Bad Boy 60 in. 26 HP ZT Elite has the same or better specs in every category and the same price, so I can't entirely agree. Two things, in particular, I like much better on the Bad Boy the frame construction and the deck is 7 gauge vs. 10 ga. on Ariens. I would upgrade one more level to the BB Maverick for the I-Beam front axle because of my uneven areas in the front yard.
@TheSpadre Elite seems like a nice mower. I do like the 7 ga. deck and the gas gage. They are very similar in specs but couple things to consider: Elite has a 2 Yr warranty vs. 4 Yr with the Apex, Apex claimed top speed is 8mph vs. 7 for the Elite (I don't understand why the difference, possibly governed), and what exactly makes the frame construction superior for the Elite? I'd say it is a wash without some failure data.
Yes Sir. I have a 2021 model with 205 hrs. I’ve had no issues other than the wheel lugs come loose on the rear tires. Check them regularly. I mow 8 acres every week with mine. The Ariens blades are trash. Buy the Gravley laser edge blades. They are $100 a set but you’ll spend less than on the Ariens cheap ones. And the laser edge blades you don’t have to sharpen. They wear and layer by layer peels off and leaves a sharp edge. I live in central SC where we have very sandy soil. It wrecks mower blades. Love my mower
The biggest simplistic improvement to my yard after construction was to get a small plugger to aerate my lawn. I was lucky to find one on sale years ago or maybe rent one . Twice (spring and fall) changed everything.
I have the gravely version- only difference is the color and warranty length. Comercial blade tip speed and weight make it almost Comercial but it is 100% large residential. The anti scalp rollers and desk mechanics works amazing
Just retired my 11 year Ariens Zoom XL 54 and was going to replace it with the Gravely equivalent from a local dealer. Just couldn't do it though, not offering a 54" was a deal breaker for me; bought another brand instead.
i have the 2023 gravely zt hd stealth edition it has the 10 gage x factor 3 deck, and i put the Power Equipment Man air cleaner on mine,really like the mower.
I mow about half an acre. I know this is overkill but from research, you can’t beat this for the money. Build quality, deck, transmission, motor plus the warranty. Nothing else touches it. I think I’m buying one.
I have an acre and this is the best one i have found so far. I sat on it and it feels great. I am going to at least check out the toro timecutter max tomorrow.
I've had a crab grass problem on a new construction. Had to learn how to take care of it myself from youtube videos. If you want to do the same, I began with tenacity + surfactant. It kills most weeds + crab grass, but it's a bit slower and you might need a second app if crab grass is mature like yours looks. I moved up to using drive xlr8 as its faster and I know what I'm doing so I won't hurt the lawn. I would try learning what grass type you have and if it's a cool season or hot season grass because that matters on what weed killer you can spray for your area and at what time in the season Then when you seed, find a seed that will germinate in your weather. For example, if you seeded Kentucky blue grass in 80 degrees heat, it won't germinate, it likes cool spring or fall. Good luck on taking care of it, I mentioned this because you said you don't like the crab grass.
Looks like crab grass. They make some Pre-emergence spread you can put out at a certain time of year to help get rid of it. I'm actually looking a few mowers and narrowed down to this one or the Toro Titan. The only thing that has me leaning (barely) towards the Titan is it has chain hangers for the deck that allow it easily rise up with the anti-scalp wheels. How well does the deck on this one rise when it hits a bump or do you have problems with scalping? Great review and thanks for the video.
I haven't had issues with scalping. I think every mower is capable of scalping in the right (or wrong) condition, especially the bigger the decks, like 60."
