r/ZeroTurnMowers

I’m seeing an opportunity on a cub cadet ztx4 54 mower. It has a Koehler engine, hydro gear zt 3100 serviceable transmission, and the price is not terrible. Interested in opinions.

https://www.cubcadet.com/en\_US/zero-turn-mowers/ztx4-54/47TSAAA7A10.html?fitsOnModel=false#gad\_source=1&gad\_campaignid=21106015379&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJXUBhBNEiwA8BgG7u3UUmeihv9jOeXM9eAKrShRFZhCHliz8oNXkubWQx6RWxob7lhySxoCYzYQAvD\_BwE&start=8

The left hydrostatic transaxle on my Husqvarna Z248F mower has gotten weak and slips bad after it is warmed up. (It runs ok until I've been mowing around 20 minutes or more) Artificial intelligence has suggested I drain the transaxle and put 20W-60 oil in it. Do y'all think this would help or am I likely to do more damage? The exact model number for the transaxle is a Hydro-Gear ZC-DUBB-3D8C-2WPX. The mower is 11 years old and probably has about 700 hours of run time on it.

I ask a question about this mower to see the price of it in my area at a dealer. Won’t mention the branch. They told me their price is at $18000.

Which i feel is quite high for this mower.
I check online for lawn equipment store and am seeing the average price around $14500 to 16500

$18000 i think is way to high for this mower.

I did check another place which was a better pricing for this mower new at $12400.

1. Why they price so high at $18000 for this mower? Sound like they want get full profit or there expense to get mower is too high.

2. The lawn place that told me $12400 for this exact model sounds like a steal. And great price. About 1 hour drive away. Why sell the mower at such a lower cost? I assume the place maybe make more profit per machine and less expense than the one near my area trying to sell by a lot.

Sorry everyone for long rant above.

Cub Cadet Ultima Z2 50 vs Toro TimeCutter MAX 50 — Is MyRIDE worth the extra $500?

I’m getting ready to buy my first zero turn and have narrowed it down to three options. Curious what you guys would pick, especially anyone who has owned or used these mowers.

Here are my out-the-door prices:

• Cub Cadet Ultima Z2 50" — $4,300
  • 3 years at 0%
• Toro TimeCutter MAX 50" — $4,400
  • 42 months at 0%
• Toro TimeCutter MAX 50" w/ MyRIDE — $4,900
  • 42 months at 0%

All three have a 50" fabricated deck and Kawasaki engine, so the prices are close enough that I’m more concerned about getting the better mower than saving $100-500.

I’ll be mowing about 1.1 acres total. My regular yard is around 0.6 acre and has some slopes, but nothing crazy. I also mow roughly another half acre beside my house between the house and a detention pond. That section is shaped almost like a shallow valley, so it’s definitely not perfectly flat.

One thing I’ll add up front: I know moving up to a commercial-grade mower with serviceable hydros would be better, but that just isn't in my budget. I’m trying to stay around the price range of these three mowers, so I’m mainly interested in which is the best choice among these options.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

• Which mower would you trust more long-term, Cub Cadet Z2 or Toro TimeCutter MAX?
• Any meaningful differences in the deck, frame, cut quality, maintenance, etc.?
• How do they do on moderate slopes/uneven ground?
• Is Toro MyRIDE actually worth another $500 for roughly an acre of mowing?
• Does MyRIDE make a noticeable difference on uneven/rolling ground, or is it something you could easily live without?
• With the prices this close, which one would you buy with your own money?

The financing isn't a huge deciding factor, but getting 42 months at 0% on the Toros versus 36 months on the Cub is a nice bonus.

Right now I keep going back and forth. The Cub is $100 cheaper than the regular Toro, but then I start wondering if I should just spend the extra $500 and get the Toro with MyRIDE so I don't regret skipping it later.

Would especially like to hear from people who have actually owned a Z2, TimeCutter MAX, or TimeCutter with MyRIDE. What would you pick?

In the market for something used to mow of acre in sand, harsh conditions, oak trees, stumps, my John Deere z235 has had it, and the deck needs replacement plus lines and shit are falling off. Need a sturdy commercial deck. What’s the most reliable and easy to work on mower I could look for?

I’m trying to help my father with a couple of decisions and I’m overwhelmed in my search and I don’t exactly know enough about his mower.

He bought a jack for his Toro zero turn, but because of the center anti-scuff wheel it doesn’t work. He wants to buy a different jack.

He told me to get one that has a bottle lift mechanism, he’s not looking for one you have to muscle.

I would say his price range would be 300 or under, I would point one out to him that cost up to 400. I know he paid 300 for the one he has.

Any recommendations would be appreciated

Second question. He said the OEM seat is terribly uncomfortable, he mows roughly 3 acres weekly.

I’m seeing lots of good seats, but some of them you’ve got to drill new holes. Some talk about slide tracks. I know his seat right now basically bolts directly to the frame, I guess you would call it. Looking for a comfort seat that preferably wouldn’t have to drill any holes, that you simply remove the old one and install the new one.

I would appreciate any recommendations and suggestions for that too.

Thank you in advance.

Backstory:
I just bought a house with around an acre of yard that needs mowing. It’s all flat besides some divots that I plan on filling soon. There are also a bunch of SweetGum trees around so there are always a bunch of the balls that drop off into the yard.

The previous owner left me a John Deere X350 with about 230 hours on it. I mean this thing is a tank - I’ve run over small branches and sweet gum balls and they just torn up.

It takes me about 1.5-2 hours to cut the entire yard and I’m looking for something to help me cut it faster along with give better lines. I know I can buy a stripe kit but I’m looking for more versatility.

Current Thought Process:
I’m thinking about selling my John Deere to get a zero turn, but don’t know which one to get.

I’ve been looking at both the Bad Boy mowers and Arien mowers. The prices look pretty good and I’ve heard good reviews.

A few things I’ve seen, but don’t know if I trust. When I look up both mowers online, I’m seeing websites having them listed for huge discounts/very cheap - like $1,000-$2,000.

Questions:
- Is it a good idea to sell my John Deere? (I know this is really opinion/preference based, but I’m looking for advice on what others might do if they were in my situation)
- Are the two brands I’m looking at reliable and have good longevity?
- Kawasaki engines seem to be the best, but what about Briggs and any others?
- Lastly, it seems like some of the prices I’m seeing are really low and possibly a scam. Are these mowers really selling for that cheap?

I’m open to any and all advice, and if I can provide any more context, feel free to ask.

Moving to Cape Cod. One Acre lot, maybe half to 2/3 is grass. Quite a lot trees in the grass, especially by the road and the borders. It’s a gentle grade, not hilly like my current yard, but not dead flat. There are many trees along the side of the yard, so I expect some significant leaf cleanup. I’m tired of spending thousands on landscapers every year at my current house. Might be forced to do that this fall as I figure this out.

The closest independent dealer has Husqvarna. There’s a Tractor Supply not far and of course Lowe’s and HD. Battery appeals to me for maintenance and noise reasons, and I have an eGo leaf blower which is awesome. My Ariens snowblower has been a nightmare for maintenance. But I’m concerned that it won’t handle leaf cleanup like a gas tractor and the bagger is expensive. I’d consider zero turn but I’ll retire by next summer so it’s not essential to save a little time. Turning radius probably does matter to go around the patio, shed and all those trees. I might need a 21” as well for some of that. Or maybe a string trimmer would handle it.

Any suggestions? ZT or tractor? Gas or battery? Models and brands? I think 42” is plenty. I’ve been out of the mower market so long because my current slope is extreme.