Why, specifically, do ZTR's cut better, and do I need one?

[stream41]

Hey guys, just joined the forum. I'm not a professional - just a homeowner. I hope it's okay to post in this forum - the title of this section does have "residential" in it :) I've done countless Google searches, but I'm tired of reading worthless info and thought I'd try a forum full of professionals.

Right now I have a pretty basic Craftsman 42" riding mower, and it gets the job done. However, much to my wife's dismay, I've become quite picky about our lawn in the last few months since buying a larger house with a yard that's actually worth caring about. I'd say I have between 1/2 and 3/4 acre of grass - not sure what kind (but I am aware that grass type matters with regards to what kind of mower would be best for me). I'm in central Arkansas, and it's whatever sod the builder put down, so probably the cheapest kind of grass. My land is very flat, but I'm not sure they "flattened" (I know there's a better word for it) the dirt very well before they laid down the sod. Getting a little ahead of myself - could that be part of my problem with the uneven cutting mentioned later in the post?

The mower cuts the grass, but that's about all I can say. It leaves behind "mohawks" and doesn't cut evenly. Even though I alternate the mow direction every couple of mows, I've still created ruts in the yard from the wheels. And let's not forget just how damn long it takes to mow with a conventional mower. I used my brother-in-law's ZTR (a Scag something or other) a couple of weeks ago and was just astounded at how much time it saved. Before anyone asks, I've checked all the obvious stuff with my mower - tire pressure, deck pitch, etc. It's just not a very high-quality mower and as such doesn't cut very well. I'm not exactly unhappy that I bought it - not having to spend 2 to 3 hours behind a push mower once a week in 95 degree heat is well worth the $1000 I spent - but I'm still wondering if the grass is greener on the ZTR side of the fence.

I'm really looking hard at the Toro Timecutter (whatever model that Home Depot currently sells) since it's basically the cheapest ZTR out there that doesn't seem like a piece of junk. I'm interested in how exactly it will improve my mow, other than the obvious time saving and "coolness" factors. In other words, the time saving and looking awesome while zipping around are great, but I only want to lay down the cash if it will actually improve the quality of my cut.

I assume wider tires will help with the rut issue. What about the evenness of the cut? I know the blades will spin much faster, so I assume that will also help. Basically, I'm a little concerned that I'll go out and drop $2500 on a ZTR and have the same cut quality but with a much faster mow, which wouldn't be worth the money to me. As I mentioned I'm also quite concerned about the rut issue - it's starting to look a little embarrassing and it's killing the grass.

Oh, and if I do buy one, is there a better place than Home Depot to buy one? I've read lots of posts about dealers - do they typically sell cheaper than the big retail chains? I can do oil changes, etc. - but what about blade sharpening? I've heard it's harder to get at the blades on a ZTR. What's an average price for a dealer to come out and sharpen a set of blades?

Sorry for the long post, but looking forward to getting some good advice.

[1993lx172]

Try sharpening the blades on your current mower and level the deck, that will help your cut quality a lot. I know Z's are now the "next big thing" for home owners but more often than not you are better off with what you got. The units you see at the box stores aren't all they're cracked up to be and the cut will be about the same as you would have if you kept your current blades sharp.

[stream41]

Try sharpening the blades on your current mower and level the deck, that will help your cut quality a lot. I know Z's are now the "next big thing" for home owners but more often than not you are better off with what you got. The units you see at the box stores aren't all they're cracked up to be and the cut will be about the same as you would have if you kept your current blades sharp.

Well, I just put Gator blades on it about a month ago - they cut like this from the very first use. I've also adjusted the deck and checked tire pressure.

[Leaves of Grass]

What's your current deck height? You could be losing vacuum if it's set to high.

[topsites]

Correct, you wouldn't be the first one to have a perfectly good machine sitting
around the garage collecting dust.

But the real question here is, do you know how much a decent one of these units costs?
If your answer is 6 thousand, then please be seated before checking the price because that's where most of them start.

And it would be a shame to have that kind of money tied up in a machine that hardly ever gets used.

[stream41]

What's your current deck height? You could be losing vacuum if it's set to high.

Hrrm, now that I don't know. I know it's the same on both sides from when I leveled it, but I don't remember how high. I usually mow on the highest setting since anything lower cuts below the "green" part of my grass - I guess that's the stem? I end up with long white/brown strips of lawn if I mow much below the highest setting.

I forgot to mention this, but the mower mulches fantastic with the Gator blades and mulch plate - I cut off perhaps 3 or 4 inches today and didn't see a single clump behind me.

I have a feeling there are too many variables to figure this out. I wonder if a dealer would do a demo for a non-professional homeowner?

[stream41]

Correct, you wouldn't be the first one to have a perfectly good machine sitting
around the garage collecting dust.

But the real question here is, do you know how much a decent one of these units costs?
If your answer is 6 thousand, then please be seated before checking the price because that's where most of them start.

And it would be a shame to have that kind of money tied up in a machine that hardly ever gets used.

Hrrm. So the cheaper homeowner-level ZTR units just don't cut it, even for residential use?

