Zero Turn Mowers.

My old John Deere STX 30 I bought used 17 years ago stopped on me last week about 10 minutes into cutting. I'm tired of messing with it, and gonna buy a zero turn.

I was looking at 3. A John Deere, Cub Cadet or a Gravely. I have a small yard, and really like the size of the Gravely best.

Anyone have a Garvely?

https://www.flaglerpowereq.com/shop/gravely/gravely-zt-34-kawasaki-zero-turn-mower-915288/

 

Your lawn must not be that small if you need a mower that big!

 

Gravely is a good brand. I have a Husqvarna Z254F that I mow (bush hog is more like it) about 6 of my acres with. Always running over stuff. I have "forestry mulched" some of my land with it. The blades have lasted two full seasons, literally chunks out of them. I will replace them before next spring. I am not nice to this mower at all. The Kawasaki engine is the way to go. 26hp I believe. Starts right up every time. Even after Hurrican Debby flooded the engine with about 18" of standing water for a couple days in August.

 

Gravely makes an awesome mower.
I would point out that a 34 inch mower is fairly small for a zero turn, though if you need to go through a fence gate that is a perfect size.
I owned a Dixon 42 inch zero turn and it was a very nice size.
Here is a thread with many many knowledgeable folks.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...nerators-driveway-erosion-control-etc.649569/

 

My dad bought this one with a posi track rear end. His yard is steep as hell.

Been sitting in my mom's shed in Ohio since he died in 2021.

 

Why not visit Mom and bring that one home?

 

Yard is only 125x80'. Some of my neighbors have 60" mowers with the same size yard.

 

Wanna try a zero turn!

 

My wife would mow that with a 21" self propelled Honda. Takes less room to park too, not to mention the $3k or so savings on purchase.

 

After owning a zero, I could never sit on a little tractor. I do have a bigger tractor for the rest of the land. An old Massey Ferguson from 1962.

 

I can't tell you what to buy and I will admit its hella fun driving a zero turn. I also have no idea how old you are, maybe you can't walk behind a self propelled mower for that size yard. I would definatly not buy a zero turn for that size yard. While Honda lawnmowers are bulletproof and great like @Clearwater Bill mentioned, may I suggest a toro timemaster? It is a residential 30 inch dual blade mower, wider cut and faster walking speed then the hondas I've used, they are not very good if you let the grass grown over 6 inches tall or mow when its just rained cause it will clump up under the deck. They are more complicated then a honda but not nearly as complicated as zero turn. New ones are stupid expensive now but you can find used ones for $600-$1000.

 

How thick and tall is your grass?
18HP isn't much. You'll be asking it to do a lot if the grass is wet, tall, or thick.
The engine has to the drive pumps and the blades. Engine bog is a thing. And slows the blade speed.
Slow blade speed will create less vacuum, resulting in a poor cut.

I'd also go for a fabricated deck over a stamped deck.

 

Gravely is decent, the dealer is what really makes a huge difference. Lousy after the sale service makes any brand bought a hateful experience.

 

I had a Snapper Rear engine for years but decided to try a zero turn. No comparison.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Ariens-Edg...ing-Capability-Kit-Sold-Separately/5012922495

Linked is what I have, but it looks like they no longer have it with the Kohler motor, now it's a B&S motor. I went with the 34" because of my residential sized gate. My lot is about ~11500 sq/ft with a 2500 sq/ft house. Most of my neighbors pay to have their yards cut but I actually enjoy it.

 

I have a Honda self propelled mower. Best damn mower I've ever owned. When it's around 80 or less, I'd use it on the whole yard. I still use it on the front yard, because it seemed to do a better cut than my JD STX. If I get the zero turn, I'll cut the whole damn yard with it.

Pretty thick St. Augustine grass. My back yard I used the JD on grows 3 times faster than the front yard. I've been treating it a lot the past couple years. The 9 HP Kohler engine in the JD cut thru it like butter no matter how tall I let to grow.

 

I have several ZT's but I still like walking it every other time. I just hate how narrow residential mowers are so I snagged this last year cheap. Hauls butt, cuts well, economical to run because it moves at a pretty fast pace. Does great for running the trails in the woods also. Was about the same price as a decent non commercial residential self propelled 21'' cut. Even came with a metal grass catcher.



When I want to ride and knock it out most ricky tick. 30 horses of fuel injected grass fury.

 

Here's my 42" Husqvarna getting oil change:



Been mow-riding this front yard since 2017...the back yard is larger area wise.

 

Scag w/ a Kawasaki or any (graveley, Walker, Scag, Exmark, but a Kawi engine) I had owned and mowed a few Exmarks (56" LHP, 48" Metro, 52" Viking, & 52" TurfTracer), but I just sold all and down sized to a 48" Liberty Scag for my ~2+ acre lawn. I have hills, tight areas ect.. and it is a great little well designed machine.

 

I have a 52" ZT Gravely with 23HP Kawasaki engine. Going on 4 years (over 100 hours) of beating, sucking up and wrapping all manner or steel wire, rocks of the large variety. Fencing, rugs, cans. Branches, dirt, nasty brush. Septic mound = first to scared to mow, then perpendicular mow up and over, then up and back down, now I can mow the mound parallel to the long axis (mow at a slant). I did the first year of dealer maintaining now I do all my own. Changed the hydro fluid. Finally the belt broke, changed the belt PITA.

That said, it did not work correctly new! Defect from the factory, somehow some kind of braking was happening on the right tranny while running. Dealer came and picked it up. Brought it back, ran ok for 5 minutes, then same problem again. Dealer took it again, and fixed it again - they had to cut sheet metal (just a little). But Gravely never responded to my complaint.

It's Ariens who owns Gravely and they are not user friendly IMHO.

THAT SAID my mower is fine! I still love it.

 

I've been away from this website for awhile , and I know this is not the season. That being said Scag makes and sells the 36 inch "Liberty Z Zero turn" with your choice of either a Kawasaki, or a Kohler engine. I have the Kawasaki and it has been great on my small 1/2 acre lot. You probably have done something by now, but I thought I would pass this along.