Zero-turn mowers are an expensive product that eases you in many definitive ways. Their costs are up to $6-$8k when new which is a huge investment for many people, so we found these some best places to find used zero-turn mowers that are under $1500.
Having a lawn with a house is the dream of many people but planting the grass on the lawn is not enough. The real game starts from the maintenance of the lawn – mowing the grass blades to keep them smooth carpeted so children roll over and play excitedly on lawns. It benefits the elders in quite a way to ease them while walking on the soft turf and mowing across the lawn to take care of the flowering plants.
Here comes the role of lawn grass mowers, which cuts the grass blades uniformly to the desired height, leaving the soft turf. But a lot of mower types come with various height adjustments, deck sizes, and workings. Mowers are of many types i.e. reel mowers, push, self-propelled, riding, and zero-turn mowers.
Push and reel mowers are much user energy-consuming but continuously working with these mowers could onset the fatigue of muscles to users.
To protect the user from such problems and to save precious time, riding and zero-turn mowers that are engine-powered and have seats for users sitting on the mower and control the mowing by itself.
Livable handling, consistency in performance, and better maneuver are the premium qualities of the zero-turn mowers that make them an extraordinary appliance for mowing lawns.
Mowing large yards consumes a lot of time but mowers could do this job quite easily and much less time and zero turn mowers are on the top among all other mowers in doing this task quite effectively.
Let’s get start the guide with the most asked question what is the difference between zero-turn mowers and riding mowers and other mowers.
What is a Zero Turn Mower?
A zero-turn mower is alike to riding lawn mower but has a zero turning radius that facilitates the user in effective handling and steering while covering the yard completely. Zero-turn mower mowers the grass smoothly in much less time and let you notice the condition of turf in the yard while sitting on the top-mounted seat of a zero-turn mower.
These zero-turn mowers have both types of powers engines i.e. diesel-powered ad gasoline-powered that has value for safety, maintenance, and performance. You would love to have this machine at your home and it is a one-time investment with a powered engine that cuts the tough and soft grass easily.
It seems like a much more expensive thing for the yard but the major comfort to your health from tiredness and fatigue is worth more than these few bucks. You should just give it a try. We found a few top-rated zero-turn mowers under $1500 which is manageable pricing.
Best Places To Find Used Zero-Turn Mowers Under $1500
Benefits of Zero Turn Mower
- Time-saving
The biggest benefit of zero-turn mowers is that it saves you a lot of time while working on your lawn. These large deck and powerful engine-supported mowers can save you mowing time by three to four times. It provides maneuverability and excellent handling and cuts the grass quickly and sharp blades chop off the mini obstacles easily.
- Maneuverability
Zero-turn mowers provide excellent maneuverability that helps the mower in smooth and continuous working in large yards.
- Good handling
The compacted is designed in such a way that it gives quality handling, especially on steep slopes and uneven surfaces. The body structure is designed effectively to make the mower more stable on uneven surfaces.
- Extra utilities
The top-rated and advanced zero-turn mowers come with versatile options like snowplows and seed spreading. The features like these make them more lovable and valuable. The other feature is the presence of slots for attaching the other garden tools with mowers for making the process easier.
- Cost-Effective
Doing the job in much less time and providing good handling, ultimately lets you save a lot of fuel and engine maintenance costs.
Buying guide: What To Consider Before Buying a Used Zero-Turn Mowers
High performance and excellent maneuvering capabilities are the qualities that make a zero-turn mower the best. You are going to spend $1500 to buy a zero-turn mower, but these are some factors that would really help you in selecting the great zero-turn mower.
Deck size
Zero-turn mowers come with a wide range of deck sizes or cutting widths that let you choose the desired mower according to the size of the lawn. Choose the right deck sized mower that suits the yard size as:
- Less than 42 inches
The zero-turn mowers with a deck size of fewer than 42 inches are a great choice for small to medium-sized yards especially the yards having many turns and obstacles. It is the best choice for cutting up to 1 acre of lawn. Typically you can find these for under $1500.
- Deck size from 42 to 46 inches
The zero-turn mowers having deck size between 42 to 46 inches provides the best performance in medium-sized yards and they have a compact size that could easily fit in the back of your pickup and you can transport them to any place. It is the best choice for cutting the yard of the area up to 1 acre.
- Between 48-50 inches
A zero-turn mower with a deck size between 48 to 50 inches is specially designed for an area of 1 to 3 acres. These wide deck-sized mowers cut the grass in a much decent way quickly while leaving the smooth turf in the yard.
- Above then 50 inches
All the zero-turn mowers with a deck size of more than 50 inches are best performing for large yards. The maximum deck size for zero turn mowers is 54” cutting width that gives a stable and quick cutting of large yards up to 3 acres. Typically this size used is usually under $4000.
