Of these mower brands, who has personal experience with them on 2-3 acres including some slopes?  I care about seat comfort for my back, and durability.  

I’m looking at the $6-8k range 52-61” decks.

Looking at these models:

Scag Patriot
Exmark Radius X-Series
Gravely PRO Turn Z/ZX

You’re looking at mowers a little more expensive than I was but I just bought an Ariens Apex 60 (same as Gravely) and really like it. I grew up with several Gravelys and they just lasted forever. Time will tell if this one holds up but so far it’s mowed about 20 acres, well.

I am going to pick up my Scag Liberty Z tomorrow.  After looking at them all, it seemed to have all I needed at the right price.

I have owned all 3 brands. My personal preference is Scag.

Gravely. 60” HD. 10 yrs old.  No serious issues. Would buy again tomorrow.

In the end, I narrowed my choices down to Gravely and Kubota. I ended up with the Kubota but would have been perfectly fine with the Gravely. Wasn't impressed with either brands ''homeowner'' quality one's, they were cheapo underneath but that is to be expected when built to a homeowner price point. The commercial models were both a different story. I wanted the best drive system for the money because that is the most expensive thing to repair so durability was a must.

I'll add that the Kubota salesman knew a ton more about the machines he was selling and was much more attentive then the local Gravely dealer salesperson was. Seemed like they didn't have time for a mere homeowner with some valid questions who was ready to hand over cash for one of their expensive models. [the model I was most interested in couldn't be had with a Kawasaki engine but with their own brand engine] In the end, I'm betting the Kubota salesman was happy with the 5 figure check I handed him.

We had a member here who swore by Scag mowers

Whatever you get OP, make sure you have a decent local dealer and parts counter. Nothing worse then buying something and having to drive to another state for covered warranty repairs or brand specific parts you need today.

I have a Liberty Z and a Snapper Pro right now, I’d go with the Scag-wish I had 2!

Same here. Going to get the 72” next. Either the 400 or 600 series.

I second the advice on a good dealer. I have a Gravely And my local dealer fought tooth and nail to not honor the warranty. I had a pump failure at one year and it was a major issue getting it fixed by the dealer I bought it from. They basically made the warranty useless. No more Gravelys for me.

I currently have a 2004 Toro 283L (62”)which is a heavy beast and is the same as an Exmark. I tend to lean that direction personally due to positive experience. That said, mowing on hills is more on the operator than the machine. Good tires and practice are the biggest factors for safety.

When I bought my mower in 2017, it came down the the Ferris IS3200Z and the Scag Turf Tiger 2. I ended up with the Ferris because of how smooth the ride was and the 37hp Vanguard motor. Also, Ferris has a few dealers in my area in case I need service whereas Scag is over an hour and a half away.

Of your brands, I would go with Scag for sure.

I WOULD DRIVE THE SCAG AS A PATRIOT

Scag>Exmark>Gravely

I mow lawns part-time and own an Exmark.

Also, if your back is your biggest concern, get a stander. Uses your knees as suspension and you can hop-off for side-hilling, etc.

I have a Gravely ZT60 and it's BADASS. I never had any issues with my Scag Cheetah, but it only lasted about 900 hours before the motor went.

I ended up with a Scag Patriot 60” (or 61”, whatever).  It was at my local Co-op with a good repair shop and parts counter.  It’s where I bought my previous push mower and it’s a local store.

I have a Gravely zt-Hd 52”.  This is the third year I’ve had it.  It was the exact same machine as John Deere 500 series zero turns but about $1,000 less.  I got the Kohler engine over the Kawasaki. Change the oil yearly and a new air filter. It has serviceable transaxles which I wanted.  Gravely suggests to service them at 75 hours then every 100 hours I think.  The life of the light duty transaxle is around 400 hrs from my understanding.  If you aren’t mowing commercial jobs it should easily last you 10-15 years with basic maintenance.  I’m mowing around 2.5-3 acres each time I mow.  I have 92 hours on it and plan on running it until I can’t anymore.

Once you hit around the $8-9000 price range some companies use a more heavy duty/industrial type transaxle and it is really built well compared to those 3-4 models of Hydrogear transaxles that almost all companies use.  
The reason I’m harping on the transaxle unit is because many of the mowers you are going to look at use the same unit.  Make sure you get one that will last because they can easily cost $500-1500 to replace if you buy a mower with the light duty/home owner grade.  The zt-Hd has 3100 series trans axle, the Pro-turn 100 has a 3400 series transaxle.  

If your looking at professional grade models.  As long as you keep your maintenance up they should last a long time.  I have a friend who is an Ex-mark dealer.  They have some really nice machinery but was more than I could afford at the time.  That’s why I went with the zt-hd.  For the money you are spending you should consider a Kubota zero turn also. The commercial grade ones are absolute beasts.  I have a friend that has had the same one for the past 14-15 years and he has probably close to 1,000 hrs on it by now.  He mows 4 separate properties with it and probably does 5-6 acres total each time he mows.

I think you will be happy with that Scag, it should last many mowing seasons for you.

The Kubota commercial units have parkers with wheel motors, they are far more massive then the homeowner lines.

But yes, you do pay for them..................

Yes that’s correct thank you! I couldn’t remember the name but Parker is what the higher end Kubota’s use.  They are proud of them for sure!

This Scag Patriot has the Kohler Command Pro and 3400 transaxles.

I'm an Exmark dealer.  I wholeheartedly believe they're the best mower on the market.  However, all three of those brands you will be very happy with.  Gravely being the least in my opinion.

I wanted a Radius X-series 60”, but they aren’t available where I’m at.

I have owned 4 Scags, and all of them have been great. My first zero turn was a Freedom Z, which was what the Liberty is now. As long as the dealer is good to go, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.  Also, I highly recommend the suspension seat if available.

I can't get them right now either.

Have a Kubota Z781KWTI-60 EFI for my 6 acres, and it is a machine. Of course, for the price, it should be.

Attached File


Cut my lawn mowing time by another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes over my Grasshopper ZT.

I’ve used scag turf tiger, gravely with 72 hydraulic deck, and a kubota 72.   You would be happy with any of them.  My pick would be the scag but gravely was a close second.  Tricky part is both were top of they line the year they were bought so not sure about lower price points.

First and foremost, dealers have sold over twice as much product for the same time as last year.  Exmark wasn't prepared to double their production capacity from one year to the next.  

The only specifics I've heard about supply are that they've had trouble getting the steel for decks and that they have a warehouse full of commercial mowers ready to ship except for the handles you steer them with.

I'm so disgusted with it all.  Every bit of this is either created by made or being made worse by man.

Just got a Scag Turf Tiger 2 and love it!

I am SOOO glad I decided to shop early for a new ZT mower this year before the mowing season started and beat the rush and shortages.

I went by the Gravely dealer a couple days ago and while they USED to have a bunch outside early on, they have exactly two outside now.

Just received my Gravely PT ZX60 this week that was purchased in March. Heck of a lead time when I was told it was only going to be a couple weeks when I purchased. Nonetheless, I’ve got it now and it seems like a stout machine.

I bought a used scag patriot
About 1.5 acres
Yard has  a nice slope near the road that does fine
It’s enough of a slope  that I keep the roll bar up and seatbelt on
But the scag feels planted and has plenty of power to spare