Zero-turn radius riding mower
 

Mrs B and I are thinking of buying one this year. My “yard” is a hay meadow. The ground is uneven and sloped. Need to mow under an acre. I’m thinking $5k, max and hoping for a lot less. I don’t want a cheap POS. AND NO, my tractor is too big to make tight turns around shrubs and stuff.

Experiences? Recommendations? Avoidances?
Thanks y’all!

Dang. Didn’t proofread the title. Oh well.

How's that?

Don't scrimp. Get a mower that will last the rest of your life. Take a look at Kubota diesel zero turn.

under an acre? Anything will do.

No Kohler engine!!! For 5K that should last two decades plus. My cheap ($2500.00) Toro is going on thirteen years, that is after repowering with B+S after the Kohler block just fell apart. Yes the block fell apart, not the cylinder head, did not kick out a rod, the block split in two.

Some dependence on the slope. Zero radius mowers can be unstable going UP a slope depending on the degree. They have little weight on the front and have a tendency to go over backwards on steep ones. You may note that many sport roll bars for that reason. If your mowing pattern can be adjusted to "contour mow" then could be o.k.

You may also want to look into those in which the deck folds. Makes parking and servicing the blades a lot easier.

O agree that Kohler engines are junk. I have one in my Husqvana and cannot stop the oil leaks.

Dang, my Miller welder is Kohler driven.

This was a 21 or 23 hp Kohler. Plenty of info on y-tube I think it was 8 yrs old, they said older than five years, no help. I didn't expect a new engine, just the part replaced that was known to fail. No help bye. I don't care for the Kohler kitchen sink I have either. The strainer/plug has to be a Kohler or change from the sink to the p-trap for a common part to be used.

I own a 52" Gravely zero-turn with a Kawasaki - love it.

I would suggest buying a used commercial mower. That will give you bullet proof hardware that will last forever, and be within your budget.

You may also look into a commercial walk behind mower. I have a 48" Scag, also Kawi powered.

I also mow 1 acre; the zero turn goes over the ground faster than the walk behind, but by the time I mow around common obstacles, the walk behind is faster overall. Also, with a zero turn you have to be very careful when making zero-turns...the large rear tires will scalp the grass right off. My son and I call that "making dinner plates".

Best of luck in your search.

The Kawasaki motors are suppose to be VG. Better than Kohler and B&S. Might look at X-Mark.

Might want to start looking for a good deal on a replacement

Jim is correct on this one. The $5K models are really cheaply built. You need to double that for a decent unit. You need to get a small commercial unit rather than a large residential.

There are many good brands. Bad boy commercial is a good value. I had one for a long time. They handle a little more clunky than others but are as tough as a Sherman tank. I now have a front deck, 72” grasshopper with a power vac and dump from the seat hopper. A tough, well built unit, but not cheap. Worth seeking out used, but be aware that they also make a residential unit that should probably be avoided.

It seems that all of the engine makers have models that are troublesome. Worth doing some research to know exactly which versions to avoid.

There again, it depends on which model. There are some models of each brand that have head gasket problems while there are other models that are bullet proof. If you want to junk that welder Bot, let me know and I’ll haul it to the dump for you.

I have not had any issues with the Kubota diesel.

Probably correct on the "big box" run of the mill mowers. Probably all made by one manufacturer. Toro when delivered showed the shipper as MTU.

Does the Kubota have replaceable insert bearings?

I fully expect that you never will. A great piece of machinery.

I fully expect that it does. It’s a sure enough industrial engine.

I have not had to tear into the engine but I do have an old generator (without the generator) with a four cyl Kubota diesel in it. I could take it apart and let you know but I'm not going to. I paid more for that mower than the last three cars I bought combined and I run synthetic, diesel rated oil in it. Changed hot and often:).

I think the expected rebuild time on a lot of smaller Kubota diesel engines. Is eight thousand hours. This might apply down to their lawn equipment if water cooled.

That is very generous of you!

Doing Things Right
 

" I run synthetic, diesel rated oil in it. Changed hot and often"

Atta boy ! .

Oil is the cheapest mechanic there is .

Using fully synthetic oils will in fact allow you to drive the engine clean .

Many years ago I got my son his first mechanic's job in a lawn mower shop, he came home one evening and said " you told me Briggs & Stratton makes good stuff, they use plastic cams and gears, it's all trash designed to fail after a few years of light duty service !" .

Oops .

Kubota makes very good engines yes but after ten years or so they often no longer support parts..... when I was supporting a huge municipal fleet we had to either buy new engines (no, never) or salvage the entire machine due to zero internal engine parts availability .

A shame, what it means to you the owner is : HOT CHANGE THE OIL ON TIME AND ALWAYS A NEW FILTER ! .

Then you'll be amazed at how long it will last .

The Grasshoppers offer models with Kubota gas and diesel liquid cooled engines, I REALLY wish mine had one instead of the 25HP air cooled Koehler. It’s been a good engine, but in the long run I don’t think it will be a match, even a close match for a liquid cooled Kubota, even a gas one.

I bought it used with only 250 hours for a good price so I couldn’t be picky.