Zero Turn Question??

[Matt]

Hello Yah'll, got a question for you folks who work on equipment daily. Im looking at purchasing a 52/54"-60" zero turn and have it down to about 3, without getting into makes/models, the engine is a Kawi FR730V/FR691V, hydrogear 3100 transaxle in all of the makes im looking at, these machines are very close to being identical in both size and price. Im cutting approx 2.5 acres of landscaped lawn about 1-2 per week.

Is there any issues with the above drive trains and is there any makes i should stay away from, im not a going to cut commercially, just my own lawn. The above setup seems to be just below the commercial machines and on the high/highest end residential units.

Thanks for any input, all of the dealers are local to me so parts shouldnt be a problem i hope, just wondering which way to go here.

[Luffydog]

Ka makes a good engine as long that it has been taken and serviced reg. Look at the air filter if it has the flip up type lid make sure to check under the air filter. Take it out and inspect it making sure is clean. I like the canister type better where it makes dust and grass harder to get in the filter housing. The transaxle your talking about should be a serviceable type meaning it has filters on each trans. If taken care of they should last. Underneath the transaxle there's a directional cover with a o ring that sometimes leaks. Have seen them fail at times but mostly due to owner not taken care and low on oil or grass build up causing heat damage and then failure. How many hours is on this unit? Does it smoke? Blades? Spindles? Belts? How old? Oil good and at operating level? Sometimes the color may catch your and call you to it but money may turn your head to others colors. Kinda reddish or orange

[KE4AVB]

Maintenance is the key to any equipment life and there will unexpected failures that why repair shops exist. And we want all your money. Just kidding on that. But ZTRs are higher in cost to maintain just because they more robust.

Personally I am only servicing about 29 ZTRs on a yearly basis and they are all across the board so I don't have any real common failures other than bearings, blades, belts, carburetor problems with the occasional hacked wiring problems.

[Luffydog]

second the hacked wiring problems due to trying to bypass safety switches which leads to bigger issues later.

[KE4AVB]

Luffy, a heads up if you get any JD Z950R's in. You need to check the voltage regulator output connector as JD used a regular terminal on some which leading to arcing and then the destruction the regulator. They are now using the F56 female terminal that provides better contact. The engine that had this problem was the Kawasaki FX850V-BS13 that was on the Z950R that came into the shop.

[Luffydog]

thanks for the heads up on that one ill keep eyes out....

[Matt]

Thanks folks for your input, i just didnt want to make a "grave" mistake(see what i done there) What amazes me is the huge price jump from high end residential to entry commercial, man, you'd have to cut alot of grass to pay off one of them big machines, dont know how some of these people do it.