20 Best Zero Turn Mower For Hills And Rough Terrain (2023 Updated)

When I got to first turning the blades on, I noticed the belt was extremely jumpy, and after cutting a few swaths, I noticed smoke coming from the deck. Low and behold, one of the tensioner pulleys wasnt turning.

Someone at the factory used the wrong size washer on the top of the pulley and caused it to seize the bearing. This was the only quality issue I found, and after replacing it with a washer I had in the bin, the deck blades spun well, and the belt was smooth.

The mower is absolutely a blast to use. The setup was straightforward, and the controls and maintenance are very intuitive. I had a smile on my face the entire time I mowed my lawn – which used to take 60 minutes on my old lawn tractor, now only takes 15 minutes.

The quality is good, seems like they thought of everything. Except for a fuel gauge. Even my 25-year-old MTD had that. You can mow tall grass at full speed, and the engine doesnt even seem to notice.

The cutting is fantastic (very even). Its not crazy heavy either, so it doesnt put ruts in the lawn. Not sure the deck wash system is very practical, but I tried it anyway. Id recommend this mower to anyone.

Great first-time ztr mower. Its not a Gravely or an Exmark, but its perfect for what I need it for, and I expect it to last well beyond its warranty. Cant go wrong with Husqvarna and Kohler.

We purchased our Z254 in the summer of 2018 and it IS the a work horse. Until recently the only thing that we have had done is routine maintenance thru a local repair shop. Our model has the Brigg and Stratton engine and is running just as strong and reliable as the mower body.

Due to unforeseen circumstances with the repair shop closing and my husband is the only one able to work now. We are forced to do our own maintenance and replace the deck wash port, deck gauge wheels and a front tire/hub and chute.

We hope to find a paint tube to fix a few places that need touched up. These parts just recently has broken or became worn. We would recommend this mower to the world if asked about the durability, ease of use and the flat out quality of this CUT ABOVE any zero turn on the market.

I have worked with a couple of local commercial mowing companies and our Z254 SURPASSES in EVERY aspect to any of the machines they are loyal to. “DECKS DOWN!” I am sorry, I can’t post pictures of the mower.

unfortunately my iPhone has a broken camera. Thank You, for building such a remarkable mower! Have an AMAZING DAY! FYI!, Where it asks: Did you receive an incentive or compensation for this review? It is ONLY showing ;”YES” in the drop down box.

I have not received any incentives or compensation for this review? I came across this review, while researching for replacement parts.

Hillclimber, very stable, the engine is powerful. I’ve owned regular lawn tractors, and when my last one crapped out I decided to look at some zero-turns. I almost didn’t go with a zero-turn because I have very hilly property.

I read several articles comparing reg lawn tractor versus zero-turn and they all recommended lawn tractor over zero-turn for stability. I didn’t find this to be the case. Several spots on my property I’d get an uncomfortable/ queasy feeling with my reg lawn tractor.

Not the case with this mower. I don’t know, low center of gravity, wide wheelbase? Whatever. Comfortable, stable, powerful mower. I would recommend it. I’m only going to give it a 3 star for quality.

It seems to be of high quality but I’ve only run it for about 3 hours. I can’t fairly judge a machine on quality after that short time.

IšverstiShow in original languageI bought this about a month ago and have had it back to the dealer several times. I have yet been able to mow my yard with it without doing some kind of work on it. The VERY poor quality brake switch mount is the issue.

Then to make matters worse Husqvarna solution to the issue is to install a Tye Wrap on it. Yes that is what they told me to do to a Bran new 6500 dollar mower. Then trying to contact customer services is a JOKE.

They probably have the worst system for customer service I have ever seen in my life. I am about to the point that I am going to take this mower back and get my money back and go buy a different mower.

IšverstiShow in original languageWhen it runs it performs well. However, after a year and a half the blades will not engage without killing the engine due to problem with the safety switches. A Dealer, hour away is unable to perform warranty work for months.