I have the same mower and I love it. The one thing I don’t like though is that there is a rattle somewhere when the PTO is engaged. Curious if you’ve experienced that at all? I keep it full throttle when PTO is on, but sometimes there can be a lot of screeching and rattling under there and I just hate how it sounds
same as the gravely zt HD series period I own a zt hd 52 wanted the 60 but g friend said to big but in spring the 60 is coming plus I use fisher bartons commercial blades
@@TylerTryThat not at all 52and 60 are absolutely fine 72 is a scalper on uneven ground but 52s and 60s are great I was after a ferris 500s 52/61 but dealers were just a holes and I decided it's gravely time my next ad on is a suspension seat
Gravely offers a full suspension seat for their mowers. I bought mine with it installed. You get a full 4 inches of suspension with it. I had the Track Seat on my Simplicity Broadmore and it wasn't nearly as adjustable as this one.
@TylerTryThat no. The engine is probably the only good thing about it. So, where do I start....It's got 192 hours on it and I've had to replace all three spindles, the front forks, both front tires, the front hub bearings on both front hubs TWICE, both brake cables and the material that covers the seat has shrank so much I can't get it back together. I bought it to go through small gates in April of last year and it has been a freaking nightmare since day one. Everyone thinks I'm using it incorrectly. Not true. Ariensco themselves told me that as long as I stayed under 10 hours a week it would handle it. We used it on average, 6.2 hours. Well within their use parameters and it did NOT hold up.
The Ikon is a different machine. Definitely lighter-duty and more residential focused. That still sounds like a lot of work for those hours unless you're using it in a commercial capacity. The residential mowers break down quick with a heavy workload.
@channell11 again, I disagree. Before I bought my Ikon Envy, I ran a 2005 Craftsman z6400, that was 15 years old and had 149 hours on it when I bought it. We ran the dog crap out of that machine for 4 years. It has over 800 hours on it when I sold it. The man I sold it to ran it for 2 years until the engine, a Kohler courage finally lost compression. At that time, it had over 1,000 hours on it. With ALL DUE RESPECT, in the event you don't know, Craftsman zero turns were made by MTD, now Stanley/Black & Decker, the same company that makes lawn tractor for big box stores. My Ariens started showing weakness at 5 hours. At that time, I took it back to the dealer, whom I had been trading with for 22 years. They told me there was nothing they could or WOULD do. That's why I started trading with a different dealer. We were using this Ikon less than 6 hours a week. My first riding tractor that I bought in 2005, a Craftsman DYT 4000, lasted for 3 years. This Ikon is a little over a year old and I've already had to rebuild the whole front end and replace both front tires, among other costly repairs.
Let me know. Do you agree or disagree with me?
Get a can or two of mo-deck no. Stick spray keep grass from sticking to deck underneath and yes it works great and I mow with my chute up
Bad Boy 60 in. 26 HP ZT Elite has the same or better specs in every category and the same price, so I can't entirely agree. Two things, in particular, I like much better on the Bad Boy the frame construction and the deck is 7 gauge vs. 10 ga. on Ariens. I would upgrade one more level to the BB Maverick for the I-Beam front axle because of my uneven areas in the front yard.
@TheSpadre Elite seems like a nice mower. I do like the 7 ga. deck and the gas gage. They are very similar in specs but couple things to consider: Elite has a 2 Yr warranty vs. 4 Yr with the Apex, Apex claimed top speed is 8mph vs. 7 for the Elite (I don't understand why the difference, possibly governed), and what exactly makes the frame construction superior for the Elite? I'd say it is a wash without some failure data.
Yes Sir. I have a 2021 model with 205 hrs. I’ve had no issues other than the wheel lugs come loose on the rear tires. Check them regularly. I mow 8 acres every week with mine. The Ariens blades are trash. Buy the Gravley laser edge blades. They are $100 a set but you’ll spend less than on the Ariens cheap ones. And the laser edge blades you don’t have to sharpen. They wear and layer by layer peels off and leaves a sharp edge. I live in central SC where we have very sandy soil. It wrecks mower blades. Love my mower
After researching ZT's for weeks I finally bought my first ZT in 2022. It's the same one, Ariens Apex-52, it's been a great mower so far. 👍
The biggest simplistic improvement to my yard after construction was to get a small plugger to aerate my lawn. I was lucky to find one on sale years ago or maybe rent one . Twice (spring and fall) changed everything.
