Brent, excellent face off! Well done! Also the editing was top notch! Glad you showed the part about the hill climbing ability. I believe Ryobi says the tractor can climb up to a 15 degree slope. Looking forward to your vid on removing the deck from the tractor.
I find that for mowing around stuff like fences and trees, a larger deck makes the job easier. The problem with a zero turn is on slopes of course, but for wide open surfaces the zero turn is awesome because you typically can mow faster on a zero turn, that is if you have a smooth enough property, otherwise it won't matter what you have, if its really rough even on a zero turn getting bounced around isn't any fun. I think Ryobi has a great product with these 80V zero turns and lawn tractors for sure....I noticed they came out with a 40V roto-tiller, that might be something I'd be interested in as I don't need a small roto-tiller all the time so I don't really want to get a gas powered one, and the 40V roto-tiller looks like it would be small enough to be able to roto-till the flowerbeds when needed. I have a roto-tiller for my tractor but its a 50 inch tiller so it don't work so well for the smaller tasks. What would be interesting is if Ryobi can design a mounting system for the front of the lawn tractor or maybe even the zero turn where you can attach a snow blower or plow. That would definitely open up the market more....make the units more versatile for all seasons, just just for mowing. I'm not sure why they couldn't do something like that, make an electrical connector that plugs in where the deck motors do that would run an electric motor for the auger drive on a snow blower. A plow blade would just be simply needing a mounting system...make it a quick mount right on the front....that was one thing I hated with my Cub Cadet lawn tractor's snow blower attachment, you had to screw around with the 2 arms that go under the tractor and try to lift that thing into place and hold it and align it so you could get 2 pins installed....they need an easy connect front hitch and they'd have an even better product. The nice thing with the lawn tractor is so many people use lawn tractors now, so it would be a very easy switch for them as far as the operation of the machine, just a lot quieter than a gas one LOL. I've never used a zero turn mower so that would take a lot of learning for me LOL. I like where they integrated a front and rear hitch on the lawn tractor....not sure why other brands don't have that even on the gas models. My new lawn tractor has a 54" fabricated deck vs my previous one that had a 42" stamped deck...the new one is a much better machine I think, time will tell I guess as I just bought it and haven't been able to use it yet since its winter time...I do know that the new mower has an AGM battery which is already junk and its a brand new machine....I ordered a battery tray so I can put a regular lead acid battery in it as the AGM batteries are ridiculously expensive and have lower cranking amps.
It would have been nice if you had included the functionality of accessories. Are there plows, tillers, snowblowers, three points hitch, etc., for the tractor?
Given the cost. I want the one that offers the best versatility for the buck. In my opinion hands down that would be the tractor. There are pull behind tillers that just couldn't be used with the zturn.
Can these things tow heavy implements like an aerator with 4 concrete blocks on top? That's usually pretty tough on a regular hydrostatic drive, would the drive motor or motor control shut down or burn out if subjected to that?
Great comparison! For the lawn tractor, can you confirm in the user manual if it can get wet? Meaning can you rinse off the tractor if it gets dusty? Or starts to rain while mowing? Thanks!
Page 4 of the Use and Care manual specifically states NOT to use a hose to rinse the machine off and to never use it in the rain. I use my 190 mph leaf blower to remove dust and clippings from my Ryobi RM480 mower after use.
what is max tow weight? I pulled a cart with wood up a hill and with too much weight with a normal tractor you get 1 wheel spin, seams with the zrt it has 2 motors so like having a locker for the rear wheels.
My new lawn tractor I just bought has a locking differential....it is an option...the problem with the zero turn, you hang that much weight off the back end you'll be doing wheelies because there's absolutely not enough weight in the front of them...and I haven't really seen any zero turn mowers that you can put weights on the front of....I think some of the commercial ones do have a weight bracket option to counter-weight the baggers, but none of these residential machines have that option I don't think.
@Gmoney30001 it's fine on hills, you see them on marketplace because Home Depot did a massive sale and folks bought all of them and now selling them at a profit.
They don't....none of the regular zero turns do good on hills because the front wheels just swivel, they have no control to keep them going straight. The only zero turn that works on hills that I know of are the steering wheel model Cub Cadet zero turns....more expensive, but if you want a zero turn and have hills you gotta mow across that's the only safe option.
