Great video! My ZT1 50" is about 3 mows old. I'm delighted with it. My property is 3/4 acre and I had a Craftsman 42" tractor and that, btw is a superb machine. The ZT1 saves me about an hour to cut front & back. Has a 3.5 gallon gas tank and only uses about a 1.5 gallons per complete mow. Pretty darn good. I'm super happy with it!
I like the removable panel to access deck belt. I like the auto park brake engage when you move the handles outward. I like the new 2" frame. I like the LED lights and the Kaw FR engine. I don't care for the 3 point deck mounts. Armrests should be standard. A 4" deck height is a bit shallow today. Deck reinforcement strip is on the small side as well. 20" rear tires are a plus.
Those are some good observations. I'm getting used to no armrests however, I have some being shipped to me to install in a video next week. The process seems pretty easy, but we'll see how it goes.
@@EarthSurferUSA Sorry, I should have been clearer. 4" is considered a minimum with most commercial mowers now are 5" or greater. This is deck height, not cut grass height. A taller deck has better air flow for suction, discharges a greater amount of clippings, and gives a better cut. Most commercial decks are 4 point hanging system for a more stable and level cut.
I bought a ZT2 couple months ago. Cuts great, stripes well for a residential mower too! Seat feels good too! I have about 10 hours on it, I had a RZT LX50 before it. I'd like to see bigger pumps and stronger motors on the ZT2 line. I like to match horsepower to deck size. I believe for a residential mower turning three blades a 50"-60" should have 25-27 HP and go 8-8.5 mph.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I will this weekend before I mow again! It has 9.7 hours on it. A 61" scag that seems underpower as well. I'd love to have a turf tiger2 with the 37 horse Briggs!!
You been pleased with it so far I am going hopefully in a couple days to cub dealer and buying this same one. Hopefully the rain will slack up and dry out and grass start growing so I can try this out next month.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I went and pulled the trigger today and brought one home mine however is still a 2019 model according to tag under seat but, I have engaged deck a couple times and it doesnt seem to have the vibration that others have mentioned. I wont really get to do any good testing on it though probably for another month or so for the grass really will need mowed but, so far what little driving I have done with mine I like it.
I have officially had mine for right at year. I got mine out today as I had nice warm day and changed the oil and stuff on it. One thing I have noticed ever since I got mine is at times especially when you first start it up maybe its normal the Kawasaki appears on mine to run a tad rough at lower idle but, maybe that is just the way it is. It has appeared to do that from new last year though. I put 90 hours on it last year my first year owning it mowing my yard and a couple neighbors yards I do with it and no problems yet hopefully it stays that way. My deck appears to have some slight vibration from time to time but, nothing abnormal.
I haven't noticed anything unusual on the startup sound. I normally let it run at medium throttle for a minute. My deck hasn't experienced any vibration issues. I've changed the blades once so far. Have you changed your blades or checked them for balance?
@@MarkThomasBuilder Not really checked them for balance and yes I have changed them once. I don't see anything or feel anything coming from mine is abnormal. It just appears to me and could just be me that sometimes it runs a bit rough pretty much for the most part I am pleased with mine especially for the money.
I bought a ZT1 50” recently from Home Depot. It arrived in the crate! I had to spend a day cutting up the crate and making adjustments, tightening hardware. Totally unacceptable. The mower is GREAT, excellent cut, well made, plenty of power, I have an acre of uneven lawn with lots of trees. No complaints other than crappy delivery from Home Depot.
I am having one delivered in a crate tomorrow from Home Depot out of Cadillac Michigan. I had the choice to let them build it for free, (and take an extra day to ship), or deliver it in the crate. Frankly, I would rather build it myself to make sure it is built right, because putting it together incorrectly is unacceptable. Admit it, after you got it together correctly, you had a good feeling of accomplishment. You could have enjoyed that feeling of accomplishment while relaxing by a nice evening campfire,--burning the crate. :)
Glad to see you finally got to use it Mark. Used mine 5 so far and finally reached 8 hrs on my Kawasaki to do first oil change which was easy with supplied drain tube although making a drain pan for filter out of a water jug is useful. You're right about the force it discards at, I bought a mulch kit but have not installed it because of mixed reviews on dangers for mower a belts...Do you have any experience with mulch kits or advice?
