Ask me your Kubota ZG questions!

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.

 

Have they come up with a better bagger for it? How wide is it with the chute in the up position? Is it as quiet as one of their diesels? How about the seat -is it the same suspension seat as the ZD?

 

Well, how do you like it? I'm thinking this machine or the Hustler Super Mini. I like the drive shaft idea. How's the single hydrostat compared to the split motors and pumps? Hows the cut? How's the hill holding? Thanks

 

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.

 

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...

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

got a question fo you have you heard of anybody using the meg mo blade set up on the kubota zd 18-54" deck Thanks Tony