The only 12 ahr. lithium battery packs Ryobi has are the 40 volt units at $400 each. They will fit in the 40 volt ports in the 0turn mower, which the new tractor does not have.
Hey i have a question? My ryobi zero turn mower 42 inch wont go forward or reverse but everything else works fine blades turn on and off . It would be going fine for about 30 minutes and suddenly comes to a stop and when i move the handles forward or backward it just beeps even when i go through the reset motion it does not move. If you can help or you have heard anyone else with the same problem . Please let me know how they solved this issue . Thank you
@@livefreeandtoolon Is it just an emergency brake, or operational like a car? Questioning if the electric mowers just stop when you release the gas. Hope I'm explaining my question clearly. Thanks!!!
@@senortreatumright8935 They slow down as you release pressure on the pedal, but after you stop if will start to roll so that’s when the parking brake comes in to play……Im speaking from experience from mine and just assuming it’s the same with the tractor! 👌🏽😁
Might be able to if you add tire chains....I don't see why it wouldn't pull a ground engaging implement...they do not have a 3 point hitch, you'd probably have to see if a sleeve hitch would work on them, or get the ground engaging implements that just pin on a regular hitch and you lift the implement by some sort of lift on the implement itself.
I’ve been debating between the 30 inch zero turn and the 42 inch tractor. I was thinking the zero turn, but I have hills going down the side of my house as well as a swale in the back so it’s a pretty decent hill back there, similar to the part of the video where you showed how they do on hills. Do you think it’s better to get the tractor because of all the inclines I have to deal with?
All of Ryobi's riders state a 15 degree max. incline in the manuals and never to traverse a hill across the face of the slope and to mow only up and down the slope. They have plenty power, but it's a traction and safety issue.
I cant speak for this battery specifically, but lithium ion batteries are usually good for 300-500 charge cycles before they'll degrade to about 80% of their original capacity. Lot of stuff influences that, so you'd have to check to see what best practices are for charging and definitely you'll want to bring them inside for the winter etc but if a fully-charged Ryobi mower can run for 2 hours (their site says 2.5 but let's hedge that a bit), you could theoretically expect the battery pack that comes with the mower to get you anywhere from 600-1,000 hours. The TRUTH is that it depends on so many factors, including the quality of the batteries Ryobi uses. What I shared above is based on degradation statistics of lithium ion batteries, but a battery can also outright fail, too. One thing to keep in mind about batteries is they get better and cheaper over time, so someone telling you a horror story about a battery powered mower they bought in 2022 would be completely irrelevant when looking at a mower today. When Ryobi first came out with these electric mowers in 2022, they were actually using lead acid batteries which are cheaper but MUCH worse from a performance and longevity perspective. I've been slowly converting all my tools and small lawn equipment to battery over the last several years. Every new piece of equipment I buy tends to be more reliable than the last one.
I have a Ryobi electric mower. They are great until the batteries die. There are 4 batteries that are impossible to get to. This is the worst design ever!
Yup, in some way the older models originally with lead acid batteries are better because you can replace them with whatever you want. You aren't stuck within the Ryobi's ecosystem of batteries.
@@mattjames8683 looks like it lays Bannas for lines and we can/t have lines that are not razor straight... not to mention the horrible alignment and over lap when turning around by the looks of it 13:20
My Ryobi RM480e is 16x less expensive to run than my neighbor's ICE mowers of the same size. That's after 58 months of ownership. I'd say that's rather competitive.
Yesterday, I mowed for 90 minutes and it cost $0.19 in electricity to recharge the batteries. Neighbors V-Twin 600-700 CC ICE mowers would have burned over a gallon of $3.24/gal. 87E10 gas.
Neighbor behind me has a Toro Timecutter 42" ($3,400 new) and the neighbor next door has a Gravely 34" 0turn ($7,995 new). We all have the same size lots. They both burn a gallon of gas an hour ($3.24/gal. yesterday) and require periodic maintenance. My Ryobi 38" rider ($2,500 new) costs $0.13 per hour to run and requires no periodic maintenance. I sorta think that's pretty competitive.