I haven't used any other accessories with this yet. Thanks for the advice on the oil change! The filter is much cheaper at Home Depot, compared to Tractor Supply.
Don't use the clean out ports unless you like replacing spindles. Wish these entry level zero turns would at least have grease zerts so you could grease your bearings. Funny part is even the big boy greasable bearings are actually sealed. I would still prefer to have them encased in grease instead of dirt. 😂. I am a small engine mechanic and Simplicity dealer. These Cubs look well built although Kohler engines used to have a thin spot cast on their blocks and would have blow outs. This was a long time ago now. I see many Kohler's beat to hell that have no business running purring along so I believe they long fixed the cracking problem. I never see the Kawasaki ones. Enough said. 😂🤣😂. Anyways, I think these Cubs look like a pretty good value, although I wish they had a bed attachment.
I expect this mower will last several seasons with decent care. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1VWTrayKBdCKAjzAcZ_Eg4dhHTae3LkN also recommend Also, I ran across the problem with it not starting the 2nd time I used it. There is a safety switch which is pushed in by the chute or mulching piece being attached to the deck. I took the cover off and it wouldn't start. Put it back on, no problem. It takes only a minute with 2 easily accessible wingnuts and no tools. This mower starts up first crank each time and it is a joy to use. It also mows in reverse by putting the key to the reverse area after starting and pushing in the triangular button. It will stay in reverse mode until you turn it off. All in all, for my homeowner needs, I really like this mower-and at 70 bucks a cut here in Miami, it's already more than 1/3 paid for itself in a month.
For the money,these are nice mowers. I wish the decks had 4 mounting hangers instead of 3 and wish the deck itself were a little deeper. Other than that it looks really nice. It doesnt need to have a fabricated deck to have thick gauge steel. Deere only uses stamped decks on their residential mowers because the airflow dynamics are better. I think deere uses 10ga stamped decks,maybe a little thinner,but still pretty good.
@@MarkThomasBuilder Glad to hear that. Wish I had me a plow on mine. Could a saved me about 45 minutes of shoveling today,lol. God bless and good luck plowing snow.
I'm curious what's causing your vibration. Please let me know when it gets straightened out. I've gone through a full tank so far and it's mowing great.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I've checked the belt for imperfections and ran the PTO with belt off, checked idler and blade pulleys, bearings seem to be intact. What I'm thinking is that maybe the spring for the idler is too weak or I have a belt that is s little too long. I hope Cub finds a fix, I'd fix it myself over dealing with sending it back. I'm waiting on a call back from my dealer to pick up and I'm not impressed with my dealer at this point but I won't post a vid on any of this till I get the full story and resolve it. It cuts the grass well but it's an annoyance and I know if it's not resolve it will prematurely destroy components. I'll keep you posted👍
Mark thanks for opening questions. I just starting mowing this year and started doing lawn care. I cant afford a commercial zero turn, but the Cub Cadet ZT1 50 can I use it for small commercial use. 5 yards a day for 3 days can I do that with this model? Why do they say you can only mow 1 acre a week. What happens when you go over that?
This mower is designed for residential and not built with all the specs a commercial mower has. The commercial mowers have some upgraded features, like being able to change your hydraulic fluid, etc. I think this mower would work for your mowing business for the short term, but not designed for the long term. Hope that helps.
Do your handles line up? Just curious. I’ve adjusted mine every way possible and one is still about 3/4 of an inch high and forward. Wondering if it’s common across that mower or if I may have a bent arm from the factory.
I got mine last week and it mows perfectly. I live in South Central Florida and we cut our grass short. 1.75 inches with no scalping or scorching. My mower has ZERO vibrations, runs smooth. But being a retired farmer it just absolutely makes me cringe whenever I see someone open the throttle wide open and then slam the pto in gear. If I would have done that to any of our equipment my dad would have literally kicked me in the ass. Being a retired farmer that farmed several thousand acres I was taught that as a young kid. That's terribly hard on the belts, clutch, spindles ect. That's almost as bad as running it for a while then just shutting it off hot without letting it idle for a bit to cool down. There's just some things you don't do if you want your shit to last!! A little bit of common sense goes a long ways. Any rep or service Dept. that tells you otherwise are just over educated idiots. Just like your Rep that has no clue about metal thickness. They appear to be great mowers but time will tell...
