Zero Turn Mowers

[aussiejeff]

Hi,
We are thinking of buying a Zero Turn Mower, initially looking at the Kubota Z122E or Z411 models with a 48" cut. Appreciate comments from those who own them regarding any problems? (if any) reliability etc.
Cheers and regards

 

[dalola]

Regardless of the brand you ultimately choose, if your budget allows, go with a commercial grade machine. Consider it a "lifetime" mower. And if you decide you don't need it any more, resale will be much better.

I wish Yazoo/Kees was still around, they made one helluva machine.

 

[SidecarFlip]

+1 on a lifetime investment. I'd love to have a Kubota Diesel but the 8 grand price of admission is beyond my wallet capability.

I have a commercial Cub Cadet 60" Tank, loaded with grease fittings and twin Hydro Gear commercial pumps with spin on filters. and a Kawasaki 24 horse V Twin. 8 years old and besides new blades every spring, a couple spindles and belts (ll of which I consider consumable items), I have had no issues and I mow almost 7 ares. I have just under 700 hours on the machine and it runs and cuts just like new. I recommend them for longevity. Not cheap (I paid just about 5 grand for mine. Worth every penny. I change the Hydro Gear pump oil every 2 years and the engine oil 2 times a year with filter. It has a service interval timer that tells me when to do service and grease it.

 

[mjrwood]

I've got a Z411. I can't comment on long term performance or durability because I just got mine at the end of this last summer. I've cut with it a few times and am SO glad I bought it. I finally bit the bullet and got it when my big box store riding mower gave up the ghost. I shopped around a 3 dealers in my area, all of them recommended that I go with at least the Z411 over the 122 because I've got a large hilly yard (just under 5 acres). So if you've got a large area you'll be cutting or if it's hilly, that might be a consideration.

This was my first zero turn so the first time I cut with it I was still getting used to the controls, and still managed to shave nearly an hour off the total cutting time. I'm extremely happy with the purchase.

 

[itsaz]

I have a Z124E (48" cut, Briggs motor) that I bought in 2013. It now has almost 400 hours on the meter. I have been VERY happy with the mower, but I did have a problem with an oil leak at the main seal that was repaired under warranty three times. You might want to consider the Kohler engine.

 

[Freeheeler]

I went with a Ferris 2100Z. I looked at all the commercial stuff available, all very capable and similar. Ferris was the only one with full sprung suspension. I broke my back several years ago and my lawn is bumpy. The suspension is a total backsaver in my case, well worth the $$. I save several hours each mowing compared to my old sears lawn tractor. Those hours add up quickly over a single season.

 

[SidecarFlip]

My cub 'had' a rigid seat until I added 2 coil springs under the seat base. Cost me 10 bucks and a bit of time. Now, I have a suspension seat and that smooths out the bumps. That is the big issue with a 0 turn. Short wheelbase and rough ride. The Ferris is nice but again pricey compared to my M60 tnk.

The new M60's come with a suspension seat btw.

Purchases 2 springs at TSC and added them to the cross bar under the seat base. Simple solution.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Couple things you'll want to consider...

Extended warranty for sure.

Must have Hydro Gear IZT pump / transmissions and one for each drive wheel. Some newer units are coming with an integrated transmission pass on them. Make sure the Hydro Gear units have spin on oil filters as the oil must be changed regularly and HG units take regular multi-grade motor oil, nothing special. In fact HG sells a change kit with filters and oil for the job.

Must have grease fittings on the deck, on the frame and controls and spindles. No grease fittings is planned replacement of moving parts.

Finally, make sure the engine is pressure lubed and has an oil filter as well. The big Kohler's and Kawakski's have them. Not sure about Briggs.

 

[Forester45]

I am looking at zero turns also and have been researching for months especially on the Kubotas. Not first hand knowledge but have heard that there were issues with the below 400 series. I am looking at the 60" 400 series but there is not a lot of information (reviews) out on the net.
I stopped by the dealer a few weeks ago and asked and he steered me away from the smaller units to at least the 400 series. He did not give a reason but I could tell it was something other than making more money.
I would love any feedback on the 400 series before I drop the money on one.
Thanks.

 

[JWool]

I bought a Z421 54" last winter and used all summer, I got it to replace my BX2370 for mowing when I bought a B2650.
I was considering the Z700 and the dealer said the Z421 was a great machine came with a 48 month or 500 hour warranty and 36 month on the engine.
I have no complaints works good.
Stickers just over 7k I got mine for a little less bought with tractor.

It has the commercial ZT-3600 transmission

 

[Fido Farms]

I have a 721D Grasshopper and it works amazing. 60 inch cut..

 

[rademamj]

I looked real hard for any reasonably low hour used Kubota 326ZD 60" at 26HP, and just could not get what I needed for a $6000 maximum budget. For me, it was a Kubota diesel or nothing. After awhile, I finally purchased a used Gravely 460 with a 27HP Kawasaki engine. It's a good commercial mower and should provide good reliable service.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[stutrac]

I bought a Scag Tiger Cat II 48" cut ,awesome machine solid, heavy duty, cuts great and I also got the bagger system price was fair for what I have in options

 

[Forester45]

I spent 6 months researching ZTRs before finally buying the Kubota Z421 60 inch. It is a lot of machine for the money and actually a little cheaper than others when you break down the components. I think most of the name brand machines are good units but I admit that I am biased toward the Kubota and have a great relationship with the dealer which is probably the most important part of the deal. The machine is a tank and seems to cut well with what little I have done so far - good luck with your purchase.