Engine runs great without the blades engaged. Blades engage and run well until mower is put in motion. Suspect the problem is the seat safety switch.

IšverstiShow in original languageI purchased the MZ61 about a month and a half ago and I’m not really impressed with the mower. The first time I tried to adjust the mower deck, the locking pin was stuck.

I sprayed WD40 on it and nothing. I called the store from whom I bought it and they had no idea how to fix it. The steering bars are extremely tight also, cannot find a way to loosen them. I mow about 8.

5 acres and my arms are sore the next day. The mower itself is average on cutting grass. I have to go back over an area twice to get the grass that didn’t get hit the first time through in some areas.

All in all, not impressed with the mower.

Good: cuts fast. Easily maneuvers on flat ground. Bad: leaves a stripe down one side at times, usually in thicker or taller grass. Oil leaks. Seat slides at times. I’ve come to adjust myself while mowing so I don’t have any real issues other than the oil leak and I’m hoping maybe sharper blades will help with the stripe problem but reading other reviews I’m not going to hold my breath.

I’ve got about 60 hours in on 3 years in Wisconsin. I’ve used many mowers in my life and I probably won’t buy an ariens again. I’ll use it until it dies but will not be back for another. Sucks because they are made in Wisconsin but seems like half of them have issues.

I think it’s a wash between the Kawasaki and Kohler engines personally. I have the Kawasaki and it works good.

I always envied my neighbors mowing with a zero turn. 18 months ago for Christmas we got one. I have loved it from the start to this day. Like many of the people here, I did some research on zero turns and this one is the best bang for your buck.

I mow two acres in fast growing Florida. My new purchase is a head set hearing protection with radio insert. With this baby mowing is not a chore but my own zen moment. I have not hit anything to date thus have no problems with it and give it the loving attention it deserves.

After getting it home I had to make some minor adjustments and retighten some fasteners and put the proper air pressure in all four tires as per manufacture’s recommendations. 1st. cut found the emblem ( Ariens ) from the rear of the machine in the grass, it fell off and would not stick back on? Finished cutting the rest of the lawn with no issues but I noticed it left deep tire depressions in the entire lawn even though it hasn’t rained in several days and the temperatures have been the middle 90’s? Will check with customer service to see if lowering the tire air pressure would help resolve this issue or maybe larger tires.

The only other issue I have is there is a paint chip on the left side of the frame that needs to be touched up. Over all the cut was great, has plenty of power and is very well built! Great Job Ariens!.

I just purchased my zero turn and used it for the first-time last week. It takes getting comfortable with the levers. Remembering that to go right, pull left lever and vice versa. But once you get started it is the fastest way to cut the grass.

what took 4 hours on my old 54-inch deck mower only took 2 hours on my zero turn. Making circles and having to shut the mower off to back up cost time. I am so Happy! thank you Husqvarna, Sheffield, and Safford hardware.

I have almost 2acres to mow. 17yo lawn tractor finally died and purchased this. From 3. 5 hrs, to just over 2 hrs of mowing time. The time reduction comes from the turning ability, not going faster. NOTE!! There is a significant learning curve!!! Be extremely cautious around ditches while learning or in damp conditions.

It will slide. I put mine in a ditch, & had to use a 4wd truck to pull it out. Luckily, no damage except to my ego. Cuts well, uses lots of fuel, saves lots of time. A worthwhile investment.

The packaging was so sturdy! Had fun taking it apart with my wife, 10-year-old son and a crowbar. It took less than an hour. The crowbar is essential. Ours was like 16 – 18 inches long with flat ends.

I didn’t know anything about riding mowers. It’s difficult to attach one side of the battery because it’s hard to reach. There’s no gas gauge. It comes with practically clear synthetic oil prefilled.

I filled it with premium gas and it starts right up. It’s pretty fast! I like how zero-turn mowers have a wider swath than non-zero turns. It takes much less time than my neighbors. Our 1. 5-acre yard has a steep slope, and it angles too.