Glad the mower is working well for you! Those are some good points that you made. I remember my Scag dealer telling me to not rev it up when turning the PTO on. Maybe I should make a quick video teaching people how to make their equipment last...
We just picked up the ZT1 42” version a few weeks ago and really liking it and was our first Zero Turn Mower. Anyways a few questions when cleaning the under the deck do you drop it all the way down and won’t damage the blades at all? Another question even though there is enough oil in it why does it say Low Oil when you turn the key to the center portion?
That's a great question. Here's a link to answer your question... www.cubcadet.com/equipment/CubCadetFullPageArticleDisplayView?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=14101&preview=&pageView=Cubcadet_General/bestInClasssCut.html
Rip off the plastic seat "springs " and replace them with 3 inch motorcycle seat springs (barrel type) the hole is there for the standard self tapper screw. Balance the blades carefully, they are a great well made machine. Operator error appears to be the biggest problem with z turns.
Hi Mark, I. Thinking to buy one of these Saturday. Do you think this can be loaded into the back of a pickup with aluminum ramps, I know that’s probably a dumb question but I’ve never had a zero turn, and also how fast can you actually mow with the blades engaged? I don’t want a real slow machine
This mows pretty fast. I bought an Ingersoll garden tractor years ago that was probably a 48" deck and it was slow. This is much faster, especially with the Kawasaki engine. I'm haven't tested the Kohler engine, but it probably does well too. I have a landscape trailer with a ramp, which is what I recommend using or renting. A pickup is pretty tall and the mower deck may hit/rub the pivot point on the tailgate.
Mine didn't need adjustments, but I noticed a silver bolt that's adjustable for each lap bar. The silver bolt touches each lap bar when you push them all the way forward. It goes through the vertical yellow steel part below where your knees would be while sitting on the mower. If your mower is going to the right, maybe try turning the right one so it goes in more, aligning the limits of both lap bars. Does that help?
Mine doesn't vibrate and I've even changed the blades after 1 year and it still works well. I have the Kawasaki engine which powers through the tall grass. Check the Home Depot website, it has a 4.7 star review which is amazing!
@@MarkThomasBuilder Glad to hear it. I've seen a video or two of people that have experienced it with theirs. I'm shooting for a 54 inch. Happy Mowing!!
I've talked with Cub Cadet last October about that issue. It seems to be a few isolated incidents on a few of the first released mowers. I understand they were able to fix it. Mine is actually one of the first released mowers and it mows great!
Just bought this and was winding while turning and going forward and backwards it whines really loud. Is this normal? My other zero turn doesn’t make that whiny noise.
This mower seems to whine kinda loud when it's starting up and getting warm. After a few minutes, the hydro pumps seem to quiet down. Does yours do that? This is typical of mowers I've found.
markthomasbuilder I just ran it for a little bit and it did seem to be quieter after a while. I wasn’t sure if that was just because I got used to the sound haha
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Would you rather have a residential zero turn or the traditional garden tractor style mower? What do you think of the cut quality and power? Would you go with a Kohler or Kawasaki engine?
I got away from Cub Cadet, parts were too expensive and I kept bending the deck mounts and flat tires. I went with a Kubota zero turn 60-inch cut and gave it to my son. It rode like an ox cart. I now have an X-Mark 60 inch cut zero turn and love it.
@@MarkThomasBuilder thank you. I am trying to decide between this and the 42 inch version. The Cub Cadet website has the 50 inch at 61 inches wide (one inch too wide), but I assumed that included the grass chute which can be pulled up. I want to be able to haul it around and cut a few yards for some extra cash.
I think I pulled the plastic chute guard up on mine, the 50" to make sure it fits on a 5' trailer. If I had a choice, I'd go with the Kawasaki engine and a fabricated deck like mine has, not a stamped deck.