Ryobi Stick Versions are sitting on something without control. I had the first generations with Lead acid batteries just converting them myself to Lithium batteries. Those feel you that you are in control but new ZTR is good that they start using lithium batteries but at the same time failure to use that stick and you will see they will at some point back to normal control. Better off from this brand i have so many problems in first two years of use.
![Ryobi Z turn mower face off! [it's HUGE]](/img/n.gif)
So far this has been the best comparison of these two types of riding mowers.
The utility the tractor offers makes it a winner for me.
Brent, excellent face off! Well done! Also the editing was top notch! Glad you showed the part about the hill climbing ability. I believe Ryobi says the tractor can climb up to a 15 degree slope. Looking forward to your vid on removing the deck from the tractor.
i have the 30 inch z turn it has been a learning curve driving it and it aggravates my corporal tunnel in the right hand
great video - tells me everything I wanted to know, so thorough - nice one!
great review deserves more updoots
Just picked up the lawn tractor 42 inch love it.... only uses about 17% of the battery to do the whole yard amazing !!
Any updates on the performance or any issues. I thought about getting the lawn tractor as well.
I have no issues works great just finished creating my lawn
I find that for mowing around stuff like fences and trees, a larger deck makes the job easier. The problem with a zero turn is on slopes of course, but for wide open surfaces the zero turn is awesome because you typically can mow faster on a zero turn, that is if you have a smooth enough property, otherwise it won't matter what you have, if its really rough even on a zero turn getting bounced around isn't any fun.
I think Ryobi has a great product with these 80V zero turns and lawn tractors for sure....I noticed they came out with a 40V roto-tiller, that might be something I'd be interested in as I don't need a small roto-tiller all the time so I don't really want to get a gas powered one, and the 40V roto-tiller looks like it would be small enough to be able to roto-till the flowerbeds when needed. I have a roto-tiller for my tractor but its a 50 inch tiller so it don't work so well for the smaller tasks.
What would be interesting is if Ryobi can design a mounting system for the front of the lawn tractor or maybe even the zero turn where you can attach a snow blower or plow. That would definitely open up the market more....make the units more versatile for all seasons, just just for mowing. I'm not sure why they couldn't do something like that, make an electrical connector that plugs in where the deck motors do that would run an electric motor for the auger drive on a snow blower. A plow blade would just be simply needing a mounting system...make it a quick mount right on the front....that was one thing I hated with my Cub Cadet lawn tractor's snow blower attachment, you had to screw around with the 2 arms that go under the tractor and try to lift that thing into place and hold it and align it so you could get 2 pins installed....they need an easy connect front hitch and they'd have an even better product.
The nice thing with the lawn tractor is so many people use lawn tractors now, so it would be a very easy switch for them as far as the operation of the machine, just a lot quieter than a gas one LOL. I've never used a zero turn mower so that would take a lot of learning for me LOL.
I like where they integrated a front and rear hitch on the lawn tractor....not sure why other brands don't have that even on the gas models.
My new lawn tractor has a 54" fabricated deck vs my previous one that had a 42" stamped deck...the new one is a much better machine I think, time will tell I guess as I just bought it and haven't been able to use it yet since its winter time...I do know that the new mower has an AGM battery which is already junk and its a brand new machine....I ordered a battery tray so I can put a regular lead acid battery in it as the AGM batteries are ridiculously expensive and have lower cranking amps.
Great comparison! What are the respective rear tire sizes for each unit?
Thank you for the insight,very helpful
It would have been nice if you had included the functionality of accessories. Are there plows, tillers, snowblowers, three points hitch, etc., for the tractor?
I was thinking a snowplow would be nice for our suburban home's long paved driveway, but don't know if the tires would be good in snow.
No attachments other than some lawn/garden trailers.
This was SO helpful. Left me really wanting both! Bu-ut we'll be heading out tomorrow to pick up the tractor.
Great video. Would've been nice if Ryobi had a lockable diff for the tractor 😉
I think the video made it even harder to choose between the zturn and tractor. 😂 I think it might come down to length for me.
Given the cost. I want the one that offers the best versatility for the buck. In my opinion hands down that would be the tractor. There are pull behind tillers that just couldn't be used with the zturn.
Can these things tow heavy implements like an aerator with 4 concrete blocks on top? That's usually pretty tough on a regular hydrostatic drive, would the drive motor or motor control shut down or burn out if subjected to that?
Great comparison!