Power and Engine
A powerful engine is a primary factor for getting efficient work, especially while mowing tall or tough grass. So always keep in mind to check the horsepower of the engine while buying a zero-turn mower. The more horsepower of the engine, the faster it will cut the grass.
But there are many factors like grass type and deck size that impact the power of the engine.
In choosing the mower with excellent power of the engine, there is a tip from Dan:
“Try to get a zero-turn mower having a full pressure oil system that actually means the one having an oil filter. Two cylindered engines have more grunt then single cylinders.”
Look for the engine having OHV. Old engines like Briggs engine had a single-cylinder underhead valve and they seel to go and go. Now the overhead valve engines are rolling the market – Dan, Qualified Mechanic, and Small Engine Specialist.”
Hydrostatic Transmission
All of the zero-turn mowers have hydrostatic transmissions. The major difference between a standard and zero-turn mower is the transmission. The standard mower has one transmission with back wheels are driven system. But in the case of zero-turn mowers, you got two transmissions. Each drives a separate wheel.
These double transmission driving separate wheels can make one wheel go backward and the other forward. That will ultimately make the zero-turn mower turn on the spot with zero space. The wheel driving is controlled with steering bars.
Mowing Speed
Zero-turn mowers are among the top speed of 7.5 mph mowers. In mowing a small yard, the mowing speed is not much considered but for large yards and golf courses, the mowing speed is the primary consideration.
But keeps in mind that “The slower you go, the better it mows(cuts)”
Gas Tank Capacity
The mower with the bigger tank capacity works more in a single filling and you do not need to stop for refilling again and again. If you have a large yard, always get the mower with the larger tank capacity.
How Do You Maintain Used Zero-Turn Mowers?
Zero-turn mowers are heavy and serious equipment, so their service and maintenance are the primary tasks to make them long-lasting and consistent in working.
Attempting the servicing of zero-turn mowers by yourself could end up violating the warranty conditions. The best practice is to contact the dealer or take the mower to the dealer and let the specialist handle the problem. This is one of the main disadvantages of zero-turn mowers.
It might seem like a car engine but there are many working that does not have any similarity to the cars. So doing the service by yourself may get you in many problems.
The optimal duration for servicing a zero-turn mower is 6 to 12 months and it varies according to how often you use it at work. Before the onset of the spring season, send your mower to the service station. As a huge load of mowing work season is arriving at that time.
Ask the dealer to sharpen the blades and check the engine performance and any damage to the cutting deck. Each time you use the mower in the yard, putting the mower on the lift to get the underside to clean up any debris will enhance the life of the machine and smooth work in the future.
How much power you need in your zero turn mower?
It is a much interesting question while buying a zero turn mower and it depends on:
- Deck size: The more power is needed for a more wide deck size.
- Grass type: Type of grass does have an impact on the power of the engine. The thick and tall grass needs a powerful engine-powered mower. If you skim the lawn on weekly basis, then the low-powered engine could work great but for cutting the tall grass, a powerful engine is needed.
- Yard size: The smaller lawns can be easily mowed with the smaller engine powered mowers in a neat and clean way. But as the size of the yard increases, the power of the engine also increases.
Does A Zero-Turn Mower feature a Brake?
Unlike the riding lawn mower, the zero-turn mower does not have a braking system. The levers of the zero-turn mowers control the movement of the mower and these levers are used for managing and slowing down the mower’s speed. In case of slowing or stopping the mower, releasing the levers will stop the mower in a few seconds.
Levers manage the machine moving speed and pushing the lever again forces the mowers to move forward. For moving the mower backward, all you need to do is to pull back the lever.
This premium feature of controls in the lever provides an excellent benefit of keeping the mower on track. The lever provides an excellent turning circle that spins the machine in a place that provides the o-inch turning circle. That is also the reason that this mower is known as the zero-turn mower.
To draw a large turning circle, pull only one lever and it will give a large turning circle to the mower. But for getting a sharp turning circle, pull both levers in the opposite direction to make the machine spin around on a dime.
Premium Qualities To Look For In Used Zero Turn Lawn Mowers
These are some premium-grade qualities of a zero-turn mower that make it a valuable item for yards and make the user in love with these mowers.
The following qualities should be present in the zero-turn mower:
- The mower should be highly durable, as you are spending a lot of money on this machine so durability should always be the first priority before buying any machine. The more durable the mower, the more enhanced reliability.
- Always buy the expensive product like zero turn mower from the company that provides good support and service. Any working machine could break, no matter the company that manufactured it, so there should be the easy availability of parts and free service from the company.
- The mower has to be user-friendly which lets ease for the user for maintenance and low time consumption.
- Only buy the mower that is designed effectively by following the safety rules. As so many large machines designed with no safety features could lead you to danger.
If all of these features are present in the zero-turn mower then it is best to go.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, by now you know what to look for in a used zero-turn mower along with places online and near me where you can find used zero-turn mowers under $1500.