My zt150 2 front bolts and washer fell out in the first 2 weeks. I bought it july18 2020 and August 3, 2020 it fell apart now it's being serviced but for $3600 with warranty I would like cub cadet or home depot to replace the mower. It sounds extremely noisy and very squeaky. I think my mower was poorly put together.
Huh, it's hard to comment without hearing your mower in person. Hopefully the place that's servicing it can give it a good look over for any other loose parts.
If you check the Home Depot website, you'll see this has excellent reviews. There were a couple pre-production units that had some deck vibration, but that was about it. My mower deck works great.
This piece of crap is the worst mower I've ever had and Ive had about 25 .nobody has parts and I had to replace every spindle just to get blades that fit .I would hate to even use the metal from it to recycle I hate it I hate it I hate it
@@742jsumm Mine had the S-pattern spindles and I didn't like the 3 options that MTD offers for the deck. I bought 8ten star spindles with blades off Amazon for like $120 a couple months ago and they've been working really good so far. Now that I no longer have the s-pattern spindles I can basically get any star pattern 17.25" blade. My deflector also really pointed into the ground which caused windrows. I took a small piece of 1by and bolted it to the front anti-scalp wheel bracket which props it up just far enough.
Got one of these/perfect from day 1.
Glad to hear it. I've replaced my deck belt once and now it's time to change the upper belt.
I just bought one and I love it. The grass can’t grow fast enough!
That's awesome. I was just using mine the other day and love the look when I'm done mowing.
Just bought a ZT2 54", my first zero turn, it's amazing!
That's awesome! The ZT2 has a few nice upgrades to it.
@@MarkThomasBuilder is this one better than the toro time cutter Home Depot has. They are about the same price. TIA
Great video! My ZT1 50" is about 3 mows old. I'm delighted with it. My property is 3/4 acre and I had a Craftsman 42" tractor and that, btw is a superb machine. The ZT1 saves me about an hour to cut front & back. Has a 3.5 gallon gas tank and only uses about a 1.5 gallons per complete mow. Pretty darn good. I'm super happy with it!
That is awesome! I was just mowing with mine earlier today and now letting my son mow.
Just looked at the 42" today, don't have a lot of mowing. Thinking of buying one. Also great video thanks for the review.
You bet, glad to hear it. This mower gets the job done, and cuts nice!
I have one also,wish I have seen your video.
But it makes me certain i made the right choice.
Thank you
I'm happy with this mower. It's easy to use and works well.
Just bought the 54 inch Ultima with Kohler engine yesterday waiting for grass to dry today to try it out,fellow Michigander
Cool! I'm going out to mow today with my ZT1. All this rain has my lawn out of control.
Pretty sad when the rep doesn't know the gauge. FYI- 11 gauge is thicker than 13 buddy...
Dirty Blond yeah I was like huh? Wow!
Lol!!!! I was thinking the same thing... apparently he doesn't know that the smaller the number the thicker it is..
Yeah... Backwards... Lol... Salespeople.
LOl, even the Dirty Blond knows more than the sales guys
I like the removable panel to access deck belt. I like the auto park brake engage when you move the handles outward. I like the new 2" frame. I like the LED lights and the Kaw FR engine. I don't care for the 3 point deck mounts. Armrests should be standard. A 4" deck height is a bit shallow today. Deck reinforcement strip is on the small side as well. 20" rear tires are a plus.
Those are some good observations. I'm getting used to no armrests however, I have some being shipped to me to install in a video next week. The process seems pretty easy, but we'll see how it goes.
I have one being delivered tomorrow. What is wrong with the 3 point deck mount? Why is a 4" deck height to shallow "today"? 4" was still 4" yesterday.
@@EarthSurferUSA Sorry, I should have been clearer. 4" is considered a minimum with most commercial mowers now are 5" or greater. This is deck height, not cut grass height. A taller deck has better air flow for suction, discharges a greater amount of clippings, and gives a better cut. Most commercial decks are 4 point hanging system for a more stable and level cut.