It does not handle well at all trying to mow downhill when there’s an angle. But like I said, our yard is steep. If mows fine downhill, as long as there’s not much angle. You must mow uphill if there’s an angle.

We got the light accessory. It wasn’t too difficult to install. The light is always on once you turn the key. The seat is comfortable. Love the 2 drink holders. It’s so cool the way it maneuvers so closely around trees, bushes, and everything else.

We paid for the shipping via truck with a lift ramp. The driver wanted to drop it off way downhill at the start of our driveway. I had to talk him into backing up the steep driveway, which he handled quickly and easily.

It was no problem at all.

Very happy with our new toy. We are first time owners of a zero-turn and will not go back to traditional riding lawn tractor. We have a small hobby farm with lots of smaller patches of grass as well as several large areas.

My only complaints are: 1) the assembly by Canadian Tire. A couple parts were not fastened properly. 2) front wheels are very squeaky. Bearings have grease fitting, but there is non where they pivot.

3) rear tires are quite narrow and dont have as great traction as more expensive units. Overall a great option for a less expensive zero turn.

Just received it yesterday and mowed my lawn. This would be my first riding mower I ever owned. Just had to attach the seat, the side chute, and connect the battery. After that check your oil, put gas in it and start it up.

Nothing to it. Very easy to operate. Takes a few minutes to learn how to drive it but when you do, it is so fun to use. Plenty of power and it cuts great. The seat is comfortable and it doesn’t feel like your going to fall off it.

The build quality is awesome and it should last me years of use. Make sure to keep up the routine maintenance on it and I’m not going to leave it out to get rained on. Either put it in a garage or get a cover for it on Amazon.

Bought this to take care of the 2+ acres of grass. This is a well built machine with loads of power. I bought it to just do the lawn but shortly after running this I headed into one of our overgrown fields to test it out Mowes down 1″ saplings, shrubs and bushes like nothing.

Made reclaiming our fields which were covered in saplings and thorn bushes an easy task. Highly recommend this product.

After reading all the positive reviews about this Husqvarna Z242F I purchased one from a local dealer this month. From the very first time I used this zero turn mower I was shocked at how under powered the machine is.

While mowing up slight inclines the mower can barely keep up and easily bogs down to the point of stalling. Furthermore the dealer I purchased the mower from will not even consider taking it back. The dealer directed me to the Husqvarna customer warranty site.

Husqvarna wants me to take to another dealer for evaluation. Really, a brand new machine and no customer satisfaction guarantee. If you do purchase a Husqvarna make certain you do it through Lowes at least they allow customers to return mowers that prove to be duds.

JC.

Five mowings in and I am satisfied that it is a great mower. I like the quick response on the hydrostatic drive. I can wiggle my fingers while mowing at a fast pace. I like the smooth, level cut which is effortless even in my heavy grass.

I like the bagging which is clean on the ground and smoothly goes into the bagging system instead of the operator. I read the instructions and took mine to an authorized Husqvarna repair shop and had them go through it to set it up right.

They made several adjustments and were well worth the money. I do recommend this Z242 to anyone that has a medium to small yard and used gates to enter it. Quality product!.

I have used this zero turn for 3 seasons now. I have about A 3/4 acre lot with a lot of trees and the Husqvarna almost eliminates the need to trim. It has been very reliable, I. pull a yard cart, as well as a lawn sweeper with no problems.

You do have to pay attention to the hilly areas in your space and remember to cut uphill, it (all zero turns) does not like going down hill and making a sudden turn. I would recommend a Husqvarna zero turn to anyone.

Plus there is a huge fun factor. With a lot of trees.

IšverstiShow in original languageHave an 1/2 acre lot. First time using a Zero Turn. Coming off using a 42″ lawn tractor with Fwd. /Rev shifter. What a pleasure using Z turn. Took a couple of times cutting to get used to new control system but now am quite comfortable with it.

Would never go back. I personally keep the Ground Speed Control on Tow setting as my yard has quite a bit of maneuvering around beds and trees. Works well and I’m never in a hurry to finish as it has become fun!!.

