re: Recommendations for zero turn mower

Take a ride out to Hills equipment on fla blvd in Livingston. They are some honest folks that have been there nearly 80 years. Tell them what you are using it for and they will tell you what they recommend with pros and cons. I've seen people come in wanting a high end mower and the guys there talk them into something more affordable so they didnt pay for something they didnt need. Good people over there. I just bought a Bad Boy ZT elite from them.

Hustler or Gravely. Bad Boy. Scag. All make very good mowers. For 1.2 acres, you don’t need a lot of mower.

Everybody loves to talk about and sell you on a “commercial” machine, but you just won’t be putting that hours on it. For a decent 52”, you’re likely looking at less than 40-50 hours a year. Even a big box store machine should last 5+ years. Absolutely no reason to spend 3x as much or buy a used machine with 700+ hours.

Buy, maintain, and upgrade to a new one once it gets up in hours.

I have a Gravely ZT-HD and it’s a tank. Which can be good and bad because it’s extremely heavy.

As mentioned, I would recommend the Kawasaki engine regardless of what mower you choose.