I bought a ZT2 couple months ago. Cuts great, stripes well for a residential mower too! Seat feels good too! I have about 10 hours on it, I had a RZT LX50 before it. I'd like to see bigger pumps and stronger motors on the ZT2 line. I like to match horsepower to deck size. I believe for a residential mower turning three blades a 50"-60" should have 25-27 HP and go 8-8.5 mph.
Sounds like some good suggestions. I have a 61" Scag with a 28hp Kohler Command. Have you done the break-in oil change yet?
@@MarkThomasBuilder I will this weekend before I mow again! It has 9.7 hours on it. A 61" scag that seems underpower as well. I'd love to have a turf tiger2 with the 37 horse Briggs!!
You been pleased with it so far I am going hopefully in a couple days to cub dealer and buying this same one. Hopefully the rain will slack up and dry out and grass start growing so I can try this out next month.
It's worked well for me all year. I'm sharpening the blades and changing the oil this week. I can't wait for spring!
@@MarkThomasBuilder I am glad to hear that. My plan is to go over Thursday to the local cub dealer and get this exact one.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I went and pulled the trigger today and brought one home mine however is still a 2019 model according to tag under seat but, I have engaged deck a couple times and it doesnt seem to have the vibration that others have mentioned. I wont really get to do any good testing on it though probably for another month or so for the grass really will need mowed but, so far what little driving I have done with mine I like it.
I have officially had mine for right at year. I got mine out today as I had nice warm day and changed the oil and stuff on it. One thing I have noticed ever since I got mine is at times especially when you first start it up maybe its normal the Kawasaki appears on mine to run a tad rough at lower idle but, maybe that is just the way it is. It has appeared to do that from new last year though. I put 90 hours on it last year my first year owning it mowing my yard and a couple neighbors yards I do with it and no problems yet hopefully it stays that way. My deck appears to have some slight vibration from time to time but, nothing abnormal.
I haven't noticed anything unusual on the startup sound. I normally let it run at medium throttle for a minute. My deck hasn't experienced any vibration issues. I've changed the blades once so far. Have you changed your blades or checked them for balance?
@@MarkThomasBuilder Not really checked them for balance and yes I have changed them once. I don't see anything or feel anything coming from mine is abnormal. It just appears to me and could just be me that sometimes it runs a bit rough pretty much for the most part I am pleased with mine especially for the money.
Just a heads up, I would not recommend putting to max RPM then turning on the blades.
Thank you for mentioning that. I need to get back in the habit of medium throttle.
I bought a ZT1 50” recently from Home Depot. It arrived in the crate! I had to spend a day cutting up the crate and making adjustments, tightening hardware. Totally unacceptable. The mower is GREAT, excellent cut, well made, plenty of power, I have an acre of uneven lawn with lots of trees. No complaints other than crappy delivery from Home Depot.
Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't realize the setup. I would guess it's that way at Tractor Supply too.
I am having one delivered in a crate tomorrow from Home Depot out of Cadillac Michigan. I had the choice to let them build it for free, (and take an extra day to ship), or deliver it in the crate. Frankly, I would rather build it myself to make sure it is built right, because putting it together incorrectly is unacceptable. Admit it, after you got it together correctly, you had a good feeling of accomplishment. You could have enjoyed that feeling of accomplishment while relaxing by a nice evening campfire,--burning the crate. :)
Glad to see you finally got to use it Mark. Used mine 5 so far and finally reached 8 hrs on my Kawasaki to do first oil change which was easy with supplied drain tube although making a drain pan for filter out of a water jug is useful. You're right about the force it discards at, I bought a mulch kit but have not installed it because of mixed reviews on dangers for mower a belts...Do you have any experience with mulch kits or advice?
I haven't used any other accessories with this yet. Thanks for the advice on the oil change! The filter is much cheaper at Home Depot, compared to Tractor Supply.
Don't use the clean out ports unless you like replacing spindles. Wish these entry level zero turns would at least have grease zerts so you could grease your bearings. Funny part is even the big boy greasable bearings are actually sealed. I would still prefer to have them encased in grease instead of dirt. 😂. I am a small engine mechanic and Simplicity dealer. These Cubs look well built although Kohler engines used to have a thin spot cast on their blocks and would have blow outs. This was a long time ago now. I see many Kohler's beat to hell that have no business running purring along so I believe they long fixed the cracking problem. I never see the Kawasaki ones. Enough said. 😂🤣😂. Anyways, I think these Cubs look like a pretty good value, although I wish they had a bed attachment.
