ZTR vs. Lawn Tractor

[rawhide]

Good advice from Hobbes. Really depends on the area you'll be mowing. Mostly flat and/or lots of obstacles you will love the ZTR. I replaced a tractor with Hustler ZTR 3 years ago. Mowing twice the area in less time than mowed with the tractor as well as reducing trim time. Actually look forward to mowing. I would also advise to purchase the best one you can afford and never have to buy another one.

 

[Hobbes]

That's a heck of a ride! I'd love to have gotten a FasTrak, but couldn't justify the extra cost over the Raptor SD for what I have to mow.

I inherited a lot of money recently, as you can tell by my picture.

 

[cowzrul]

mower p0rn

 

[defender56]

Been mowing with a FasTrack for several years and it cut my mowing time in half. Don't buy anything that has a Kohler Courage engine on it. A lot of them blow up after a few years even after regular maintenance. You generally have a choice within the same brand of mower for engines.

 

[jrusling]

That looks just like mine, except I have a 42". I love mine.

 

[Shadowrider]

I was going to buy a ZTR last year. Had it down to the Hustler and Toro. From what I could gather a fabricated deck is vastly superior to stamped decks for longevity but don't cut quite as well. Also the Hustler raptor was the best one by far at their price point. My lawn guy has a Hustler and he told me he "runs the piss out of it and it just runs", he loves it.

I'm probably going to go with a tractor simply for the lesser price. Can't really justify a ZTR in town I only want it to save time and on a residential lot a tractor will still do that.


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[doctorjj]

I was going to buy a ZTR last year. Had it down to the Hustler and Toro. From what I could gather a fabricated deck is vastly superior to stamped decks for longevity but don't cut quite as well. Also the Hustler raptor was the best one by far at their price point. My lawn guy has a Hustler and he told me he "runs the piss out of it and it just runs", he loves it.

I'm probably going to go with a tractor simply for the lesser price. Can't really justify a ZTR in town I only want it to save time and on a residential lot a tractor will still do that.


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Don't cut quite as well? I've never heard that. That being said, my dad's new Snapper commercial with a angled front on the fabricated deck does cut better than any deck I've tried on any mower. I think the angled aspect let's the grass stand back up before it gets to the first pass of the blade.

 

[dennishoddy]

Been mowing with a FasTrack for several years and it cut my mowing time in half. Don't buy anything that has a Kohler Courage engine on it. A lot of them blow up after a few years even after regular maintenance. You generally have a choice within the same brand of mower for engines.

Maybe I'm the exception, but I have the Kohler Courage on my Bad Boy. Going on 5 years now doing up to 5 acres depending if doing the right of way on the road.
It does have the Pro model designation so like any small engine manufacturer, they build cheap models and better models.

 

[jfssms]

Don't cut quite as well? I've never heard that. That being said, my dad's new Snapper commercial with a angled front on the fabricated deck does cut better than any deck I've tried on any mower. I think the angled aspect let's the grass stand back up before it gets to the first pass of the blade.

You are correct, the bull nose design allow more time to lift the grass to be cut. It's in area's that have bahia type grass that the angled or bull nose decks truly excel.

 

[defender56]

I had mine about that same amount of time before it died. When they die its sudden and terminal - I believe the harmonic balancer comes off and of course that is deadly. I was looking at Craftsman Pro series with my Dad a couple of weeks ago and I noticed that all the Kohlers are 7000 series now made in Michigan. The Courage was an attempt to manufacture in China and it didn't work well for the company. Kohler supplied a new engine at no cost except for shipping and I'm still running a Courage. They work great until they blow up and a whole lot of them eventually do regardless of how well you maintain them. My Hustler mows great but damn I wish I had spent the extra bucks for a Honda engine. Fingers crossed on my replacement Courage. BTW Dennis Kohler supplied a engine after it was out of warranty so I did appreciate that.