Looking for First Zero Turn

Hello! I've had a contractor cut my lawn the past two years and now I'd like to start doing it myself. There is approximately .75 acre of cutting area. It is mostly flat with a very slight slope away from the house in all directions. There is a fence around a portion of the yard and a couple trees. Otherwise, it's pretty open space. There are portions of the back yard that get pretty wet and with all the rain we've had this year, stays wet for quite some time. I originally started looking at tractors, but then worked my way over to zero turns for the increased maneuverability and speed. While I'm sure a zero turn with the EZT transmissions would work fine on my property, I'd like to go a step-up in that area for increased longevity. I'm open for the discussion if members believe I can get 10+ years out of the EZT transmission models. However, I'm thinking ZT-2800 or ZT-3100 for something that will last at least 10 years or more. I have a few local dealers that sell various brands including Cub Cadet, Ferris, Scag, Bad Boy, Toro, and Gravely. I haven't looked further away, but I believe there is an eXmark and Hustler dealer farther out.

EZT: Bad Boy MZ-Magnum, Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1, Gravely ZT-X, Toro Timecutter MX

ZT-2800: Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2, Ferris 400S, Gravely ZT-XL, Scag Liberty Z

ZT-3100: Bad Boy ZT-Elite, Gravely ZT-HD, Toro Timecutter HD

Here are some of my thoughts based on internet research and a quick peek at some of them. I'm looking for your feedback on things I may be missing or overlooking since I've never used a zero turn before. If I'm out of line with my assumptions, please let me know there as well.

Bad Boy: Seems to be built very well with a lot of steel, however the 2 year warranty seems very short compared to all others. Electronic deck height - not sure if this is a good thing or not. I have not seen it in person yet. I believe it's in the upper 4's.

Cub Cadet: They are releasing a new line called Ultima. I've seen some YouTube videos and looked at the details on the web site. Seems very impressive. The ZT2 model offers ZT-2800 hydro's and a Kawasaki FR730 for ~$3700. 3 year unlimited hour warranty and lifetime warranty on deck/frame - sounds good. You can select the deck height from a dial on the operator panel. I have not seen it in person because it just came out.

Ferris: The suspension sounds like a great feature, and this unit is about 100 lbs. heavier than the other zero turns in the ZT-2800 class. I assume this is a good thing that provides added stability. I like the 8mph forward ground speed - faster than any other zero turn in the ZT-2800 class. The 4 year warranty is nice. Looks real nice in person. Deck height looks like a pin into a panel with many holes each with a different height - is this good/bad versus the electronic or control from the operator panel? I've seen several others the same way. ~$4300

Gravely: Don't know much about these at all.. Have not seen them in person. From what I've read, provides good value for money spent. I heard the ZT-X does not make for an easy oil change. I heard the HD model is a great bang for the buck, but you're pushing ~$5000-$5200. 3 year warranty and 5 year on deck/frame.

Scag: Comes with a 5 year homeowner warranty, which is the best I've seen. I've heard the cut is really nice on this one. Looks nice in person. ~$4300

Toro: They don't have a ZT-2800 model, unless you go with the MX with a 60" deck, which I believe is too wide for me. The only other option then is the Timecutter HD with the ZT-3100 hydros. I saw it in person and it was very nice. That is close to ~$5000. It did not have the MyRide suspension. The specs seem really nice and it has 8.5mph forward ground speed which is nice. It has the Toro commercial V-twin engine in it. I haven't seen any bad reviews about this engine, but don't know much else about it. It appears you can buy a maintenance kit that will allow you to extend the warranty to 4 years (instead of the standard 3).

When looking at all of these models, I'm somewhere in the upper 3's (Cub Cadet), to low 4's (Ferris, Gravely, Scag), to upper 4's/low 5's (Bad Boy, Toro, Gravely). I'm looking for something that will be reliable, cut well (seeing stripes would be nice) and as fast as possible, easy to maintain, and last me for quite some time.

Thoughts, comments, feedback? Should I be looking at any other brands? Am I missing anything here?

Thanks!

