The Zero Turn Mower thread? Or some other mower/machine thread? Probably shopping in the spring?

[Melensdad]

So my mighty Ventrac lawn tractor, long out of production, is on its last wheels. Rear transaxle is toast. So it is now front wheel drive and can't climb a mild slope. At roughly 20 years old, it might not be worth repairing.

The Ventrac excelled where a traditional lawn tractor consistently failed. SLOPES. Because of the wide tires, 4 wheel drive and center articulated/oscillating design, the Ventrac was S_T_A_B_L_E on side slopes, could drive straight down and then back up ditch banks with ease, and just to show off, it could do 'figure 8s' on the side slope without any pucker factor of the operators hind quarters.

High on my list is one of the smaller POWER TRAC machines. Either the PT 180 or the slightly larger PT 422. Both are similar to the old Ventrac but use Hydraulics to drive the wheels. Neither are as compact as the Ventrac.

Power Trac Products

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

H Class

Compact Tractors, Slope Mowers, Articulated Tractors, Tractor Attachments, Trailer Packages

power-trac.com

We have a John Deere/Toro/Stihl dealership less than 5 miles away. A Zero Turn Mower would probably mow faster, cost less, and some of them can manage the slopes I have. I know this because I had to hire a guy to mow. He uses a Toro and, he does say there is definitely 'pucker factor' on the steep slope.

The big advantage of the Power Trac is that I can get a lot of quick detach implements for it, at which point it could outwork my diesel tractor on a lot of tasks.

 

[tommu56]

Power Pro around us still lists ventrac tractors for sale is there some thing that changed with them that you'd switch?
The local flood control department has a fleet of them to do the levees and they swear by them for stability.

 

[Doc]

Good to see the Power Trac is still alive and kicking. I was very close to buying one of those instead of my Kubota tractor. A few on TBN were in love with theirs. Might check out there to see how they held up.

You might also consider Grasshopper like Dargo had. I see them on golf courses with lots of hills.
I also see ZTR's on landscapers trailer with knobby tires. That would help them on the hills. I can do semi steep hills with my ZTR but they are only 9 or 10 ft. A long grade hill might be tougher.

 

[Melensdad]

Power Pro around us still lists ventrac tractors for sale is there some thing that changed with them that you'd switch?
The local flood control department has a fleet of them to do the levees and they swear by them for stability.

Ventrac is still in business, but they don't have the smaller mower style machines anymore. They have a compact tractor style Ventrac, it is quite expensive, and way more than I need given that I also have a bigger diesel tractor.

My Ventrac is/was awesome but just on its last legs. The deck has rust holes through it (and it is garage kept). But the fact that the rear power transaxle is shot, combined with a couple decades of age under its belt, makes it a solid candidate for replacement.

To my mind, a ZTR would be the cheapest way to mow and, while a couple spots are a bit iffy, the reality is a ZTR will work. So it seems like a good and economical choice.

Something like a Power Trac (probably the smallest model) would be a good comparison to my current Ventrac, but appears to be much more capable, and twice the price of a ZTR. But I could put a bucket on it, or a post hole digger, or a snow blade, or another dozen things including a finish mower.

The cost is a big factor, would I actually use the Power Trac for anything other than mowing? If not, its a very expensive toy compared to a ZTR

 

[waybomb]

Wife used to work for Textron building ZT mowers and giant bat wing type mowers. Jacobsen, Bobcat, Burnton, Steiner. Impressive machines.
I recently bought a 26 year old Steiner ZTM 60 that my wife probably assembled. Love it; still in like new condition. For my building. A little more than an acre; son to be about 1.5 acres. But no hills. Keep the engine on the high side; it won't to over.

 

[Melensdad]

Steiner and Ventrac, apparently a few decades ago were the same, one of the key people apparently had a disagreement with another and split off to start Ventrac.

Steiner only makes a tractor style machine (they also produce machines for Bobcat)

Ventrac also stopped making the compact mowers like I currently have.

Dargo has a front mount Grasshopper with mid drive wheels and rear stability wheels. I may check in with him to see how he likes it. The ZTR mowers are far more stable on slopes now than were the designs 20 years ago.

Possibly a used 3000 series Ventrac might be a good option too?

I sent off an inquiry to Power Trac regarding the PT 180

 

[Melensdad]

I could do something like this one. Most of the commercial units won't fit through the gate into the pool yard, which is a big limiting factor and major consideration. I looked at a lot of used commercial equipment, its just too big.

My current Ventrac has a 54" deck. Biggest I can go is 60, and that assumes a rear discharge. So this one with a 54" and side discharge would work. Even brand new at full list price, something like this is roughly $6K and that puts it at roughly 50% cheaper than the Power Trac 180 with a 48" finish mower.

EDIT: just double checked the gate size of the smaller gate, which is the gate we use 99% of the time to access the pool yard with the mower, and the opening is 70.25". So a 60" cutting deck is going to be roughly 65" wide. Probably the best choice would be to stick with a maximum of a 54" cutting deck like I currently have.