 

[AllDodge]

Unable to say for the model but with a ZT hope you don't have hills, most are not good if the angle increases. How much land you cutting?

As others mentioned do get a commercial model with heavy deck, I have one which is over 20 years and still going strong

 

[Freeheeler]

My ZT does much better on slopes than any riding mower I've ever had. Heavier, wider wheel base, much bigger rear tires, lower center of gravity. I feel more comfortable on slopes on it than I do on my tractor. Of course all is relative, and anything will flip if you're not paying attention.

 

[mjrwood]

My ZT does much better on slopes than any riding mower I've ever had. Heavier, wider wheel base, much bigger rear tires, lower center of gravity. I feel more comfortable on slopes on it than I do on my tractor. Of course all is relative, and anything will flip if you're not paying attention.

I think as far as center of gravity I agree that a ZT feels more secure than a lawn tractor. But if you have large hill that you're trying to cut across, if your ZT has front wheels that are castors then I think it can make it a little more difficult to cut in a straight line since the front tries to go downhill. I could be wrong but I assumed that's what AllDodge was alluding to.

EDIT: I'll add that if I were mowing across a hill steep enough that the front of my mower kept trying to ride back downhill I'd probably want to tackle it vertically anyway. Just wanted to chime in on what was my understanding of some complaints I'd read about regarding ZT's performance on hills when I was reading up on them before I got mine.

 

[AllDodge]

I think as far as center of gravity I agree that a ZT feels more secure than a lawn tractor. But if you have large hill that you're trying to cut across, if your ZT has front wheels that are castors then I think it can make it a little more difficult to cut in a straight line since the front tries to go downhill. I could be wrong but I assumed that's what AllDodge was alluding to.

Yes, and also if its steep you don't want to point it down hill because it can just keep on going, even with rear wheels turning in reverse.

Have a Huster ZT and Kubota F3990, the Huster is great for a yard, but if you have some incline need to go uphill cutting.

Now the F series crawls around like a spider and does not slip on dry, and very little on wet grass.

 

[dalola]

A commercial ZTR with chevron (or similar..) tires will crush any tractor based mower on hills & slopes. The track width, center of gravity, and ability to torque vector drive wheels makes it superior in every way.

 

[troverman]

Reviving an old thread, but still relevant. I purchased a Kubota Z421 with the Kawasaki 24HP engine and the 54" deck. I have used it for a year and a half now, commercially.

The carb had to be replaced under warranty almost immediately, but otherwise the engine has been flawless. The FS engine is one step below the FX engine, which is the best engine on the market for commercial zero turn mowers. The primary difference between an FS vs an FX is that the FX has a superior carb and a better air filtration system. Engine internals are nearly identical, and I'd expect at least a couple of thousand hours of engine operation before rebuild / replacement. I've never missed the nicer FX carb, but the air filter system is definitely better on the FX...mushroom style. It is smaller and lower on the FS, and in dusty conditions can clog quicker.

The mower itself is overall pretty decent. Kubota has moved away from using any grease points on the mower deck / spindles / pulleys / casters. This is fairly common now, as greasepoints only extend life if they are greased at the proper intervals. Too much grease pushes out the bearing seals; too little causes loss of lube and introduction of dirt. The cut quality is good, and the Hydro-Gear ZT3600 transmission is commercial quality. Hydro-Gear integrates the pumps and drive motors into one unit that is less susceptible to leaking than discrete units. I find this mower to be faster than its 10mph speed rating implies, and it is very responsive. Mine doesn't have the wider rear tires, but the low profile tires and rims seem to grip side hills considerably better than my larger tire zero turn from another brand.

The deck lift is smooth, but the pedal is high and awkward to use with a tall operator given the position of the lap bars. The foot parking brake is easy to use. The cutting height knob, similar to the deck on a BX or B series tractor, suffers from the same problem here as it does on the tractor application: dirt gets in the mechanism and gums up the action, making it hard to adjust the height once you've been at the same height for awhile.

The fuel tank does not reside inside the fenders as is common, but instead is under the seat. It holds 7+ gallons which is more than the usual 5 gallons for mowers without dual tanks. There is a sight gauge on the tank, but you can only see it when you are not sitting in the operating position. Because the tank is under the seat, the engine is mounted off-center in the rear cage, leaving room for a fully-exposed battery off to the left. The fuel tank also covers easy access to the hydro fans.

I do like how the hour meter counts any time the engine is running (some mowers only start the hour meter when the blades are turning). I also like the provided 12v outlet and nearby slot for inserting a phone, but I wouldn't want my phone in such a dirty location.

The seat is nice-looking and comfortable, but mine seems to be getting loose on one side.

At 110 hours, my HST drive belt just shredded and the tensioner spring fell out of the bottom. That's not encouraging.

Overall, this seems to be a very good mower, and a good value.