Great review! I purchased the 48” ZT-XL. I love it so far! I added the trailer hitch, Qwikchute and upgraded the filter to a commercial filter. It’s all overkill for my small yard but I am enjoying it!
Thanks for writing, we love engaging with folks. I’m happy your tractor is working out for you, yes I added almost the very same to mine as well. Like I said for mowing it’s perfect where it lags is everything else I want to do. Keep enjoying and good luck. Goldndog.
I love my gravely zero turn.. Luckily my dealer asked about my property beforehand. Not only lawn but, woods too. Immediately insisted on me having MULCHING blades. Not only are the blades more durable. (They work beyond my expectation for sure) They are great from your lawn. No mess to pick up. I bought after market attachable de thatcher and in fall before I seed I use it. I use it to demolish vines, pinecones, weeds , saplings, branches.(1-2 inches in circumference) I haven't found much it wont do. Maybe you should find your dealer and ask about changing out blades. I dont think it would have helped much in your initial clearing away, but for maintenance, I am sure it will do the job.
Thank you for writing, we love hearing from folks. Yes, my wife loves ours and uses it all the time and I grew that it chews up everything in its way except stumps. However we do need to invest is something than can dig and move earth but not on a large scale. We are toying with the idea of keeping the Gravely and purchasing a secondary tractor capable of doing what we need. Awesome suggestions for anyone that reads the comments in the video. Goldndog
I've owned a Gravely Pro-turn 152 for 8 years and it has been the best mower I've ever owned. I had a Scag Turf Tiger for 18 years and it had more problems and replaced parts than you can imagine. ZERO problems or replaced parts on the Gravely. Blades are a thousand times easier to change on it than the other one. Air filter never seems to get dirty.
Thank you for writing in, awesome to hear you had such good luck with your Gravely. We are approaching 50 hours on hours and so far with the exception of the light bar it has performed exactly how it should and what we paid for. Goldndog
Nice to see a transparent review. I had an older Gravely ZT and was great so decided to get the 2023 Gravely ZT x with bagger (not power bagger). It's AWEFUL !! Do NOT recommend this one! The mower blows grass, leaves, debris all out of ALL sides of the mower including in front which goes RIGHT into your face and eyes as you drive forward. It's absolutely awful. I was advised to slow the mower engine/speed and that will fix it and it did nothing. When I lift the deck-lid to see the belts, it's unbelievebly full of debris/grass/sticks/leaves etc.. Even my beer in the cup holder gets literally covered.. never happened in my prior Gravely zero turn, Something VERY wrong with this design. It sure looks nice but man, works awfully! Also the bagger is the 1st time Gravely did their own and it's AWFUL. The bags are WAY too far behind the mower so if you're driving along side of a structure or fence, you can't just turn away from the structure normally b/c the bags are so far behind the mower, turning normally, the bags crash up against the structure. Literally the only good thing about the Gravely ZT 42 is the Kawasaki engine. The deck adjustment hight control is lame and I often can't see the numbers when adjusting while mowing. I sold the mower and bought an other brand with Kawasaki engine altogether and it works as it should so, finally I have a normally functioning mower again that doesn't spew debris out all sides of the deck and the new one I got has the normal suction into the bagging system. What a headache but finally on to mowing lawn as I should.
Wow, thanks for writing and sorry for your experience. I agree having a bagger hanging off the back would take the zero out of zero turn. Love to hearing from folks and sharing experiences. We have a lot of work to do on our property and I feel handicapped with the zero turn but they are so darn expensive to be bouncing all over the place with additional purchases. I want to sell ours and get a subcompact tractor in the worse way but doing the math I will come up way short not to mention my wife loves driving it around. For morning grass no bagger obviously it does great. Out side of that well let’s just say no other options. Again thank you for sharing. Goldndog.
@@goldndog Yes thanks. I had a prior Gravely ZT X and even though it was a lot older, it actually did a LOT better, it pulled up grass and leaves into the blades and out the shoot (bagger on or not). I'm so glad I sold the new one but was also bummed to had to have and that it was so awful
Completely AGREE!! I bought the new 2023 ztx 42 inch and you are correct more grass, leaves, dirt, etc. come out the front than the side shoot, I’m covered from head to toe when I’m done cutting grass. I don’t know if it’s the deck design or the blades, but I would never recommend this model of gravely. For the money you pay for this thing, I’m thoroughly disappointed!!!