EDIT #2: checked the accessories for the Cub ZTR shown below and they have a light duty snow blade available, so that could come in handy for light snows where I tend to not pull out the big tractor.​

Cub Cadet Ultima ZTS2 54 Zero-Turn Mower | Cub Cadet US

54" Cub Cadet AeroForce fabricated 11-gauge steel deck, 24 hp 747cc KOHLER 7000 Series PRO engine, steering wheel-controlled dual-hydro transmissions, best-in-class limited warranty Order online. Choose Dealer Delivery or pick-up within one business day at your local dealer. Financing available.

www.cubcadet.com

 

[Melensdad]

UPDATE 1: just double checked the gate size of the smaller gate, which is the gate we use 99% of the time to access the pool yard with the mower, and the opening is 70.25". So a 60" cutting deck is going to be roughly 65" wide. Probably the best choice would be to stick with a maximum of a 54" cutting deck like I currently have. ​

​

That puts the Power Trac with a 48" deck and the above Cub Cadet with a 54" deck on the desirable list.​

​

UPDATE 2: checked the accessories for the Cub ZTR "ZTS2-54" shown above and they have a light duty snow blade available, so that could come in handy for light snows where I tend to not pull out the big tractor.​

​

The Power Trac 180 has a lot of options, not just a snow blade but post hole diggers, grapple buckets, trenchers, etc. So the Power Trac 180 has considerably more utility, but again, comes at a considerably higher price tag. And much of the PT 180 utility is also available with the Bobcat tractor I already own, it's just that the PT 180 is in a much smaller and more maneuverable & convenient footprint. Still, is it worth the duplication just for convenience?​

 

[Melensdad]

Looked up the comparable JOHN DEERE ZTR that would compare with the Cub Cadet.

The Cub, which is advertised as being good on slopes, costs right about $6K and seems much more heavy duty than the JD Z330R, which the website keeps directing me toward. Price is about $4K for the JD and it seems like much less of a machine.

Skipping past the Z330R and moving up to the Z530R with 54" mower deck and the price is right about $6500, features seem to be very similar between the Cub ZTS2-54 and the JD Z530R so much more apples to apples comparison.

The problem is the slope. One of the problems with ZTRs of all brands, on the slopes is their steering. That is why the 'slope' machines don't use the levers but rather use a traditional steering wheel. The lever steering is much faster, which is also much less stable in use on slopes. So while the JD Z530R looks like a good machine for the size area we mow, it does not seem to be quite as appropriate for our terrain. Most ZTRs are not recommended for a slope greater than 15 degrees. I have a few areas at 20+ degrees. The Cub Cadet I posted is rated for 20 degrees.

Still the JD Z530R looks like a good machine, but I think it, and all similar lever steer machines are off my list of considerations.

Z530R | Z500 Series ZTrak™ Mowers | John Deere

ZTrak™ Zero-Turn-Radius Mowers offer unmatched quality, performance, and comfort. They are designed for efficient mowing with exceptional maneuverability and trimming capability.

www.deere.com

 

[bczoom]

Bob - Do you have a budget?
They've gotten pretty expensive but you may want to look at Country Clipper if you're looking for a ZTR.

Country Clipper Zero-Turn Mowers

Elevate your landscaping game with a mower from Country Clipper. Available in residential and commercial models, featuring zero-turn radius and easy-to-maneuver controls, cutting your mowing time in half.

www.countryclipper.com

I have a 20+ year old one that is a beast. I can climb/mow some seriously steep hills - those that you'll be lucky to climb up on foot. (best when taken at a 45° angle).
Single hand joystick control makes it very easy to control.

 

[Melensdad]

I have no real budget, but to put it into a range, if I go with the Power Trac PT180, the price, with a mower deck, is probably about $13,000 delivered. Power Trac will easily do the living room slope, which is roughly 45 degrees and difficult to walk up. There is a 40' elevation drop from the living room porch to the valley, all at 45 degrees. We mow on 3 sides of that porch (it is a 6 sided porch). I put in stone steps in one area because it is so hard to walk, especially if the grass is wet.

I don't see anything in the Country Clipper materials about slope stability. The top of the consumer line, Country Clipper XLT is slightly more expensive than a comparable Cub Cadet. So not out of the question. But again, not sure about slope issues.

Cub offers a double rear tire option (like a dually pick up truck) so if I go with the Cub instead of the PT 180, that might be something I consider, either when I order or perhaps added later if needed.

I guess if pressed right now. . . The two top contenders would be Cub ZTS2-54 or the Power Trac PT180. The PT 180 is very appealing for its optional implements; I'd probably be in the $16-$17k range with PT 180, a deck, snow blade, maybe light material bucket and couple other toys. I'd be just over $6K for the Cub ZTS-54. So wildly different prices, and wildly different capabilities.

I did find a used Ventrac 3400 for about $11,000. The 3400 is the same basic format/size as my current Ventrac, but powered by a Kubota diesel and modernized a bit.

 

[bczoom]

At this point, I'd suggest a site visit of the mowers. Have the dealer(s) bring the machines to your place for a demo. Let the best mower win.

 

[tommu56]

check mikes opinion on the cub cadet