Choosing The Best Zero Turn Mower

Follow these five steps before making your decision

By Ron Scheffler, Bobcat Company senior product manager for grounds maintenance equipment

When purchasing a mower, there is plenty to consider. Here are a few of the top factors to keep in mind.

Evaluate the size of your acreage

Your property is unique, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for maintaining it. Fortunately, when it comes to mowers, there are a lot of options and variations.

Regardless of how large your acreage is, you’ll want to think about how much of that acreage you actually plan to maintain—you might have some brush you don’t intend to mow. On the flip side, maybe you plan on mowing that brush in the future, so plan ahead and make the best investment for your long-term needs.

Tip: If you’re maintaining under two acres, this can typically be managed with a residential mower, rather than a commercial mower. Commercial mowers are built to run for longer periods of time, more days per week and at faster speeds.

Homeowners with more than two acres but fewer than five acres should consider a higher-quality residential mower, like the Bobcat ZT3000, or an entry-level commercial model, like the Bobcat ZT3500, with a high-quality deck and higher operating speeds.

Bobcat offers mowers with mowing speeds up to 13 mph and transport speeds as fast as 19 mph, which comes in handy when you need to quickly get across your property.

For more than five acres, a commercial mower like the Bobcat ZT6000 or the ZT7000 may be the best route. Getting a mower with a wider commercial deck, commercial-grade power and modern cutting technology that operates at higher speeds might be worth the money when you account for time saved.

Unique property features and needs

Consider unique aspects. If your lawn has a lot of obstacles—narrow strips between trees or complex landscaping—you’ll want a mower that can maneuver accordingly. Evaluate machine size to ensure it can fit in spaces you want to maintain.

You’ll want a mower that gives you an exceptional quality of cut. Many factors play into the mower’s cut quality, one of which is your deck. Bobcat offers AirFX cutting systems, which provides a vacuum lift that stands grass up to the cutting blades, resulting in a manicured cut.

While a mower is usually associated with cutting grass, think about the other applications you want your mower to support. Will you fertilize the lawn with a spreader, or do you require a collection system to pick up clippings? Are you planning to stripe your lawn? Think about how you want to use the mower to get the most from it.

You might even consider a multi-tool carrier like a compact tractor. Tractors can support various application needs on your property whether it's mowing, grading your driveway, tilling a garden or hauling mulch.

Consider the ‘little things’

Today’s mowers have premium comfort features to improve your mowing experience, and the little details included in a machine add up to make a big difference.

Manufacturers put a lot of research and consideration into the comfort features of our mowers.

When you’re mowing acres at a time, it’s the little things that count:

• Ergonomic machine controls: Our almond-shaped handles and smooth, responsive controls were designed to avoid straining the wrist and for overall increased comfort.
• Control location: We designed our control panel to be out front and up high for easy access and operation.
• Comfortable seat: Our deluxe suspension seat helps to reduce vibration, even over bumpy areas.

Test your options

The next step is to put your rear end in the seat, get your hands on the controls, and demo a machine to understand its speed, power, and performance.

Whether at a Bobcat dealership or elsewhere, it’s important to experience it firsthand. Most homeowners will use their mower at least once a week during warmer months. Find a mower that’s efficient, comfortable and gives you the performance you need to complete the task at hand.

At the dealership, make sure you discuss warranty options. Bobcat mower offer t an industry-leading warranty that covers your investment up to 2,000 hours of use.

After you make the right decision, it’s time to make the purchase and get out there to tackle your turf!

Check out Bobcat’s mowers

https://www.bobcat.com/na/en/equipment/mowers/zero-turn-mowers