Need new mower for 3 acres

[soloz2]

I have just over an acre and while a zero turn would have been better as I have trees (I stopped counting at 100 obstacles to mow around) my wife didn't think she could manage a zero turn and wasn't interested in test driving one. I got a Cub Cadet XT2 lawn tractor with fabricated deck and EFI engine. It starts right up, no choke to mess with and she feels comfortable behind the wheel, which means some days I come home from work and the lawn is already mowed. Priceless.

Things like hills, and comfort level can make a big difference. There are zero turn mowers with steering wheels that can handle hills, but they cost a bit more and are harder to come by.

 

[Murph1945]

I bought a Deere 425 zero turn 10 years ago. I mow about 2 acres in NE Missouri. Wife has lots of flower beds for me to mow around. No suspension so it's a rough ride but fast. Original battery lasted 9 years and I've only replaced one belt. 56 inch rigid deck with three blades. My only gripes are the bumpy ride and I sometimes do some scalping.

Except for the cost I'd love to have a commercial unit with multiple floating decks.

Remember: Where there's a will...there's a relative

 

[Falcon67]

I have a Gravely 33 and love it. All the mowers used on our university campus are Gravely. Not cheap, but seem to be good equipment.

 

[MattT]

Sounds like you should go out and spend $15,000 at least to cut your acreage. We bought a zt and I hate it. Should've kept the tractor style. We have a hill that the mower always slides on, but the tractor didn't. A broad ditch out by the road that I have to cut with a push mower, because the zt can't handle it.

If you need a rider too why not get one? Should be able to pick up a good used one for a few hundred. Or maybe just a few bucks in parts if you can find someone who'll give you their old one.

 

[larry_g]

I notice that a lot are suggesting some very wide machines. Be careful that you can get everywhere you need to go with the machine you buy. Remember there is often a chute that adds width that is over the cut width so a 60" machine becomes 70" or bigger. All the efficiency of the ZTR is lost if you have to drag out 2 or 3 other machines to finish the job. A 48" machine might be better than a 60" if it goes every where and the 60" can only get the job partially done.

Me personally I have ~ 2 acres around the house and use a 54" mower and what the mower can't get to is sprayed out. The flower beds have 6-10" of dirt between the flowers and the grass. All paths and drives are on the same level as the grass so no weed eating. I spend less than an hour cutting the grass.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[86turbodsl]

IMO the "advantage" to diesel powered equipment is dead due to a higher initial cost and higher cost of fuel (with or without tax) and the advances in oil tech that has given longer life to gas powered equipment

Higher initial cost, but 1/2-1/3 of the fuel used per acre. There's a reason tractors all use em. They're aces at high load.

 

[CJseven]

Spending the money to upgrade to a diesel just to save a little fuel to mow a 3 acre yard is ridiculous.

 

[Mudnut]

I have a Hustler MiniFastrak that has had some issues. It is only a 36" cutting deck, but I wanted something I could get through gates on other peoples properties, as I was originally going to start up a yard maintenance business. This never happened, but still use it on my 2 acres. I only have to mow about an acre of it though. Lots of trees and obstacles to mow around.

The frame, and cutting deck are great. Have had to re weld the grass output guide, as it has broken by hitting trees and such. They have gone to plastic, so they will break off when hitting objects.

Last year blew the motor, as a crank shaft came through the side. It had a 17hp Kohler motor on it. Less than 400 hours on the motor, and serviced regularly. Not willing to spend $1700 AU on a replacement Kohler, I purchased a Chinese motor to replace. It is 20hp, and fit in perfectly. Only $600 AU delivered to my house. 30 hours on this one, and oil still looks new.

As for hills, I have some rough terrain, and have to pick a time to mow when it is dry, to prevent any sliding.

All up would purchase a Zero Turn mower again. Much quicker than tractor style.

Cheers,

Ken

 

[protegeV]

Bought an Ariens IKON52 a couple years ago. Very good price and Home depot let me use the 10% off coupon for an even better price. Very impressed with it so far.

