The $3,000 ZTR Lawnmower Question

16 years ago

Having evaluated all of my needs, I am 95% certain that a ZTR mower with a 38"-44" deck will be the correct tool for my lawn. I've got an acre, with many, many obstacles, and as I keep adding obstacles, it has increased my mowing time to 1 hour and 45 minutes with my current lawn tractor.

There have been dozens of useful posts here about this topic, so hopefully I can narrow down my question here to something that hasn't been repeatedly discussed already.

First, I am aware that many people have concerns that $3,000 is the entry price for ZTR mowers, and that quality is suspect for this bottom of the line option. Based on my research, it seems that with 30 or more mowers available in this range, there have to be at least a few good ones. So I'm completely ruling out the option of coughing up another two grand to get a commercial mower. I'm sure that I can get what I need in my price range, as long as I take my time making the decision.

Second, I've seen many different opinions on brands, but not enough to make me think that one is guaranteed to be better than all the rest. So, please feel free to voice your opinion again here if you have a strong opinion.

Third, the link below (found when following a link in a recent post here) has a list with some very useful information. I would welcome any of your opinions about what the "experts" said.

So at this point I have done a lot of reasearch on the internet, and I think my first trip to all of the various dealers will be to look at the following:

Snapper 150Z, 20hp B&S engine, 42"

Snapper 250Z, 20hp B&S engine, 42" ($400 instant rebate through October)

Ariens 1840 Zoom, 18 hp Kohler, 40" (Have had good experience with Ariens, which is a big plus for me.)

Deere EZtrak Z225, 18.5hp, 42" (would also consider the JD zero turn tractors X300 and X304)

Toro Timecutter Z Z420, B&S 16hp, 42"

Toro Timecutter Z Z4200, 19HP Kohler, 42"

Simplicity Axion 20/42, B&S 20hp, 42"

Simplicity Javelin 20/38 or 20/44, B&S 20hp/1 or 20/2, ($400 instant rebate on either, but the 20/44 is still at the top of my price range.)

I also looked at the Gravely options, but I'm not sure they have anything in my price range.

I do not know anything about Lawn Boy but would welcome your thoughts on the models shown on the web page listed above.

I would also welcome any suggestions of other models I should consider to my list above. At this point, I'm just making the list of mowers I want to go and see.

Thank you so much for your time and opinions.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: ZTR mower reviews at howstuffworks.com

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Comments (5)

tmajor
16 years ago
A friend has a Simplicity (I'm not sure which model ... starts with a "C".), which I thought looked pretty good. He seems to like it and has had no problems. It appeared to be "much more mower" than some, I've seen. Plus, it had a floating two piece front axle, springs and shocks(?) (front and rear).

My 1305 pound Woods with a 52" deck has a 19HP Kawasaki engine, which seems to be plenty. So, the above Zs appear to have plenty of engine.
hsur
16 years ago
John

Just a thought from my experience using our Church's residential ZTR (cub cadet with 22 HP sorry do not remember the model or deck width), conventional riding lawn tractor, and our commercial 52 inch ZTR.

The CC residential will not allow you to use the forward motion on one wheel and reverse motion on the other wheel. Possibly it is a safety feature or possibly it does not have two fully independant wheel motors like the commercial ZTR units. I have not taken the time to study the setup. When you try to make a 180 degree turn, one wheel stops while the other rotates forward. The residential ZTR works best making 90 degree turns to cut in a rectangle or square pattern. Not the up and back pattern I use with the commercial ZTR. It seems difficult to me but possibly am not using it correctly.

My suggestion is that you buy from a dealer/store that will let you demo the mower on your yard befor you buy to make sure it is an improvement over your conventional tractor. At our Church I let the other guys use the residential ZTR as they like the "new pretty " machine. I still use the mature old (my guess it is from the early 1970's)314 John Deere that looks rough but still works well.

Good luck on your decision and make sure you will be pleased with the way the residential ZTR you pick operates.
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jtmacc99
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you!

I drove the Ariens, the 2350 as opposed to the 1840 since I did some measuring and found that a 50" machine will fit everywhere I need it to fit, and I thought it was a huge improvement over what I have now.

I still plan to drive the Toro, and if I can find a dealer with a 250Z, the Snapper. None of the other machines I've mentioned are available around here to test. I also saw a sturdy looking 40" Gravely for about $400 more than the 50" Ariens.

I have to admit, the Ariens is tempting, as I found a dealer with a few of them on hand, and offered me a deal that will put it in my yard for $3,200 after tax and with one-year 0% financing.
kachinee
16 years ago
If you can, look at the Hustler MiniFastrak 42" now that you have seen some of the others.
For a few hundred bucks more, the Hustler has a quiet Honda 16 hp V-Twin engine (it is nice to have a quiet engine when it is mounted right behind you in a ZTR) and a heavy duty frame and welded mower deck, with a three year warranty. Even if you don't want to spend a few hundred more, it is worth looking to see the quality vs some of those you mentioned.
nycjsw
16 years ago
I have the Gravely/Ariens 1840 and love it. They used to be the same machine but now the Gravely line has more heavy duty components - IZT hydro and more sturdy frame.

The $3,000 ZTR Lawnmower Question

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The $3,000 ZTR Lawnmower Question

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