Crab grass. Lay down a pre emergent herbicide in spring when forsythias start to bloom. Scott's with Halts works well.
i just bought the same mower and I'm very happy with it.
I have a Apex 60 . Bought it new in 2021 have 165 hours on its still like new love it.
I have the gravely version- only difference is the color and warranty length. Comercial blade tip speed and weight make it almost Comercial but it is 100% large residential. The anti scalp rollers and desk mechanics works amazing
Thanks for sharing
@jerrodswinehart2085 What gravely model did you end up with?
For 2024, the Gravely ZTHD has a 7 gauge deck.
Just retired my 11 year Ariens Zoom XL 54 and was going to replace it with the Gravely equivalent from a local dealer. Just couldn't do it though, not offering a 54" was a deal breaker for me; bought another brand instead.
i have the 2023 gravely zt hd stealth edition it has the 10 gage x factor 3 deck, and i put the Power Equipment Man air cleaner on mine,really like the mower.
Same mower and air cleaner, we might be twins!😆
Friviz68, the zthd got a 7gage deck for 2024.
I mow about half an acre. I know this is overkill but from research, you can’t beat this for the money. Build quality, deck, transmission, motor plus the warranty. Nothing else touches it. I think I’m buying one.
I have an acre and this is the best one i have found so far. I sat on it and it feels great. I am going to at least check out the toro timecutter max tomorrow.
@@mnaugwhat did you buy?
I've had a crab grass problem on a new construction. Had to learn how to take care of it myself from youtube videos. If you want to do the same, I began with tenacity + surfactant. It kills most weeds + crab grass, but it's a bit slower and you might need a second app if crab grass is mature like yours looks. I moved up to using drive xlr8 as its faster and I know what I'm doing so I won't hurt the lawn. I would try learning what grass type you have and if it's a cool season or hot season grass because that matters on what weed killer you can spray for your area and at what time in the season
Then when you seed, find a seed that will germinate in your weather. For example, if you seeded Kentucky blue grass in 80 degrees heat, it won't germinate, it likes cool spring or fall. Good luck on taking care of it, I mentioned this because you said you don't like the crab grass.
Thanks for the informative reply 👍🏼
Looks like crab grass. They make some Pre-emergence spread you can put out at a certain time of year to help get rid of it.
I'm actually looking a few mowers and narrowed down to this one or the Toro Titan. The only thing that has me leaning (barely) towards the Titan is it has chain hangers for the deck that allow it easily rise up with the anti-scalp wheels. How well does the deck on this one rise when it hits a bump or do you have problems with scalping?
Great review and thanks for the video.
I haven't had issues with scalping. I think every mower is capable of scalping in the right (or wrong) condition, especially the bigger the decks, like 60."
I have the same mower and I love it. The one thing I don’t like though is that there is a rattle somewhere when the PTO is engaged. Curious if you’ve experienced that at all?
I keep it full throttle when PTO is on, but sometimes there can be a lot of screeching and rattling under there and I just hate how it sounds
I do hear a short screech when the pto is engaged. It is kinda loud when the deck drops off an elevation, too.
same as the gravely zt HD series period I own a zt hd 52 wanted the 60 but g friend said to big but in spring the 60 is coming plus I use fisher bartons commercial blades
I considered the 60" for $100 more but heard it is more prone to scalping over bumps.
@@TylerTryThat not at all 52and 60 are absolutely fine 72 is a scalper on uneven ground but 52s and 60s are great I was after a ferris 500s 52/61 but dealers were just a holes and I decided it's gravely time my next ad on is a suspension seat
this is nice for sure but i love my spartan rz
I got the gravely zt hd 60" I love it
Will this mower fit on a 5 ft. trailer Tyler? I mean once you lift up the chute.
I think thats crab grass.