Thanks for the advice on the ports. I agree on the zerk fittings. I don't mind adding grease occasionally.
Very nice video i got a zt3 and i love it
Glad to hear it! The ZT3 has some nice features.
I expect this mower will last several seasons with decent care. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1VWTrayKBdCKAjzAcZ_Eg4dhHTae3LkN also recommend Also, I ran across the problem with it not starting the 2nd time I used it. There is a safety switch which is pushed in by the chute or mulching piece being attached to the deck. I took the cover off and it wouldn't start. Put it back on, no problem. It takes only a minute with 2 easily accessible wingnuts and no tools. This mower starts up first crank each time and it is a joy to use. It also mows in reverse by putting the key to the reverse area after starting and pushing in the triangular button. It will stay in reverse mode until you turn it off. All in all, for my homeowner needs, I really like this mower-and at 70 bucks a cut here in Miami, it's already more than 1/3 paid for itself in a month.
Mark, regarding cleaning the blades, so pop the easy connect on, turn on the blade, and then turn hose water on?
Yes, you hook the hose up, turn the water on and run the blades.
@@MarkThomasBuilder Thank you
Also lower you deck to bottom setting
Wait did he mean to say the stamped deck is 13ga. and the fabricated deck is 11ga.??? I believe he said it backwards.
Yes, he misspoke. The deck is 11 gauge steel.
For the money,these are nice mowers. I wish the decks had 4 mounting hangers instead of 3 and wish the deck itself were a little deeper. Other than that it looks really nice. It doesnt need to have a fabricated deck to have thick gauge steel. Deere only uses stamped decks on their residential mowers because the airflow dynamics are better. I think deere uses 10ga stamped decks,maybe a little thinner,but still pretty good.
I've been very happy with this mower so far. I'm getting ready to remove the deck for the first time for snow plowing.
@@MarkThomasBuilder Glad to hear that. Wish I had me a plow on mine. Could a saved me about 45 minutes of shoveling today,lol. God bless and good luck plowing snow.
Your deck sounds pretty quiet, mine vibrates and the idler bangs around I'm working with Cub now to get it straight. Love the mower otherwise.
I'm curious what's causing your vibration. Please let me know when it gets straightened out. I've gone through a full tank so far and it's mowing great.
@@MarkThomasBuilder I've checked the belt for imperfections and ran the PTO with belt off, checked idler and blade pulleys, bearings seem to be intact. What I'm thinking is that maybe the spring for the idler is too weak or I have a belt that is s little too long. I hope Cub finds a fix, I'd fix it myself over dealing with sending it back. I'm waiting on a call back from my dealer to pick up and I'm not impressed with my dealer at this point but I won't post a vid on any of this till I get the full story and resolve it. It cuts the grass well but it's an annoyance and I know if it's not resolve it will prematurely destroy components. I'll keep you posted👍
It sounds like you've checked out the probably causes. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
2RCPRODUCTIONS did you ever hear back from cub?
@@derekmordica4799 just replied on my vid👍
Mark thanks for opening questions. I just starting mowing this year and started doing lawn care. I cant afford a commercial zero turn, but the Cub Cadet ZT1 50 can I use it for small commercial use. 5 yards a day for 3 days can I do that with this model?
Why do they say you can only mow 1 acre a week. What happens when you go over that?
This mower is designed for residential and not built with all the specs a commercial mower has. The commercial mowers have some upgraded features, like being able to change your hydraulic fluid, etc. I think this mower would work for your mowing business for the short term, but not designed for the long term. Hope that helps.
Do your handles line up? Just curious. I’ve adjusted mine every way possible and one is still about 3/4 of an inch high and forward. Wondering if it’s common across that mower or if I may have a bent arm from the factory.
Mine seem to line up fine from the factory.
