cut 74" wide and they say you will cut 8.9 acres an hour.
I personnally would want a liitle more versatility if I were to spend that much money, so a compact tractor makes more sense to me. I might spend a little more time mowing but you can't hook a boxblade to your ZTR:wink:.


Hey there, I was just a little curious as to why a person would buy a zero turn mower. What are some of the benefits of this kind of mower and in what places/situations are they useful.
Most Homeowners don't go to the extent of buying a ZTR, it's really not a cost effective thing to do considering there lot sizes. If you own a Lawn Business, that would be a different story. Lawn businesses that are cutting 10,15 or 20 lawns a day save considerable time with a ZTR. One benefit of the ZTR is Deck sizes that range from 36" to 72" below is a little chat taken off one of the mower sites so you can compare cutting times of Deck sizes. the other big benefit is maneuverability, you can turn them on a dime and they also have a far better cut than most lawn tractors.
If you're thinking of purchasing a ZTR for your home, price wise you can get one from $1699 to 3K from Home Depot and you can get some of the higher end residential mowers from a dealer starting at or from 3K to 8K and if you want to go to the commercial mowers like Cub Cadet, Hustler, Scag, Exmark and others look forward to spending from 7K to 15K. A ZTR is a great mower if you have a reason to have and spend the money on one.


Deck Size
Benefit Cutting Time (2 acres)
42" Deck --- 2 hrs.
46" Deck
10% faster than a 42" deck 1 hr. 48 min.
50" Deck 17% faster than a 42" deck 1 hr. 40 min.
54" Deck 24% faster than a 42" deck 1 hr. 30 min.

 
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