With the chute up the width is 56" wide. With the chute down it is 67" wide. So yes, it will with the chute up.
Check out trac seats suspension kit. They're available for most zero turns.
I will, thanks.
I do not think that there is a better cutting mower on the market.
Looks like dallis grass and I had to use Target 6 MSM to get rid of it
Dallisgrass?
With that ball hitch i wonder if you could attach a tow behind mower to make it a wide area mower for a fraction of the price.
Don't forget to adjust the two anti-scalping on the inside rear
how would you recommend i adjust them? up or down?
@@TylerTryThat matching the height settings on the other wheels
I wonder how much trouble it would be to have an air seat like in big trucks, Peterbilt etc
Idk. I imagine it would be too big to fit
@@TylerTryThat wondered why the companies hasn't come up with that, , probably not cost effective.
Gravely offers a full suspension seat for their mowers. I bought mine with it installed. You get a full 4 inches of suspension with it. I had the Track Seat on my Simplicity Broadmore and it wasn't nearly as adjustable as this one.
johnson grass. Dig it up and get rid of it. Dig it up!!
That's an oil filter? It looks like a fuel filter to me. All oil filters I've ever seen always attach directly to the engine.
No, it's a fuel filter. I misspoke in the moment cause I was just talking about the oil reservoirs. Good catch, though
@@TylerTryThat No big deal....I enjoyed the video and enjoy learning new things.
I owned the Ariens Zenith, and that is the fuel filter.
@tbar1047 I realized what I said during editing that's why I put the words on the screen that it was the gas filter.
Would want a kasusaki engine or bs
It has the kawasaki. I've only heard good things about it.
That is a weed ( Dallas Grass ) !
The biggest problem I’ve seen is no grease zest on front spindle and water leaks in to them and front wheel want turn 😢
I have a Zenith 60.
@ChuckandVada remind me of the difference. A bigger engine and ROPS only?
I respectfully disagree. I have a 2023 Ariens Ikon Envy that I'm having to practically rebuilt. It's a POJ.
So you have the Ikon? What needs rebuilt? The engine?
@TylerTryThat no. The engine is probably the only good thing about it. So, where do I start....It's got 192 hours on it and I've had to replace all three spindles, the front forks, both front tires, the front hub bearings on both front hubs TWICE, both brake cables and the material that covers the seat has shrank so much I can't get it back together. I bought it to go through small gates in April of last year and it has been a freaking nightmare since day one. Everyone thinks I'm using it incorrectly. Not true. Ariensco themselves told me that as long as I stayed under 10 hours a week it would handle it. We used it on average, 6.2 hours. Well within their use parameters and it did NOT hold up.
The Ikon is a different machine. Definitely lighter-duty and more residential focused. That still sounds like a lot of work for those hours unless you're using it in a commercial capacity. The residential mowers break down quick with a heavy workload.
@channell11 again, I disagree. Before I bought my Ikon Envy, I ran a 2005 Craftsman z6400, that was 15 years old and had 149 hours on it when I bought it. We ran the dog crap out of that machine for 4 years. It has over 800 hours on it when I sold it. The man I sold it to ran it for 2 years until the engine, a Kohler courage finally lost compression. At that time, it had over 1,000 hours on it. With ALL DUE RESPECT, in the event you don't know, Craftsman zero turns were made by MTD, now Stanley/Black & Decker, the same company that makes lawn tractor for big box stores. My Ariens started showing weakness at 5 hours. At that time, I took it back to the dealer, whom I had been trading with for 22 years. They told me there was nothing they could or WOULD do. That's why I started trading with a different dealer. We were using this Ikon less than 6 hours a week. My first riding tractor that I bought in 2005, a Craftsman DYT 4000, lasted for 3 years. This Ikon is a little over a year old and I've already had to rebuild the whole front end and replace both front tires, among other costly repairs.
Wheelies are important? Grow up.
@@chucktintera1787 growing up isn't fun