@@jarhead7570 Interesting. I thought it was just my unit but having looked into it a bit, I do think it’s the design of the deck. I think there’s too much area which includes the front part of the deck comes to a point causing extra space that airflow gets directed to. It was so incredibly frustrating and disappointing. My mower was profoundly covered with debris each mow. I couldn’t even enjoy a beer lol because it got badly covered in debris. Now that it’s sold, and I have a new mower, it’s great to have a great functioning deck again but what a pain in the azz! Good luck
To keep from tearing up the sod, all you have to do is make sure that both wheels are turning when you turn. You can't make a turn by stopping one wheel and then driving the other. It takes a few seconds more, but if you will slow your speed and make sure one tire is in reverse while the other is in drive, you can turn on a dime without tearing up the turf. In the opening scenes of your video, you can see where you are locking up one of the tires while driving the other. This will 100% ruin your turf.
I have the same mower and my neighbor has a Kubota like your neighbors. He didn't buy his though he traded a hot Dodge Challenger for the tractor and a trailer.
Cheers mate looking to purchase the 2023 ZT XL 42 but thinking I’ll make the jump to the 48 inch model. Cheers from Downunder , Australia. Need more honest reviews. Thanks again.
Thank you for checking in, we love hearing from folks. You will love the mower for sure I know we do especially my wife. It runs awesome and cuts smooth. Just keep it clean and she will treat you good. Honestly! Goldndog.
I have a Kubota BX 23S but I don't use it for mowing. Great machine that has saved me a lot of money but I would never use it for mowing. They are not that maneuverable!
Good morning, thank you for writing. I have been looking hard at the Kubota and the Deere, pricy to say the least but l feel a week moment maybe on the horizon 😂 and to top that off my wife loves the Gravely so we would most likely keep it for her. Again thank you for writing and your Kubota is an awesome tractor. Goldndog
@@adamdufrene2947 Hey, thanks for writing. I am currently running 10 in the front 15 in the rear. Seems to be working good. The dealer told me to run 20 in the back and 15 in the front but I felt that was a little stiff. Goldndog.
@@charlesbeall2589 Same to you, I now have about 70 hrs on it and other than maintenance and some new blades it’s been awesome. Good luck with yours. Goldndog
@@beanMosheen Thanks for writing, love hearing comments and on that note I’m going out to check it for broken tabs right now. Upon further inspection it does have tabs but it does not seat deep enough to engage the tabs. The next time I’m at the shop I will check the mowers in the showroom. I’m also releasing a video tomorrow on sand eroding my blades and I mean severe erosion. Again thanks for writing. Goldndog.
@fuquafuschnikens5256 Good Morning, thank for checking in we love feed back. I am currently shopping and looking at options. So far I am looking at the Deere 1023E, 1025R, Kubota 1880 and BX23. The Deere 1025R and Kubota BX23 are running neck and neck with quotes of 27K without the post hole digger. I have received a hard quote on a New Left over Kubota 1880 with loader, grapple and rear weight bucket for 20K. The 1880 does not have the HP as the others. I still having some shopping and comparison to work on but when I plunge there will be a video. Thanks again. Goldndog
I would consider keeping the zero turn for grass duties and adding a compact tractor and have it do the rest of the chores. I think trying to get a do everything device won't do what you need.
Don't spin it when you turn. Pull back on the lever so the tire isn't getting spun sideways. If you keep both sides turning it won't tear up your yard. As much as those cost you'd think they wouldn't have any issues but they build commercial equipment (even if yours is a residential mower) most home owners don't need one. By the way that will cut grass way faster and better than a compact tractor.
Good afternoon, thank you so much for writing in and we love to hear from folks. We are located in North West Central Florida known as Florida’s Nature Coast. This home has been a dream come true to build. Now we are in love with our land and trying to make it beautiful. Goldndog
There’s no harm in leaving the area natural. Save time and money. Make learning the names of everything that grows on your property your ew hobby. Sit back and watch it grow and enjoy the wildlife.
Thanks for writing, yes we are planning to leave as much natural that we can, we are primarily clearing the underbrush out and removing bad or dead trees. Since we have done one side and part of the back of the property the wildlife that has showed up is absolutely amazing. We need to clear some for a fence line as we need the fence for our dogs but other than that we keeping it mostly wooded. Again thanks for writing as we love engaging with folks. Goldndog.
Thanks for writing. No it does not it cuts clean. I think stragglers come dull blades or not having the engine throttled up to the cut setting and possibly trying to cut fast. Goldndog.
Thanks for writing, yes I am toying with this in my brain over and over. Still using the zero turn and we love it but we just wish we could add implements. Always interested in other points of view. Goldndog.
