ZTR vs Compact Tractor

[bckskin2]

I mow around 5 acres some trees, some pine tree, a hill and some ditches. I have a JD X500 and a New Holland TC30 with a finish mower. The finish mower is OK for pastures, but scalps badly.I get tired of doing all the mowing with the JD as it kills my back. I want a ROPS for the ditches. I have a good JD, Exmark, and Dixon & NH. dealers close. I keep waffling between a ZTR and a compact tractor. The ZTR is pretty much a one trick pony, but does that trick really well. A compact with a mid mount can do a lot of things. I might even get crazy and trade the NH in on a newer tractor with a mid mount.
Suggestions?

 

[Vanousb]

If you are mowing for a lawn look or looking to cut your mowing time, i would go zrt. Seems you have tractors for doing tractor stuff.

You mentioned trees and ditches, but what about hills? Gates? All questions to influence which zrt? What is your budget? A better zrt that will last will cost more than a lowes or other box store residential. Easy to get up into big dollars quick.

I have an 2013 Exmark pioneer s series 60 inch cut with 27 hp kohler. You mention jd killin your back. I have comfort seat on my pioneer and its good. Better than others i drove when looking. Looking at total suspension seat for even better. Each brand usually has seat upgrade. I Went from 2.5 hour to 1 in mowing time. Have 3 plus acres that was field, so still little rough, with slight hill on back end with more area in future that i mow. I wanted more commercial like mower features with long term durability, great traction, power, big fabricated mowing deck, etc. as well as smoother ride. Also wanted local dealer i trust and a warranty i valued...so Exmark it is for me. Drove gravely, bad boys, and hustlers along with the exmark before deciding. The pioneer just felt the best to me for money paid. I suggest driving a demo of each you are looking at to feel the difference.

The makers you mention will all have there own models to meet your needs. What does your new holland carry for zrts? NH here carries bad boys and kubota mowers.

The folks on this site will be very helpful with opinions. They were to me. Each is serious about thier choice of mower they own and will tell the pros and cons of it.

Be sure, with zrts, that you compare apples to apples...each brand has residental level, almost commercial level, and commercial level mowers.

 

[Shughes717]

Do you use your tractor for anything other than mowing, such as gardening or pulling trailers? If so then you will be disappointed in a zero turn. If you are only mowing and you want a great cut in half the time then a commercial zero turn is the only way to go. I mow 4.2 acres and I will never own anything other than a zero turn. I don't want to spend 5 hours on my short weekends mowing. Completely agree with the post about trying the mowers before you buy. Some dealers around here will bring a mower to a potential customer's property and let them demo their product. Probably not a good idea to purchase any mower brand that does not have a dealer in your area. If you ever do need to get parts it could be a nightmare. You mentioned having ditches to mow and 5 acres. You will need at least a semi commercial ztr so be prepared to spend somewhere between 5000 and 7000.

 

[bckskin2]

The Dixon dealer will let my try a unit at home.

 

[BKBrown]

If you have hills and could use some additional attachments --- check out the Ventrac Tractors.
www.ventrac.com/‎

The 4231 is in my avatar.

 

[Vanousb]

The Dixon dealer will let my try a unit at home.

That is what my Exmark dealer did for me. Brought the demo to my house and let me mow my entire yard to see how it felt. Gravely, Hustler, and Bad Boy dealers let me ride it in the space beside the dealerships. Got a feel for all four, but liked to know how it was ride on my own yard.

 

[Rd05lly]

I was kicking the idea around too. I went ZTR as mostly used for mowing most compact are under powered for anything but mowing. You have a tractor i would keep it and get a ZTR.

 

[Buckeye10]

Buy an ExMark. When I worked for a landscaping company out of high school for 2 years that is all they had. The owners did zero maintenance at all to these things. Their idea of an oil change was to add some. The oil was jet black. They never did one oil change during the 2 years I worked there and my buddy who worked there also can back this up. I couldn't believe the way they took care of their equipment. 4 years later I saw my old company mowing on the exact same ExMarks. They are just tough and durable machines. That was back in 2003. I bought mine in 2008. It still runs like its brand new. I actually do oil changes unlike my old employer but I would definitely recommend this mower to anyone.

 

[bckskin2]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Shughes717]

Most of your ztr manufacturers offer the same engines and pumps so the comment about choosing a brand because the oil didn't have to be changed makes no sense. You should look for local dealer support, and the brand that you felt most comfortable with. They will all ride and handle a little different. Everyone on here that owns a zero turn can give you good insight on the some of the things that made them choose their mower over the other brands they looked at, but I can tell you that they are all fine mowers. You should test the mowers and choose the one you think is the best fit for your job. They all have specific strengths. Some brands have better dealer support in your area that I may not have in my area. I see the gravely mowers on here frequently. Look like great mowers, but I don't have a dealer near my area. Some will offer a mower with top end components for the same price that other brands offer for mowers with mid level components.