Zero Turn Anarchy

[Mrleft8]

I've pretty much determined that Florida grass is all wire, and dust collector.

I'd love to have a little patch of Fescue, or Kentucky Blue, but they won't grow where I am.

 

[steph2ma]

I have good experience with Hustler ( from a Hustler dealer).  The Z is the midsize model. The smaller model is good too. Do some research, they make a private label brand. I don't recall the name, but simply a different color for much less money. It is a tan/brown color if I recall correctly. 

THe Super Z is a great machine, but more than needed for two acres. 

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

I've got to cut about 2+ acres of Floriduh grass at my place.  Since nothing has more grass flakes than the lawn care industry here, it's time I do it myself.  Zero Turn mowers are a necessity, as my property is infested with Cabbage Palm trees.  Pro-sumer Zero Turn grade cutters are my intention.  Current favorites are the Ariens Ikon XD 52 and the Toro Time Cutter 50.

As usual, the more I learn, the less I know. Since all human knowledge, and then some, is resident in this group, I hereby invoke the Sacred Summoning of Knowledge:
<Dumb Question Here> Anarchy. 

Do your worst. 

Hmm... First I'll disagree with your premise. For a cabbage palm infestation, you need a backhoe to get them out of the ground, a brush grapple to carry them off, and a swamp to toss them in. I've dealt with dozens of them that way so far. Still have hundreds to go.

Then you'll still need to mow. I'm on my second Scag, so obviously liked the first one. Mine's a little one at 48" but still cuts my lawn in about half the time that its predecessor took just because it can cut at a much faster speed. I like it. My neighbor has the 72" one. Super nice machine but he told me what it cost and you can get two like mine for about the same money. Yipes.

 

[Mrleft8]

Hmm... First I'll disagree with your premise. For a cabbage palm infestation, you need a backhoe to get them out of the ground, a brush grapple to carry them off, and a swamp to toss them in. I've dealt with dozens of them that way so far. Still have hundreds to go.

Then you'll still need to mow. I'm on my second Scag, so obviously liked the first one. Mine's a little one at 48" but still cuts my lawn in about half the time that its predecessor took just because it can cut at a much faster speed. I like it. My neighbor has the 72" one. Super nice machine but he told me what it cost and you can get two like mine for about the same money. Yipes.

Red necks'll pay you in natty daddy's for cabbage palms, ya know. They say it's the same thing as hearts of palm you get from La-Choy.

 I dunno. I ate some. It tastes like.... It pretty much tastes like whatever you cook it in/with.

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Red necks'll pay you in natty daddy's for cabbage palms, ya know. They say it's the same thing as hearts of palm you get from La-Choy.

 I dunno. I ate some. It tastes like.... It pretty much tastes like whatever you cook it in/with.

I've offered mine for free on craigslist and Facebook and nobody wanted them. My neighbor did sell some of mine and some of his but the work of cleaning off the old branches and vines made it a pretty hard way to make a buck and he has better ways so stopped doing it.

The only time I ate it, swamp cabbage stew was awesome. Probably because it was filled with great stuff and had these fibrous, tasteless bits of palm heart in there.

 

[vibroman]

Ariens 54 xl here with a kohler. Had it for 6 yrs now Took my 3 acres mostly centipede from 3-4 hrs to 1.5 to 2 hrs. It gets ridden hard and put away wet. 

No major issues ...blades, oil changes, scarfing rollers etc. still on original belt. Did run into what turned out to be a fuel starvation issue this year. Intermittent misfire and down on power.  After a bunch of piddling around including plugs and a carb rebuild i found a bunch of junk in the fuel tank. If i had taken it in, might of come to that conclusion first but I enjoy piddling around. Got rid of that issue and good for another 6 years. Put a hitch on it to drag trailers etc. too

 

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Did the deed: A Toro TimeCutter 50 with the Kohler engine. 

Wholly Carp, we PAY people to cut our grass with these things??? It should be the other way around: Never had so much fun cutting grass.  And I'm sure I can easily fix that downspout. 

The Toro looked to be the better machine, but what really sealed the deal was that the best mower shop in the area sells and services ONLY Toros. They also offered a lot of extra benis for the same price as Home Despot. 

 

[Blue Crab]

Did the deed: A Toro TimeCutter 50 with the Kohler engine. 

Wholly Carp, we PAY people to cut our grass with these things??? It should be the other way around: Never had so much fun cutting grass.  And I'm sure I can easily fix that downspout. 