I have a BX and used it for 2 years. Just bought a Gravely. I kept the BX, it was heavy enough to really compress the soil and start to leave indentation. Both are great tools.
@@M70ACARRY I could not agree more, however my dealer assures me it’s correct. The deck also does not have a center roller either. I have compared to the same mowers at the shop and they all appear the same. Great observation and thank you for writing. Goldndog.
@@bobbylibertini Thank you for writing, yes I agree with you as we have decided to keep the zero turn but at the same time we are still seriously looking into purchasing a sub compact tractor to help us out with all our other chores. Again thanks for writing in. Goldndog
@@goldndog Ah! Glad to hear that you're keeping the zero-turn. There truly is no going back. If I may offer one more thing: You may want to consider just a compact or even just a regular tractor. They typically don't cost any more, but have more power, and most of all more STABILITY. Ever notice that most subcompacts ya see in real life use don't have the belly mower attached? It's 'cause those little tractors usually don't have the power to run it without it bogging down. Ditto, their loaders, backhoes or 3pt implements have to be very small, and are still underpowered and not very useful. And with their little tiny tires and narrow width, if your land is anything but perfectly level, or has ruts and ditches...it ain't gonna be fun! It's been my experience that most people who get a subcompact end up getting rid of them and getting a bigger tractor that can actually do some work and stay upright. Best of luck. Nice place you have there.
Great review! I purchased the 48” ZT-XL. I love it so far! I added the trailer hitch, Qwikchute and upgraded the filter to a commercial filter. It’s all overkill for my small yard but I am enjoying it!
Thanks for writing, we love engaging with folks. I’m happy your tractor is working out for you, yes I added almost the very same to mine as well. Like I said for mowing it’s perfect where it lags is everything else I want to do. Keep enjoying and good luck. Goldndog.
I love my gravely zero turn.. Luckily my dealer asked about my property beforehand. Not only lawn but, woods too. Immediately insisted on me having MULCHING blades. Not only are the blades more durable. (They work beyond my expectation for sure) They are great from your lawn. No mess to pick up. I bought after market attachable de thatcher and in fall before I seed I use it. I use it to demolish vines, pinecones, weeds , saplings, branches.(1-2 inches in circumference) I haven't found much it wont do. Maybe you should find your dealer and ask about changing out blades. I dont think it would have helped much in your initial clearing away, but for maintenance, I am sure it will do the job.
Thank you for writing, we love hearing from folks. Yes, my wife loves ours and uses it all the time and I grew that it chews up everything in its way except stumps. However we do need to invest is something than can dig and move earth but not on a large scale. We are toying with the idea of keeping the Gravely and purchasing a secondary tractor capable of doing what we need. Awesome suggestions for anyone that reads the comments in the video. Goldndog
I've owned a Gravely Pro-turn 152 for 8 years and it has been the best mower I've ever owned. I had a Scag Turf Tiger for 18 years and it had more problems and replaced parts than you can imagine. ZERO problems or replaced parts on the Gravely. Blades are a thousand times easier to change on it than the other one. Air filter never seems to get dirty.
Thank you for writing in, awesome to hear you had such good luck with your Gravely. We are approaching 50 hours on hours and so far with the exception of the light bar it has performed exactly how it should and what we paid for. Goldndog
I like the fact that they make the transmissions serviceable on the 2023s and 24
Yes sir that is correct, the one I have is a 23. Thank you for writing. I/we love interacting with folks. Best of luck with your equipment. Goldndog
Thanks for your thoughts! I learned a lot from this video. Keep on teaching us newbies.
Very good video with some helpful tips. What you have done so far is stunning. Your neighbor rocks. Over all, very interesting. 😊
Nice to see a transparent review. I had an older Gravely ZT and was great so decided to get the 2023 Gravely ZT x with bagger (not power bagger). It's AWEFUL !! Do NOT recommend this one! The mower blows grass, leaves, debris all out of ALL sides of the mower including in front which goes RIGHT into your face and eyes as you drive forward. It's absolutely awful. I was advised to slow the mower engine/speed and that will fix it and it did nothing. When I lift the deck-lid to see the belts, it's unbelievebly full of debris/grass/sticks/leaves etc.. Even my beer in the cup holder gets literally covered.. never happened in my prior Gravely zero turn, Something VERY wrong with this design. It sure looks nice but man, works awfully! Also the bagger is the 1st time Gravely did their own and it's AWFUL. The bags are WAY too far behind the mower so if you're driving along side of a structure or fence, you can't just turn away from the structure normally b/c the bags are so far behind the mower, turning normally, the bags crash up against the structure. Literally the only good thing about the Gravely ZT 42 is the Kawasaki engine. The deck adjustment hight control is lame and I often can't see the numbers when adjusting while mowing. I sold the mower and bought an other brand with Kawasaki engine altogether and it works as it should so, finally I have a normally functioning mower again that doesn't spew debris out all sides of the deck and the new one I got has the normal suction into the bagging system. What a headache but finally on to mowing lawn as I should.