Used it about a dozen times so I think I can give it a fair review now. I use it to mow about a one-acre yard on my farm and then I trailer it to mow a one-acre commercial property. It replaced a push mower, so beware I might be more favorable towards it than others might be.

This is my first zero-turn machine so there was a bit of a learning curve to overcome in driving it. I purchased it fully assembled from my local TSC, they did a pretty good job except for not sufficiently tightening some bolts on the steering bars (I should have more thoroughly test drove it before taking it home).

This nearly ended in disaster on the first use when one of bars loosened and I lost control of the machine. Fortunately, I had enough time to collect my senses and kill the motor before too much damage was done.

(Hey engineers at Toro, research the concept of safe-failure before starting your next design. ) Otherwise, I’m happy with the machine and it almost meets all expectations. Easy to start, seems economical on fuel, reasonably comfortable (but it is loud – buy ear protection along with the mower).

Mows close to fences pretty good. What I wished was better: 1) quality of cut – have to drive it slowly to get the best results, 2) ground holding ability – the slightest slope is a challenge, especially for this newbie, 3) the grass clippings chute sticks way out there and is easily snagged on fence posts and trees (needs some kind of mechanism to allow it to deflect?).

This review lost one star because I cannot get its drive motors balanced. One hydro-motor has noticeably less torque than the other and I have to drive with one steering bar offset by about a half inch from the other.

In effect always having to slightly counter-steer to go in a straight line (it was originally pretty bad). This gets irritating after a while. My mower does not have enough range of adjustment to correct this.

I purchased my mower from a local big box store online. The mower was shipped to an auto parts store dealer in my town to be delivered to me. The auto store called me when they received the mower and made arrangements to deliver the mower.

The man delivering the mower got on it and drove it a little bit and then showed me the basics and left. Not ever using a zero turn mower I quickly went through the owner’s manual and then proceeded to pretend to mow with my new mower.

I had a little trouble getting the hang of things because as soon as I brought the handles up to what should have been the neutral position the mower started to move ever so little to the left. Also when I had the mower on a straight stretch it pulled more to the left and I had to pull back on the right lever.

Then when backing up the right side would hardly pull at all it was most the left. Needless to say I was having a terrible time learning to drive my first zero turn. After taking the mower back to the auto parts store and going over the manual myself I was able to adjust the motion going forward so that both sides were pulling the same but then when I had both levers push all the way forward the two levers were off (not equal) by several inches.

I thought surely this cannot be correct on a brand new mower! So I called Toro and they suggested I take it back to the auto parts store which I already had to no avail. So I look around for other Toro dealerships which had a service department.

I found one about 40 miles to west of me. I called Toro again and asked about having the Mower checked out under warranty and the representative told me I could but when I contacted the dealership they told me it would not be covered under warranty that I would have to pay for any adjustments made unless they found a faulty part was the cause of my problem.

I needed my mower setup correctly so I could learn to mow with it so I took it had it adjusted and paid for it out of my pocket. It’s hard for me to believe that Toro is not able to setup these mowers correctly at the factory before they are shipped out.

You should only have to add oil and gas before being able to use your new mower. I feel this is quite an unacceptable practice by Toro and it does not make me look favorable toward their product name.

I purchased the mower about a month and a half ago. I also purchased and installed the recycler kit. The recycler kit was easy to install and all parts fit perfectly. It’s nice not having to worry about grass discharge as I have many mulched planting beds in my yard.

I’ve only mowed with the mower three times. It takes a little time to become accustomed to operating a zero turn mower, but after a few laps around the yard, things become a little more intuitive. I can see that mowing time will be reduced substantially.

I’ve had two problems with the mower. While mowing, the engine sputters and then stalls out. The first two times I used the mower, this problem occurred after approximately 30 minutes of use. The third time, the problem occurred throughout the mow.

