Kubota Zero Turn Question

[JRM6868]

I've been looking of the site for a couple days now and searching through old post. No one seems to say much about Kubota. Are they any good? I have 6.5 acres I need to mow at my house and with a tractor with a 5' Woods mower it takes about 5 hours to mow. I borrowed my buddy's Exmark and can mow it in about 2.5 hours so I'm sold on a zero turn. I am just looking at the Skag,Exmark and Kubota. The Ferris I feel will do good but I read that there is maintenence issues with the springs and the thinner deck. I am looking for something that is going to last a long time and we have a kubota tractor that hasn't given us any issues in the last few years besides typical maintenence. So is Kubota equivalent to the Exmark and Skag? I also saw where some of these mowers have a rear discharge instead of a side. Is there any benefit to the rear discharge over a side discharge? Another question I have is the property is an old cornfield and it isn't the smoothest running a zero turn full bore with some slope to it in areas. So what HP of mower should I be looking at that isn't too small for the job but not too large it's over kill. My buddy's mower is a 27 hp and it seemed to do fine should I stay in that range of motor? I also heard you could drop down a couple HP if it is diesel so I could drop to a 25HP if I was looking at a 27HP gas...Is this true? Thanks Joe

[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

Kubota is on par with Skag if I recall. I'd say it's a good choice, though you should choose equipment your dealer is experienced with. I wouldn't buy it, if my dealer isn't able to fix it. Some people fix their own stuff, but sometimes you just don't have the time. I think the rating goes like this; Exmark > Ferris > Walker > Toro/Deere > Skag/Kubota - Is there any benefit to the rear discharge over a side discharge? No. Get a side discharge mower. If you are throwing clippings behind you, you wont be able to mow over them a second time in order to really mulch them up. You'd have to do every lawn twice for that same effect. Note: It's wise to buy equipment with the ability to add attachments. Look for a mower with a "bagging system".

[JRM6868]

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

Kubota is on par with Skag if I recall.

I'd say it's a good choice, though you should choose equipment your dealer is experienced with.

I wouldn't buy it, if my dealer isn't able to fix it.
Some people fix their own stuff, but sometimes you just don't have the time.

I have all the above dealers within close proximity to me and all have been in business awhile and service the equipment they sell so I don't think service will be an issue.

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

I think the rating goes like this;

Exmark > Ferris > Walker > Toro/Deere > Skag/Kubota

So your saying Skag and Kubota are at the bottom of the list???? I would of thought they would of been towards the top. I've talked to a few mowing companies and one had Skag the other Exmark and both said they liked theirs over the other but both said the Ferris wasn't worth the money because they had tried them and had problems with the springs and decks holding up and the Kubota was just too pricey. Did they tell me right? Never heard of Walker nor have I seen them around here.

-

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

No. Get a side discharge mower.

If you are throwing clippings behind you, you wont be able to mow over them a second time in order to really mulch them up. You'd have to do every lawn twice for that same effect.



Note: It's wise to buy equipment with the ability to add attachments.
Look for a mower with a "bagging system".

This is for my personal yard of 6.5 acres I won't be bagging but I'll look at what other attachments I can add to the mower. One thing I definitly want is a light kit. I work an hour from home and always run out of daylight while I'm mowing.

Besides the mowing twice...explain the benefit of the rear discharge. Is it supposed to keep the clippings from clogging up the side chute or what?

[CHEESE2009]

No matter where the grass is discharged, there will eventually be clogging.
Even with a mulching kit and no discharge option, clogging is inevitable.


I haven't got a clue as to why one would spend money on a rear discharge mower, I suppose if they are less expensive then the other types - that's the catch.

-

The real reason is probably to create less of a mess, as side discharge mowers discharge the grass clippings into the path of whatever the chute is aimed at.

FORTUNATLY, if you mow a lawn properly, you can avoid spreading grass clippings all over the place - it's really simple and I've never had a problem.

I just always aim the chute towards the lawn, granted you may encounter certain narrow strips of lawn where you may make a mess depending on how far the clippings are shot out from the chute - though, 2 seconds with a blower is all it takes to clean up!
TRIMMING is the thing that makes the most mess!



Fact: I lift my chute (mind as well rip it off) which means clippings in theory should create a bigger mess than anything - truth is, I aim my chute towards the lawn - if clippings don't end up on the lawn, I use my blower... I'm going to use the blower to clean up the trimmer clippings, mind as well make it count!

[Trc]

Joe-
I'm in the exact same place. Took the ferris out for a spin. The ride was a little smoother than the 326 kubota. Both felt same on hills. Too many things to choose from and everyone has a different opinion. One ferris dealer said he wouldn't sell me a diesel model. Like you I have some hills. Did you make a move on one since April. Thanks. Tim.

