Howdy all,

Finally have a yard where it would be nice to have a zero turn mower. It is only one acre, and we have a pool, so not a huge amount of land. We do have a LOT of trees and things to mow around (different planters put in by prev owner, other random things) so a zero turn would be nice. We have a ditch in the front yard with a pretty steep slope, probably 30 degrees, so I am counting on mowing that with a push mower since even going through it on a normal riding mower (borrowed from a friend since I only had to mow once or twice after we moved in) was terrifying. The rest of our yard is generally pretty flat except one small section on a side that is a little bumpy but not too much.

All of that to say...I need a little advice. My budget is ~$3k or so, can maybe stretch a little more if it really would pay off. I've been looking at a lot of the cheaper ones, and just want to make sure I am not making a mistake long-term. I am looking for a 42 or 48 inch, since the yard really isnt that big. Been looking at the entry level John Deere (Z335E and Z345E), the Bad Boy MZ Rambler (a little more expensive but the deck seems better made), and one or two others. Anyone have any advice? I don't want to spend more than I have to, but would definitely appreciate it if anyone has thoughts on the entry level ones.

Thanks!

My advice would be to keep an eye on Craigslist, NextDoor, Facebook, etc. to see what you can get used before spending more on something new. I got a Troy-Bilt 50" zero turn for a pretty good price about 4 years ago on CL and it's still doing fine on my 1.5 acres. Regular DIY maintenance isn't hard either. I also have a steep ditch along the front of the property and it does ok if I go slow but a heavier mower would handle it better.

Forgot to mention that I have been watching facebook marketplace like a hawk for one, but really havent seen anything that seems like even a decent deal. Everything I have seen has 100+ hours and is only a few hundred off brand new, so it doesn't make too much sense to me. Maybe I just haven't seen anything worthwhile yet though. I figure maybe people will be buying their new mowers soon, so hopefully something gets posted that I can jump on.

Following. About the same situation and budget.

I was beginning to get really into some of the Ryobi models like this one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-38-in-100-Ah-Battery-Electric-Rear-Engine-Riding-Lawn-Mower-and-Bagging-Kit-RY48111-1A/309623220?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=Shopping-BF-F_D28I-G-D28I-028_034_RIDERS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=Shopping-BF-F_D28I-G-D28I-028_034_RIDERS-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000090520797-58700007648833826-92700069247467319&gbraid=0AAAAADq61Ud6-EFeYdAdVtpTNI3MSjr7R&gbraid=0AAAAADq61Ud6-EFeYdAdVtpTNI3MSjr7R&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9OGs8seU9gIVyCZMCh11fQ_zEAQYASABEgLRwPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Convenience of no gas is so tempting but feels like such a roll of the dice.

Z335E is a good choice for your application and budget. Have one coming up on 5 years now used to mow ~2 acres with a lot of bar ditch and numerous obstacles. You don't want too wide of deck if you have to mow steeper elevation changes. In 5 years I've only had to replace the belt, tension spring and the deck adjustment cable broke on it along with routine oil, air and fuel filter changes. The parts I replaced only failed in year 4 after the county regraded the bar ditch deeper and my better half tried to mow it the same way it was previously mowed which put the deck in a bind on the incline.

One of my buddies just picked up a Kobota to replace his old one. I can see what he's asking for it and the details if you'd like.

I am plenty happy with my Cub Cadet 54'' zero turn. I am on a little over and acre and the cut quality is better than my old mans John Deere

Anyone have experience with Gravely? Found a dealer out in Sealy a little ways from my house, but he has been really helpful and they seem to have pretty good prices for a slightly above "big box" type mower. Their 42 is 3600 and 48 is 3700, so a little above my price range, but if they are expected to last a lot longer, I wouldn't mind crying a little more now to avoid having to cry twice.

ChrisTheClassic said:

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Anyone have experience with Gravely? Found a dealer out in Sealy a little ways from my house, but he has been really helpful and they seem to have pretty good prices for a slightly above "big box" type mower. Their 42 is 3600 and 48 is 3700, so a little above my price range, but if they are expected to last a lot longer, I wouldn't mind crying a little more now to avoid having to cry twice.

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Bought a Gravely ZT HD [42 inch deck with Kawasaki motor). Been running like a champ since 2018 with only the required maintenance schedule followed so far. Cuts very well and holding up nicely for me. However...right about $5000

https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/riding-mowers/timecutter-75759

I've been abusing one of these for 4 years and it works fine. Widely available.

I bought a 42" John Deere last summer and I love it so far! I'm pretty sure there are probably about 10-15 good ones out theses days. They all have small differences here and there but I'm sure you will end up happy with just about any choice you make. Don't sweat it too much.

It honestly seems like no matter what brand you mention, you can find someone on Texags that has it and loves it. I have a Hustler. It's great. I suggest maximizing the deal you can get i.e. the most engine and biggest deck you can get for your budget and jump on it. Also note that availability may play a role here. It's good you're starting before cutting season.

Beatles - I definitely have noticed that! I know that I am not doing this for a job, so any of these mowers are going to be awesome anyway.