The Toro looked to be the better machine, but what really sealed the deal was that the best mower shop in the area sells and services ONLY Toros. They also offered a lot of extra benis for the same price as Home Despot. 

You cannot go wrong with local dealer service. The Toro is fine as are most others mentioned. I fit a cushion under the seat on the springs of my current steed which mellowed that rough ride. I'm always going too fast for a beer. You've pulled the trigger but if I ever need another, I'll get a front bladed rig for the increased reaching ability. 

Tractor therapy I calls it with a dollop of instant gratification.

Downspouts happen.

 

[hobie17li]

I have been cutting my lawns since 1980s best move was getting a Toro Z time cutter 42 came with mulcher and bagger which I use it was a machine tested by consumer reports then I got it. Have done all maintenance parts are easy to get etc. Get a good set of Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones

 

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Tractor therapy I calls it with a dollop of instant gratification.

Downspouts happen.

Nuthin' like mowing down those damn hitchhiker plants.  Die, Die, Die!!! 

And to be honest... the drink holder will hold nothing but water or gatorade. I'm way too old for such foolishness as alcohol and power equipment. Unfortunately, my neighbor hasn't quite learned enough of those lessons yet.

 

[Marcjsmith]

cool,

watch your tire pressures  keep em under 20 for better traction and less compaction, and a better ride. also try to keep them the same pressure for a level cut

running equipment is therapy.  I'm stuck in the office most of the days,  but sometimes  I'll hop on a mower or when snowing, on plow just to break the boredom.  turn the phone off, turn the music on and veg for a couple hours.

have fun  be safe.

 

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Man, that Zero-Turn is so cool!

Found out I unconsciously cut in a counter-clockwise direction. However, the Toro is engineered to best to use a clockwise cutting pattern.  No biggie, just an observation... and a lil' retraining

Next is a seed spreader for the new universal 2" hitch receiver. And... a roll bar. It was more than a little disconcerting to see that front wheel come off the ground, hesitate, then bang down.  Whew!

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Man, that Zero-Turn is so cool!

Found out I unconsciously cut in a counter-clockwise direction. However, the Toro is engineered to best to use a clockwise cutting pattern.  No biggie, just an observation... and a lil' retraining

Next is a seed spreader for the new universal 2" hitch receiver. And... a roll bar. It was more than a little disconcerting to see that front wheel come off the ground, hesitate, then bang down.  Whew!

My first one didn't have a roll bar but I didn't know they even sell them without any more.

I got a plastic shade cover that attaches to the roll bar, a very welcome addition in the hot months.

 

[Marcjsmith]

Be careful with the roll bar....don’t go under branches. Or that front wheel is gonna come way off the ground.

also remember the roll bar only works if you wear you seatbelt.  Otherwise it works like a guillotine when you fall off and the mower rolls in top of you 

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Be careful with the roll bar....don’t go under branches. Or that front wheel is gonna come way off the ground.

Aw, I was going to let that be a surprise like it was for me!

 

[Marcjsmith]

Aw, I was going to let that be a surprise like it was for me!

Sorry....

 

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Well, hells, I do have my Live Oak grove that I have to duck under. Dat'd be baaad.

Marcjsmith, I owe you a dram of my Highland Single Malt Scotch for preventing me from having to learn that hard lesson on my own...

Pedagogical Tom:  Doooooooood, you do that to a fellow Florida Man?    You'll get that Sam's Club Whiskey that I won't use to start the the BBQ.  B)


 

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

I actually had to learn it twice. I was mindlessly going around my well-worn track, just like I did with the previous mower, and even ducked for the branch, just like I always had. Then the back of the mower stopped and the front started rising rapidly. Startled heck out of me but I managed to start reversing before flipping the mower onto its back end. Went back to mindlessly mowing, got to another low branch, and... guess what happened? Not quite as startling the second time but that time the lesson stuck.

 

[Marcjsmith]

Marcjsmith, I owe you a dram of my Highland Single Malt Scotch for preventing me from having to learn that hard lesson on my own...

No worries.  I learned it the hard way on dad tractor bushhoggin.  The next trip out I took the chainsaw with me. So I could get closer to the trees.  I hated string trimming

ill take you up on the drink,  it only if we are sipping it in the cockpit of a boat. 

 

[Amati]

I’m saving my pennies for this guy.  
 

https://egopowerplus.com/zero-turn-riding-mower-zt4204l/

I love my self propelled E Go push mower.  I can hear after using it without a noise reduction (and sweaty) headset.  And it doesn’t require any tuning up.  Whirrrrrrrr.....