For the lawn tractor, can you confirm in the user manual if it can get wet? Meaning can you rinse off the tractor if it gets dusty? Or starts to rain while mowing?
Thanks!
Page 4 of the Use and Care manual specifically states NOT to use a hose to rinse the machine off and to never use it in the rain. I use my 190 mph leaf blower to remove dust and clippings from my Ryobi RM480 mower after use.
what is max tow weight? I pulled a cart with wood up a hill and with too much weight with a normal tractor you get 1 wheel spin, seams with the zrt it has 2 motors so like having a locker for the rear wheels.
It’s max weight to tow is 500 lbs.
My new lawn tractor I just bought has a locking differential....it is an option...the problem with the zero turn, you hang that much weight off the back end you'll be doing wheelies because there's absolutely not enough weight in the front of them...and I haven't really seen any zero turn mowers that you can put weights on the front of....I think some of the commercial ones do have a weight bracket option to counter-weight the baggers, but none of these residential machines have that option I don't think.
Great review! Random question though. Can you share where you got the music for your video? I love it
Is the rear track width the same on both models, & could you give provide those measurements? Thanks!!!
The 42" 0turn is listed at 51.96" wide and the 42" tractor is listed at 52" wide.
Do you know the weight limit on the Tractor’s rear bed?
I think 250 ibs
I just bought the 42” tractor. It’s pretty awesome. Did you get mounting brackets for your charger? I see in your garage you mounted it on your wall.
I gotta ask I see alot of the zero turns for sale on Facebook one guy I spoke to said the zero turn didn't do great at hills
@Gmoney30001 it's fine on hills, you see them on marketplace because Home Depot did a massive sale and folks bought all of them and now selling them at a profit.
They don't....none of the regular zero turns do good on hills because the front wheels just swivel, they have no control to keep them going straight. The only zero turn that works on hills that I know of are the steering wheel model Cub Cadet zero turns....more expensive, but if you want a zero turn and have hills you gotta mow across that's the only safe option.
Can you switch the batteries? Use larger 12 ah ones instead of the 10 ah?
I don't think there is 12ah 80v batteries
Maybe use 2 units 48v30ah in GC2 size will the best solution, there is no tray modifications and no extra components needed, any interests?
The only 12 ahr. lithium battery packs Ryobi has are the 40 volt units at $400 each. They will fit in the 40 volt ports in the 0turn mower, which the new tractor does not have.
@@katherinedai5911 Ryobi 80 volt, 10 ahr. battery is 9"x4"x10". CG2 battery case is 10 3/8"x7 1/16"x9 3/8". Don't see any fitment there.
Hey i have a question? My ryobi zero turn mower 42 inch wont go forward or reverse but everything else works fine blades turn on and off . It would be going fine for about 30 minutes and suddenly comes to a stop and when i move the handles forward or backward it just beeps even when i go through the reset motion it does not move. If you can help or you have heard anyone else with the same problem . Please let me know how they solved this issue . Thank you
The next step for me would be a call to Ryobi and open a ticket for warranty support.
Do either of them have brakes?
Both have brakes
@@livefreeandtoolon Is it just an emergency brake, or operational like a car? Questioning if the electric mowers just stop when you release the gas. Hope I'm explaining my question clearly. Thanks!!!
@@senortreatumright8935 They slow down as you release pressure on the pedal, but after you stop if will start to roll so that’s when the parking brake comes in to play……Im speaking from experience from mine and just assuming it’s the same with the tractor! 👌🏽😁
Is that tractor capable of ground engagement?
Might be able to if you add tire chains....I don't see why it wouldn't pull a ground engaging implement...they do not have a 3 point hitch, you'd probably have to see if a sleeve hitch would work on them, or get the ground engaging implements that just pin on a regular hitch and you lift the implement by some sort of lift on the implement itself.
I’ve been debating between the 30 inch zero turn and the 42 inch tractor. I was thinking the zero turn, but I have hills going down the side of my house as well as a swale in the back so it’s a pretty decent hill back there, similar to the part of the video where you showed how they do on hills. Do you think it’s better to get the tractor because of all the inclines I have to deal with?
All of Ryobi's riders state a 15 degree max. incline in the manuals and never to traverse a hill across the face of the slope and to mow only up and down the slope. They have plenty power, but it's a traction and safety issue.
