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There has been a lot of Kubota talk lately and some about the new ZG. I have a new ZG23 54" here. If you have questions post them here and I will try to answer them over the next few days.
Ask me your Kubota ZG questions!
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Regarding the new ZG23, how do you like it? How does it compare to the Hustler Super Z of roughly the same horsepower (but 60 inch cut)? or the Toro Z500 (60 inch cut)?
I noticed in the spec that the speed of the blades is 16,000 fpm, but I think I saw that the Hustler and Toro mowers have more of a maxed out blade speed of like 19,000 fpm. Any thoughts on blade speed being sufficient for cutting zoysia (empire) grass for example versus the same grass cut with the Hustler or Toro?
Many thanks.
I noticed in the spec that the speed of the blades is 16,000 fpm, but I think I saw that the Hustler and Toro mowers have more of a maxed out blade speed of like 19,000 fpm. Any thoughts on blade speed being sufficient for cutting zoysia (empire) grass for example versus the same grass cut with the Hustler or Toro?
Many thanks.
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Well, now I get an e-mail notification.... and it's been almost 3 months. I just assumed no one was interested. Anyways I'll try to catch up with the questions...
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Crapgame,
Yeah I think they have a new bagger. Check their web page. I think it's like 53" wide w/chute up. It has a 23hp Kohler that is load just like the rest. No it does not come stock with the suspension seat setup of the ZD. The seat is much like the standard eXmark or Ferris seat.
Yeah I think they have a new bagger. Check their web page. I think it's like 53" wide w/chute up. It has a 23hp Kohler that is load just like the rest. No it does not come stock with the suspension seat setup of the ZD. The seat is much like the standard eXmark or Ferris seat.
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Well, I'd give it a 'B'. Not sure which of those you might be happier with. Try both. The single hydro is nice and smooth. It's certainly not your typical IZT by any means. It's very heavy duty. Compairing the two, I see no reason to go one over the other.
The deck is a new stamped deck that looks kin to the John Deere 7 Iron deck. But it has a better baffling system, better cut, better discharge, and finer discharge clippings. As far as the cut... on lush lawns it does not have a pretty of a cut as my Kees but that's a hard one to measure up to. On tall trashy weedy lawns the cut is cleaner, faster and chopped up better than anything else I have tried. For a 54" cut it also seems to have a lot more useable HP left over for the deck than your typical 23/52 ZTR. The hill holding is OK for most I guess, but not all that great to me. No way will it hang with the Kees.
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Oh.... I'll tell ya right now, the Toro Z500 23/60" ain't gonna haul through tuff cutting or tall growth like the ZG23 does. See my statement in my previous reply. If you are considering a 60" as small as I would go is a 25hp Kawi or 27hp Kohler.
I don't know about the blade speed. I'd have to do some checking.
Hey Envy mate, can you post some pics please?
The new Toro with 23hp/60...dunno how good they are, my belief is that 23 hp engines are for 48'' decks, 25-27hp engines for 52'' to 60, but a 28EFI is the perfect engine for a 60'' deck. IMO.
I will openly say here now, that the latter, 28hp EFI Toro with turbo force deck is at min. equal to the best deck out there in cut quality and work scope or better than. Once you get the hang of these new decks you wander why the others never thought about it earlier, big difference! Nothing alike to running a standard deck.
I've cut stuff as you have seen that many couldn't handle or would clog up, pics don't lie, no clumps in my jungle clearing.
With raptors on a turbo force deck, pretty unbeatable.
But I do think you could be correct, 23 hp on a 60'' deck could leave it wanting, imo. I agree with ya.
I'd love to own a ZD28 anyday....about 32 or 34 K here...ouch!
Don't forget a pic please if you can ol' mate?
The new Toro with 23hp/60...dunno how good they are, my belief is that 23 hp engines are for 48'' decks, 25-27hp engines for 52'' to 60, but a 28EFI is the perfect engine for a 60'' deck. IMO.
I will openly say here now, that the latter, 28hp EFI Toro with turbo force deck is at min. equal to the best deck out there in cut quality and work scope or better than. Once you get the hang of these new decks you wander why the others never thought about it earlier, big difference! Nothing alike to running a standard deck.
I've cut stuff as you have seen that many couldn't handle or would clog up, pics don't lie, no clumps in my jungle clearing.
With raptors on a turbo force deck, pretty unbeatable.
But I do think you could be correct, 23 hp on a 60'' deck could leave it wanting, imo. I agree with ya.
I'd love to own a ZD28 anyday....about 32 or 34 K here...ouch!
Don't forget a pic please if you can ol' mate?
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No I have not. But with that deck it certainly would not hurt to try the Meg-Mo blades on that deck. I just question the 18-54"+ Meg Mo load.
Try talking to those who have them on other machines as a way to pass judgment as to rather or not they are worth the gamble to you.
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Tonyr,
I don't know what I did with the pictures I took of it 2-3 months ago. Let me look...
You gotta remember I run 25/48" and that I'm taking nothing away from Toro. But yeah, a 23 Kohler on a 60" is lacking and of course it obviously would feel gutless to me based on what I'm used to.
As for the Kubota ZG23/54, I've had a real hard time delivering in words an accurate understanding of the machine performance to others. See my earlier replies. I seem to be bi-polar or something about it but I'm really not. I like it. But I want to be completely honest about it at the same time. Just hard to explain.
But since I'm talking to you now, I think I can finally make better sense, so I will try....