 

[Bert_]

My vote would be to mow less. Heck I'm in town and two of my lots get cut and baled about twice a summer. I mow to much as it is.

 

[iSpark]

I have 4 acres that used to take nearly all day to cut with a punny 48" rider.
But with this zero turn, holy smokes, 4 hours max and that's going easy.

I'm liking my Husqvarna MZ54
Looks right at home in the ole tool shed.

 

[48windsor]

I have 5 acres and use a 42", I know what you are saying about sick of mowing the grass so damn much. I have been looking at a 72" toro groundsmaster. I hate the position the dinky riding mowers put you in, it feels like I'm all hunched over and I'm only 5'10". Terrible for my bad back. The toro puts you sitting much more upright.

I used to operate a Toro Groundsmaster .72 in. liked the rear steer.
Power was there too. 3acres would be a breeze.
Just if it was my money I would buy comparable yellow machine .
For starters the transpedal has a toe kick for reverse which is nice my ankles dont bend backwards. Test drive them . PTO power to the deck is nice too.

 

[Snip]

With all of the responses I haven't seen much about Cub Cadet ZTR's. My future holds about 5 mowable acres and I was thinking about the Cub's 60" with the 3100 gear motors. Am I missing something here?

 

[bbxlr8]

Another opinion and option: I have a compact ford 3 cyl diesel (now New Holland) that I bought used 20 years ago (was cutting a flat 3 acres for 10Y before moving to PA and now cut more (5+) on a sloped ridge w/yard, trails, etc. Has Mid PTO for under deck 60" and super versatile at least to me (I have trees, beds etc.) but I landscape accordingly.

Agreed that the ztr are great but it has worked for me long term and paid for itself many times over. I also use the rear PTO for post hole digger and 4x6 trailer for "stuff"

 

[mrobins297aaa]

Spending the money to upgrade to a diesel just to save a little fuel to mow a 3 acre yard is ridiculous.

I think the thing your missing there is the power of a diesel, my 22hp Kubota diesel will cut threw the tallest grass without missing a beat.

 

[CJseven]

Not missing anything, I said exactly what I meant.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

I guess I misunderstood your post, I just never heard of anyone buying a diesel to save fuel. They usually by one for power and reliability, they run forever

 

[zkdiesel]

I think the thing your missing there is the power of a diesel, my 22hp Kubota diesel will cut threw the tallest grass without missing a beat.

My 27hp Kawi driving a 60” takes in the same grass as my 31 hp yanamr diesel on a 72.
The diesel is not worth the “power”.

 

[CJseven]

Yes , I completely agree.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

well we all have our opinions, I've had my Kubota bx with a 60" cut for 16 years with zero problems.

 

[aaronrkelly]

Ive used them all and still own these machines.

Kubota BX with mid mount mower
New Holland or John Deere compact tractor with 3pt finishing mower
Cub Cadet "standard" riding mower
Spartan zero turn mower

Yeah....the tractors do SOOO much more then mow.....but as mowers, they are substandard at best. Its the machine that does everything, but does nothing great. I can mow AND dig a post hole, grade a driveway, dig a sewer line etc.

Want an EXCELLENT mower.....then DONT buy a sub or compact tractor.

Zero turns are mowing machines.....period. They dont do **** else.....but damn they make tall grass short in a hurry.

I can mow 5 acres in 1/4 of the time as I can with a tractor......its THAT significant.

Not all zero turns are created equal. I see many mention extreme hills.

Yes, I wouldnt mow Mt Everest......but if you have SOME hills then you may just have to approach them differently. Its not a deal breaker.

......I mow a few pretty decent hills with mine with zero issues.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

I'm not trying to disagree with you because I don't have a zero turn so I have no room to talk about them.
I have a Kubota bx with a 60" mid mount, it will cut at 11 mph (top speed if you can stay on it), I think most zt don't even cut that fast.
I'm cutting 6 acres here, I don't have anything to go around and no trimming,
how is a zt going to save me time?