After a stall I have to wait a few minutes before restarting, then mow for a short while before the next stall. This is very disappointing for a fairy expensive yard mower. I plan to limp through one more mow this season and take it in for a warranty repair.

The other problem is that the right drive wheel rotates at a faster rate than the left wheel causing me to back off the speed on the right wheel to drive straight. The owner’s manual has instructions for making an adjustment for this situation.

I have not attempted the adjustment and will ask the repair shop to address the issue when they address the stalling issue. If these issues are addressed, I think I will be very pleased with my purchase.

I’ll update my review after a few mows next spring.

IšverstiShow in original languageI bought the mower on 9/8/2021. At first I was excited and nervous because it was my first zero turn. It did take some time getting used to the controls and getting them adjusted.

I get better every time I use it and I can’t wait till next year to mow the whole season. So far it appears to be a solidly built machine, of course I have only used it 3 times this year. Based on my experience with this mower, I would have given it 5 stars but it has one problem that shouldn’t be a problem.

I can’t understand why a company that bases the service of their equipment on hours ran to not have a hour meter. I would have thought that this would be information that was provided to the customer before purchase.

It would have changed my mind I had known this was the case and yes I have had riding mowers before and they had hour meters. So, I only hope that there is not something else that should be on this mower that was not installed.

I hope that Cub Cadet understands by not providing this meter that they should be accountable for any damages that not having this meter causes to the components of the mower in the future. How would Cub Cadet suggest that I keep up with the maintenance of my machine without this hour meter or other form of knowing hours ran There is a question below that asks would I recommend this product to a friend and I will answer yes but I would tell this friend to make sure the one he/she purchases has some form of hour meter of service indicator.

My lawn has quite steep slopes +/- 20% in places and several tricky spots to get around and in and out of. I had used a Snapper ride on for the first two years, it was fine the 1st year but started losing drive and traction in the 2nd year culminating in a rather painful turnover.

So having read up a lot about mowing on hills I decided to purchase a stand on mower with a walk-behind feature. This would have worked fine I am sure but the drive/steering functions are not really meant for your resident weekend warrior.

Fine if you are a commercial guy using it every day it becomes second nature. For me it was like a trial and (mostly) error every time I took the stand on out. Honestly, it scared the you know what out of me every time, it was a heavy machine, 900 lbs or so.

Crazy. Then I happened to read about this Cub Cadet zero turn with a steering wheel. It was the first literature that featured mowing safely up to 20% slopes. So I sold the stand on and purchased the Cub Cadet.

Having used it now more than 10 times, I am totally impressed with this machine. It is powerful, fast and yes it will very safely mow 20% slopes. It is very easy to use and now I actually look forward to mowing my lawn.

Especially because it takes probably half the time as before. Very good clean cut too. Bonus is the CC is so maneuverable that I can now use it to mow a fairly large area that I could not before, which I used a smaller walk behind.

Saves me a lot of sweat and twisted ankles in the hot summertime. Summary: totally 100% satisfied with this mower. It safely, comfortably and efficiently mows hills as advertised. Just a great all round mower.

I bought my first ZTR about 10 years ago, and continued to have issues with one of the spindles on the mower deck. This Spring, I traded my old machine in on a new Toro 50″ TimeCutter ZTR with MyRIDE suspension.

By far, the best purchase I’ve made in a long time. The MyRIDE suspension in state of the art, providing a smooth ride over rough terrain. I had all I could do to hold on to my old mower, while the Toro is like riding on a pillow! The TimeCutter rides closer to the ground for better control, and has all the power and speed I can handle.

I’ve been really pleased and super impressed with this new TimeCutter. My only regret is not trading up a few years earlier. Might have saved some wear and tear on my body! Great product. Thanks Toro!.

IšverstiShow in original languageNew to the zero turn mowers. Starting it up and driving it on the trailer was a treat I wish I would’ve got a video of. Definitely worth a few chuckles. I kicked around making this purchase for a long time.