Wow, thanks for writing and sorry for your experience. I agree having a bagger hanging off the back would take the zero out of zero turn. Love to hearing from folks and sharing experiences. We have a lot of work to do on our property and I feel handicapped with the zero turn but they are so darn expensive to be bouncing all over the place with additional purchases. I want to sell ours and get a subcompact tractor in the worse way but doing the math I will come up way short not to mention my wife loves driving it around. For morning grass no bagger obviously it does great. Out side of that well let’s just say no other options. Again thank you for sharing. Goldndog.
I hope you got my reply as I am looking for it myself. Goldndog
@@goldndog Yes thanks. I had a prior Gravely ZT X and even though it was a lot older, it actually did a LOT better, it pulled up grass and leaves into the blades and out the shoot (bagger on or not). I'm so glad I sold the new one but was also bummed to had to have and that it was so awful
Completely AGREE!! I bought the new 2023 ztx 42 inch and you are correct more grass, leaves, dirt, etc. come out the front than the side shoot, I’m covered from head to toe when I’m done cutting grass. I don’t know if it’s the deck design or the blades, but I would never recommend this model of gravely. For the money you pay for this thing, I’m thoroughly disappointed!!!
@@jarhead7570 Interesting. I thought it was just my unit but having looked into it a bit, I do think it’s the design of the deck. I think there’s too much area which includes the front part of the deck comes to a point causing extra space that airflow gets directed to. It was so incredibly frustrating and disappointing. My mower was profoundly covered with debris each mow. I couldn’t even enjoy a beer lol because it got badly covered in debris. Now that it’s sold, and I have a new mower, it’s great to have a great functioning deck again but what a pain in the azz! Good luck
To keep from tearing up the sod, all you have to do is make sure that both wheels are turning when you turn. You can't make a turn by stopping one wheel and then driving the other. It takes a few seconds more, but if you will slow your speed and make sure one tire is in reverse while the other is in drive, you can turn on a dime without tearing up the turf. In the opening scenes of your video, you can see where you are locking up one of the tires while driving the other. This will 100% ruin your turf.
Thanks for checking in and the awesome advice, I am going to try exactly what you describe. Thank you. Goldndog
You can buy a small excavator at farm auctions from $4000 - $5000.
I have the same mower and my neighbor has a Kubota like your neighbors. He didn't buy his though he traded a hot Dodge Challenger for the tractor and a trailer.
Hey, thanks for writing we love to hear from folks. Yes both pieces of equipment are awesome. Goldndog.
Cheers mate looking to purchase the 2023 ZT XL 42 but thinking I’ll make the jump to the 48 inch model.
Cheers from Downunder , Australia. Need more honest reviews. Thanks again.
Thank you for checking in, we love hearing from folks. You will love the mower for sure I know we do especially my wife. It runs awesome and cuts smooth. Just keep it clean and she will treat you good. Honestly! Goldndog.
I have a Kubota BX 23S but I don't use it for mowing. Great machine that has saved me a lot of money but I would never use it for mowing. They are not that maneuverable!
Good morning, thank you for writing. I have been looking hard at the Kubota and the Deere, pricy to say the least but l feel a week moment maybe on the horizon 😂 and to top that off my wife loves the Gravely so we would most likely keep it for her. Again thank you for writing and your Kubota is an awesome tractor. Goldndog
what tire pressure do yall go with to get better traction with this mower?
@@adamdufrene2947 Hey, thanks for writing. I am currently running 10 in the front 15 in the rear. Seems to be working good. The dealer told me to run 20 in the back and 15 in the front but I felt that was a little stiff. Goldndog.
@@goldndog thanks!
I had to BUY my Gravely, (can't spell "purchase") So far, it's been great. Goods luck!
@@charlesbeall2589 Same to you, I now have about 70 hrs on it and other than maintenance and some new blades it’s been awesome. Good luck with yours. Goldndog
I think your cup holder tray has broken tabs. Mine is in there really good. I couldn't pull it out with a good pull. I have the 42 though.