I got mine last week and it mows perfectly. I live in South Central Florida and we cut our grass short. 1.75 inches with no scalping or scorching. My mower has ZERO vibrations, runs smooth. But being a retired farmer it just absolutely makes me cringe whenever I see someone open the throttle wide open and then slam the pto in gear. If I would have done that to any of our equipment my dad would have literally kicked me in the ass. Being a retired farmer that farmed several thousand acres I was taught that as a young kid. That's terribly hard on the belts, clutch, spindles ect. That's almost as bad as running it for a while then just shutting it off hot without letting it idle for a bit to cool down. There's just some things you don't do if you want your shit to last!! A little bit of common sense goes a long ways. Any rep or service Dept. that tells you otherwise are just over educated idiots. Just like your Rep that has no clue about metal thickness. They appear to be great mowers but time will tell...
Glad the mower is working well for you! Those are some good points that you made. I remember my Scag dealer telling me to not rev it up when turning the PTO on. Maybe I should make a quick video teaching people how to make their equipment last...
We just picked up the ZT1 42” version a few weeks ago and really liking it and was our first Zero Turn Mower. Anyways a few questions when cleaning the under the deck do you drop it all the way down and won’t damage the blades at all? Another question even though there is enough oil in it why does it say Low Oil when you turn the key to the center portion?
That position turns on the electrical system and all light come on to verify that they work.
It says best in class cut. What mowers are in its class?
That's a great question. Here's a link to answer your question... www.cubcadet.com/equipment/CubCadetFullPageArticleDisplayView?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=14101&preview=&pageView=Cubcadet_General/bestInClasssCut.html
Can this be used for commercial work?
It's designed for residential, but could use it as a backup if your main mower goes in the shop.
@@MarkThomasBuilder okay thanks for responding sir.
Did you get deck vibrations?
Great question, not at all. I've seen the other videos talk about that. The 50" Aeroforce deck on my mower really cuts nice.
Rip off the plastic seat "springs " and replace them with 3 inch motorcycle seat springs (barrel type) the hole is there for the standard self tapper screw. Balance the blades carefully, they are a great well made machine. Operator error appears to be the biggest problem with z turns.
Great advice Jason. I'll have to look into those springs.
Hi Mark, I. Thinking to buy one of these Saturday. Do you think this can be loaded into the back of a pickup with aluminum ramps, I know that’s probably a dumb question but I’ve never had a zero turn, and also how fast can you actually mow with the blades engaged? I don’t want a real slow machine
This mows pretty fast. I bought an Ingersoll garden tractor years ago that was probably a 48" deck and it was slow. This is much faster, especially with the Kawasaki engine. I'm haven't tested the Kohler engine, but it probably does well too.
I have a landscape trailer with a ramp, which is what I recommend using or renting. A pickup is pretty tall and the mower deck may hit/rub the pivot point on the tailgate.
How big of a project is removing the deck on these? I have a 15 year old RZT 50, but will be going out to buy a new Ultima ZT1 very soon.
I haven't taken mine off, but watched a few videos and it looks pretty easy. I might have to make a video about it.
can you lower your deck some
Yes, it cuts very nice when it's lowered.
Mark, i just got a cub cadet zt1 50, when I go straight it tends to veer to the right a bit, any tips on fixing that? Thank you.
Mine didn't need adjustments, but I noticed a silver bolt that's adjustable for each lap bar. The silver bolt touches each lap bar when you push them all the way forward. It goes through the vertical yellow steel part below where your knees would be while sitting on the mower. If your mower is going to the right, maybe try turning the right one so it goes in more, aligning the limits of both lap bars. Does that help?
I have researched and it appears the 50 inch has some vibration issues on the deck. Perhaps yours does not, which is good.
Mine doesn't vibrate and I've even changed the blades after 1 year and it still works well. I have the Kawasaki engine which powers through the tall grass. Check the Home Depot website, it has a 4.7 star review which is amazing!
@@MarkThomasBuilder Glad to hear it. I've seen a video or two of people that have experienced it with theirs. I'm shooting for a 54 inch. Happy Mowing!!
I've talked with Cub Cadet last October about that issue. It seems to be a few isolated incidents on a few of the first released mowers. I understand they were able to fix it. Mine is actually one of the first released mowers and it mows great!