You have like $13,000 worth of lawn mowers! I considered it for a minute and then I saw the price 😢
The 56 inch zero turn is currently $5000 with 4 80v and 4 40v batteries. 🤷🏼♂️
I had a Snapper with the joystick like that.
perhaps a bigger ryobi guy than aging wheels.
Where the heck did you learn to cut grass? I don't think it matters which mower you have until you learn how to execute the task at hand!! Lol
That single joystick turned me away from their smaller zero-turn.
You're really enjoy passing that down. Oh wait
How are the batteries holding up? No one really wants to admit how the batteries are doing. I know you got these Ryobi's free!
I purchased the tractor, and the batteries are good.
When you register it all after purchase the batteries all have a 5 year warranty anyway......
@@mattjames8683just the 80 volt batteries get a 5-year warranty, the 40 volt batteries are 3 year
I cant speak for this battery specifically, but lithium ion batteries are usually good for 300-500 charge cycles before they'll degrade to about 80% of their original capacity. Lot of stuff influences that, so you'd have to check to see what best practices are for charging and definitely you'll want to bring them inside for the winter etc but if a fully-charged Ryobi mower can run for 2 hours (their site says 2.5 but let's hedge that a bit), you could theoretically expect the battery pack that comes with the mower to get you anywhere from 600-1,000 hours.
The TRUTH is that it depends on so many factors, including the quality of the batteries Ryobi uses. What I shared above is based on degradation statistics of lithium ion batteries, but a battery can also outright fail, too.
One thing to keep in mind about batteries is they get better and cheaper over time, so someone telling you a horror story about a battery powered mower they bought in 2022 would be completely irrelevant when looking at a mower today. When Ryobi first came out with these electric mowers in 2022, they were actually using lead acid batteries which are cheaper but MUCH worse from a performance and longevity perspective.
I've been slowly converting all my tools and small lawn equipment to battery over the last several years. Every new piece of equipment I buy tends to be more reliable than the last one.
I have a Ryobi electric mower. They are great until the batteries die. There are 4 batteries that are impossible to get to. This is the worst design ever!
Do you have the version with lead acid batteries? If so, there's a UA-camr that upgraded the batteries easily enough.
Yup, in some way the older models originally with lead acid batteries are better because you can replace them with whatever you want. You aren't stuck within the Ryobi's ecosystem of batteries.
They still cost $10k to replace each. They are great mowers with terrible batteries in my experience.
@@Jack_BT-7274 I replaced mine with LiPo batteries for 1k
Still a lot, but cheaper and better than buying a whole new mower
They should have made the zero turn with two sticks, like a regular zero turn.
Na the iDrive works great and I prefer it!
@@mattjames8683 looks like it lays Bannas for lines and we can/t have lines that are not razor straight... not to mention the horrible alignment and over lap when turning around by the looks of it 13:20
@@gamersplaygroundliquidm3th526 Well I actually own the mower and don't have any of those issues.
I'm a tractor guy
With the slightest incline the zero turn is dangerous. These reviews always use flat areas. Do not buy!
So far it can't compete with gas mowers maybe in future
Why?
My Ryobi RM480e is 16x less expensive to run than my neighbor's ICE mowers of the same size. That's after 58 months of ownership. I'd say that's rather competitive.
Yesterday, I mowed for 90 minutes and it cost $0.19 in electricity to recharge the batteries. Neighbors V-Twin 600-700 CC ICE mowers would have burned over a gallon of $3.24/gal. 87E10 gas.
Neighbor behind me has a Toro Timecutter 42" ($3,400 new) and the neighbor next door has a Gravely 34" 0turn ($7,995 new). We all have the same size lots. They both burn a gallon of gas an hour ($3.24/gal. yesterday) and require periodic maintenance. My Ryobi 38" rider ($2,500 new) costs $0.13 per hour to run and requires no periodic maintenance. I sorta think that's pretty competitive.
Ryobi Stick Versions are sitting on something without control. I had the first generations with Lead acid batteries just converting them myself to Lithium batteries. Those feel you that you are in control but new ZTR is good that they start using lithium batteries but at the same time failure to use that stick and you will see they will at some point back to normal control. Better off from this brand i have so many problems in first two years of use.