 

[aaronrkelly]

I'm not trying to disagree with you because I don't have a zero turn so I have no room to talk about them.
I have a Kubota bx with a 60" mid mount, it will cut at 11 mph (top speed if you can stay on it), I think most zt don't even cut that fast.
I'm cutting 6 acres here, I don't have anything to go around and no trimming,
how is a zt going to save me time?

Your experience or ground may vary.....but

1 - I cannot stay on my BX on most of my terrain flat out, my zero turn has a far better ride
2 - turning radius is like 6 feet on the tractor vs inside its own footprint on the ZT

These issues arent issues if your mowing a square field so I see your point in speed/width of cut being apples to apples between the two.

Im mowing about 5 acres, of which 2/3 has trees that need maneuvered around. No back and forth or jockeying the mower around.....saves a huge amount of time in my case.

I will say ONE nice feature about the 3pt finishing mower - mowing UNDER trees.....with the mower out behind I never once worried about dodging tree limbs. Gotta say that was very handy.

 

[MushCreek]

Due to lousy soil, I only mow about 10 times a year. At that rate, I'm not even sure my $4K machine will pay out in my lifetime, never mind a $15K machine. I'm 66, and enjoy mowing, but eventually I'll be too old, and I'll have to pay somebody to do it.

Before I got my ZT, I tried a Gravely walk-behind, a farm tractor with mower, a 46" rider, and a 30" Snapper rider. They all sucked on my particular property. I spent more time turning around than I did actually cutting grass.

The Husky MZ48 has one flaw- the chute doesn't fold up fully. It hits the rear fender instead. As a result, this 48" machine is a good 60" or better. The 52" fully flips up, so it is actually narrower. I fixed mine by removing the chute and putting a mulching kit on it. I got the kit to grind up my leaves in the fall, but I'm going to keep it that way year-round.

 

[zkdiesel]

I'm not trying to disagree with you because I don't have a zero turn so I have no room to talk about them.
I have a Kubota bx with a 60" mid mount, it will cut at 11 mph (top speed if you can stay on it), I think most zt don't even cut that fast.
I'm cutting 6 acres here, I don't have anything to go around and no trimming,
how is a zt going to save me time?

My 72” zero will now at 12mph and you can hold the sticks wide open all day and stay on it just fine

It will out mow my 120hp John Deere tractor pulling a 15’ batwing Just because you can’t go fast enough with that combo and mow

Poster wants to mow grass, not move snow, dig holes and pretend he’s a mighty farmer......

I have a zero turn cause it cuts grass well in the biggest hurry
I have a skidsteer because it smokes a compact tractor at all the other tasks so badly it’s not even in the the same category. Move snow, ya, 9’ blade, pick up a 72”bucket of underserbed ground? Not a problem, fork 3,000lbs 12’ high? Easy. Load a dump semi truck ??
Ya, your cut is a toy

 

[Notgrownup]

My SIL has a 60” Gravely with a Kawasaki 25 cc i think. It cuts great and has had good service out of it for nearly 10 years now.

 

[KEH]

The ZTR will go sup and down hills just fine. It's going along the side of the slope that gives trouble. I've had a Dixie Chopper for a few years. Love it but the company was bought out and no longer makes mowers.

KEH

 

[tdkkart]

My Gravely 19HP 44" is just about to start it's 11th year for me. It's a mid-line model, came from the mower dealer rather than Lowes, mows 1.5 acre almost weekly, plus plows snow all winter. Other than a couple sets of belts and a couple deck spindles it has been flawless so far.

 

[jives]

I bought a Snapper Pro S125SX last year as a left over model. Essentially a Ferris IS600 without the suspension. 61" deck with HydroGear 3400 hydro units. Cut an hour off mowing my 2.5 ac versus my old and slow Wheel Horse with a 48' deck. Good deals right now on used units with only a couple hundred hours.