My girlfriend finally helped me pull the trigger. We have 2 acres that I’ve turned into an orchard so with your conventional rider it was taking quite some time. So first time out little hesitant on what my capabilities would be.

Backing up turns out to be really tricky for me haven’t put enough hours on it. maybe have an hour and a half on it. With this being said there is no hour meter on the model (only 60in. Model) bummer.

So hour meter is on the way $100 later from my toro app available in the playstore. Also purchased the recycling/ mulching kit from from third party thru tractor supply co. Reason behind getting the recycler is because the chute is quite large and keeps you further away from objects tends to be in the way and forces you to make a lot of left turns so you weren’t blowing the grass everywhere you do not want it.

Also makes the mower more sleek and now right turn capable. The bagger was just to big and bulky so that was a no go. And the mulched tips is great for your lawn. Love the feel of the mower like I said I’ve only ran it for about an hour but after going around our berries and 20+ fruit trees it was a breeze I felt comfortable after about 10 minutes.

It seriously cut my mowing time in half. I loved it. The MYride suspension felt like I was in my rocker just jamming away on my 3m worktunes. Thus far I’m happy with my purchase and I would recommend if you are on the limb about going from a conventional rider to a zero turn make the jump.

IšverstiShow in original languageSave your money and get something better! less than 100 hrs and its breaking down. Needs new battery already and one of the throttle arms just free floats with no tension because one of their cast parts snapped.

Its a minimal stress part and it broke. Needs to be sent in for repair (they say). The blower guard is brittle plastic, turn to close to a tree or any obstruction and it doesn’t bend out of the way, it just snaps and cracks off, already on my 3rd one.

DOES NOT LIKE TO START! They don’t know how to tune their motors, you have to crank it over and over and over and over and over and over and over before it starts. I’ve had to adjust the carb multiple times but it doesn’t seem to like starting.

And probably the most frustrating part, is it gets 0 (ZERO) traction. Flat level ground and it will just spin a tire when trying to turn. If the grass is damp or you’re on the slightest of inclines, FORGET IT.

Save yourself some aggravation and a broken lawnmower in the first year by looking to higher quality.

IšverstiShow in original languageTires tend to slip even in dry grass. The gas tank is small at only 3 gallons but will do right around 1. 5 acres. Overall, this mower has a superior cut and the deck clean-out ports do work (follow the owners manual on their use).

Seat is very comfortable. The easy ride system helps with rough yards but will require you to adjust to how it works during your mowing sessions (you tend to feel like you’re swaying at first). I would buy this unit again but like I noted, a larger tank and better gripping tires would be something to keep in mind.

My previous mower was a 20+ year old ExMark, so this change came rather reluctantly. I’m not disappointed.

The cut with this machine is absolutely outstanding. I don’t get the row of cut grass piling up from the side discharge. The cut grass is so finely cut and distributed the finished yard looks better after this machine than my last mower did with a mulching and recycling kit.

The zero turn is smooth and while I go slower around the trees and fence line than I did previously, my cut time is about half because the efficiency of zero turning and beautifully cut grass. I had open heart surgery a few years back.

My chest would ache after my old mower. I took the gamble on the My Ride and I don’t hurt even a little while mowing, afterwards, or the next day. This mowers is a dream for me. I’d give it a sixth star if I could.

It’s just that good. If you want an easy operations, comfortable ride, and excellent results this is a great choice.

This is my first zero turn mower. The three different speed options are a terrific feature for the first time user. Mower is very smooth and responsive. The MyRide feature is incredible, can’t imagine not having it.

Try this mower, you will not be disappointed.

Over all this is a great mower. I went to cut the grass and when I turned a corner the drive belt came off and had to have it taken to a mower shop because its really small trying to get under the mower to fix it.

I sent it out and the Mower shop took 4 weeks to fix it. When I got it back the second cutting it came off again. I was getting mad ! I was determined to fix it so I got the mower high enough and got under it and it took about 30 Minutes to fix it.

So far Ive cut the grass 3 times and it has not come off. Over all it cuts great.