"Jack" wrote in message
...
Cub Cadet's ZT lawn tractors are considerably more expensive thanCub
Cadet's lawn tractors of the same size but without ZT capability.
Are they worth the higher price? Do they save considerably more time,
and presumably more gas to make them worthwhile?

I love ZT, but I have a big piece of property. When we first moved here
over 20 yrs ago, I spent part of every spring, summer and fall day on my
riding mower: probably ten hours a week mowing. After about 5 years of that
I got a skag ZT with a 48" deck, and that cut mowing time to about 3 hrs,
and made it a lot more fun. I still have it, but haven't started it in a
few years.

I replaced it with a Toro ZT with a 6ft deck, 28hp liquid-cooled engine, a
seat belt and roll bar, even a cup holder. Now I can do all 5 acres of lawn
in around an hour, depending on how high the grass is, and how slippery the
hills are. The big deck is offset by a foot to the left side, which makes
for easy trimming around gardens, etc, and the job it does is really great.
I've never had such an even looking lawn.

The bad news is the price, of course, but it's dead-reliable, and
surprisingly good on gas. I get about 8 hours on 5 gallons.

There are now NINE hours in each week where I used to be mowing the lawn and
I'm not anymore. With the advent of grandchildren I find far better ways to
spend that time.

That's me, with 12 acres and 5 of it grass, which I know isn't average.
Even if I move to a smaller place, I'd still buy another ZT. You lose the
PTO, so it's a dedicated mowing machine, but the ZTs do a much nicer job in
way less time.

Still, there is a lot of potential utility with a garden tractor which
doesn't exist with a ZT. If you want to clear snow, tow a trailer, or any
of myriad other possibilities with a tractor, then a tractor is your better
bet.

k