First Time ZTR - Kubota, Deere, Dog, Hustler

Hi all,

I'm trying to decide between the following mowers for about an acre of uneven grass with a large amount of trees and some big dips and ditches. All decks are at 42" because of some gates on the property. Have had nothing but problems with the Poulan tractor we currently own due to the terrain (deck keeps getting misadjusted, belt comes off, etc.). The deck also gets stepped on due to a family member with a disability driving it, which makes a strong deck a priority for the new mower.

Kubota Kommander z122rkw $5400 with 0% 5 years
- Appears the heaviest duty but also the most expensive. I also hear that they have fairly short lifespans? Four year warranty

Big Dog Alpha $4520 no financing
- A grand less than the Kubota and seemed appropriately less heavey duty but still solid. No financing though. Longest (7 year) warranty

Hustler Raptor $4316 0% 2 years
- None in stock so I couldn't look at them but I understand they and Big Dog are the same mowers? 3 year warranty

John Deere Z335E $3616 with 0% for 12 months
- Appears the least durable and stamped deck makes me worry that it won't withstand my yard/family member. Two grand less than Kubota. 2 year warranty.

Could I get some recommendations/opinions on these?

Thanks!

I don’t think you are looking at anything but price by the way your post reads..First of all you get what you pay for and I would stay away from the JD. Warranty, big dog is only 3 years 4-7 are parts only 300 hour limit, read it carefully. Your now have the prices, but carefully compare everything else. Thickness of metal, engine size, engine make, construction, ease of use and customer maintained, dealership support, etc. Big Box stores or online mean you buy it and we are no longer around to help you, dealers are there to support you. My vote is Kubota, I don’t know where you got the short life span. After comparing getting input, go with your gut and not what you read, you know that has worked for you in the past. We have our favorites, but we don’t have your situation and you know what will work best for you.

The Kubota Commander is not that great of a mower. I have seen too many of them that bit the dust with few hours on them. Honestly the 100 series Kubota mowers are not hitting on much. If you are going to go with Kubota set up to a 200 or 300 series mower or what ever numbers they have on them now.

Look at Scag as well they are incredible.

Rivets said:

I don’t think you are looking at anything but price by the way your post reads..First of all you get what you pay for and I would stay away from the JD. Warranty, big dog is only 3 years 4-7 are parts only 300 hour limit, read it carefully. Your now have the prices, but carefully compare everything else. Thickness of metal, engine size, engine make, construction, ease of use and customer maintained, dealership support, etc. Big Box stores or online mean you buy it and we are no longer around to help you, dealers are there to support you. My vote is Kubota, I don’t know where you got the short life span. After comparing getting input, go with your gut and not what you read, you know that has worked for you in the past. We have our favorites, but we don’t have your situation and you know what will work best for you.

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Price isn't the only concern, but of course it is a major consideration. I don't mind spending more to get a better quality mower as long as it's worth the price, hence the $2k range. I posted the prices so people who know can say "Yes, that's the appropriate cost for that mower" or "At those price points the best per dollar value is the ______". I didn't post all the other details because they don't change from dealer to dealer. Also why I only wrote the broadstrokes of the warranties. A spec sheet is a spec sheet, I'm hoping for some real world knowledge.

As for the Kubota, the dealer himself said the lifespans were under ten years, which shocked me. Google has a lot of people posting problems with them (however they are for earlier versions that had a recall) and the person posting below you also wrote that they have a bad rep. They seem to have such solid build quality though, which is why those reports are so surprising.

*Prices are in Canadian

Wayoung said:

Price isn't the only concern, but of course it is a major consideration. I don't mind spending more to get a better quality mower as long as it's worth the price, hence the $2k range. I posted the prices so people who know can say "Yes, that's the appropriate cost for that mower" or "At those price points the best per dollar value is the ______". I didn't post all the other details because they don't change from dealer to dealer. Also why I only wrote the broadstrokes of the warranties. A spec sheet is a spec sheet, I'm hoping for some real world knowledge.

As for the Kubota, the dealer himself said the lifespans were under ten years, which shocked me. Google has a lot of people posting problems with them (however they are for earlier versions that had a recall) and the person posting below you also wrote that they have a bad rep. They seem to have such solid build quality though, which is why those reports are so surprising.

*Prices are in Canadian

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The upper price Kubota are built like a tank. The Commander series are not much better than big box junk.

jekjr said:

The upper price Kubota are built like a tank. The Commander series are not much better than big box junk.

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That's what I keep seeing online but the thing felt like a rock when I was checking it out. Weather was too bad to give it a ride though. Everything I had heard about Kubota in the past had made it my #1 choice, especially with the financing, until I googled this specific model.

jekjr said:

The Kubota Commander is not that great of a mower. I have seen too many of them that bit the dust with few hours on them. Honestly the 100 series Kubota mowers are not hitting on much. If you are going to go with Kubota set up to a 200 or 300 series mower or what ever numbers they have on them now.

Look at Scag as well they are incredible.

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Just a couple of questions about how you have formed your opinions from a newbie:

1. Are you in the lawn mower repair business and that is how you have seen so many Kubota Z100 series with issues? How do you know they are junk?

2. What is your opinion on the Scag Freedom Z vs Exmark Radius E vs Gravely ZTHD?

Thanks

Wayoung said:

That's what I keep seeing online but the thing felt like a rock when I was checking it out. Weather was too bad to give it a ride though. Everything I had heard about Kubota in the past had made it my #1 choice, especially with the financing, until I googled this specific model.

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After riding and analyzing several brands, I purchased a Kubota Z421. It was clearly built like a tank.

Most brands are built from the same components, namely the engines and transmissions. So I question why my Kubota would not last as long as anything else using the Kawasaki engines and HG transmissions.

I spent about 2k more than my original budget. I felt the 400 series with the FS engine and 3600 transmissions was the sweetspot for me and the way I will use the machine. In fact, it was priced within a few hundred dollars of other options with comparable components.

I have only 6 hours on it so far.

I grew up using a Dixon for approximately 10 years and had zero issues. This had a plastic body mounted on the frame and the mower deck probably didn't compare to anything made today. So, I'm unsure of how any of these mowers are not "durable" at this price point. Just a different perspective I guess and I likely wouldn't have any issue with the newly designed stamped deck on the John Deere. It's pretty substantial as far as stamped decks go and at that price point. I guess it all depends on what you're mowing. I'll go to the bat wing if I need to mow anything thick or brush/crp.

tragusa3 said:

After riding and analyzing several brands, I purchased a Kubota Z421. It was clearly built like a tank.

Most brands are built from the same components, namely the engines and transmissions. So I question why my Kubota would not last as long as anything else using the Kawasaki engines and HG transmissions.

I spent about 2k more than my original budget. I felt the 400 series with the FS engine and 3600 transmissions was the sweetspot for me and the way I will use the machine. In fact, it was priced within a few hundred dollars of other options with comparable components.

I have only 6 hours on it so far.

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How do you like your Z421? I have been looking to keep my price in the $5K range and favoring the Gravely ZT HD 52" but I am thinking that it might be worth it to spend another $1,500 or so to get something a little beefier that will last me even longer.

If I make the jump up to the Z421, the other mower I will probably look at is the new Scag Patriot. What else did you look at?

Thanks