@@beanMosheen Thanks for writing, love hearing comments and on that note I’m going out to check it for broken tabs right now. Upon further inspection it does have tabs but it does not seat deep enough to engage the tabs. The next time I’m at the shop I will check the mowers in the showroom. I’m also releasing a video tomorrow on sand eroding my blades and I mean severe erosion. Again thanks for writing. Goldndog.
100%. I love it for what it is, but a tractor would help so much for what we have left to do still.
How much did the sub compact tractor and attachments set you back? And which model did you go with?
@fuquafuschnikens5256
Good Morning, thank for checking in we love feed back. I am currently shopping and looking at options. So far I am looking at the Deere 1023E, 1025R, Kubota 1880 and BX23. The Deere 1025R and Kubota BX23 are running neck and neck with quotes of 27K without the post hole digger. I have received a hard quote on a New Left over Kubota 1880 with loader, grapple and rear weight bucket for 20K. The 1880 does not have the HP as the others. I still having some shopping and comparison to work on but when I plunge there will be a video. Thanks again. Goldndog
Tks@@goldndog
I would consider keeping the zero turn for grass duties and adding a compact tractor and have it do the rest of the chores. I think trying to get a do everything device won't do what you need.
Don't spin it when you turn. Pull back on the lever so the tire isn't getting spun sideways. If you keep both sides turning it won't tear up your yard. As much as those cost you'd think they wouldn't have any issues but they build commercial equipment (even if yours is a residential mower) most home owners don't need one. By the way that will cut grass way faster and better than a compact tractor.
Thanks for writing, yes that is a lesson that I have after fixing my grass on more than one occasion 🤦♂️. Goldndog.
You have a beautiful looking home.
What state are you in?
Blessings to you brother. 🙏
Good afternoon, thank you so much for writing in and we love to hear from folks. We are located in North West Central Florida known as Florida’s Nature Coast. This home has been a dream come true to build. Now we are in love with our land and trying to make it beautiful. Goldndog
There’s no harm in leaving the area natural. Save time and money. Make learning the names of everything that grows on your property your ew hobby. Sit back and watch it grow and enjoy the wildlife.
Thanks for writing, yes we are planning to leave as much natural that we can, we are primarily clearing the underbrush out and removing bad or dead trees. Since we have done one side and part of the back of the property the wildlife that has showed up is absolutely amazing. We need to clear some for a fence line as we need the fence for our dogs but other than that we keeping it mostly wooded. Again thanks for writing as we love engaging with folks. Goldndog.
does it leave alot of stragglers behind like some people say
Thanks for writing. No it does not it cuts clean. I think stragglers come dull blades or not having the engine throttled up to the cut setting and possibly trying to cut fast. Goldndog.
Keep the zero turn, the sub compact is a ton heavier.
Thanks for writing, yes I am toying with this in my brain over and over. Still using the zero turn and we love it but we just wish we could add implements. Always interested in other points of view. Goldndog.
I have a BX and used it for 2 years. Just bought a Gravely. I kept the BX, it was heavy enough to really compress the soil and start to leave indentation. Both are great tools.
That deck seems to be pitched to low in front.
@@M70ACARRY I could not agree more, however my dealer assures me it’s correct. The deck also does not have a center roller either. I have compared to the same mowers at the shop and they all appear the same. Great observation and thank you for writing. Goldndog.
Ah no, no, no! After using a zero-turn, you do NOT want to go to a belly mower! You'll be miserable.
@@bobbylibertini Thank you for writing, yes I agree with you as we have decided to keep the zero turn but at the same time we are still seriously looking into purchasing a sub compact tractor to help us out with all our other chores. Again thanks for writing in. Goldndog
@@goldndog Ah! Glad to hear that you're keeping the zero-turn. There truly is no going back. If I may offer one more thing: You may want to consider just a compact or even just a regular tractor. They typically don't cost any more, but have more power, and most of all more STABILITY. Ever notice that most subcompacts ya see in real life use don't have the belly mower attached? It's 'cause those little tractors usually don't have the power to run it without it bogging down. Ditto, their loaders, backhoes or 3pt implements have to be very small, and are still underpowered and not very useful. And with their little tiny tires and narrow width, if your land is anything but perfectly level, or has ruts and ditches...it ain't gonna be fun! It's been my experience that most people who get a subcompact end up getting rid of them and getting a bigger tractor that can actually do some work and stay upright. Best of luck. Nice place you have there.
@@bobbylibertini Thank you again, I will take all the advice I can. Goldndog
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