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Zero turn

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dasmoeturhead
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Re: Zero turn

Post by dasmoeturhead » Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:31 pm

tractortad wrote:
Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:27 pm
We have a three year old JD 930R zero turn mower with a 54inch deck that we use to mow about 3 acres (around the house/barn) on a our 32 acre Hobby-farm. We also use a JD 5510 utility tractor with 8ft rotary mower to mow an additional 12 acres. I don't know too much about Badboy mowers, but they probably make a good product. We went with JD because of the overbuilt "7-iron" deck and overall JD reliability. We have a lot of JD equipment that has never let us down over the past twenty years (tractor, 8ft mower deck, square baler, hay rake, loader) and the 930Rzero turn is no different - well made, heavy duty, tough mower. Like all zero-turns, it is outstanding on flat grass - a little more challenging on slopes. I would estimate our 930R can mow an acre of flat grass in about 30 minutes - I think the top speed is 11 mph, but deck size will also affect how fast you can mow an acre. We opted for flat-free tires on the front/flat-free "tweel" tires on the rear, so we have zero tire issues so far. This machine is designed for daily professional use, so using it once a week to mow three acres is child's play for an upper-end JD zero turn mower, which is why we went with a gas vice diesel engine - either one will last a very long time and we felt a diesel was kind of "overkill" for our needs. We opted for the 930R model because of the added comforts (better seat, electric deck lift, mulch option, lights, etc.) and a 54" deck for maneuverability around the house/barn. For more open areas, a bigger deck (at least 60") would be a better option. Can't really think of any negative things to pass on about this mower - like most JD equipment, it is expensive, but it is top of the line quality. If you take care of it, it is usually less expensive over the long haul because it outlasts other brands.
Thanks for the excellent feedback. I've been researching the Bad Boy zero turn, and the high end JD's , and the JD mowers have a better warranty, and I'll only live 11 miles from there Greenville, TN Plant that makes only mowers. Can't go wrong with a Deere. I know at some point I'll probably need a small compact tractor with a box blade to keep the gravel drive level. A bucket would be handy also. Jeez! My heads been spinning now for a couple of weeks. I need to get out and sit on a few different machines. Leaning towards JD for both tractor and zero turn. The 3 acres are totally flat grass/lawn. Some trees, but almost no obstacles.
Another question about zero turns. Never been on one but I've been driving and working on heavy equipment my whole life.
My back ain't real good, and turning the steering wheel on my JD rider a hundred or so 180° turns hurts the elbows the next couple of days. Are the zero turns any better? I've heard there hard on your fingers and hands, both of which I have arthritis. Im, a tough ole geezer, and refuse to pay someone to do my work, even if it hurts.
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tractortad
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Re: Zero turn

Post by tractortad » Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:29 pm

dasmoeturhead wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:31 pm

Another question about zero turns. Never been on one but I've been driving and working on heavy equipment my whole life.
My back ain't real good, and turning the steering wheel on my JD rider a hundred or so 180° turns hurts the elbows the next couple of days. Are the zero turns any better? I've heard there hard on your fingers and hands, both of which I have arthritis. Im, a tough ole geezer, and refuse to pay someone to do my work, even if it hurts.
In my opinion, zero turn mowers are easier to drive than ride-on mowers or utility tractors, but they can be harder on your back because they move faster and bounce more often over the rough spots - kind of really depends on the nature of the ground you are mowing. I think you'll find them easier on your elbows, hands and fingers than a mower with a steering wheel, but then again I don't have arthritis so I can't really give you a good informed answer on that one. Your arms rest on the levers and you just lightly push forward to move ahead - there is no foot work other than a parking brake. I think they are almost fun to drive once you get the hang of them. You really need to get on one and take it for a spin around the dealer's lot. I just went thru some major back surgery back in March and I am just now getting back to brush-hogging with the tractor and mowing with the JD 930R. When it gets too bouncy over the rough spots, I just slow down a little to smooth out the ride. A good well built zero-turn mower provides the fastest and most efficient way to mow grass and if you are like me, the only regret you'll have is not getting one about ten years ago.
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dasmoeturhead
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Re: Zero turn

Post by dasmoeturhead » Sat Oct 03, 2020 7:47 am

tractortad wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:29 pm
dasmoeturhead wrote:
Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:31 pm

