I been doing a lot of research on Zero Turns. All big name brands including Murray brand all use the same transmissions and most have the same engines. Most all if not all are stamped bodies and same tires etc. The only difference has been the price. Murray has everything and more but 4 to 7 hundred dollars cheaper. This comparing apples to apples with cutting width mower deck.

Has anyone have a Murray?

The majority of mowers are made by MTD and the badged to the company that orders it, in most cases brand names mean little in the lower priced mowers. Can’t say anything good or bad about the Murray brands we run Toros welded body’s and they hold up even with the wife’s powder puff driving.

You might be correct in low end models sold at home depot, but if you believe that Scag, ExMark, Hustler, Bad Boy, Ferris, Kubota and John deere are all made by tye same folks with the same components, you are mistaken. You get what you pay for in zero turns just like most other things. I have no experience with Murray, cant help you on that....

Yep not many different companies and most essential parts are made by one company. Thanks Law.

I have an old toro with a Kawasaki motor and a stamped deck. Will never have another stamped deck mower but will have another Kawasaki. That said - my toro has held up extremely well to my total abuse - I treat it like a brushhog and skidsteer. About half the deck is missing and welds on the remaining half. Broke about 3 spindles and had to weld the frame to accept last spindle. My hydros still work ok but some slop in them. Tires have to be aired up several times and plugged about every 3rd mowing. I can't kill the motor - it keeps going. 22HP Kawasaki on a 42" deck has been unstoppable other than my structural abuse to stamped deck. Hit stump after stuck, cut trees down, rolled up barbed wire and hit t-posts - motor keeps going.

Buy a commercial grade kubota or exmark the key is commercial grade imo John Deere are not very good and I mow a lot of farm places for a neighbor they run but puddly stuff falls apart. My Kubota has done nothing but mow since purchased new in 2009 just oil changes and regular pm

If you get a Toro just change the tires out when you get a flat tire it won’t take long they are not worth repairing the 2 ply junk they put on them.

I might put on 5 to 6 hours at the very tops with the one I'm getting. Mow around the ranch home and small shop. The rest get hayed right up to where I have mowed and rest get grazed down.
I am not paying 7 to 8 hundred more for the same engine and transmission the big name brands. I take care of stuff and will last many years for me. I had a MDT rider out there just retired it and I bought it 34 years ago. Bearing went bad on one of the mower deck pulleys, same engine same tranny. That mower di a lot of cutting it was used at my home in town.

The biggest difference between the spendy and cheaper ones is often better grade engines and better welded decks. I think even Honda now makes a generic level grade engine. It’s like anything you buy ones worth something in a few years and others have no value but it’s all about your needs and useage.

You would be buying an entry level mower If that fits your needs the price is right. But you get what you pay for in mowers !

If I bought new it would be the Country Clipper. Only takes one hand to drive leaving the other free for refreshments. Plus the deck flips up to service the blades.

Well will give one a try will last me a long time for the little cutting I need to do. I still have the cheapest push mower money could buy in 1988. A Briggs on it to change height got to take wheel off find a new hole. Lol

I know guys with toro's and cub cadets they have had many issue since they have had theirs.

I put over 3400 hours on a Bobcat zero turn and it never saw the inside of a shop ! With that said I have the bottom end hydrostatic Deere lawn tractor that I am sure is MTD manufactured. Despite being over 20 years old and 700 hours , it still works fine.

MTD does not manufacture any John Deere mowers. Never has and never will.

I have a 1979 JD100 something should be done with.
Been running Wheel Horse forever.

My neighbor was flying around on his zero.
He slowed down after breaking stuff, and
now owns two.

One JD dealer told me they will not touch
the box store green mowers cause they are junk.
Told em they should get up with still and get
all the snobs under one roof. He laughed.

A list of all pro models would be great for
the guys that "think" they are spending wisely.
There is a lot of trickery.

I have a zero turn Snapper with a Kubota 24 hp gas engine with a 61 inch deck. I bought it in 2006. The only problem I've ever had was with the tires going flat. They were tubeless, so I corrected that problem by putting tubes in them. I would never own a lawn mower that wasn't zero turn. The Kubota engine is great.

I have a Toro zero turn with a Toro motor. I've had it for about 5 years, and the only problem is tires going flat. i think I'll stick some tubes in mine too.

I went to 4 ply tires not a problem now.

Wow that's a long time.

Thats funny, cause I would never own a zero turn...just too one dimensional for my needs. I use my JD rider for multiple uses year round. Just cant justify a piece of equipment for one use. If I ran a lawn mowing business, it would certainly be different. Different strokes for different folks I guess.....

We have a 42" hustler and 72 inch big dog with have just a little under 500 hrs on them. They have been great. They can make tall grass short fast.

I have been to 2 shops looking at comercial mowere for the boys and seeing what's avaliable and prices

One place said once you get to comercial mowers they all have the same kawasaki motors, pumps, and bearings biut from the same places so pick on service you get. That place only had comercial grade mowers.

The other place had 3 grades of mowers and basically the guy said this one will last x hours, that one this many and this one this many before having failingsand tolsd me what starts going out first.. The difference is different quality of parts used in each grade though they look the same other than the stamped deck on the cheapest ones.

The big question Is is it worth spending 2x the price ot better buiybg cheaper and replacing it when you wear it out. If running a business it may be better to buy top end and sell or trade them off every so often to avoid down time and they will hold value a little better. Also may be better tax advantages.

If I was running a commercial grass cutting service I'd want a good one, one that doesn't necessarily break down when grass needs cutting, down time is money, and aggravated customers.
For personal use what does it matter if your grass keeps growing while your cutter is down, and will it when you only use it once a week for a few hours?

500 hours of mowing would take me years....could probably get by fine with a less costly model...

Once you learn to drive a zero turn I doubt a guy would be in a hurry to go back to a lawn tractor type for larger lawns. IMO

I run a 72 exmark. Love it

My brother just bought a 60 bad boy. 5k cheaper than a Toro. The ride on his is amazing.