Not all zero-turn mowers are mid-mounts. Many manufacturers agree that although most zero-turn mowers are mid-mounts, front-cut zero-turn units have advantages. Front-mount zero-turns are declining in sales, but they still have their place in the zero-turn market, says Wes Freeman, brand manager, John Deere Commercial Mowing, Cary, N.C.
“The vast majority of industry shipments is the mid-mount type of zero-turning radius mowers,” Freeman explains. “That’s where the golden egg is in the industry. However, there are front-mount zero-turn mowers out there. In general, the front-mount mowers give contractor more versatility.”
Zero-turns with front-mount engines are slightly more expensive than mid-mounts. For instance, a 23 horsepower front-cut unit with a 54-inch deck is about $100 more than a comparable mid-mount unit, Freeman says. But with that extra cost is additional functionality because they perform better with attachments than mid-mount machines, says Roy Dust, product specialist, Ferris Industries, Munnsville, N.Y. Front-mount mowers can save 50 percent of trim time of a mid-mount mower, says Ruthanne Stucky, marketing manager, The Grasshopper Co., Moundridge, Kan. And they can reach areas that are more difficult to mow with mid-mount units, says Jim Forrester, distributor manager, Encore Manufacturing Co., Beatrice, Neb. “They can get under trees and shrubs and they have more articulation and floatation around the deck,” he says.