[wandfsmall]

I noticed a lot if misinformation in this tread so I figured I would post some info.

As for top ZTRs that is dependent on area but the top selling ztr mower companies are as follows Toro/Exmark, Scag, and Hustler and in that order. Now just because a company has market share does not have anything to do with quality.

Rear Discharge mowers do not clog as much due to the fact that the trim side of a regular ztr mower has to move the grass across 3 blades to get it out on a rear discharge it blows it right out the back. Now you have other issues with a rear discharge like more belts and a reverse blade, but they do not clog as much.

you can have a couple of reasons your farris dealer is not selling diesels.

1. Diesel engines are not as efficient in ZTR mowers as they do not need the added torq. they seem to use the same amount or more in fuel per hour.
2. Diesel engines require different training for the mechanics.
3. in our shop we notice the repair frequency and cost of repairs to be much higher on a diesel mower then a gas one. My personal theory is the added torq is hard on the pulleys and the diesel mowers are turning to high of rpms on the engines.

[Trc]

Originally Posted by wandfsmall

I noticed a lot if misinformation in this tread so I figured I would post some info.

As for top ZTRs that is dependent on area but the top selling ztr mower companies are as follows Toro/Exmark, Scag, and Hustler and in that order. Now just because a company has market share does not have anything to do with quality.

Rear Discharge mowers do not clog as much due to the fact that the trim side of a regular ztr mower has to move the grass across 3 blades to get it out on a rear discharge it blows it right out the back. Now you have other issues with a rear discharge like more belts and a reverse blade, but they do not clog as much.

you can have a couple of reasons your farris dealer is not selling diesels.

1. Diesel engines are not as efficient in ZTR mowers as they do not need the added torq. they seem to use the same amount or more in fuel per hour.
2. Diesel engines require different training for the mechanics.
3. in our shop we notice the repair frequency and cost of repairs to be much higher on a diesel mower then a gas one. My personal theory is the added torq is hard on the pulleys and the diesel mowers are turning to high of rpms on the engines.

Thanks for you insite regarding the Ferris Diesel question. My local dealer had a 5 ft 3100 gas marked almost as much as the diesel leftover. The dealer who wouldn't sell me a ferris diesel probably had more service issue due to all the belts etc... effected by the extra torque of the motor. The Ferris did seem to be less bumpy than the Kubota I took for a spin today.
Kubota zd 326 13000 grand 0% for 60
zd 331 15000 grand 0% for 60
Ferris 2500 Diesel 27 hp I believe... 11000 0% for 36

So there is no real difference in gas vs diesel debate cause each motor will only need so much power?
Thanks,
Tim
Tim

[wandfsmall]

Originally Posted by Trc

So there is no real difference in gas vs diesel debate cause each motor will only need so much power?
Thanks,
Tim
Tim

You still have a debate but the diesel motors seem to provide to much power. This is more of an observation running the numbers of my shop but numbers do not look good for diesel engines as to cost of ownership.

If your comparing mowers I like to suggest you look at the weak points instead of the strengths as that is what is going to cost you money.

With the Ferris your week points are the Deck is the thinnest of any of the commercial grade mowers that have a fab deck at 11 Gage. You also have a suspension system that you will have to repair otherwise your mower will "Float" and give a bad cut.

With the Kubota you have an integrated drive, and an imported machine that the parts have to come from japan so parts cost will be high and only 1 dealer to get them from as well as the integrated drives do not seem to last as long as pumps and wheel motors.

You are also looking at 2 of the most expensive machines on the market so you will loose resale value quickly so you might take that in consideration.

[A 1 lawn]

I have run many kubota tractors,I owned a kubota zero turn,couldnt wait to get rid of it!! and kubota customer support is non existent! I now own a snapper pro 200 like the ferris,I have have nothing but good things to say about it.great cut,stripes good.all the power you need,mine is kawa powered.

[wandfsmall]

Originally Posted by A 1 lawn

I have run many kubota tractors,I owned a kubota zero turn,couldnt wait to get rid of it!! and kubota customer support is non existent! I now own a snapper pro 200 like the ferris,I have have nothing but good things to say about it.great cut,stripes good.all the power you need,mine is kawa powered.

A ferris is a good mower you just need to be aware of the downside of the suspension system and I think the best way to look at mowers if the failure point.

A kubota is a good mower, but unlike a ferris that you can go to about any dealer and get most parts with a kubota about the only thing you can find at non kubota dealer is a set of blades.