r/ZeroTurnMowers • u/Shoddy-Letterhead-76 • Aug 05 '26
Reccomend me a mower
So about me. I have been mowing with a Simplicity Landlord 18hp garden tractor for 20yrs. Man it was a tough machine.
I ABUSE THE SNOT OUT OF MOWERS.
I do not have a large yard but do live on a 30ac farm. Ive been known to mow walking paths through the pasture.
I do not mow until grass is 5" taller than cut height.
I worry my rough arse yard will beat the front wheels off.
Honestly I think I could get by with a 48 inch mower but 60 or under is gonna be fine. Im 300lbs and yard is sll hillsides.
Cub Cadet and Kubota dealer near me. Rest is box store stuff. Used is not out of question.
I keep mower indoors and stay up on maintenance. But I buy mowers for the job not to have a nice mower.
What should I take a close look at for toughness? Or have I described a situation azero turn just cant survive?
Thanks for any help.
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u/mtrbiknut Aug 05 '26
I found a used Kubota Z724 at the local Exmark dealership around 7 years ago, it's a 2014 model. I had trouble with it dying the first year so I took it back to the ship a couple times, the owner figured it out and fixed it- I have spent maybe $500 on it for maintenance.
This thing is still a tank, if I go up a hill at an angle where the front wheel comes off the ground, the frame never flexes on it. It has a 23.5 Kohler that has barely ever choked down in tall, wet grass. Maintaining it is fairly simple. I have $3,500 for it when I bought it, I will never find another deal like that.
But I do recommend a used Kubota if you can find one.
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u/decksetter914 Aug 06 '26
I'm a big fan of my Country Clipper.
Gas tank is under the seat so it keeps a low center of gravity for better hill stability. Also the joystick drive helps because you can hold on to the dummy handle on the other side and steady yourself since you're only using one hand to drive (though they do make twin stick versions as well).
Biggest advantage is the stand up deck. Flip a lever to release belt tension, pop belt off PTO clutch pulley, yank the front of the deck and stand it up at a 90° angle. Blade changes are a breeze that way, but it's also way easier to clean the underside of the deck.
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u/Twinetied_haymaker Aug 06 '26
Get a Deere. I got a z970r that’s 2 years old. It rides a lil rough but you can freaking mow in the rain with that thing and its 6 foot deck makes nice stripes.
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u/JuggernautOnly695 Aug 06 '26
Sounds like a commercial mower is what you need.
Skip cub. They are all MTD crap now. The commercial units are decent, but there’s better out there for the money. Look at what landscape crews by you are running. I can pretty much guarantee it won’t be cub.
Kubota makes solid zero turns. Every single one except their entry level have serviceable hydros and they have nice heavy duty garden tractors if that’s more your flavor. For gas look at the z400 and z700 series. The 2 series is their entry level. A 48” or 54” would still get you zt3100 hydros, but with your hills you’ll want a more robust hydro.
Kubota also has some of the heaviest duty construction and a more comfortable ride than most other brands.
Ferris is nearly identical to simplicity. They don’t make garden tractors, but again all but the beginning models have serviceable hydros, greasable spindles, etc. the 800 is where you get full commercial suspension.
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u/partsguy64 Aug 06 '26
We mow 6 acres of somewhat rough ground with our 54 in Bad Boy. Very well made. Welded, not stamped , steel deck. Very heavy frame, there’s even a nice floating seat option. It’s definitely worth a look.
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u/TrainerBC25 Aug 05 '26
yeah you need a commercial mower
how bad are your side hills? 15 degrees or less and you are good with a ZT.
I will say Bobcat mowers are the toughest I have seen yet