I went by and checked out the Toro timecutters today at the local dealer. They were nice. Also they have free delivery which is nice, since I havent had time yet to get a trailer. I wasn't really planning on it, but I really liked the 50" model with the 23hp kawasaki engine and the fabricated deck. Very nice for the price ($3599).

Going to try to go by the gravely dealer tomorrow to check out what they have in that price range and compare the two. Those are the two closest brands to my house, and I want to have one that has a close dealer in case I have issues.

I wanted to try out a John Deere but the closest dealer is ~45 mins away. Plus they wanted extra for delivery.

Next step is to make sure I get one that can mulch or have an attachment to pick up leaves. We have a ton of trees and this fall SUCKED having to rake them all up.

If you have a fence/gate going into your backyard you need to measure it. Be sure to not buy anything that will not fit thru the gate!

ChrisTheClassic said:

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Beatles - I definitely have noticed that! I know that I am not doing this for a job, so any of these mowers are going to be awesome anyway.

I went by and checked out the Toro timecutters today at the local dealer. They were nice. Also they have free delivery which is nice, since I havent had time yet to get a trailer. I wasn't really planning on it, but I really liked the 50" model with the 23hp kawasaki engine and the fabricated deck. Very nice for the price ($3599).

Going to try to go by the gravely dealer tomorrow to check out what they have in that price range and compare the two. Those are the two closest brands to my house, and I want to have one that has a close dealer in case I have issues.

I wanted to try out a John Deere but the closest dealer is ~45 mins away. Plus they wanted extra for delivery.

Next step is to make sure I get one that can mulch or have an attachment to pick up leaves. We have a ton of trees and this fall SUCKED having to rake them all up.

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Got a Toro Timecutter SS 4225 a couple of seasons ago and installed a mulcher kit and couldn't be happier!!!

Got our home yard and the yard of the house across the street that I own and mow as well as the back yard for my neighbor. We have yards that are loaded mainly with oak and some elm trees, etc and I don't rake leaves as the mulcher kit does an excellent job of mulching the leaves and the grass!

Mulcher kit was one of the best investments I make over the years!

Just went to look at gravely and man they are nice. Little more money but Kawasaki engine on the ZTX48" is probably what I'm going to go with. Or the same engine on the toro 50" for a little less. Can't decide. Both dealers about 20 minutes from my house

If they are absolutely equal in your mind, I would go with the bigger deck. I have a 48'' and I wish it stuck out a little more- makes mowing around the obstacles easier.

The gravely felt a little nicer (nicer hand grips, and the cutter height selector was nice) but overall pretty much the same feel to them. I know they are both overkill for my yard but want to buy something that will last as long as I need it to.

Just bought a used hustler xdx with 55 hours on it for my new 5 acre property. Still has 2.5 years of warranty on it, can't wait to use it when I move in late March!

I mow 1/2 of my acre, rest is wooded.
Always 12-17hp does the trick in no time at all thanks to landscape buddy.
So WHY would I spend +$1000 more for Zero turn?
All my neighbors want to convert me but they have wide open, more open grass to cut and don't have to fit between narrow passages.

My eye is on a John Deere S100 but Tractor Supply is closer and my current one is a Craftsman 2008 with leaking tires the only deficient.

ZERO getsRdone faster in open spaces +$1000
I would look for a John Deere is that's your pasture needs.

Any updates OP?

Still haven't purchased. I found a used ferris online from 2019 that is 48" with only 141 hours, and about $3500 which seems like a good deal with the independent suspension. My yard is pretty bumpy and my riding mower about beat me to death this weekend. Edit - forgot to mention it is 2 hours away so I would need to dedicate a Saturday to go get it (and convince a friend with a trailer to go with me)

Also still considering the new 50" Toro with the kawa engine (or maybe the 42" with my ride but it has a Kohler motor) or the gravely ztx48.

All three options are around the same price range. All 3 are probably complete overkill but I want to bite the bullet and buy something nice that will last a long time.

Hm, the suspension of the Ferris might be nice. I have a bumpy area I hate going over, a better seat/suspension set up sure would be more comfortable. Sounds like you can't go wrong with any of these three options, keep us updated!

ETA: don't worry about going overkill. That won't hurt you. The bigger sin is not getting enough machine for your property.

Well, I ended the search finally today. Went to look at a gravely, and stumbled on a hustler raptor X 42" in the woodlands. Ended up buying that one and waiting until Monday to go pick it up. Pretty excited as that was the original mower I wanted and just couldn't find it anywhere in stock. The 42" is just barely skinny enough to make it through my pool gate so that will knock 15 minutes off my mowing time alone if it does in fact fit. I decided on the 42 instead of the 50 because there are a few areas that I'll be able to fit that the 50 wouldn't have. Id rather do a couple extra passes in the front and not have near as much weed eating in the back.

Thanks to everyone that posted. Appreciate the guidance and I can't wait to get out there on it.

That's awesome! I got a Hustler Raptor XD a year ago based off of recs from texags, it's been a great mower so far! Enjoy!