I Just bought a ZT2 54" manufacture date 5/20, no vibration problems, and quite an impressive machine, I love it!
Mark... are the hydraulics cooled by fans, under the seat area?
Yes, fan cooled 10cc pumps.
what about on a slant like by a ditch?
I think it's rated for 15° and the Cub Cadet ZTS2 is rated for 20°. Overall it does pretty well.
Can this mower drive up onto a standard curb without a ramp?
I doubt it would work. I have a couple 2x8's to make it easier.
Just bought this and was winding while turning and going forward and backwards it whines really loud. Is this normal? My other zero turn doesn’t make that whiny noise.
This mower seems to whine kinda loud when it's starting up and getting warm. After a few minutes, the hydro pumps seem to quiet down. Does yours do that? This is typical of mowers I've found.
markthomasbuilder I just ran it for a little bit and it did seem to be quieter after a while. I wasn’t sure if that was just because I got used to the sound haha
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Would you rather have a residential zero turn or the traditional garden tractor style mower? What do you think of the cut quality and power? Would you go with a Kohler or Kawasaki engine?
I got away from Cub Cadet, parts were too expensive and I kept bending the deck mounts and flat tires. I went with a Kubota zero turn 60-inch cut and gave it to my son. It rode like an ox cart. I now have an X-Mark 60 inch cut zero turn and love it.
@@capman911 did you have a stamped or fabricated deck? Garden tractor or zero turn?
Will that fit on a 5×8 trailer?
Yes, it will. I went out and measured it. There's just a little room to spare.
@@MarkThomasBuilder thank you. I am trying to decide between this and the 42 inch version. The Cub Cadet website has the 50 inch at 61 inches wide (one inch too wide), but I assumed that included the grass chute which can be pulled up. I want to be able to haul it around and cut a few yards for some extra cash.
I think I pulled the plastic chute guard up on mine, the 50" to make sure it fits on a 5' trailer. If I had a choice, I'd go with the Kawasaki engine and a fabricated deck like mine has, not a stamped deck.
Isn't the kawasaki motor made with plastic cam shaft though
I'll have to look into that question. I've heard many say that Kawasaki is considered commercial grade.
My zt150 2 front bolts and washer fell out in the first 2 weeks. I bought it july18 2020 and August 3, 2020 it fell apart now it's being serviced but for $3600 with warranty I would like cub cadet or home depot to replace the mower. It sounds extremely noisy and very squeaky. I think my mower was poorly put together.
Huh, it's hard to comment without hearing your mower in person. Hopefully the place that's servicing it can give it a good look over for any other loose parts.
Are even cutting?
The Kawasaki engine does a great job on the tall, thick stuff.
Wonder if the rep knows he basically said the fab deck was thinner? Lol
Haha, yeah probably just an oversight on the details.
He’s going way to fast
The Kawasaki engine keeps up with the tall grass.
I didn't c u cut much of shit at first
nothing but trouble with mine , 42 hours, warranty worthless
Sorry to hear that. I haven't heard anyone else comment any issues like that.
You didn’t cut shiet ,your deck is too high.
I cut my lawn at the normal weekly length all summer and it did a great job. I like the power from the Kawasaki engine.
😂😂🤣🤣
What is problematic about this more
If you check the Home Depot website, you'll see this has excellent reviews. There were a couple pre-production units that had some deck vibration, but that was about it. My mower deck works great.
Horrible speaker. Stop.
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This piece of crap is the worst mower I've ever had and Ive had about 25 .nobody has parts and I had to replace every spindle just to get blades that fit .I would hate to even use the metal from it to recycle I hate it I hate it I hate it
Sorry to hear that. Mine has been going strong for a few years now.
What spindles did you get and where did you get them?
@@742jsumm Mine had the S-pattern spindles and I didn't like the 3 options that MTD offers for the deck. I bought 8ten star spindles with blades off Amazon for like $120 a couple months ago and they've been working really good so far. Now that I no longer have the s-pattern spindles I can basically get any star pattern 17.25" blade. My deflector also really pointed into the ground which caused windrows. I took a small piece of 1by and bolted it to the front anti-scalp wheel bracket which props it up just far enough.