It is fast, but less maneuverable around obstacles than you would think. Going too fast around corners rips up the ground. On the other hand, it mows across the fall line of the roadside ditch better than expected. Gotta be very dry, though.

Think less about manufacturer and more about the components. Low end commercial is what you want. A minimum of HG 3100 hydro units (though I would go with a HG 3400 as a minimum). Only the high end mowers have Kawi FX or Kohler Command or Briggs Vanguards (and now Yamaha is getting into the game). Kawi FS and Briggs "Commmercial Turf" seem to be the next rung down.

I like it, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have waited a year, saved another $2,000 or so, and bought a used SCUT with a 60" deck and less than 500 hrs. Kubota BX, Massey GC, etc. I've got too many other chores I could get done, even if the SCUT did not have a loader. I've got another 4 ac that needs brush hogging, a driveway needing grading, and the list goes on.

 

[stm317]

Don't be afraid to look for a used commercial mower over a new residential grade unit.
I got a Scag that was $15k new for $5k and it's got enough life left that it will probably be my last mower and I'm in my early 30s. Everything is greaseable, serviceable, etc. I like a liquid cooled engine over an air cooled one for longevity and fuel economy vs an air cooled, but that's personal preference.

I had a 52" scag walk-behind when we bought our 3 acres because it was cheap. My 72" Scag Turf Tiger cut about 2 hours off of my mowing time. It's got a low enough center of gravity that I can take it on some stupid hills if I'm feeling ballsy enough. It's more capable than I am in most cases.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

My 72” zero will now at 12mph and you can hold the sticks wide open all day and stay on it just fine

It will out mow my 120hp John Deere tractor pulling a 15’ batwing Just because you can’t go fast enough with that combo and mow

Poster wants to mow grass, not move snow, dig holes and pretend he’s a mighty farmer......

I have a zero turn cause it cuts grass well in the biggest hurry
I have a skidsteer because it smokes a compact tractor at all the other tasks so badly it’s not even in the the same category. Move snow, ya, 9’ blade, pick up a 72”bucket of underserbed ground? Not a problem, fork 3,000lbs 12’ high? Easy. Load a dump semi truck ??
Ya, your cut is a toy

well what ever my BX may be it suits my needs just fine and it don't take up a lot of space in the barn, all those things you mentioned have to maintained and stored.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

Your experience or ground may vary.....but

1 - I cannot stay on my BX on most of my terrain flat out, my zero turn has a far better ride
2 - turning radius is like 6 feet on the tractor vs inside its own footprint on the ZT

These issues arent issues if your mowing a square field so I see your point in speed/width of cut being apples to apples between the two.

Im mowing about 5 acres, of which 2/3 has trees that need maneuvered around. No back and forth or jockeying the mower around.....saves a huge amount of time in my case.

I will say ONE nice feature about the 3pt finishing mower - mowing UNDER trees.....with the mower out behind I never once worried about dodging tree limbs. Gotta say that was very handy.

I think #1 is the real question, can I cut my grass faster on a ZT?, is the ride that much smoother. maybe it is
I've been on the fence about purchasing a ZT for the last three years and I just can't decide if the time saved and the addition of another machine that has to be stored and maintained is worth the extra $5k or more.

thanks for sharing, it's good to get info from someone who has both

 

[Apeatwo]

I just recently took delivery of my 60" zero turn after more than a year of looking into different models/manufacturers. While JD and Dixie Chopper were on my short list I decided to go with the Bad Boy Maverick.

https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/maverick-lawn-mower

I don't think anyone has mentioned Bad Boy but the quality of equipment and customer satisfaction reviews made this the right choice for me.

Other than test drives on some other models I'm a total newb. After a few minutes of practice I was able to cut 2 acres of groomed lawn in 45 mins. I have 3 more acres of rough cut, with few trees, the mower should make short work of. On the lawn, at times the suspension made it feel like I was floating on a cloud.