1st looks impression I really didn't take this machine seriously from it's looks and many others won't either. Mostly because it does not say 'brawny' like the heavy equipment looking ZD does. It looks homeowner-ish sitting next to a ZD. Plus it's not 'framey' looking out front like say a Toro. But after a second look you start to see this machine is no joke and you know it's a serious commercial contender when you operate it.
Performance and Build wise is where I sound really wishy washy about it. But there is no wish-wash about this machine. It is built solid and it's a solid performer. It's just not well suited to my particular operation is all.
Take someone like you Tony... you make a great example of the kind of guy and operation that could find no fault in this machine. CaptKen would be another. You guys wouldn't be able to stop singing praises about it because of the account conditions you have v/s mine. This is the very same reason you like the Toro Z588E so much.
If you side discharge, deal with harsh cutting conditions, high growth, weeds ect... I'd dare you to find a better machine than the ZG23/54 for the application. The Toro's versatility brings the machine in tune to that kind of work. Where as with my Kees, I would have to swap blades and baffles in the most extreme conditions to measure up. Otherwise the ZG23 would just run circles around it while leaving a better 1 pass finish cut.
However, change the enviroment over to 'lushville lawns' and it's a totally different story. No way can the ZG23 compare with my Kees in finish cut. I'm not saying the cut isn't very acceptable by any means. The cut is clean, even, smooth, discharge is good, ect. It's just that short of adding a mulch kit and doing 'Switchless/Pete caliber' adjusting/tweaking, it's just not in the same league of flawless, manicured, pristine prettiness is all. It doesn't stripe a lawn beautifully with no kit, hide the clippings completely like a mulching mower and leave that freshly bagged appearance.
So in the capacity I have used it, and a $6,800 I would give it the #1 newbie mower rating, the #1 harsh condition rating and the #1 production mow and go machine rating.
I say that because those are the areas where it shines and the people who would love it. You can tell by looking at and using it that it's a little different breed of mower. One of those 'the same thing, but different' machines.
For me, I have the extreme growth, which is easily manageable with the Kees. I have the lush stuff mostly. A trash lawn or two and then what I refer to as the "Mullet Lawns." You know, like the haircut, manicured in the front, straggly in the back. So I just don't have much of what it does best.
But take a guy in Australia or another area, a production mow and go service, or the new guy just starting out with a lot of places to mow that range from not the best to average.... this is a great mower for them.
Hope I've made a better explanation this time around.
I don't know what I did with the pictures I took of it 2-3 months ago. Let me look...
You gotta remember I run 25/48" and that I'm taking nothing away from Toro. But yeah, a 23 Kohler on a 60" is lacking and of course it obviously would feel gutless to me based on what I'm used to.
As for the Kubota ZG23/54, I've had a real hard time delivering in words an accurate understanding of the machine performance to others. See my earlier replies. I seem to be bi-polar or something about it but I'm really not. I like it. But I want to be completely honest about it at the same time. Just hard to explain.
But since I'm talking to you now, I think I can finally make better sense, so I will try....
1st looks impression I really didn't take this machine seriously from it's looks and many others won't either. Mostly because it does not say 'brawny' like the heavy equipment looking ZD does. It looks homeowner-ish sitting next to a ZD. Plus it's not 'framey' looking out front like say a Toro. But after a second look you start to see this machine is no joke and you know it's a serious commercial contender when you operate it.
Performance and Build wise is where I sound really wishy washy about it. But there is no wish-wash about this machine. It is built solid and it's a solid performer. It's just not well suited to my particular operation is all.
Take someone like you Tony... you make a great example of the kind of guy and operation that could find no fault in this machine. CaptKen would be another. You guys wouldn't be able to stop singing praises about it because of the account conditions you have v/s mine. This is the very same reason you like the Toro Z588E so much.
If you side discharge, deal with harsh cutting conditions, high growth, weeds ect... I'd dare you to find a better machine than the ZG23/54 for the application. The Toro's versatility brings the machine in tune to that kind of work. Where as with my Kees, I would have to swap blades and baffles in the most extreme conditions to measure up. Otherwise the ZG23 would just run circles around it while leaving a better 1 pass finish cut.
However, change the enviroment over to 'lushville lawns' and it's a totally different story. No way can the ZG23 compare with my Kees in finish cut. I'm not saying the cut isn't very acceptable by any means. The cut is clean, even, smooth, discharge is good, ect. It's just that short of adding a mulch kit and doing 'Switchless/Pete caliber' adjusting/tweaking, it's just not in the same league of flawless, manicured, pristine prettiness is all. It doesn't stripe a lawn beautifully with no kit, hide the clippings completely like a mulching mower and leave that freshly bagged appearance.
So in the capacity I have used it, and a $6,800 I would give it the #1 newbie mower rating, the #1 harsh condition rating and the #1 production mow and go machine rating.
I say that because those are the areas where it shines and the people who would love it. You can tell by looking at and using it that it's a little different breed of mower. One of those 'the same thing, but different' machines.
For me, I have the extreme growth, which is easily manageable with the Kees. I have the lush stuff mostly. A trash lawn or two and then what I refer to as the "Mullet Lawns." You know, like the haircut, manicured in the front, straggly in the back. So I just don't have much of what it does best.
But take a guy in Australia or another area, a production mow and go service, or the new guy just starting out with a lot of places to mow that range from not the best to average.... this is a great mower for them.
Hope I've made a better explanation this time around.
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Bill is correct... you will need to mount them in the + pattern.Johnboy1 said:
I'm guessing your ZD21 has the stamped deck they used for years. (?)
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