[GravelyNut]

Hrrm, now that I don't know. I know it's the same on both sides from when I leveled it, but I don't remember how high. I usually mow on the highest setting since anything lower cuts below the "green" part of my grass - I guess that's the stem? I end up with long white/brown strips of lawn if I mow much below the highest setting.

I forgot to mention this, but the mower mulches fantastic with the Gator blades and mulch plate - I cut off perhaps 3 or 4 inches today and didn't see a single clump behind me.

I have a feeling there are too many variables to figure this out. I wonder if a dealer would do a demo for a non-professional homeowner?
If the dealer is any good they will. We do about one a week.

[C-Level Lawns]

I used to own a timecutter loaned it to a buddy for his home. The Timecutter won't handle the pressure of commercial use. side by side there's no comparison toi a standard rider. Blade speed and blade quality. If your cutting 3 to 4 inches each week you going to need to start cutting 2x a week. your cutting way to much grass off. Thats why your getting the stripes and bald spots. It's a pain in the ass but honestly your rider is fine. Sharp blades and more than one cut a week and your lawn quality will improve. If your irrigated cut back on the water some. Slow the growth back. How much nitrogen are you putting down? After about 3 seasons the spindles will begin to give and the blades won't cut even. One of the big costs of real commercial equipment is the quality of the deck. You can't get a mercedes at the kia store no matter how they market it.

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I had the same problem with the Gator Blades. They left an uneven cut with strips uncut, and worse when I made turns. That was on a Sabre By John Deere that I still own and use. I put some high lift blades on the 46 inch deck and my cut is beautiful. I love that mower. I cut mostly Bahia grass in Central Mississippi. Tuff Grass! I've since bought a commercial ztr. The best thing I've ever done for me and my wife. Cut my mowing down to a 1/3 of the time. I looked at the timecutter while shopping for my ztr. I have 5 rough acres. So the timecutter wasn't going to hack it. But for a 1/2 acre or so of tamed grass it should do just fine.

GET RID OF THOSE GATOR BLADES!

[stream41]

I used to own a timecutter loaned it to a buddy for his home. The Timecutter won't handle the pressure of commercial use. side by side there's no comparison toi a standard rider. Blade speed and blade quality. If your cutting 3 to 4 inches each week you going to need to start cutting 2x a week. your cutting way to much grass off. Thats why your getting the stripes and bald spots. It's a pain in the ass but honestly your rider is fine. Sharp blades and more than one cut a week and your lawn quality will improve. If your irrigated cut back on the water some. Slow the growth back. How much nitrogen are you putting down? After about 3 seasons the spindles will begin to give and the blades won't cut even. One of the big costs of real commercial equipment is the quality of the deck. You can't get a mercedes at the kia store no matter how they market it.

Well, it's been raining so much here that I literally couldn't mow for the last week. I'm not sure on the nitrogen - our lawn care guy handles that.

So you liked the Timecutter? I'd just be using it once or twice a week for residential use on a 1/2 to 3/4 acre lawn.

[stream41]

I had the same problem with the Gator Blades. They left an uneven cut with strips uncut, and worse when I made turns. That was on a Sabre By John Deere that I still own and use. I put some high lift blades on the 46 inch deck and my cut is beautiful. I love that mower. I cut mostly Bahia grass in Central Mississippi. Tuff Grass! I've since bought a commercial ztr. The best thing I've ever done for me and my wife. Cut my mowing down to a 1/3 of the time. I looked at the timecutter while shopping for my ztr. I have 5 rough acres. So the timecutter wasn't going to hack it. But for a 1/2 acre or so of tamed grass it should do just fine.

GET RID OF THOSE GATOR BLADES!

They are actually Gator blade knockoffs - "Tiger" blades, I believe.

If I do buy the TimeCutter, would you recommend I use their recycler mulch kit? I've heard their OEM mulch blades work way better than the Gator stuff.

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I don't mulch. I can't mulch! Bahia grass grows 4 to 6 inches a week, with 12 to 15 inch seed shoots. Bagging would be imposable. Baling for hay could make me some money! LOL! I just side discharge. I use high lift blades and side discharge.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/MS-SURVEYOR/September12009007.jpg

before

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/MS-SURVEYOR/September12009023.jpg

after

I do the same thing at the mil's,

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu216/MS-SURVEYOR/June-12-2009018.jpg

Just mow every week if you can. Right now it's been 2 weeks since I've mowed. Rain! I hate mowing wet grass. Then I've been busy to boot. But come tomorrow or the next day I'm going to have to make a move. Thou the grass has slowed down some. My wife and I looked at the TimeCutter for my mil. She's got a nice lot with very good grass. But why buy a mower when the son in law has a couple! :hammerhead:

Good Luck!

ms

[cbegap]

I found that the standard thinner high lift blades work better for the MTD type lawn tractors. Gators just don't spin fast enough or something. The gator blades don't lift as well from the get go, and they were much thicker. We put new, sharp "stock" type high lift blades back on and noticed an immediate improvement.

[LawnMowerKing10]

Look at a eztrak