Zero Turn Advice - Kubota, Husqvarna, John Deere, Bad Boy?

Hydro Gear ZT3100's are entry level commercial not residential transmissions. They also have filters on them.

 

I did not know that. Thanks!

So what would be the big difference between 3100's and 3400's?

 

3100's are rated at 350 lb/tq and the 3400's are rated at 500 lb/tq. There is 1 mph difference in the speed. Mainly the 3400's are for a heavier mower. 1/8" difference in the axle diameters also. 3400 is just a heavier transmission for bigger ztr's.

You were probably thinking about the ZT2800's that a lot of the residential mowers have on them. Those can't be services and have no filters.

 

Okie-dokie!

I believe you on the 500 lb/tq ! The first time I took out the MZ-T52 along side the ditch on the road, I zigged left and launched myself off a 2' ledge down into the ditch. I lurched forward in the seat when I hit the bottom, spun to the right and came up the ledge at Mach III and went airborne onto the middle of the road. After composing myself, I drove the circus ride back into the garage and almost took out my wife, a fresh case of beer, AND the beer fridge. My wife told me to get the f*ck off that thing, and to go play with my chainsaws.... She loves me!

BTW, I'm used to it now and can actually steer it properly without thinking. Well, not really; I just tore the side steps off the house Friday night, but that was after about 4 king cans. No biggy, as the steps were just temporary and I'm building a deck there anyway. I'm ahead of the game!

 

I have a Bad Boy and mow 2 acers in the Ozark hills. The ground is rocky. The hickory trees drops limbs everyday. I'm to lazy to move them, so I mow over them. I had a top of the line mower from Sears. The blades would not last but two or three mowings. The Sears deck lasted only two years. The second deck also lasts two years. I bought the Bad Boy 9 years ago, and at the end of last year replaced the blades for the first time. The deck is made from 1/4 in steel. This mower will probably out last me.

 

That gave me a good laugh. The Kubota's have seat belts on them. You might want to invest in one. lol

Taught little man to driver the mower last time I mowed. He did really good and I only had to stop it once when he decided to go mach 1 at the fire pit in the back yard. Other than that he drove all by himself for 10-15 minutes.

 

Mine has seatbelts, but I'll be damned if I strap myself in.

 

We just bought a John deere 920R that thing is great.

 

I've never used mine either. Living life on the edge.

 

.... of a ditch.

 

Gravely 44Z. Probably 10 years old by now and my dad has taken it in for maintenance once. Used to pull wheelies with that thing up the driveway as a kid. Mows 3.5 acres twice a month. Badass mower

 

Get yourself the worlds fastest lawn mower, the Dixie Chopper. I was stationed at a place that had one, thing would do wheelies and burnouts on dry pavement.

 

My business is based off of wb's so I am not super familar with the pricing on equal ztr's. When I have done quick comparisons the Ferris' are very competitive. You can then get the Snapper Pro versions for even cheaper.

 

I heard that about Snapper Pro's but there are no dealers in my area. I'm leaning toward a Ferris is700z. I almost purchased one last week but noticed it had last years plain black seat on it. I like the new seat Ferris is putting on the 2016 models a lot better. Dealer wouldn't trade the seat out so I left with a pocket full of money. They told me the is700z is on back order until at least July. What do you think of the Kawasaki FS730 vs the Vanguard 810cc engines?

 

If I could piece together my dream mower from the available pieces for all brands it would 100% have the Deere stamped 7Iron underneath the mower. A deck stamped made out of 1 piece of metal the same thickness as the fabricated decks is far stronger than a fabricated deck. But unfortunately they don't make anything but ZTR's with the 7Iron.

 

I would be goung with the Vanguard. They have been building some great engines. I am not very happy with Kawasaki as of late. My current engine is using way to much oil. Blew both head faskets on my previous one.

Avoid the Briggs Commercial line! They are not top level engines.

 

We have an Exmark Lazer Z s series, 60" deck and suspension seat, I absolutely love it, it works great for all the lawns I have cut with it even a very overgrown lot that I used to use a bush hog on.

Absolutely look for a welded deck, suspension seat, and make sure that the deck sticks out past the wheels.
On the Exmark the decks smaller than 60" are as wide as or narrower than the tires so you can't get in as close to some things without extra maneuvering.

Also test drive what you are looking at and drive it on uneven ground, this will tell you 2 things.
1. whether or not you want/need a suspension seat
2. how much the frame flexes

My grandpa has a fairly inexpensive machine ($2500 IIRC) from a big box store and I can't stand how much the frame flexes on it when driving across uneven ground.

 

I'll second the Bad Boys - made in Batesville, AR. I use mine as a small bush hog cutting rough turf, food plots and 4 wheeler trails at our cabin. Proved to be bullet proof over the past 2 years... https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers/compact-outlaw-lawn-mower

 

Kinda old thread, at least when it comes to buying a mower for cutting season. You probably already bought one by now, but, I'll give you my input.

I cut about 3 acres per week.

I had a Scag Tiger Cub, 48" 19HP Kaw FX, separate wheel and pump motors, 8 gal. gas tank, etc. Very heavy duty machine. It was a beast and overly built, but two things: the powder coating sucked and flaked off if you looked it wrong (6 years old, very well taken care of and looked like ass), and while it was built like a tank - it also road like one. I eventually sold it with about 400 hours and it still ran and cut grass like new.
The Kaw FX was awesome, 19HP, but it felt like a lot more. Also, good on gas. Very high quality machine with true commercial components.

I now have a Ferris IS700Z, 61" BS 27HP, 3400 trans, 5 gal gas tank... etc. The suspension is absolutely awesome. For the most part, I give it high marks. It rides excellent, the 3400 series transaxles seem smooth and articulate very well. The BS Commercial Turf (some like it, and some are haters, but it seems to work fine for me... for now...) has been a beast so far. The air filter is great and much better than previous BS (non Vanguard) models. The Kawasaki FS motors are more expensive, and probably a little better as far as reliability and power is concerned, however, their air filter setup sucks. You have to step up to a Kaw FX to get the canister filter, the BS has a semi-canister filter and it seems to work great. That being said, I would go with whatever engine they had in stock. The Ferris powder coating also seems to be holding up very well.

There are a lot of good machines out there, I chose Ferris because they are local, great warranty, and the suspension was what I really needed. Very bumpy yard, and I have lower back issues. I need all the help I can get.

If I did it again though, I would still buy Ferris (mainly because of the suspension and build quality is really good), but I would upgrade to their next model with a commercial motor and suspension seat. I paid $6500 for mine brand new, but the 48" and 52" models are right around $6K and under in my area.

 

Thanks for you feedback! I ended up with a 61" Ferris IS700Z with the Vanguard engine. I've used it 4 times so far & love it!