Again, I'm new to this but quite pleased at this point.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

I just recently took delivery of my 60" zero turn after more than a year of looking into different models/manufacturers. While JD and Dixie Chopper were on my short list I decided to go with the Bad Boy Maverick.

https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/maverick-lawn-mower

I don't think anyone has mentioned Bad Boy but the quality of equipment and customer satisfaction reviews made this the right choice for me.

Other than test drives on some other models I'm a total newb. After a few minutes of practice I was able to cut 2 acres of groomed lawn in 45 mins. I have 3 more acres of rough cut, with few trees, the mower should make short work of. On the lawn, at times the suspension made it feel like I was floating on a cloud.

Again, I'm new to this but quite pleased at this point.

is that the same mower they sell at tractor supply?
about 22 minutes a acre that's pretty good

 

[Apeatwo]

is that the same mower they sell at tractor supply?
about 22 minutes a acre that's pretty good

They have the little ones with the Kohler motors at Tractor Supply. The bigger one that I got can be ordered and delivered to the local tractor supply but I believe only with the Kohler motors as well. I got the Kawi FS motor in mine from a dealership. I doubt the BBs suffer from the JD issues with buying from a dealer or big box store but I'm fortunate to have a dealer near by.

 

[38Chevy454]

I have 2 gravely zt hd 60 inch deck. My wife rides one and I ride the other. We have 8 acres and get it done in around 2 hours ish total. It's a low end commercial unit. I think new they are around $5k. They sell the same mower at Lowe's under the ariens brand. Ariens Apex mower. I think the warranty is a little less for the ariens. Looks exactly the same as my gravely. Just a different color. Good solid mower. One of these would handle 3 acres like a champ. 3 acres is low end commercial territory imo. Definitely don't need a $10k full commercial for that small of a yard.

I have that Ariens version, Apex 60 inch with a 24 hp Kawasaki engine. Been a good machine and cuts nice and fast on my 2.5 acres of mowing. It is essentially the same as Gravely with different color, but the Apex is the top of the line for Ariens. It is considered a high end consumer, low end commercial quality level. Has the Hydro Gear ZT-3100 transaxles. 2 years ago when I bought mine the warranty was 3 years consumer/1 year commercial use. I have just over 100 hours on mine, did the first transaxle oil and filter change end of last season, next interval is after 500 hours. Engine is on third oil change and will go with 100 hours interval now. Did first 2 at 50 hours, although the two previous changes the oil was barely even brown color.
I couldn't pass up the deal I got at Lowes here, they were offering the 11% (match Menards, thank you very much) rebate, plus 10% off to use Lowes card, and I even got a couple hundred off the price from the pro desk since I was buying lots for my detached garage. End cost after all the discounts and rebate was only around $4k plus taxes.

 

[zkdiesel]

well what ever my BX may be it suits my needs just fine and it don't take up a lot of space in the barn, all those things you mentioned have to maintained and stored.

One lawn mower and one skidsteer. Not exactly a whole lot to store or maintain when you have 50k sq feet of storage

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

One lawn mower and one skidsteer. Not exactly a whole lot to store or maintain when you have 50k sq feet of storage

Yeah I'm thinking this might be the way to go. I already have two zero turns because I don't want to spend my life mowing. Only thing is the cost of the skidsteer. I'm sure one would last me a lifetime but I believe they are around 50k new?

 

[My Old Tools]

Buy commercial if you can afford to. A residential one one may leave you wanting. I would caution you that if you have any steep hills reconsider the zero turn. They lack traction on steep hills.

put bar tires on it and no more slipping. They cured the slipping on my Kubota Z. We live on a lake with a steep slope to the water.

 

[captmoto]

IMO the "advantage" to diesel powered equipment is dead due to a higher initial cost and higher cost of fuel (with or without tax) and the advances in oil tech that has given longer life to gas powered equipment

Not to mention you may not be able to do any repairs beyond and oil change on it. All the new equipment is computer controlled and the software is not available to the public.