Another question about zero turns. Never been on one but I've been driving and working on heavy equipment my whole life.
My back ain't real good, and turning the steering wheel on my JD rider a hundred or so 180° turns hurts the elbows the next couple of days. Are the zero turns any better? I've heard there hard on your fingers and hands, both of which I have arthritis. Im, a tough ole geezer, and refuse to pay someone to do my work, even if it hurts.
In my opinion, zero turn mowers are easier to drive than ride-on mowers or utility tractors, but they can be harder on your back because they move faster and bounce more often over the rough spots - kind of really depends on the nature of the ground you are mowing. I think you'll find them easier on your elbows, hands and fingers than a mower with a steering wheel, but then again I don't have arthritis so I can't really give you a good informed answer on that one. Your arms rest on the levers and you just lightly push forward to move ahead - there is no foot work other than a parking brake. I think they are almost fun to drive once you get the hang of them. You really need to get on one and take it for a spin around the dealer's lot. I just went thru some major back surgery back in March and I am just now getting back to brush-hogging with the tractor and mowing with the JD 930R. When it gets too bouncy over the rough spots, I just slow down a little to smooth out the ride. A good well built zero-turn mower provides the fastest and most efficient way to mow grass and if you are like me, the only regret you'll have is not getting one about ten years ago.
That's what I was looking for. You've answered my questions, that I needed. Your right about just slowing down. I don't think, from what I've read, that a zero turn going 10 mph doesn't make as nice a cut. I doubt that I would be able to go that fast anyway. Thanks for your input. It really does help.
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Greyhawk
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Re: Zero turn

Post by Greyhawk » Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:54 am

I bought a Hustler Raptor in the spring of 2019. That thing is awesome, I've cut overgrown, heavy, wet areas with it, that would have quickly bogged down my old Cub Cadet and the hustler didn't miss a beat. It is very comfortable for me, but, when I bought it I was also looking at the Toro. One of the Toro models has a suspension seat that is designed pretty much for people with bad backs, and is very comfortable.
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dasmoeturhead
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Re: Zero turn

Post by dasmoeturhead » Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:29 am

I know a guy up the road that has that model with the nice seat. I might look in to that.
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JEBar
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Re: Zero turn

Post by JEBar » Sun May 09, 2021 8:28 pm

UPDATE :

our son shown earlier in this thread with a Grasshopper Mower just added a new piece of equipment to use in clearing his land .... its a Kubota L6060 .... its the largest model he could get with a Hydrostatic Transmission .... his attachments include an 86" mower deck, one heck of a claw grabber, front bucket, and rear tiller .... that front claw is one heck of an attachment .... in the 6th picture you can see a part of the brush pile he moved out of an area he is clearing .... the cab has heat, air, radio, even a windshield wiper and more knobs, switches, leavers and buttons than I'd know what to do with .... I drove it earlier today and its a really nice machine ..... most certainly a huge advancement over my old John Deer also shown earlier in this thread
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210509 001 Model L6060 001.jpg
210509 001 Model L6060 001.jpg (74.56 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 002 front 001.jpg
210509 002 front 001.jpg (94.2 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 002 front 002.jpg
210509 002 front 002.jpg (99.88 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 002 front 003.jpg
210509 002 front 003.jpg (95.27 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 003 rear 001.jpg
210509 003 rear 001.jpg (113.12 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 004 claw in action 001.jpg
210509 004 claw in action 001.jpg (91.82 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
210509 005 Landen for a Ride 004.jpg
210509 005 Landen for a Ride 004.jpg (91.39 KiB) Viewed 1708 times
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Hatchdog
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Re: Zero turn

Post by Hatchdog » Mon May 10, 2021 9:48 am

Awesome machine, thanks for sharing the pics.

I could really use a grapple like that at our place up north. It’s a jungle from a logging project from 20+ years ago and that claw would be a real help.

Love the cab with the heat and A/C. And I bet he does with your local climate. :D
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JEBar
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Re: Zero turn

Post by JEBar » Mon May 10, 2021 5:27 pm

the AC will most certainly be welcome when its 100 degrees with high humidity .... I still can't help but be impressed with the advances in technology .... that claw out front will self adjust to keep itself flat on the ground .... that really helps when working on ground that isn't level
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Re: Zero turn

Post by fortyshooter » Tue May 11, 2021 10:31 pm

That is one nice tractor! I have the small 2380 which was the largest that would fit my 5x10 trailer. It comes in handy for small jobs and cuts grass really well.
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