You may want to do some reading on each models forums, see what the other members are posting about, although I DON'T own a Z mower, I have friends that do, it always comes to mind that most issues seem to be servicing the engine, (things hard to access) and transaxle / pump issues, being they're heavier machines they might just give you some nice "irrigation-ditches" in a very wet lawn, no matter what you derive from the opinions of others, in the very end the decision is your's alone to make, and YOU .. will have to live with it, good or bad, ALL machines have their good and bad points, you may visit a few dealers and take a really LONNNNG close-up look at the different machines, the only way a machine will last a very long time is with faithful maintenance, and common sense during operation, you can also ask opinions from lawn-service people you see in your area, these guys make their living with their machines and they're opinions will differ greatly from a salespersons.. do your research and best of luck in your quest ! .. :thumbsup:

I vote for the Scag Liberty. Excellent quality, excellent cut, excellent brand recognition/resale and excellent warranty.

I bought a $3699 SNAPPER 360Z-25/52, 25hp Briggs 52” deck, last spring. HydroGear 2800s. Ez on-off rear cargo deck. Largest in the 360z series. Smaller 360z models have have the EZT hydros. I would have preferred Kawasaki but this one runs great. I snapped in an optional Briggs hour meter for $20. Good bargain for your $buck. SNAPPER, SNAPPER PRO, SIMPLICITY, and FERRIS all owned by Briggs and Stratton. (I have a SNAPPER PRO S150xt 52” Kawasaki at my parents to cut their 3.5 acres. This smaller 360z has the same rugged quality in the build!

I'm not a professional by any means but I'll put in my two cents since I recently went from a lawn tractor to a ZT as a first time user. Your acreage is not too overwhelming so deck size is not much of an issue, but I've found the ZT to be much more sensitive to wet/soggy conditions than my tractor was. I have to let the ground dry out quite a bit before I can use my ZT without rutting up the yard. The weight distribution with the engine in the rear makes the rear tires carry most of the load whereas the tractor is a little more balanced. With that said, I love my ZT because it cut my mowing time in half. I have a Toro model that's no longer available I bought used from a NASA mechanic who kept it cherry condition. This forum was a big help in my decision making, opting for ZT2800 or better with Kawa power on a well made frame. I kept my tractor as a back up and also to use when the yard won't dry out fast enough.

I'm in the same boat- trying to decide on my first ZT. I have maybe an acre or so, but it's spread all over the place, up and down hills, and lots of obstacles. It takes forever on my old 28" Snapper rider because I spend more time turning around than I do mowing. The only machine I've actually looked at in person so far was the Bobcat CZR. Built like a tank, and 5 year warranty. It has 2800's. Their EZR has 3100's but is WAY more expensive. The only upgrades are the hydros, a better seat, and bigger tires. Not much for $1600. I'm going to look at a Husqvarna MZ48. 3100 hydros, 22" rear tires, and low to mid $4's. Unless there's something wrong with it, it seems like the best bang for the buck. Most brands really jump up in price for the 3100's. I'm also going to check out Kubota soon, too. I've read that 2800's are a '1000 hour' expected life. I figure on maybe 40 hours per year, tops. That's 25 years- I'll be 90 then!

I don't know how much better the 3100's are. I've read on forums that the 3100 has cut gears, versus stamped gears on the 2800, but so far that's hearsay; I haven't seen that from an official source. I've heard pros and cons on the various engine options as well. To be honest, .75 acres is pretty small for a ZT. I think you're making too much of the top speed of the different machines; I doubt you'll be able to use full speed much of the time, if at all. Under a lot of conditions, you have to slow down anyway. Top speed vs. mowing speed are usually two different things.

I too am in the same boat. I have 1.3 acres and many obstacles, one ditch 150' long. I would like to know which mowers, ( ztr ) are quality, have at minimum 2800 axles, and Kawasaki power but almost all places don't seem to know what transaxles are in their mowers. Perhaps they are trying to snow me on what transaxles are installed in each. I have looked at Gravely, Ariens, Toro, Hustler, etc... I would like it to last 10 years, and I'd like to pay less than four grand. Any suggestions as to who makes what would be appreciated. Thank you, lots of good information here.